text stringlengths 102 99.6k | url stringlengths 31 426 | crawl_date timestamp[us, tz=UTC]date 2022-04-01 00:29:49 2022-09-19 04:34:15 |
|---|---|---|
Jon Ruge honored for supporting colleague's U.S. Navy Reserve service
- Jon Ruge, plant director at DENSO's thermal manufacturing facility in Battle Creek, Michigan, received the Patriot Award on May 18 after being nominated by Chris McDermott, a DENSO employee and U.S. Navy reservist
- DENSO prioritizes creating inclusive work environments and supporting employees of all backgrounds
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jon Ruge, plant director at DENSO's thermal manufacturing facility in Battle Creek, Michigan, today received the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award in a ceremony at the west Michigan site. Ruge was nominated by Chris McDermott, who reports to Ruge as an engineering manager at DENSO and is a U.S. Navy reservist.
McDermott nominated Ruge last year for his support as McDermott completed military duties, which at times took him away from work and home. In those instances, Ruge managed workloads with colleagues and contacted McDermott's family to offer extra help. Then, in January 2022, Ruge stepped up again when McDermott was sent on a 100-day deployment outside the country.
"Jon always puts others first and does what he can to help our people thrive," said McDermott. "It's why I nominated him prior to my deployment. How he helped me and others during that time and to this day is further evidence of why he's deserving of the award."
ESGR is a Department of Defense program seeking to foster a culture in which employers support and value the employment of U.S. National Guard and Reserve members. The Patriot Award recognizes individual efforts to help these members fulfill their service duties.
"I'm grateful for the honor, but I'm even prouder of how we at DENSO come together to take care of our people," said Ruge.
"We can't thank Chris and Jon enough. Chris, for his service to our country, and Jon, for being a prime example of how we can support the military community at work and with their service responsibilities," said Kevin Carson, president of DENSO's thermal manufacturing facility in Battle Creek. "As a Navy veteran, their contributions resonate deeply with me. They also reflect our larger efforts to provide people of all backgrounds resources that will help them succeed at DENSO."
Resources available to employees at the Battle Creek location include onsite amenities like technical training and health centers, as well as business resource groups (BRGs), employee-led networks that promote inclusion and community. These groups, such as the DENSO Veterans Network, connect a variety of populations, and all employees can join.
The Battle Creek site, which employs almost 200 military veterans and reservists, continuously seeks to integrate and assist service members in its workforce. In 2019, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency recognized the location as a Veteran-Friendly Employer. Last year, the site signed an agreement with the U.S. Army to provide priority hiring status to qualified soldiers.
Across the U.S. and region, DENSO is committed not only to working with reservist employees as they complete their service requirements, but also to supporting employees from many dynamic backgrounds.
Interested in working at a global company focused on helping its people succeed inside and outside of work? Review opportunities at densocareers.com.
About DENSO
DENSO is a $45.1 billion global mobility supplier that develops advanced technology and components for nearly every vehicle make and model on the road today. With manufacturing at its core, DENSO invests in its 198 facilities to produce electrification system, powertrain system, thermal system, mobility electronics, & advanced devices, to create jobs that directly change how the world moves. The company's 167,000+ employees are paving the way to a mobility future that improves lives, eliminates traffic accidents, and preserves the environment. Globally headquartered in Kariya, Japan, DENSO spent 9.0 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022. For more information about global DENSO, visit https://www.denso.com/global/en/.
In North America, DENSO is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, and employs 27,000+ engineers, researchers, and skilled workers across 51 sites in the U.S, Canada and Mexico. In the United States alone, DENSO employs 17,700+ employees across 14 states (and the District of Columbia) and 41 sites. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, DENSO in North America generated $9.5 billion in consolidated sales. DENSO is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion inside the company and beyond – a principle that brings unique perspectives together, bolsters innovation, and pushes DENSO forward. Join us, and craft not only how the world moves, but also your career: densocareers.com. For more information, go to https://www.denso.com/us-ca/en/
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE DENSO | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/denso-director-receives-us-department-defense-patriot-award/ | 2022-05-18T14:08:10Z |
ALBANY – A quick trip to the beach, a long weekend, popping open a cold beer while steaks sizzle on the grill ... These are some of the activities Americans think of when they think of Memorial Day.
But just like Christmas is more than presents, the Memorial Day means a lot more than the official beginning of summer to local veterans.
“We’re all veterans,” Ray Humphrey, commander of American Legion Post 335 in Sylvester, said of the group that is hosting a Monday parade. “We all know people who have been lost in battle. Families have lost people.
“We don’t want to forget them. This is not just a day for barbecues, getting out in the pool. This is a day for remembrance.”
The parade starts at 10 a.m. in downtown Sylvester, kicking off at the Margaret Jones Public Library, 205 Pope St.
“This is to celebrate the sacrifices of those that were lost in conflicts and wars of our country,” Humphry said. “This is our second annual (parade). This is going to be an annual event.”
About 45 entrants lined up for the 2021 version of the parade, and Humphrey said he expects 50 or more on Monday. Participants may sign up by contacting him at humphreyray@bellsouth.net.
“We want people to know they can come over to Sylvester and watch the parade,” Humphrey said. “It went over real well last year, and we’re hoping it will this year.”
During an afternoon memorial service at 3 p.m. Monday at the Sylvester train depot, the names of Worth County residents who were killed or listed missing in action will be read aloud, with the ringing of a bell from a decommissioned U.S. naval destroyer after each name.
At the Andersonville National Cemetery, live events are returning in 2022.
On Saturday, flag placement will take place from 9 a.m.-noon. A Memorial Day observance service will be held on Saturday, with music starting at 1:30 p.m. followed by the ceremony at 2 p.m.
And on Monday, the Knights of Columbus will hold a mass from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
In Albany, American Legion Post 30 will hold a Memorial Day breakfast and service on Monday. The flag-raising ceremony will be held at 7:50 a.m. Brian Lassetter of Moultrie will be the speaker for the occasion.
Post Commander Dan Brewer also noted that the day is more than an extra day off.
“I mean, more and more it seems to be about going to the lake and cooking hot dogs,” he said. “We’re trying to keep the meaning alive.”
Stacker compiled this list of songs of the summer from Billboard’s analysis of past years’ charts dating back to 1958. One hundred points were awarded to songs that charted at #1 for a week and one point to songs that charted at #100. Click for more.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/albany-sylvester-american-legion-posts-andersonville-to-hold-memorial-day-events/article_01f1bbd6-dd1d-11ec-8295-c3c1c12d263d.html | 2022-05-26T19:32:34Z |
SINGAPORE, June 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GO2E, a Web 3.0 fitness app with inbuilt Game-Fi, Social-Fi, and Metaverse elements, is getting ready for a Beta Testing event and is expected to be the next "blockbuster" in the market.
Recently, the Go2e team announced that the first beta test version of the app is now available on both iOS and Android platforms. Although this version is currently available internally and tested by the development team only, this is believed to be a very positive signal from this potential project.
Despite its recent appearance on the market, GO2E has built a strong community. Through the few images revealed by the development team, many positive reviews from users on social media were recorded for its eye-catching design and user-friendly interface, creating excitement for many players.
After gathering feedback and processing necessary modifications, a public beta test event will be held and open to everyone, especially members of the GO2E community.
For anyone, anywhere, anytime: Combine Web3 revolutions and Fitness
COVID 19 has brought significant losses and difficulties to the world. Beyond the direct impact of the virus on our long-term health, staying indoors and self-isolating has had significant consequences on our mental well-being.
However, let's say there is one good point that COVID holds, then it must be helping people to realize the importance of health. The notion that physical activity helps keep us healthy is old news. People are already aware that exercise is good for them in many ways, but not many people make it a part of their daily routine. The reasons are plenty: not motivated enough, not knowing where to start, not having enough time and necessary supplies, etc.
In the meantime, the Move-to-earn concept is currently "making a splash" throughout the Crypto community, as it allows users to earn passive income while engaging in physical activities.
The GO2E development team considers this to be a golden opportunity to make a positive impact on the community's fitness situation. And just like that, we started the GO2E project.
GO2E - We Go to Earn, Go to Enjoy, Go to Everything
Intending to build a healthy habit that lasts: exercise every day, even if it's just light walking, GO2E utilizes the benefits of Web3 to be more than just a "game" but also a habit former. Users can now have a chance to receive a passive income while engaging in a variety of game modes that suit different players' preferences, including:
- Go-to-Exclusive Mode:
This is an individual mode that shows the most basic mechanism of GO2E. After equipping NFT Sneakers on the app, each user can earn tokens by moving individually in their way.
- Go-To-Extend Mode (Under Development):
Compared to the individual mode, this is a team mode where the rate of dropping Mystery Box and OTM earned per user increases. The more people one moves with, the higher this ratio. All users in the same group must have Sneaker NFT and Stamina to participate in Extend Mode.
- Go-to-Easy Mode (Under Development):
This mode allows players to passively earn at any time. They will be able to earn OTM even if the GO2E app is not actively used. Easy mode will count steps straight from their mobile device's Health Data app as long as the user holds a Sneaker in the app, with a daily limit of 3,000 steps.
- Go-to-Encounter Function (Under Development):
This is a feature that helps develop GO2E communities, where users worldwide can step back and have more chances to be meaningfully connected in an augmented way.
More than just a "game"
Is Move to earn and Gamefi trendy? Correct. Is GO2E a game inspired by this trend? Also correct. But GO2E shows they're aiming to address a more significant problem: "How do we nudge millions of users to get even just a little more active and keep it on a daily basis?"
GO2E's mission is to establish a sustainable community bringing up the utilization of Web 3.0 and aiming at building a healthy habit that lasts, hope to help thousands improve their lives by making simple changes to their lifestyle — as simple as taking a walk around the block. In the future, GO2E even has plans to partner with sports brands to further popularize this healthy lifestyle.
These early successes demonstrate that GO2E is gradually becoming an innovative mobile solution for the next generation of fitness enthusiasts who want to socialize and be active in virtuality and reality.
GO2E upcoming milestones in 2022
- Airdrop V1: Now available at https://t.me/Go2E_Airdrop_bot
- Beta Testing App - Early June
- NFT Shoebox Sale - Mid June
- $GTE Public Sale - Mid June
- Mainnet (Official Launch) - Mid June: With the positive signals received from the community, we have every reason to look forward to a grand launch from GO2E.
About GO2E tokens
1. Governance Token:
- Token name: Go To E
- Token Symbol: GTE
- Total Supply: 1.000.000.000
2. In-game Token:
- Token name: On The Moon
- Token Symbol: OTM
- Total Supply: Unlimited
OFFICIAL WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA
- Blog: https://blog.go2e.io/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Go2E_Official
- Discord: https://discord.gg/PPZnvgWw5p
- Telegram Channel: https://t.me/Go2E_Ann
Media Contact:
Phone: +84878236770, Email: go2e.official@gmail.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE GO2E | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/03/go2e-when-web3-revolutions-combines-with-fitness/ | 2022-06-03T12:21:06Z |
Man gets 59 years for attempted kidnapping of teen he was prostituting, DA says
MCKINNEY, Texas (Gray News) – A man was sentenced to 59 years in prison for aggravated kidnapping of a 17-year-old girl, officials said.
According to Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis, 29-year-old Ricky Stevenson took the teen to a nail salon in January 2021. After paying for their services and leaving the salon, Stevenson was seen punching the girl so hard that she fell to the ground.
Captured by surveillance cameras, Stevenson then grabbed her, dragged her by her hair and clothes, and threw her in his car.
The district attorney said the girl was able to stumble out of the car in an attempt to run away. Stevenson then grabbed her by the hair a second time and tried to throw her back in the car, but she was able to escape and run to the safety of eyewitnesses.
Upon investigation, the Plano Police Department revealed that the girl had been prostituted by Stevenson beginning at age 16, and she was 17 at the time of the 2021 assault.
A jury found Stevenson guilty, and he was sentenced to 59 years in prison. Detectives testified that they identified at least two other women that Stevenson had been prostituting, one of whom he also physically assaulted.
The jury was also presented with evidence from Stevenson’s social media pages in which he boasted about being a pimp and controlling women.
Stevenson had two prior felony convictions for assault.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/06/08/man-gets-59-years-attempted-kidnapping-teen-he-was-prostituting-da-says/ | 2022-06-08T21:03:23Z |
Teamsters Warn Vulcan's Legal Violations May Turn Into National Dispute
PHOENIX, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mining vehicle operators represented by Teamsters Local 104 unanimously voted over the weekend to authorize a strike against Vulcan Materials, demanding the company stop violating federal labor law and bargain in good faith.
America's largest supplier of construction aggregates and a major producer of asphalt mix and ready-mix concrete, Vulcan operates almost 500 mine quarries, asphalt plants, and ready-mix facilities throughout North America.
The eight Teamster drivers, known as the Vulcan 8, operate on-site mining vehicles at the company's open-pit aggregates quarries in and around Phoenix. They have been working under an expired collective bargaining agreement for more than a year.
Vulcan wants to eliminate a union-sponsored health care plan and replace it with a company plan that would increase workers' health care costs more than $460 per month. The company is also trying to force drivers to get back behind the wheel after just eight hours between shifts, eliminate workers' rights to honor picket lines, and award itself unlimited ability to replace workers with subcontractors, temporary employees, and autonomous vehicles.
"The Teamsters are done tolerating insulting contract proposals like this one. Vulcan 8 drivers know what they're worth, and they demand the wages, benefits, and job protections that they've earned," said Sean M. O'Brien, Teamsters General President. "Vulcan is just the latest example of a corporation peddling extraordinary greed, and our members aren't going to stand for it, no matter the size of their bargaining unit. We will, however, walk the picket line if that's what it takes."
In Arizona, Vulcan supplies many local governments with construction materials, including Maricopa County, Pima County, Pinal County, the City of Phoenix, and the City of Tempe. They also service a range of prestigious private companies, including Lennar Corporation, the largest homebuilder in the U.S.; PulteGroup, the country's third largest homebuilder; and MDC Holdings, one of the top 15 homebuilders in the U.S.
"We have worked non-stop over the last two years to help Vulcan boost profits and pay for CEO J. Thomas Hill," said Richard Trudden, a 20-year Vulcan Teamster. "But instead of offering us a fair compensation package, Vulcan is trying to destroy the lives of eight loyal, long-time workers by violating federal labor laws and refusing to bargain in good faith."
A potential strike or other labor action at Vulcan's Arizona facilities could affect the in-state operations of its partner companies, including CEMEX S.A.B. de C.V. The Teamsters represent roughly 700 Vulcan employees nationwide, including several hundred workers at recently acquired U.S. Concrete.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.
Contact:
Ted Gotsch, (202) 508-6437
tgotsch@teamster.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/arizona-vulcan-materials-teamsters-vote-authorize-strike/ | 2022-06-22T12:43:02Z |
Explosion damages hotel in Cuban capital; 8 deaths reported
Published: May. 6, 2022 at 11:55 AM CDT|Updated: moments ago
HAVANA (AP) — A powerful explosion has badly damaged a hotel in the Cuban capital and officials report at least eight people have died.
The office of Cuba’s president says in a tweet that Friday’s blast at the five-star Hotel Saratoga in Old Havana apparently was due to a gas leak.
It says search and rescue efforts were underway for people possible trapped.
Photos show much of the outer wall blown away at the 96-room hotel, with clouds of dust billowing into the sky.
The website Cubadebate reported that a school next door had been evacuated.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/06/explosion-damages-hotel-cuban-capital-4-deaths-reported/ | 2022-05-06T17:27:35Z |
Mike Tyson involved in altercation with airline passenger
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Authorities on Thursday were investigating an incident in which former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson was recorded on video punching a fellow first-class passenger aboard a plane at San Francisco International Airport.
The video shows Tyson leaning over the back of his seat repeatedly striking the unidentified man in the head, drawing blood. The footage was first shared by TMZ, which said it was recorded on a Jet Blue plane bound for Florida.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Tyson had an incident on a flight with an aggressive passenger who began harassing him and threw a water bottle at him while he was in his seat,” representatives for Tyson said in an email to The Associated Press.
Prior to the physical altercation, the man is seen on the video standing over Tyson’s seat, waving his arms and talking animatedly while the former boxer sits quietly.
San Francisco police responded Wednesday around 10 p.m. to a “physical altercation” on a plane at the airport’s domestic terminal, officials said.
“Officers arrived and detained two subjects that were believed to be involved in the incident. One subject was treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries. That subject provided minimal details of the incident and refused to cooperate further with the police investigation,” police said in a statement Thursday.
Both were released pending further investigation, the statement said.
Another passenger on the flight, Sarah Burchfield, said she saw the man who Tyson punched at an airport bar earlier appearing loud and quarrelsome.
“When I boarded the flight, I thought, ‘Oh, no, that drunk guy is on our flight,’” Burchfield told SFGate.
Burchfield said when she boarded she passed Tyson’s seat in the first class section of the plane.
“The belligerent guy was sitting right behind him and I saw they were interacting,” she said. A short time later, she heard the confrontation in first class, she said.
San Francisco police said the video has been shared with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, which has jurisdiction over the airport.
Sheriff’s officials said “we are not releasing information on the incident because it is an active investigation.”
JetBlue didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking additional details.
Since Tyson, 55, retired from boxing, he has worked as an actor, podcaster and cannabis entrepreneur. He was in San Francisco for the annual 420 cannabis festival in Golden Gate Park, where he was promoting his cannabis brand Tyson 2.0, SFGate reported.
Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history in 1987 at age 20. During his career he had 50 wins, 44 of them by knockout.
In the 1990s Tyson served three years in prison after being convicted of rape. He has maintained his innocence in that case.
Tyson was briefly barred from boxing after infamously biting off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear during a fight in 1997.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/04/21/mike-tyson-punches-airline-passenger/ | 2022-04-22T08:14:16Z |
WHEATON, Ill., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- We are on the verge of an economic crisis the likes of which we have not seen since the 1970s.
America in the 1970s was dealing with an oil crisis, and high inflation and interest rates – some nearly 20%. We are already in an energy crisis. Some gas pumps are now being refitted to accommodate double digit gas prices – yes, $10 a gallon and more. This Administration's war on oil and gas, supported by Casten and Newman, is turning into a war on the American people.
To combat rising inflation, the Fed has raised interest rates by the largest amount in 2 decades. This is just the start of frequent rate hikes that will happen this year. Higher interest rates will increase the burden of debt and reduce the purchase of large assets – like cars and homes, further slowing the economy.
We are getting squeezed.
Americans need to brace for some very difficult times. Our government has forgotten the American people. Many are dealing with the choice of putting gas in their car or food on their table. This, coupled with higher prices for all retail products, is reducing disposable income, which means fewer vacations and dinners out.
As paychecks are spent on necessities, other industries, like travel, hospitality, and entertainment, will suffer. The trickle-down effect will send shockwaves throughout all sectors of the economy. No industry will be safe from setbacks. Jobs will be lost. This is a perfect storm for a devastating economic crisis.
The only way out of this will be to repeal failed policy and institute a return to energy independence while rebuilding American self-sufficiency. Promoting all forms of energy (solar, wind, hydro, coal, and other fossil fuels - and even nuclear) and letting the free market identify the best option rather than the government is a better approach. Returning manufacturing to the U.S. will reduce our dependency on foreign nations and strengthen America.
This Administration's progressive experiment has failed and is hurting Americans. We need to return to policies that lower the cost of living, support American small businesses, and strengthen our presence on the world stage.
Media Contact: Joel Edwards
info@conforti4congress.com
For More Information on the Conforti for Congress Campaign:
Contact: info@conforti4congress.com or call 630.296.4226
www.conforti4congress.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Conforti for Congress | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/07/6th-district-congressional-candidate-university-chicago-graduate-niki-conforti-economy/ | 2022-06-07T14:44:46Z |
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with her counterparts from South Korea and Japan on Wednesday, emphasizing the U.S. commitment to defend its allies and trilateral security cooperation to confront an accelerating nuclear threat from North Korea.
The latest top-level meetings among the countries came as North Korea apparently presses ahead with preparations for its first nuclear test explosion in nearly five years, which U.S. officials say could occur in the coming days.
After a meeting in Seoul, Sherman and the South Korean and Japanese vice foreign ministers issued a joint statement condemning North Korea’s provocative streak in weapons demonstrations this year and pledging closer security cooperation to curb the growing threats.
The statement said Sherman reaffirmed “steadfast” U.S. commitments to the defense of South Korea and Japan, including “extended deterrence,” referring to an assurance to defend its allies with its full military capabilities, including nuclear.
“The United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan are fully and closely aligned on the DPRK,” Sherman said in a news conference, using the initials of North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Sherman noted that North Korea since last September has significantly increased the pace and scale of its ballistic launches, posing a “serious threat” to security in the region and beyond, and urged Pyongyang to cease taking “these provocative and destabilizing actions and to commit to the path of diplomacy.”
Following the meeting, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong met separately with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori and they were in agreement about an “urgent” need to improve bilateral relations, their ministries said.
South Korea and Japan had engaged in a highly public feud in recent years over trade and Japan’s brutal colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula before the end of World War II, which included wartime industrial and sexual slavery of Koreans. The Biden administration has been pressing Seoul and Tokyo to repair ties to shore up a united front against the North Korean nuclear threat and China’s rising influence in the region.
Mori also held separate talks with Sherman where they agreed to maintain and strengthen sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine and work more closely to address challenges related to China, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said.
Jolting an old pattern of brinkmanship, North Korea has already set an annual record in ballistic launches through the first six months of 2022, firing 31 missiles over 18 test events, including its first demonstrations of intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017.
The unusually fast pace in testing activity underscores authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un’s dual intent to advance his arsenal and pressure the Biden administration over long-stalled negotiations aimed at leveraging its nukes for economic and security concessions, experts say.
Sherman’s visit to Asia came after North Korea in its biggest-ever single-day testing event launched eight ballistic missiles into the sea from multiple locations on Sunday, prompting the U.S. and its Asian allies to respond with tit-for-tat missile launches and aerial demonstrations involving dozens of fighter jets.
A nuclear test would further escalate North Korea’s pressure campaign and could possibly allow the country to claim it acquired the technologies to build a bomb small enough to be clustered on a multi-warhead ICBM or on Kim’s broad range of shorter-range weapons threatening South Korea and Japan.
South Korean and U.S. officials have said the North has all but finished preparations for a detonation at its nuclear testing ground in the remote northeastern town of Punggye-ri, an assessment backed by the International Atomic Energy, which says there are indications that one of the site’s passages has been reopened. The site had been inactive since hosting the country’s sixth nuclear test in September 2017, when it claimed it detonated a thermonuclear bomb designed for its ICBMs.
North Korea will likely time the test to maximize political effect and some analysts say it could take place around a major conference of the ruling Workers’ Party that has been vaguely scheduled for the first half of June.
North Korea’s state media said Wednesday that Politburo members met a day earlier to discuss the agenda for an upcoming plenary meeting of the party’s Central Committee that has been called by Kim to review major state affairs, including national efforts to slow a COVID-19 outbreak. He may also use the meeting to address his nuclear weapons ambitions and external relations with Washington and Seoul, experts say.
Kim’s absence from Tuesday’s preparatory meeting suggests that he’s focused on supervising preparations for North Korea’s seventh nuclear test and drafting his speeches for the plenary, said analyst Cheong Seong-Chang at South Korea’s Sejong Institute.
The North Korean party’s previous plenary in December lasted for a record five days and saw Kim repeat his vow to boost his country’s military capabilities and order the production of more powerful and sophisticated weapons systems.
Nuclear talks between the U.S. and North Korea have stalled since 2019 because of disagreements over an easing of crippling U.S.-led sanctions in exchange for North Korean disarmament steps, which underscored Kim’s unwillingness to give away an arsenal he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.
___ Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to the report. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/us-stresses-allied-cooperation-in-face-of-n-korea-threats/ | 2022-06-08T23:37:58Z |
Fidelity will soon offer bitcoin as an option in 401(k)s
By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Business
Fidelity Investments announced Tuesday that it will offer bitcoin as an investment option in its 401(k) plans by the middle of this year.
It’s a big move given that Fidelity is the largest 401(k) plan provider in the United States, acting as custodian for 23,000 plans, which have 20.4 million participants. In total, those plans represent $2.7 trillion in assets under management.
It is also the first major 401(k) provider to offer cryptocurrency as an investment for retirement savers.
The bitcoin option, however, will only be on offer to participants whose employers have elected to include it in their plan.
Fidelity did not specify how many employers have already signed on. “But we have a number of clients that have committed and a number of others in the evaluation process,” said Dave Gray, Fidelity’s head of workplace platforms and products. He expects to hear from more clients now that Fidelity has publicly announced the news.
Gray also noted that both the committed clients and the interested ones range in terms of size and industry.
How it will work
As with any other investment in a 401(k) plan, participants can elect to direct a portion of their regular savings contributions into what will be known as their digital asset account (DAA) where their bitcoin will be held. They also can elect to transfer money to their DAA from another investment they have within the plan. And they can take distributions from that account.
But limits will be set on how much they can contribute — Fidelity won’t allow any employer to set that limit higher than 20%, Gray said. But employers may set the limit much lower — for example, at 5%. And that limit will also apply to how much money you can transfer into your DAA as a percentage of your 401(k)s total assets.
There will also be a limit set on how frequently one can make “round-trip trades” into or out of the account. “We designed this from the point of view of investors that look at bitcoin as a long-term retirement savings opportunity. It’s not for intraday trading or someone looking to trade on market swings,” Gray said.
There will be a trading fee, which has yet to be announced. And the annual fee for the administration will be between 75 to 90 basis points of the assets in the account — so $75 to $90 for every $10,000. That’s for custody, accounting and administration of the DAA, Gray said.
Fidelity is also providing plan sponsors with materials and tools to educate participants about the risks and volatility inherent in investing in bitcoin.
A warning from the Labor Department
The Department of Labor, which ensures that employer retirement plans meet the minimum standards of protection for participants set by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, has publicly indicated it is very concerned about the prospect of 401(k) participants being exposed to the extreme volatility of crypto trading.
And it has said it will keep an especially close eye on the plans that do offer cryptocurrencies as an investment option.
Fidelity asserts that the DOL has overstepped by singling out an investment type and implying that it is imprudent rather than leave that assessment to employers with fiduciary duty for their plans. “The determination of prudence [in investment options] belongs to plan sponsor fiduciaries,” Gray said.
In any case, investing in bitcoin has been and continues to be a wild ride — and anyone saving for retirement should not bet their financial security too heavily on the crypto asset class.
Bitcoin, currently trading just under $40,000, is down nearly 27% in the past 12 months, and is down about 15% this year alone.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/money/cnn-business-consumer/2022/04/26/fidelity-will-soon-offer-bitcoin-as-an-option-in-401ks/ | 2022-04-26T19:00:56Z |
- Genesis brand reclaims top spot in the Premium category for the 2022 study and improves by 3 rank positions overall
- G80 ranked top of its segment in initial quality for the second consecutive year
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Genesis was named top premium brand in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Initial Quality Study and improved by 3 rank positions overall from the prior year. The study found that all Genesis models scored better than their segment average, marking an important achievement for the brand.
"At Genesis, our products are designed and engineered with careful consideration for the needs of our customers," said Omar Rivera, executive director of quality and service engineering at Genesis Motor America. "We pursue excellence in everything we do, and we are pleased that consumers surveyed in the United States continue to respond positively to the exceptional quality and craftsmanship of our latest models."
G80, the brand's executive sedan, was named Best Upper Midsize Premium Car for the second consecutive year.
G80 is at the core of the Genesis sedan lineup and offers a perfect balance of comfort and refined performance. For the 2022 model year, the brand introduced the G80 Sport, adding bold new styling, available new suspension tuning, available rear wheel steering, and more to the executive sedan. Later this year, the brand will launch its Electrified G80, the first Genesis EV sedan and second all-electric model, as the brand pursues a 100% electric lineup by 2030.
The annual study ranks auto manufacturers and their products by problems per one hundred vehicles (PP100). The brand and car with the lowest level of problems wins the respective category.
Genesis was ranked first in initial quality among premium brands from 2017 – 2020, and continued its strong performance in 2021, ranking second.
At Genesis, we put the customer at the center of every decision we make. Genesis is a global automotive brand that delivers the highest standards of performance, design, safety, and innovation while looking towards a more sustainable future. Genesis designs customer experiences that go beyond products, embodying audacious, forward-thinking, and distinctly Korean characteristics within its unique Athletic Elegance design identity. With a growing range of award-winning models — including G70, G80, and G90 sends, along with GV60, GV70, and GV80 SUVs — Genesis aims to lead the age of electrification, starting with its Electrified G80 and GV60 electric models. Genesis has stated its commitment to becoming an all-electric vehicle brand by 2030 and to pursuing carbon neutrality by 2035.
Please visit our media site for the latest news at www.genesisnewsusa.com (United States) and www.genesisnews.ca (Canada).
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Genesis Motor America | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/genesis-named-top-premium-brand-jd-power-2022-us-initial-quality-study/ | 2022-06-28T17:30:04Z |
NORFOLK, Va., July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CemAI announces its entry into artificial intelligence solutions for cement plant operations. CemAI offers a predictive maintenance solution, that combines a proprietary licensed software with a continuous monitoring and incident resolution service for cement manufacturing lines around the world.
CemAI's solution complements the expertise of local plant maintenance teams by adding the dimension of predictive analytics, bringing cement plant maintenance into the digital age of AI. CemAI leverages machine learning technology that processes in real-time the operating data of entire cement plants, generating alerts that are analyzed by a team of experts with years of experience in cement operations, working in close collaboration with the plant's teams, to resolve issues before they affect operations.
"Industry 4.0 connects the physical worker with technology. CemAI's solution has already proven that the power of digital solutions, coupled with human expertise, can achieve world-class reliability in cement plants," says Scott Ziegler, Chief Executive Officer for CemAI. "Our artificial intelligence tools, and the deep cement manufacturing experience of our experts that have been using the tool to its maximum potential, change the dynamics of plant maintenance from preventive actions to predictive solutions."
The CemAI system is currently installed at several cement plants in Europe, North America, and Africa. "The savings in avoided shutdowns and equipment loss or expensive unplanned maintenance has been truly impressive in our experience," says Cesar Constantino, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for CemAI.
CemAI works through multiple remote monitoring centers with fully staffed maintenance experts that collect and analyze the data stream from plant sensors. The solution runs 24/7 with KPI tracking and reporting for continuous system improvements. More information can be obtained by contacting CemAI at info@cemai.com or www.cemai.com.
About CemAI, Inc.
CemAI, Inc. offers the only cement manufacturing focused, predictive maintenance solution, powered by Precognize's artificial intelligence software. As an affiliate of Titan Cement Group, CemAI combines cement industry knowledge with technical expertise to provide unparalleled service. For more information visit www.cemai.com
CONTACT: Mary Beth Kramer
Kramer Consulting
(215) 431-3946
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE CemAI | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/26/cemai-delivers-next-generation-ai-maintenance-solution-cement-industry/ | 2022-07-26T16:33:17Z |
BEIJING, July 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2022 Yungang cultural tourism season, a cultural feast dedicated to crafting north China-situated Datong into a city characterized by being an ancient cultural capital, a cool summer resort and the capital of gourmet, kicked off in Datong of Shanxi Province on July 18.
Since 2000 when the first Yungang cultural tourism season debuted, the seasonal tourism activities have become a household cultural tourism brand and a "cultural tourism messenger" for Datong city.
Under the brand, Datong cultivated many classic cultural tourism events such as the ancient capital lantern show and the Jackie Chan international action film week, all of which brought the city further on its road to building a reputed international cultural tourism destination.
Wang Jianjiang, member of the standing committee of CPC Datong municipal committee and publicity department head, said that after years of efforts, the Yungang cultural tourism season-incubated "cool summer resort" and "cultural Datong" tourism brands are expected to further help the city shape a complete system of summer tourism brands and improve at the same time its popularity and reputation among tourists.
Recent years, Datong city's cultural tourism industry has stepped into a phase featuring development of higher quality.
Since 2017, the China Datong Tourism Development Index released by Xinhua-run China Economic Information Service and the People's Government of Datong has once reached 1,438.97 points, up nearly 50 percent since the base period and indicating enormous market attention and consumption vitality.
Regardless of others, Datong's tourism brand popularity increased notably alongside the all-around functioning brand effects. This year, cultural tourism industry in the city showcased sufficient development resilience with rural tourism and outdoor camping widely favored by travelers and in-depth tours becoming mainstream choices of tourists, which spend on average three days instead of the past 1.5 days in Datong currently.
This year, as many as 38 activities of six sub-themes are welcoming travelers to the city, including the China cultural tourism metaverse development conference, China youth sculpture exhibition, and Datong cultural tourism trendy fun creation season.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/xinhua-silk-road-yungang-culture-themed-tourism-season-starts-n-chinas-datong-mon/ | 2022-07-21T03:41:58Z |
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., May 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Agree Realty Corporation (NYSE: ADC) (the "Company") today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized, and the Company has declared, a monthly cash dividend of $0.234 per common share. The monthly dividend reflects an annualized dividend amount of $2.808 per common share, representing a 7.8% increase over the annualized dividend amount of $2.604 per common share from the second quarter of 2021. The dividend is payable June 14, 2022 to stockholders of record at the close of business on May 31, 2022.
Additionally, the Company's Board of Directors has authorized, and the Company has declared, a monthly cash dividend on its 4.25% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock of $0.08854 per depositary share, which is equivalent to $1.0625 per annum. The dividend is payable June 1, 2022 to stockholders of record at the close of business on May 23, 2022.
About Agree Realty Corporation
Agree Realty Corporation is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that is RETHINKING RETAIL through the acquisition and development of properties net leased to industry-leading, omni-channel retail tenants. As of March 31, 2022, the Company owned and operated a portfolio of 1,510 properties, located in 47 states and containing approximately 31.0 million square feet of gross leasable area. The Company's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ADC". For additional information on the Company and RETHINKING RETAIL, please visit www.agreerealty.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Agree Realty Corporation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/12/agree-realty-declares-monthly-common-preferred-dividends/ | 2022-05-12T21:16:30Z |
Expanding access to medication to treat opioid use disorder is a critical part of the solution
RICHMOND, Va., April 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Indivior PLC (LON: INDV) today released the following statement regarding the US Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) recent memorandum to law enforcement partners offering guidance and support in response to a nationwide spike in fentanyl-related mass-overdose events.
"The DEA's recent action reinforces the growing and unprecedented crisis of fentanyl-related overdose in the United States and provides guidance to help communities in their treatment and prevention efforts," said Mark Crossley, Chief Executive Officer, Indivior. "A critical part of the solution is increased access to evidence-based medication for people struggling with the chronic disease of opioid and substance use disorder."
The nation's overdose epidemic is now driven by fentanyl.1 The CDC estimates that in the 12-month period ending in October 2021, more than 105,000 Americans died of drug overdoses, with 66 percent of those deaths related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.1 These overdose deaths are affecting families and communities across the country, and the need for access to medications to treat opioid use disorder (MOUD) to help those suffering from opioid use disorder (OUD) and substance abuse has never been more critical.
To turn the tide on this devastating epidemic, Indivior is committed to expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder. One of the most critical needs is in under-served communities where racial and ethnic minorities face barriers to treatment access due to stigma or bias, heightening the inequities already present within our healthcare system. In addition, for those involved with the criminal justice system, approximately 65 percent1 meet the criteria for substance use disorder (SUD), yet only 5 percent2 of those who need treatment receive it.
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a chronic disease in which people develop a pattern of using opioids that can lead to negative consequences. OUD may affect the parts of the brain that are necessary for life-sustaining functions.3
Indivior is a global pharmaceutical company working to help change patients' lives by developing medicines to treat substance use disorders (SUD) and serious mental illnesses. Our vision is that all patients around the world will have access to evidence-based treatment for the chronic conditions and co-occurring disorders of SUD. Indivior is dedicated to transforming SUD from a global human crisis to a recognized and treated chronic disease. Building on its global portfolio of OUD treatments, Indivior has a pipeline of product candidates designed to both expand on its heritage in this category and potentially address other chronic conditions and co-occurring disorders of SUD, including alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder. Headquartered in the United States in Richmond, VA, Indivior employs more than 900 individuals globally and its portfolio of products is available in over 40 countries worldwide. Visit www.indivior.com to learn more. Connect with Indivior on LinkedIn by visiting www.linkedin.com/company/indivior.
References:
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Criminal Justice Drug Facts. June 2020
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/criminal-justice - National Institute on Drug Abuse: Criminal Justice Drug Facts. June 2020
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/criminal-justice - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health. Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 18-5063PT5, Printed 2018.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Indivior | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/04/12/indivior-statement-nationwide-increases-fentanyl-related-mass-overdose-events/ | 2022-04-12T13:11:52Z |
Business continuity during the pandemic evolves into a global, future-proofed workflow, speeding edit times and slashing inefficiency
SAN FRANCISCO and AMSTERDAM, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LucidLink, an innovative SaaS-based company delivering high-performance remote collaboration to the world's largest brands and creative professionals, has been deployed across VICE Media Group to diversify its post-production model and move its production workflow to the cloud.
VICE Media's news team initially ran a 30-day trial of LucidLink during the pandemic, employing 'cloud NAS' technology to enable content to be stored in the cloud and dynamically streamed and cached to local devices. VICE Media's news team used LucidLink for teams working remotely with the day-to-air content from regions in the field to the finishing teams taking broadcast content to air. The trial was so successful that VICE Media moved its entire production workflow to the cloud.
Dominic Brouard, Post Production Infrastructure Manager, VICE Media Group, said, "We wanted to deploy a solution that would enable remote from home productivity in the short-term, but we also wanted to try and build something that would stand us in good stead post-Covid. That meant we wanted a tool that would work sustainably from the speed of production. It also had to meet the terms of the cost model, the infrastructure it sits on, and be enterprise-ready and security-focused."
Implementation of LucidLink has eliminated the company's previous challenges in downloading files or sending drives, which were time-consuming processes that were becoming unsustainable.
"Our speed to edit has increased immeasurably with LucidLink," says Brouard. "Quite simply, had we not had LucidLink, then in the short-term, we would have been less efficient working from home (during Covid), and in the longer term, our cloud-first strategy would probably have required a more complex and expensive post-production system in the cloud."
With LucidLink, editors, wherever they are located, can access assets on cloud storage, perform the required work and share a file with a producer for immediate review. Editors worldwide can now work on the same media, story, or program, employing a 'follow the sun' model. For example, when an editor in the UK finishes for the day, editorial team members in South America can continue to work on the same project.
LucidLink offers an innovative cloud-native file service designed specifically for extensive data access over distance. LucidLink Filespaces provides best-in-class security and high-performance scalability to run file-based workloads on object storage for maximum efficiency and productivity. The service is compatible with Microsoft Azure Blob and any Amazon S3 compatible object storage provider that utilizes cloud, on-prem, or hybrid storage. It supports all major operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS. Investors include Baseline Ventures, Headline, Adobe, Bright Cap Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, S28 Capital, and Fathom Capital. LucidLink is privately held and headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company maintains an office in Sofia, Bulgaria, with remote employees across North America, Europe, and Australia. For more information about LucidLink, please contact info@lucidlink.com. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and visit us at lucidlink.com.
IBC 2022 Hall 7 Stand B06
Contact:
Julie O'Grady
LucidLink
julie.ogrady@lucidlink.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE LucidLink | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/lucidlink-deployed-by-vice-media-group-bring-production-post-production-cloud/ | 2022-09-08T04:31:49Z |
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fortress Trust Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fortress Blockchain Technologies, welcomes Joe Mulberry to its executive team as EVP of Regulatory Licensing.
Joe joins Fortress after 30 years of government service at the Wyoming Banking Division where he served as Deputy Commissioner and most recently as Interim-Banking Commissioner. While at the Banking Division, Joe's primary duties were to supervise all money transmitters and non-bank consumer lenders. "Joining Fortress Trust Company is a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of Web3 infrastructure with a team committed to compliance, innovation and equal access to scalable financial and regulatory infrastructure." said Joe Mulberry.
"As the regulation of cryptocurrencies in general, and fungible and non-fungible tokens in particular continues to evolve, it is key for industry leaders to ensure the convergence of compliance with innovation in building the future of finance," said Albert Forkner, CEO of Fortress Trust. "I've worked with Joe for several years and he shares our commitment to regulatory compliance and respect for state regulatory oversight over banking, trust services, money transmission and tokenized assets. He is another amazing addition to the growing Fortress Trust team!"
Recent news of assets being locked or subject to third-party claims due to bankruptcies, as well as a new wave of crypto legislation only highlight the need for regulated trust infrastructure. Only in this structure are assets protected from seizure and regulatory compliance ensured. This is the reason that the team at Fortress Trust has been built with a deep regulatory bench so it is poised to provide this infrastructure to this rapidly emerging industry.
Another recent regulatory hire includes Tudor Prisneac who leads the Fortress Trust Financial Intelligence Unit. Tudor's regulatory compliance background started in Europe at the financial intelligence unit of the Republic of Moldova, where he conducted investigations related to fraud, corruption and other predicate offences reported by banks, money services businesses and other reporting entities. He is a member of the Board Member for the ACAMS Southern Nevada Chapter.
"Web3 will utterly transform the world as every asset imaginable is digitized and placed on the blockchain", said Scott Purcell, Founder & CEO of Fortress Blockchain Technologies, "Like the dawn of the internet, today's marketplaces, neo banks and other market participants need purpose-built financial, regulatory and technology infrastructure so they can create frictionless customer experiences and scale their businesses. With our embeddable wallet technology, API-minting engine, payments and trust services, we offer the next generation of innovators the tools and technology to quickly launch and seamlessly scale."
Fortress Blockchain Technologies is a software development firm and holding company that is purpose-built to create financial, regulatory and technology infrastructure for the rapidly emerging Web3 space. Fortress Trust Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fortress Blockchain Technologies and is a full-retail Nevada-chartered financial institution.
View original content:
SOURCE Fortress Blockchain Technologies | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/02/more-regulators-join-fortress-trust-company-web3-infrastructure/ | 2022-08-02T15:29:45Z |
Which Canon Pixma printer is best?
Far from a relic of bygone days, a printer is an incredibly useful tool in your home or small office. But there is a wide selection out there, all competing for your dollars with fancy functions, eye-catching names and colorful logos.
All of that doesn’t make the decision easier, especially if you want to print text-based documents and vibrant, high-quality photos. You might even want to do it all on the same page.
That is the niche that Canon’s Pixma printers fill by giving you a printer that uses the best technology from both worlds. If that’s the case, the Canon Pixma G640 Wireless MegaTank All-in-One Printer is an excellent choice.
What to know before you buy a Canon Pixma printer
It’s more than a document printer
You might be looking at a Pixma printer for all your office or working-from-home projects, but it’s much more than that. Certain Pixma models do everything you need but go one step further by being compatible with Canon’s re-stickable photo paper and magnetic photo paper.
The Canon mobile app lets you create designs from photos or through Canon’s templates and transfer them to re-stickable photo paper. This creates stickers that you can use over and over again. There is even a tutorial on how to make the perfect sticker that goes over your mobile phone’s case. Magnetic photo paper is a great way to create photo magnets that stick to most metal objects.
Some models are portable
A printer is usually a bulky gadget relegated to one spot on a desk and never moved around. But what do you do if you need to print documents during a meeting or while you wait for your next appointment?
Well, some Pixma models are small and thin enough to carry around and don’t weigh much more than a laptop. These might not be as feature-packed as a multi-function printer, but they will certainly get the job done.
Depending on the model, it either has a built-in battery that you must recharge, or it comes with a USB cable that supplies power and data from the connected device.
Consider what you want to print
A significant factor in deciding on a printer comes down to primarily what you’ll use it for. If it is more for documents, spreadsheets and presentations, then a laser printer is your best option.
But if you want to reproduce high-quality photos, then an inkjet printer will give you the best results. That’s because the technology in inkjet printers deposits tiny drops of ink onto the page. With a higher dots per inch ratio than laser printers, it creates vivid and striking color shades rich in detail.
What to look for in a quality Canon Pixma printer
Printing through the cloud, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Printers must be connected to the source material, but using an old-fashioned cable isn’t the best choice. A good-quality Pixma printer is capable of connecting to a variety of devices through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Some models also let you print directly from social media applications or cloud services such as DropBox, OneNote or Google Drive.
Compatible with extra-large ink cartridges
Most printer makers will include some ink with your purchase to get you going straight out of the box. But sooner or later, you’ll have to buy more ink. Of course, you can buy the regular cartridges, but it works out cheaper in the long run if your Pixma printer can take the larger cartridges, often marked as “XL” or “XXL.” These hold much more ink and are more economical than the default ones.
How much you can expect to spend on a Canon Pixma printer
The average cost of a Pixma printer largely depends on the gadget’s functions. An entry-level single-function printer that can handle most office tasks costs $70-$100.
A complete multifunction printer that’s great with photos costs $200-$300. Unfortunately, you’ll have to fork out $400-$500 for a portable printer. But that’s not where the cost of having a printer stops.
You’ll occasionally need to buy ink cartridges to keep it going. The price can vary widely depending on the size of the cartridge and the color. A single color such as yellow costs $15-$20, and you’ll probably also need to buy magenta and cyan. For more affordable Pixma printers, a double pack of extra-large black and tri-color ink costs $50-$60.
But having a printer can quickly turn into an expensive endeavor. If you buy two double packs, you’ve spent more on ink than on the printer itself.
Canon Pixma printer FAQ
How do I know which cartridges fit in my printer?
A. This can be tricky, but each cartridge type and color has a number printed on the box. Specific printers use the corresponding number. For example, the Pixma iP110 uses 35BK for black or CLI36 for color. Likewise, the Pixma G640 uses the dye bottles marked as GI-43. As long as you know the number code, you won’t have a problem.
How many photos can you print with a Pixma?
A. This will largely depend on the model, the technology used and the size of the photos. But as a rough guideline, Canon says that one bottle of dye for the G640 can produce 3,800 photos on 4-by-6-inch photo paper.
What’s the best Canon Pixma printer to buy?
Top Canon Pixma printer
Canon Pixma G640 Wireless MegaTank All-in-One Printer
What you need to know: The extra-large tanks can hold up to 30 times more ink than Canon’s regular tanks.
What you’ll love: This multi-function printer connects to mobile devices and computers through Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It is equally capable of printing striking photos and crisp text.
What you should consider: Some users have indicated that refilling the ink tanks can get messy.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top Canon Pixma printer for the money
Canon Pixma MG3620 Wireless All-In-One Color Inkjet Printer
What you need to know: This affordable gadget lets you print documents from cloud services or through Apple’s AirPrint.
What you’ll love: The inkjet printer can scan and copy, has two-sided printing, and can deliver 9.9 black and white pages per minute.
What you should consider: A small number of users had difficulties connecting to the printer through Bluetooth.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Canon Pixma iP110 Wireless Mobile Printer With Airprint and Cloud Compatible
What you need to know: If you ever needed a portable printer, this is an excellent option.
What you’ll love: The printer connects to mobile devices and cloud services for quick on-the-go print jobs. It has a relatively high color printing resolution of 9600-by-2400 dots per inch or DPI and prints documents up to 8.5 inches by 11 inches.
What you should consider: The rechargeable battery for the printer is sold separately. If you don’t have it, the printer requires a wall socket or a cigarette lighter adapter.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Charlie Fripp writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://cw33.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/printers-office-electronics-br/best-canon-pixma-printer/ | 2022-08-17T23:43:56Z |
HONG KONG, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited ("NetDragon" or the "Company"; Hong Kong Stock Code: 777), a global leader in building internet communities, announced that Edmodo, its subsidiary, has decided to shut down its free B2C version (Edmodo.com) with effect from 22 September 2022 to focus its resources in pursuing revenue-producing country rollout B2G opportunities with the popular learning platform[1].
While Edmodo.com has been one of the most widely-used free learning communities and has been loved and used by millions of teachers, students and parents around the world, Edmodo has in recent years made significant progress in discussions to roll out a similar B2G based platform in multiple countries[1], including Egypt, Thailand and Ghana, as part of the Company's strategy to provide best-in-class blended learning solutions. The shutdown of the free B2C platform (Edmodo.com) will allow the Company to focus its effort in better optimizing the B2G platform to fit the needs of the different countries, ultimately creating value for users that will be consistent with the blended learning vision of the Company. In addition, the Company expects to realize substantial savings in operating cost, which will accelerate the path to reaching operating profitability of its education business.
About NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited
NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0777) is a global leader in building internet communities with a long track record of developing and scaling multiple internet and mobile platforms that impact hundreds of millions of users, including previous establishments of China's first online gaming portal, 17173.com, and China's most influential smartphone app store platform, 91 Wireless.
Established in 1999, NetDragon is one of the most reputable and well-known online game developers in China with a history of successful game titles including Eudemons Online, Heroes Evolved, Conquer Online and Under Oath. In recent years, NetDragon has also started to scale its online education business on the back of management's vision to create the largest global online learning community, and to bring best-in-class integrated blended learning solutions to every school around the world.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/edmodo-announced-closure-its-b2c-version-focus-country-rollout-opportunities/ | 2022-08-18T07:13:10Z |
NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomas Gray, a veteran transactional tax and investment tax attorney, has joined Troutman Pepper's national Tax + Benefits Practice Group in New York as a partner. Gray joins the firm from Faegre Drinker.
"We are looking forward to welcoming Tom to the team," said Partner Joan Arnold, who leads the practice. "Our clients will benefit greatly from his experience in corporate and partnership transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, restructuring, spinoffs and equity and debt financings. His deep experience in investment funds is also a major plus for us."
As both an accountant and a lawyer, Gray understands tax issues from every perspective. When clients undertake transactions or investments, he navigates the complex tax laws and considerations at stake so they can focus on their business goals. He supports both domestic and offshore clients on cross-border tax matters.
"Tom's arrival is an outstanding addition to our tax practice and to our New York office," said New York Office Managing Partner Steven Khadavi. "He is well-situated to add significant value to our clients."
"I am excited to join Troutman Pepper's tax team, and to continue to grow my practice and build relationships with clients and my new colleagues at the firm. I am particularly excited about the firm's collaborative approach," Gray said. "Joan Arnold has built a terrific team, and I am thrilled to be its newest member," he concluded.
Gray earned his JD from Boston University School of Law and his bachelor's degree from University of Vermont. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Troutman Pepper's Tax + Benefits Practice Group provides comprehensive advice on all aspects of tax transactions, examinations, administrative appeals, and, if necessary, tax litigation, which allows clients to remain focused on running their businesses. In addition to advising clients on corporate, partnership, and state and local tax matters, the Chambers-ranked practice partners with the firm's compensation and benefits attorneys to provide income tax advice on workforce compensation issues experienced by companies undergoing change.
Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,200 attorneys strategically located in 23 U.S. cities. The firm's litigation, transactional, and regulatory practices advise a diverse client base, from start-ups to multinational enterprises. The firm provides sophisticated legal solutions to clients' most pressing business challenges, with depth across industry sectors, including energy, financial services, health sciences, insurance, and private equity, among others. Learn more at troutman.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Troutman Pepper | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/troutman-pepper-adds-talented-tax-partner-thomas-gray-national-practice-new-york/ | 2022-06-22T17:22:14Z |
LONDON, May 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bundlr Network, a decentralized platform that makes it fast and easy to store data on web3, has raised a $5.2 million seed round co-led by Framework Ventures, Arweave, Hypersphere Ventures, and Permanent Ventures. Other investors included OpenSea Ventures and Race Capital.
Bundlr is building the future of data storage by bringing the speed and ease of web2 to web3. Today, most data is stored on centralized servers that are owned by a singular entity which presents many security and manipulation risks. Bundlr solves this by offering a fast, multichain solution for users to store on Arweave, the only permanent and decentralized data storage platform that makes it near impossible to alter, censor, or hack data.
Bundlr enables the user to have instant access to their data and is compatible with leading blockchains including Ethereum, Solana, and Avalanche, allowing users to pay for data uploads in any major token. Today, Bundlr is responsible for processing over 90% of all data uploaded to Arweave.
"Bundlr is bringing speed and ease to web3 technology," said CEO and founder Josh Benaron. "Arweave promises to store your data securely for over 200 years. We are making this future possible by enabling faster and easier access by anyone, anywhere."
Decentralized, permanent storage is especially critical for the NFTs ecosystem. Contrary to popular belief, NFT's digital assets, metadata, and code are usually stored on centralized servers or non-permanent decentralized solutions, leaving the NFT at risk of being lost, hacked or stolen. This is a huge risk for creators and developers. Leading marketplaces such as SolSea use Bundlr to ensure secure, long-term storage for NFTs.
The capital raised in this round will go towards scaling its team specifically in business development, Rust developers, and marketing initiatives.
About Bundlr Network
Bundlr is a decentralized platform that makes it fast and easy to store data on web3. It is a reliable, multichain solution that enables easy access to Arweave. Bundlr is responsible for processing over 90% of all data uploaded on Arweave and increases upload speeds by ~3000%. Bundlr is integrated on most platforms and is multi-chain compatible including Ethereum, Solana, and Avalanche.
To learn more about Bundlr, visit its website. For updates, follow Bundlr on Twitter.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Bundlr Network | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/04/bundlr-network-raises-52-million-seed-round-build-an-easier-faster-way-store-data-web3/ | 2022-05-04T16:44:04Z |
New Platform Investment Highlights Clearlake's Focus on Innovation, Sustainability, and Growth in Diverse and Recession Resilient End Markets
SARASOTA, Fla. and MONTREAL, QC and SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (together with its affiliates "Clearlake") today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Intertape Polymer Group Inc. (TSX:ITP, "IPG", or the "Company"), a global provider of protective packaging solutions. The acquisition was previously announced on March 8, 2022, and approved by IPG shareholders on May 11, 2022. Under the terms of the agreement, Clearlake has acquired the outstanding shares of IPG common stock for CDN$40.50 per share in cash. As a result of the transaction, IPG is now a privately held company, and shares of IPG common stock are no longer listed on the public market.
"Clearlake's investment in IPG is an exciting and important step in our Company's evolution," said Greg Yull, President and Chief Executive Officer of IPG. "Clearlake has shown confidence in our team and the direction of the Company. Throughout our conversations, their team has expressed alignment with our customer-centric and sustainability-oriented approach in all aspects of our organization, and we remain impressed by their understanding of the protective packaging sector. Clearlake's operational knowledge and resources will grant us the opportunity to strengthen our product bundle, invest behind sustainability, and expand our global footprint."
"We have been impressed with IPG's ability to capitalize on growth within its recession resilient end markets, particularly the Company's focused efforts around the e-commerce ecosystem," said José E. Feliciano, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, and Arta Tabaee, Partner and Managing Director, of Clearlake. "The acquisition combines IPG's customer-centric and sustainability-oriented strategy with Clearlake's packaging investment experience and our O.P.S.® operational improvement approach, which should strengthen and accelerate the Company's next phase of growth and innovation. We are thrilled to partner with the Company and believe that IPG is positioned to capitalize on e-commerce and B2B tailwinds and continue building on its industry position, particularly around sustainability."
Headquartered in Sarasota, Florida and Montreal, Quebec, IPG manufactures a suite of packaging and protective solutions across a diversified set of geographies and end-markets, with a particular focus on diversified B2B and e-commerce segments. IPG distinguishes itself with its customer relationships, marked by bundled solutions that create multiple touchpoints with each customer, as well as its strategic approach to sustainability supported by a differentiated product portfolio, with the majority of the Company's revenue derived from packaging products that are recyclable, reusable, compostable, and/or Cradle to Cradle Certified®.
"We are excited to support the leadership team as they execute on organic growth initiatives, including helping e-commerce companies meet their sustainability goals through continued adoption of paper-based tapes, as well as acquisitions to expand the solutions provided by the IPG platform," said Dilshat Erkin, Senior Vice President of Clearlake.
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served as financial advisor to IPG. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Fasken Martineau DuMoulin served as legal advisors to IPG. National Bank Financial Inc. served as independent financial advisor to the IPG Board of Directors and provided a fairness opinion to the Board. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC served as lead financial advisor, and Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. also acted as financial advisors, to Clearlake. Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Stikeman Elliott LLP acted as legal advisors to Clearlake.
About IPG
IPG develops, manufactures, and sells a variety of paper and film-based pressure-sensitive and water-activated tapes, stretch and shrink films, protective packaging, woven and non-woven products and packaging machinery for industrial and retail use. Headquartered in Sarasota, Florida and Montreal, Quebec, IPG employs approximately 4,200 employees with operations in 34 locations, including 22 manufacturing facilities in North America, five in Asia and two in Europe. For information about the Company, visit www.itape.com.
About Clearlake
Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. is an investment firm founded in 2006 operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with experienced management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake's operational improvement approach, O.P.S.® The firm's core target sectors are industrials, consumer and technology. Clearlake currently has over $72 billion of assets under management, and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 400 investments. The firm is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA with affiliates in Dallas, TX, London, UK and Dublin, Ireland. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on Twitter @Clearlake.
Media Contacts
For IPG
Randi Booth
Senior Vice President, General Counsel
rbooth@itape.com
941-739-7521
For Clearlake
Jennifer Hurson
Lambert & Co.
jhurson@lambert.com
+1 (845) 507-0571
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Clearlake Capital Group | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/clearlake-capital-completes-acquisition-diversified-protective-packaging-provider-intertape-polymer-group/ | 2022-06-28T17:28:55Z |
DALLAS, July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nanoscope Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing gene therapies to treat retinal degenerative diseases, today announced the appointment of Michael Marquez as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Marquez brings over 17 years of finance experience, including deep experience leading finance and growth strategies for companies in the ophthalmic space.
"Michael's experience leading finance strategy and initiatives for ocular companies will be valuable as we progress our platform of optogenetic therapies to restore vision in sufferers of inherited retinal degenerative diseases. This appointment strengthens our management team and underscores our evolution as a company," said Nanoscope's Co-Founder and CEO, Sulagna Bhattacharya.
"I'm excited to join Nanoscope at this pivotal juncture in its development with its novel approach to treating retinal degenerative disease, supported by compelling data that has been generated thus far for our lead candidate, MCO-010. I believe a robust finance strategy is crucial for the success of any company, and I am looking forward to helping Nanoscope navigate through advanced clinical development and eventually towards commercialization," said Mr. Marquez.
Mr. Marquez was most recently CFO of TearLab, an ophthalmic diagnostics company with a point-of-care osmolarity test to aid in the diagnosis of dry eye disease. Previously, he served as CFO of Global Surgical at Alcon Laboratories, a global medical company specializing in eye care products. Prior to Alcon, Mr. Marquez worked for Price Waterhouse Coopers serving tax and audit clients in the insurance and manufacturing sectors. He has a Master of Science in accounting from The University of Texas at Arlington and a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from The University of Texas at Austin. He is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Texas.
Nanoscope Therapeutics is developing gene-agnostic, sight restoring optogenetic therapies for the millions of patients blinded by retinal degenerative diseases, for which no cure exists. The Company's lead asset, MCO-010, is presently in Phase 2b multicenter, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled clinical trials in the U.S. for retinitis pigmentosa (NCT04945772) with top line data expected Q1, 2023. The Company has also initiated a Phase 2 trial of MCO therapy in Stargardt patients (NCT05417126). MCO-010 has received FDA orphan drug designations for RP and Stargardt. The pipeline also includes therapy for GA.
Investor Contact:
Argot Partners
212-600-1902
Nanoscope@argotpartners.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Nanoscope Therapeutics | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/05/nanoscope-therapeutics-appoints-michael-marquez-chief-financial-officer/ | 2022-07-05T11:38:22Z |
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Duly Health and Care is being recognized with the highest achievement award given to providers by the Humana Stars Patient Experience program due to its commitment to patients in 2021.
"On the heels of its recognition for excellence in patient services provided in 2020, Duly Health and Care has once again shown how people can flourish through access to high-quality, affordable healthcare services and seamless experiences," said Alicia Gjertson, director of Stars Improvement at Humana.
The 2021 Patient Experience Gold Award distinction is given within a five-state region that includes Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The Gold, Bronze, and Silver awards are based on achieving a certain benchmark in overall patient experience survey results from Humana members after a primary care visit.
The Gold level benchmark is 85.44 percent, compared to 84.96 percent for Silver and 83.96 percent for Bronze. Within the five-state region, only 15 provider groups achieved Gold-level status and five achieved Gold status in Illinois, which includes Duly Health and Care.
"This is a high honor to be recognized, not once, but twice in the past two consecutive years," said Mathew Philip, MD and Senior Vice President of Clinical Innovation at Duly Health and Care. "This is more evidence we are a valuable partner to our patients – meeting them where they are and partnering with them every step of their health and care journey to live healthier and happier lives."
Today, Duly Health and Care provides care to more than 171,000 Medicare beneficiaries across Chicagoland.
Duly Health and Care is one of the largest independent, multi-specialty physician-directed medical group in the nation with more than 1,000 primary care and specialty care physicians and more than 7,000 team members, in over 150 locations. The organization is wholly dedicated to helping all it serves flourish by challenging the expected to deliver the extraordinary in health and care.
Duly Health and Care physicians and team members support individuals in their personal health journeys each year, helping each one to meet their extraordinary potential through a holistic care delivery model designed to make health and care welcoming, simplified, and personalized.
For more information, visit www.dulyhealthandcare.com.
View original content:
SOURCE Duly Health and Care | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/duly-health-care-wins-gold-patient-experience/ | 2022-08-09T19:00:02Z |
Miguel Cabrera reached the 3,000-hit mark on a weekend afternoon in front of an adoring crowd at his home ballpark in Detroit. It was a moment worthy of the milestone.
It could also be the last time it happens for a while.
In an era of high strikeout totals and low batting averages, there aren’t any other players who seem likely to reach 3,000 hits any time soon. In fact, the first few weeks of this season are a reminder of how current trends in baseball could affect which milestones remain in reach for the game’s top players.
Among active players, the next man on the career hits list is Robinson Canó with 2,631. Canó had a good season for the New York Mets in the shortened 2020 campaign, but he missed the whole 2021 season serving a drug suspension. Canó turns 40 in October.
Among players closer to their primes, 31-year-old Jose Altuve (1,783 hits) could have a shot, but the Houston Astros star hasn’t even reached 170 in a season since 2017. That was also the last time he played more than 146 games, and Altuve just went on the injured list with a hamstring problem.
Part of what helped Cabrera to the milestone was that he reached the big leagues at age 20. The same was true of Tampa Bay star Wander Franco last year. He has 103 hits in his first 85 games, but even if Franco goes on to have a Hall of Fame career, it’ll obviously be a while before has a chance to threaten a milestone like 3,000 hits.
The outlook is a little better for a power mark like 500 homers. Nelson Cruz has 451, and although he’s off to a slow start this year, don’t write off the 41-year-old Washington Nationals slugger. When the 2008 season ended, Cruz was 28 and had only 22 home runs in his career, so the fact that he’s this close to 500 shows how well he has kept hitting them at an advanced age.
For pitchers, the 300-win plateau feels like a pipe dream these days, and even strikeout milestones are no sure thing, since the top starters don’t throw as many innings as in the past. Max Scherzer of the Mets and Justin Verlander of the Astros, however, have already surpassed 3,000 strikeouts. Scherzer, 37, is the younger of those two. He struck out 236 last year for the Dodgers, and he’s now at 3,043 for his career.
It may be a lot to ask for Scherzer to get to 4,000 — which only four pitchers have ever done — but 3,500 could be realistic, and that would put him in the top 10 all-time.
TRIVIA TIME
Who are the four pitchers who have reached 4,000 strikeouts?
LINE OF THE WEEK
Ty France of the Seattle Mariners had five hits, including a three-run homer, in a 13-7 rout of Kansas City on Saturday night. France, who drove in five runs, had the first five-hit game for a Mariners player since 2018.
COMEBACK OF THE WEEK
The Rays and Red Sox went through some wild swings of emotion Saturday night. Tampa Bay no-hit Boston for nine innings, but the game remained scoreless into the 10th, when Bobby Dalbec led off with an RBI triple for the Red Sox and scored on a sacrifice fly. After two straight strikeouts by the Rays to start the bottom of the inning, Trevor Story’s throwing error gave Tampa Bay a run and kept the game going. Kevin Kiermaier followed with a two-run homer to give the Rays a 3-2 win.
TRIVIA ANSWER
Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens and Steve Carlton.
___
Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/cabrera-could-be-the-last-for-a-while-to-reach-3000-hits/ | 2022-04-25T23:16:37Z |
KCMO mayor goes door-to-door in Kansas against anti-abortion measure
KANSAS CITY, Mo./KANSAS (KCTV) - Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is crossing state lines Saturday to urge Kansas residents to vote against a referendum that would void the state’s constitutional right to an abortion.
Lucas took to Twitter early Saturday morning to urge Kansans to vote no on the Value Them Both Amendment, which abortion-rights supporters say would open the door for Kansas legislators to broadly ban abortion across the state. The public votes on the measure Aug. 2.
“I will be in the Kansas suburbs this late morning and afternoon joining volunteers to knock doors and encouraging folks to stand up for their neighbors’ and their families’ health and reproductive freedom by voting no on August 2nd,” the mayor tweeted.
When the U.S. Supreme Court last month overturned Roe vs. Wade, it ruled there is no federal constitutional right to an abortion, kicking the question of abortion rights to individual states to decide. Several states, like Missouri, had “trigger laws” in effect, automatically outlawing abortion in the case of a Roe reversal except for in cases where the mother’s health is at risk.
Kansas had no such trigger law, and so the Roe reversal had no immediate legislative effect in the Sunflower State, whose state Supreme Court had already ruled abortion a state constitutional right. Aug 2′s amendment would, in essence, overrule that state constitutional right to an abortion and let legislators decide from there. Abortion-rights supporters are worried that if the amendment passes, state legislators would immediately move to implement strict abortion restrictions.
Copyright 2022 KCTV. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/07/09/kcmo-mayor-goes-door-to-door-kansas-against-anti-abortion-measure/ | 2022-07-09T16:44:13Z |
AUSTIN, Texas, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Futurum Research and Moor Insights & Strategy will cohost The Six Five Summit 2022, a 100% virtual, on-demand event designed to help the business, technology and investor community to stay on top of the latest developments, trends, and leadership in digital transformation.
The Six Five Summit 2022, in its third year, will kick off with Arvind Krishna, Chairman & CEO of IBM on June 7th at 8am PT to discuss driving competitive advantage with hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence, followed by a conversation with President & CEO Niklas Heuveldop of Ericsson North America on transforming industries with 5G and connecting the metaverse.
Other daily keynotes speakers include:
- Darius Adamczyk, Chairman & CEO of Honeywell
- Matt Murphy, President & CEO of Marvell
Other Select Speakers Include:
- Rob Bearden, CEO of Cloudera
- Antonio Neri, President & CEO of HPE
- Gary Steele, President & CEO of Splunk
- Dr. Randir Thakur, President of Intel Foundry Services
For a full list of featured speakers, please click here.
For a full schedule of conversations, please click here.
To attend the virtual event and access 70+ pre-recorded sessions, please click here.
From the Founders of the Six Five
"As our third annual event kicks off, I couldn't be more grateful for the companies and executives that took the time to participate," shared Daniel Newman, Founding Partner of Futurum Research and Co-Founder of The Six Five. "We set out to provide our audience with market insights, intelligence, and strategies that will propel businesses forward, especially in the current economy which is going to create new challenges that technology will be critical to help solve."
"We couldn't be prouder and more excited of the lineup of world-class CEO's and Business Leaders that will be presenting at this year's Summit," said Patrick Moorhead, Chief Analyst and CEO of Moor Insights & Strategy and Co-Founder of the Six Five. "As the speed of technology continues to accelerate, hearing from such a diverse and accomplished set of voices in the tech industry provides a wonderful opportunity for business leaders and learners worldwide."
ABOUT THE SIX FIVE
The Six Five is the leading media brand for high-tech analysis. Leading global tech analysts Patrick Moorhead (Moor Insights & Strategy) and Daniel Newman (Futurum Research) are front and center on analyzing the tech industry's biggest announcements each and every week and also conducting interviews with tech industry "insiders" on a regular basis.
View original content:
SOURCE Futurum Research | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/06/futurum-research-moor-insights-amp-strategy-cohost-six-five-summit-with-exciting-lineup-leading-tech-experts/ | 2022-06-07T00:16:18Z |
Former Retreat Director Turns Franchisee to Offer Holistic Wellness Options
SARASOTA, Fla., Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Massage Heights, a family-owned massage and wellness franchise, signed a new franchise agreement giving the Sarasota market future access to its resort-quality massage, skincare and wellness services. This will mark the fifth retreat within the state.
Kaitlyn and Jason Innes, husband and wife, are local residents. Kaitlyn is a licensed massage therapist who previously served as a Retreat Director for Massage Heights in the Florida market and has a background in sales. Jason will also be directly involved in the business with his 20-plus years in the mortgage industry.
"I've always had a passion for health and wellness and owned my own small massage therapy practice prior to becoming a retreat director," said franchisee Kaitlyn Innes. "There's fulfillment in helping people lead happy and healthier lives, and we're looking forward to delivering just that in the Sarasota area."
According to the 2022 Franchising Outlook report by the International Franchise Association, Florida was ranked one of the top 10 states for franchise growth. That same report forecasted the Southeast region to bring 231,453 total establishments by yearend, employing over 2.5 million workers and contributing $235.9 billion in output to the U.S. economy.
"With entrepreneurs like Kaitlyn who know how to best support members, massage therapists, and estheticians, we know the community with appreciate the personalized, therapeutic experiences," said CEO & President Susan Boresow. "Everything our retreats offer elevate overall wellness and with people living more health conscious than ever before, we're happy to support them."
The massage franchise started in 2004 and has grown to more than 120 Retreats throughout North America by providing personalized wellness treatment options through therapeutic massage and skincare services. Massage Heights is a family-owned massage and wellness franchise dedicated to elevating the lives of others by providing Members and Guests with professional, affordable and resort-quality massage, skincare and wellness services. For more information about Massage Heights and its franchise opportunities, please visit MassageHeightsFranchise.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Massage Heights | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/massage-heights-signs-franchise-deal-sarasota/ | 2022-08-25T14:50:06Z |
Brandy Russell joins the global executive search firm as a Client Partner working to help build corporate legal teams to deal with today's changing landscape
NEW YORK, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Marlin Hawk—a global executive search and leadership advisory partner—today announced the appointment of Brandy Russell as Client Partner in the legal, risk, and compliance space. Previously a practicing attorney, Brandy's inside perspective on the types of knowledge and skills today's corporate legal teams need to have will set Marlin Hawk's legal practice apart. Corporate legal teams need leaders who understand law from a larger business perspective and must include knowledge of changing data privacy laws, sustainability matters, and highly regulated arenas like healthcare and finance.
"We have long believed that a specialist legal practice would be very beneficial and additive to Marlin Hawk and our broader strategy to influence across the top table in our current and prospective clients," said John-Claude Hesketh, Global Managing Partner, Marlin Hawk. "Having started her career as a lawyer, Brandy is uniquely positioned to provide expert advice in her field and can draw on first-hand experience when addressing client challenges."
Brandy has deep experience leading General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer searches, as well as searches for senior reports to the General Counsel, such as Regional/Divisional General Counsels, Corporate Secretaries, Chief IP Counsels, and Chief Securities Counsels. Her legal and compliance clients include publicly and privately held companies that span a variety of industries, including financial services, retail, consumer products, technology, insurance, and healthcare.
"In the last few years, corporate legal departments have faced unprecedented challenges related to an increasingly changeable regulatory landscape, consumer and shareholder activism driving accountability around ESG initiatives, and attracting and retaining top-level talent in an extraordinarily active market," said Brandy Russell, Client Partner, legal, risk and compliance, Marlin Hawk. "Lawyers in the corporate world and those supporting them need to be more than just legal advisors. They need to be business and operationally savvy leaders, too."
Brandy joins Marlin Hawk from DHR International, where she was a Partner in the Legal, Compliance, and Risk practice. Before joining DHR, Brandy was a Managing Director in the In-House Practice Group at Major, Lindsey & Africa. Before that, she practiced as a commercial litigator in the New York offices of Anderson, Kill & Olick, P.C., McKee Nelson, LLP, and Bingham McCutchen, LLP.
Brandy holds a J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, an M.A. in Comparative Literature, and a B.A. in Comparative Literature and Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Marlin Hawk is quickly becoming a leader in the industry, with a global footprint and a cross-industry approach that fulfills the needs of diverse candidates and organizations while still providing an intimate, hands-on process. The company's methodology lets the team quickly understand clients' immediate needs with their long-term strategy and goals.
Since its inception, Marlin Hawk has grown quickly and impacted many large and small organization leadership teams. The company uses innovative, disruptive approaches to placing the business leaders of tomorrow that are based in intelligence, in-depth assessments, and a sync'd client approach that allows for the fastest, most accurate placements. With a focus on executive search, interim management, strategic intelligence, succession planning, and talent planning, the company is more than a search firm but rather a partner to organizations looking to build their team of leaders for today and tomorrow. Marlin Hawk has experience in financial services, healthcare, consumer products, entertainment, industrial, private equity, sports, and technology. The company has offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Washington D.C., and New York.
For more on what we do, visit: www.marlinhawk.com and:
Media and Analyst Contact
Michelle Van Jura
Intersect Communications for Marlin Hawk
michelle@intersectcom.com
C: 310-420-4062
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Marlin Hawk | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/marlin-hawk-builds-legal-risk-compliance-executive-search-practice-with-appointment-an-industry-leader/ | 2022-08-23T13:43:20Z |
SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- evowera, an up-and-coming technology firm in China that focuses on the consumer electronics industry, has received the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance for its planck O1 adaptive sonic electric toothbrush (planck O1).
The ADA is the largest dental association in the U.S., representing 161,000 dental professionals. As the premier source of oral health information, the ADA has promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859, advocating for the dental health of the public ever since. The ADA Seal of Acceptance has been the leading mark of dental product safety and efficacy for 90 years, providing a valuable and respected guide on consumer dental care products. Being certified by ADA represents evowera's strict standards and its unwavering pursuit in consummate dental product development, and casts a light on the high quality and strong competitiveness of planck O1 as an innovative and market-disrupting dental care product.
evowera was founded by four engineers - with backgrounds working in China's most reputable drone company - in 2017 with the goal of developing high-performance consumer electronics. The planck O1 is the brand's first product and it has received great attention from professionals and consumers since it first launched in the end of 2020. The planck O1 can deliver a powerful brushing performance with an output of 42,000 strokes per minute at only 42dB(A). Thanks to hypermag™, an industrial-level servo motor with noise-reduction technology that was fully developed by evowera Labs, it allows users to enjoy an ultimate teeth-cleaning activity with an unprecedented comfortable experience. This type of motor has been applied in medical services, robotics and aeronautics, but this marks the first time that a company has successfully applied an industrial motor to an electric toothbrush.
With evowera's advanced smart technology, the planck O1 is well known for its proprietary adaptive mode, which can create an exclusive personalized profile by analyzing users' cleaning targets based on their daily brushing behavior, habits and other related inputs, ultimately forming a setting that perfectly suits each individual user and ensuring great cleaning results. The built-in display provides a post-brush report that includes blind zones, pressure and duration as well as useful information such as brush head degradation and battery life.
As the second product in the planck series, the evowera planck mini smart manual toothbrush (planck mini) was recently launched in China and it covers the full spectrum of different ages including children, adults and the elderly. Featuring a smart sensor and iconic screen, planck mini enables manual toothbrush users to understand their brushing performance as well. In addition, it helps parents observe their children's teeth-cleaning results and offer effective guidance no matter at home or remotely. The planck mini will be available soon on Amazon.com.
"We want to help users improve their brushing efficiency and quality by providing more intuitive options. Our team has devoted itself to the oral hygiene industry for five years now, tirelessly concentrating on pushing the limits of technology in this field. Through increased technological breakthroughs, we believe we can offer more advanced oral products to consumers moving forward, allowing them to enjoy the ultimate dental experience in their own homes," said by Yihan liu, the CEO of evowera. "We believe small improvements enable people to live more intelligent lives."
Moving forward, evowera will continue to bring more high-quality dental products and other smart electric appliances to provide technology-driven solutions for customers.
About evowera:
evowera, part of Shenzhen EVOWERA Technology Co.,Ltd, was founded in 2017 with a goal of developing high performance consumer electronics. The brand name "evowera" originates from "evolutionary eras we implement".
As alumni of DJI – the world's pioneer drone company – the founding team's motivation to create evowera came from the inspiration of integrating advanced propulsion systems with consumer electronic products, and the desire to bring unprecedented product experiences to customers through countless iterations of fundamental technologies with the endless pursuit of quality. evowera believes even a small improvement in product performance could revive traditional products in a whole new light.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE evowera | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/04/evowera-receives-american-dental-association-certificate-planck-o1-electric-toothbrush/ | 2022-08-04T15:41:45Z |
WASHINGTON (AP) — One of two men accused of impersonating federal agents and giving actual Secret Service agents gifts and free apartments in Washington has claimed to have ties to Pakistani intelligence and had visas showing travel to Pakistan and Iran, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
The men, Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 35, were arrested Wednesday. The FBI raided a luxury apartment building in Southeast Washington, where the men were staying and had been offering free apartments and other gifts to U.S. Secret Service agents and officers.
During a court appearance Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein said Ali had told witnesses that he was affiliated with the Inter-Services Intelligence agency in Pakistan and that he had multiple visas from Pakistan and Iran in the months before prosecutors believe the men began impersonating U.S. law enforcement officials. Rothstein said the U.S. has not yet been able to verify the veracity of Ali’s claims to the witnesses.
Prosecutors believe the men were trying to “ingratiate themselves” and “integrate” with U.S. federal agents and people who worked in the U.S. defense community, Rothstein said.
The FBI searched five residences at the building on Wednesday and three vehicles. They found body armor, gas masks, zip ties, handcuffs, equipment to break through doors, drones, radios and police training manuals, Rothstein said.
The two men also had surveillance equipment and a high-power telescope, he said. The FBI found evidence that they may have been creating surveillance devices and also found a binder with information on all the residents in the luxury apartment building, which is home to law enforcement officers, defense officials and congressional staffers.
Prosecutors say the men had also set up surveillance in the building and had been telling residents there that they could access any of their cellphones at any time. The residents also told investigators they believed the men had access to their personal information.
The FBI also found several firearms — including handguns and ammunition — and disassembled rifle pieces and sniper scopes, Rothstein said.
Prosecutors allege Taherzadeh and Ali had falsely claimed to work for the Department of Homeland Security and work on a special task force investigating gangs and violence connected to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Taherzadeh is accused of providing Secret Service officers and agents with rent-free apartments — including a penthouse worth over $40,000 a year — along with iPhones, surveillance systems, a drone, a television, a generator, a gun case and other policing tools, according to court documents. In one instance, Taherzadeh offered to purchase a $2,000 assault rifle for a Secret Service agent who is assigned to protect the first lady, prosecutors said.
The plot unraveled when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began investigating an assault involving a mail carrier at the apartment building and the men identified themselves as being part of a phony Homeland Security unit they called the U.S. Special Police Investigation Unit.
Investigators believe Ali had taken multiple trips to the Middle East and had three visas showing he had been to Pakistan and two Iranian visas, Rothstein said. U.S. travel records also showed he had traveled to Istanbul, Turkey and Doha in Qatar, he said.
Prosecutors allege one of the men also tried to destroy evidence once he learned he was being investigated. After Taherzadeh found out the FBI was starting to investigate him, he took steps to delete posts on social media and admitted that he had deleted the posts that would’ve been evidence in the case against him, Rothstein said.
A lawyer for Taherzadeh and Ali argued that both men should not be detained. But Magistrate Judge Michael Harvey ordered both men held until a detention hearing can be held on Friday afternoon.
Rothstein said the case was being presented to a grand jury and he expected both men to face federal conspiracy charges. | https://cw33.com/news/politics/ap-politics/us-man-impersonated-agent-claimed-ties-to-pakistani-intel/ | 2022-04-07T23:55:39Z |
WASHINGTON (AP) — For the third time in less than a year, President Joe Biden has stirred controversy with his comments about Taiwan. The latest example came during his visit to Japan, when a reporter asked if the United States would respond militarily if China invaded the island.
“Yes,” he said Monday. “That’s the commitment we made.”
A White House official said Biden was not outlining a change in U.S. policy toward Taiwan, a self-governing island that China views as a breakaway province that should be reunified with the mainland.
There is no mutual defense treaty between the U.S. and Taiwan, but America sells the Taiwanese military hardware. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Biden’s comment “highlighted our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to help provide Taiwan the means to defend itself.”
Is it that simple? The confusion is a reminder of Washington’s stance of “strategic ambiguity” when it comes to Taiwan — essentially, leaving China guessing about what exactly the U.S. would do if there was an invasion.
It’s a sensitive issue in a complex corner of the globe, and it’s gained renewed attention in light of Russian’s invasion of Ukraine.
A look at how things reached this point:
HOW DID TAIWAN’S UNUSUAL STATUS COME ABOUT?
Taiwan is located about 100 miles off the coast of mainland China. During China’s civil war, Mao Zedong’s communists forced Chiang Kai-shek and his nationalist forces to flee the mainland for the island in 1949.
The Taiwanese government in Taipei has become autonomous and democratic, even conducting its own foreign policy.
Meanwhile, Beijing has never given up its claims. There’s often talk about peaceful reunification, but the threat of military force remains.
WHAT RELATIONSHIP DOES THE U.S. HAVE WITH TAIWAN?
Taiwan falls into a gray area of U.S. foreign policy. For decades after Chiang fled to the island, Washington considered the leaders in Taipei as China’s rightful government, and there were no formal ties to Beijing.
However, President Richard Nixon visited China in 1972, beginning a diplomatic thaw that culminated in 1979 when President Jimmy Carter formally recognized the government in Beijing and cut nation-to-nation ties with Taiwan.
In response, Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act, creating a benchmark for a continuing relationship. The U.S. sells military equipment to Taiwan, and the island is an important trading partner, especially as a major producer of semiconductors for computer chips.
“We have a deep political, economic and military relationship with a place that we don’t officially recognize,” said Julian Ku, a professor of international law at Hofstra University in New York. “I don’t think that there’s any place like it in the U.S. foreign policy world.”
China has for years made the issue of Taiwan a top priority in diplomatic and other conversations with the U.S., according to current and former officials who say their Chinese interlocutors repeatedly raise the same talking points about Taiwan in every meeting.
WHAT HAS BIDEN SAID BEFORE?
This is the third time that Biden has caused waves with his comments about protecting Taiwan.
During an August interview with ABC News, he compared the U.S. relationship with Taiwan to America’s Article 5 commitment under NATO, which obligates the alliance to defend any member that’s attacked.
Then, during a CNN town hall in October, Biden said “we have a commitment” to defend Taiwan.
White House officials walked back his comments both times, but that didn’t stop Biden from using similar language in Japan on Monday.
And there was Biden’s November trip to New Hampshire, one day after a virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. When talking to reporters, Biden described Taiwan as “independent.”
Later in the day, he clarified.
“We are not encouraging independence,” he said.
HOW DID CHINA AND TAIWAN REACT TO THE NEW COMMENTS?
Taiwan welcomed the news. The island’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing “its sincere welcome and gratitude to President Biden and the U.S. government for reaffirming their rock-solid commitment to Taiwan.”
“The challenge posed by China to the security of the Taiwan Strait has drawn great concern in the international community,” spokesperson Joanne Ou said.
Not surprisingly, China responded with an angry statement.
“China has no room for compromise or concessions on issues involving China’s core interests such as sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.
WHAT IS THE CHANCE OF A MILITARY CONFLICT OVER TAIWAN?
Biden said Monday he didn’t think China would invade Taiwan, although he also said that “depends upon just how strong the world makes clear that that kind of action is going to result in long-term disapprobation by the rest of the community.”
Others have raised alarm bells.
When Adm. Phil Davidson was the outgoing leader of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command last year, he testified that he thought China could attack “in the next six years.”
A recurring concern involves Chinese military flights. They’ve repeatedly occurred near Taiwan, including on the first day of Biden’s trip in Asia.
WHAT IS THE U.S. DOING FOR TAIWAN’S DEFENSE?
The U.S. is a major supplier of weapons to Taiwan, although sales have dropped off in the past year.
A review of congressional notifications shows that since taking office, the Biden administration has approved less than a billion dollars in arms sales to Taiwan. By contrast, from October until December of 2020, then-President Donald Trump’s administration green-lit nearly $4.7 billion in sales.
There’s an ongoing debate over what kind of weapons to sell Taiwan, a source of contention between U.S. policymakers, competing political and military interests in Taipei, and the U.S. defense industry.
Successive U.S. administrations and a growing number of politicians in Taiwan have argued that Taipei’s security is best served with tactical weapons of the type that Ukraine has used with effect against Russia, not with big-ticket, big-target items such as battleships that the could be destroyed early in a Chinese invasion. | https://cw33.com/news/politics/ap-politics/explainer-us-keeps-world-guessing-on-taiwan-stance/ | 2022-05-24T19:25:41Z |
Investment will support clinical studies, partnerships, operations, and R&D
NEW YORK, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cordio Medical, a market-leading medical speech processing platform, announced its latest successful strategic investment round of $18 million from Ceros Financial Services and Peregrine Ventures.
Cordio Medical's HearO® product is a unique disruptive solution that converts a smartphone into a medical-grade device. The smartphone app is backed by sophisticated and proprietary algorithms allowing monitoring and early detection of fluid accumulation related to Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) condition deterioration. After a speech sample is collected from the patient's mobile device, the HearO® cloud-based server analyzes the results. If CHF deterioration is discovered, a healthcare professional immediately notifies the patient with an alert.
Ceros Capital Markets, the investment banking division of Ceros Financial Services that focuses on fundraising for early-stage medical technology companies, and Peregrine Ventures, Israel's first dedicated healthcare fund, led the latest funding to support a clinical validation study, health and academic partnerships, and sales team recruitment. The ongoing retail and distribution (R&D) of current and future versions of HearO® and clinical operations will be in Israel and the EU.
"More than 5.7 million Americans are afflicted with congestive heart failure (CHF), making it one of the most prevalent and costly conditions in the U.S.," said Tamir Tal, CEO of Cordio Medical. "This latest round of funding will allow Cordio Medical to be at the forefront of the MedTech space as the definitive pioneer in leveraging speech processing technologies to monitor CHF. A smartphone running our app for remote monitoring of CHF status will improve patient mortality, quality of life, and contribute to health economic outcomes."
"Pioneering advancements in medical technology have opened the doors to personalized care with revolutionary new monitoring and treatment options. Cordio Medical's technology for an easy-to-use smartphone app takes patient care to a new level by providing what we believe is the first non-invasive medical-grade monitoring device for chronic heart conditions," said Mark Goldwasser, CEO of Ceros Financial Services.
Cordio Medical seeks to go to market in the U.S. in early 2024 with final approval from the FDA.
Eyal Lifschitz, Chairman of Cordio Medical, adds, "HearO® is a digital medical device solution that transforms an off-the-shelf mobile device into a personal and accurate diagnostic tool that will help millions of individuals suffering from CHF across the globe while maintaining a firm business model. It has been an exciting journey with Cordio Medical's fantastic team, and we look forward to the company's continued growth."
Cordio Medical develops and provides groundbreaking solutions for monitoring health conditions through a patient's speech. Cordio Medical's technologies are based on true speech signal processing technology, unique to each patient, augmented with machine learning capabilities. A patient speaks into a smartphone app backed by sophisticated and proprietary algorithms that allow near real-time monitoring and early detection of condition deterioration. The system is patient-tailored, constantly learning the patient's voice, and provides personalized, seamless, and effortless monitoring. Cordio Medical's goal is to identify and mitigate condition worsening by helping physicians prevent patient deterioration and hospitalization while keeping the patient's wellbeing at the core. For more information on Cordio Medical, go to https://www.cordio-med.com.
Ceros Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC (www.cerosfs.com), offers comprehensive asset management and mutual fund suite for financial advisors. Ceros services include RIA custody, hybrid advisors, corporate RIA, mutual fund advisory and distribution, and an outsourced trade desk. In addition, Ceros Capital Markets, a division of Ceros Financial, is a digital and traditional platform for the distribution of primary offerings in medical devices and secondaries in unicorns via Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs).
Peregrine Ventures, Israel's first dedicated healthcare fund, is committed to improving patients' quality of life by investing in and supporting game-changing healthcare opportunities. As a leading global life science venture capital fund, Peregrine invests throughout a company's life cycle to help facilitate growth and success and offers creative business solutions to suit the needs of its portfolio companies. From seed-stage opportunities to more mature companies, Peregrine's specifically defined funds offer portfolio companies complete, end-to-end investment solutions that have helped bring healthcare innovations to fruition for over 20 years. Peregrine's robust portfolio includes fast-growing global companies, many of them with a valuation of hundreds of millions of dollars in the fields of pharma-oncology, medical devices, implants, and digital health. Peregrine's mature funds maintain their strong position in the upper quartile of the industry's leading benchmarks (Number of exits, DPI, IRR, etc.), including 14 successful exits with an accumulated value of more than USD 2 billion. For more information, please visit www.peregrinevc.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Cordio Medical | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/27/cordio-medical-raises-18-million-funding-ceros-peregrine-ventures-accelerate-growth/ | 2022-06-27T19:08:18Z |
Ahead of her debut as Fanny Brice in the first Broadway revival of "Funny Girl," Lea Michele discussed her nerves about returning to the stage, accusations of creating a toxic environment on "Glee" and, yes, the baseless internet rumor that she's illiterate.
Michele is replacing Beanie Feldstein in the leading role (originated by Barbra Streisand in Tony-nominated and Oscar-winning turns). In a new interview with the New York Times, she nodded to the controversy around her casting and Feldstein's abrupt exit from the show.
"Everyone here has been through a lot, and I just have to come in and be prepared and do a good job and be respectful of the fact that this is their space," she told the Times ahead of her first performance.
Michele's road to "Funny Girl" was long and winding: Per the New York Times, she discovered the musical as a teenager while performing in the Tony-winning musical "Spring Awakening." Michele said she fell in love, and shortly thereafter, she was cast as the lead in Ryan Murphy's TV comedy "Glee." Her character, the talented but grating Rachel Berry, shared Michele's real-life obsession with the Streisand-starring musical.
After years of performing songs from "Funny Girl" on "Glee" -- Rachel even stars in its revival on the series -- and various attempts to bring the musical to Broadway, director Michael Mayer told the Times Michele was considered for the role ahead of the new production but sensed she may not have been ready. (Michele gave birth to her son in 2020 when the musical was being cast.) Michele said she told Mayer, after learning of Feldstein's casting, that she'd be "honored" to assume the role if Feldstein's run ended.
And Feldstein's stint in "Funny Girl" did end -- months earlier than she initially announced. The highly anticipated production received mostly negative reviews when it opened in April, and much of them took aim at Feldstein's vocal abilities. In July, Feldstein announced that she'd leave the musical at the end of the month instead of September. The next day, the "Funny Girl" team announced Michele's casting.
Hiring Michele as Feldstein's replacement proved a controversial decision. Many theater fans were reminded of "Glee" actor Samantha Marie Ware's claims in 2020, when she accused Michele of fostering a toxic environment on the set and said Michele exposed her to "traumatic microaggressions." When Michele was cast, Ware commented: "Yes, I care. Yes, im (sic) affected ... Yes, I was abused. Yes, my dreams were tainted. Yes, Broadway upholds whiteness."
Michele declined to address Ware's claims with the Times but said that her work ethic and "pressure of perfectionism left (her) with a lot of blind spots."
As for the joke that Michele is illiterate, which circulates online whenever Michele makes news, she suggested the joke was made because of her gender.
"I went to 'Glee' every single day; I knew my lines every single day," she told the Times. "And then there's a rumor online that I can't read or write? It's sad. It really is. I think often if I were a man, a lot of this wouldn't be the case."
Michele's first show as Fanny is September 6. Feldstein's standby, Julie Benko -- who took over the role in August, will fill in for Michele once a week for the rest of Michele's run.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/entertainment/lea-michele-addresses-funny-girl-casting-controversy-and-accusations-of-bullying-on-glee-set/article_b96b4630-2aed-5899-8b64-d0e752fed283.html | 2022-09-01T17:41:55Z |
'PRIDE Personified' Campaign Will Be Displayed On OOH Assets Nationwide In June
NEW YORK, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE:OUT) proudly celebrates Pride month by highlighting 19 LGBTQIA+ individuals on out of home assets across the country. With PRIDE Personified, OUTFRONT showcases leaders from industries including Media, Politics, Television, Film, Marketing, Real Estate, Art, Health & Human Service, for their accomplishments in the face of adversity and those who personify the spirit of Pride both professionally and personally.
The campaign creative and concept was designed by the Co-Chair of the OUT at OUTFRONT Employee Resource Group (ERG) and an OUTFRONT STUDIOS member, Jake Parshall. The PRIDE Personified campaign applauds individuals for their impact in their communities and workplaces. To illustrate this, each LGBTQIA+ individual's photo and occupation is displayed, along with authentically queer, vibrant, and fun designs on the campaign creative.
"I really set out to do something that didn't feel 'corporate," said Jake Parshall, Co-Chair of the OUT at OUTFRONT ERG. "I wanted the designs to be super colorful, mirroring the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ Community and I pulled colors from not just the traditional rainbow flag but the progress flag, especially highlighting the trans community."
"I am honored to be part of OUTFRONT's 2022 PRIDE Personified campaign," said Marc Fenty, SVP OOH at Horizon Media & Co-Chair OOH United. "I have long believed in the power of OOH and it is important to use these impactful IRL canvases to celebrate the individuals of the LGBTQIA+ community. This campaign directly follows the launch of OOH United, an initiative committed to advancing a culture of inclusion throughout the OOH industry, as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is core to industry growth."
The 2022 honorees are listed below, please visit OUTFRONT.com/PridePersonified to read more about each leader and see the campaign in action:
- Marc Fenty, SVP, OOH at Horizon Media and Co-Chair of OOH United
- Amanda McAllister Wallner, Director at The California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network
- Cody Janczewski, Vice President, Managing Director – Media at Horizon Next
- Caty Burgess, SVP Marketing & Media Strategies at The CW
- Qween B Amor, Trans-queer Performance Artist
- Steve Birnbaum, EVP, Managing Director at Spark Foundry
- Monica C. Smith, Founder & CEO at Marketsmith Inc.
- Alberto Mendez, Prevention Programs Manager at Resource Center
- Mayor Pro Tempore Sepi Shyne, Mayor Pro Tempore, City of West Hollywood at City of West Hollywood
- Vivian Perez, Event & Travel Architect at Ladies Touch Events & Travel
- Danny Rose, Executive Producer at Danny Rose Media, Inc.
- Ross S. Currie, Vice President, Client Services at Conroy Media Ltd.
- Josh Miller, Co-Founder + CEO at IDEAS xLab
- Rebecca Washington, Owner /CEO Washington Academy of Barbering and Arts at Washington Academy of Barbering and Arts
- Heather Luce, Broker/Owner at KC LOCAL HOMES
- Mat George, Social Media Personality/Podcaster/Activist
- Bri Burrows, Head Brewer & Co-Owner at The Big Rip Brewing Co.
- Rev. Jacquie Fernandez, Senior Minister at Unity Church of Overland Park
- Damian Pelliccione, CEO / Co-Founder at Revry
OUTFRONT leverages the power of technology, location and creativity to connect brands with consumers outside of their homes through one of the largest and most diverse sets of billboard, transit, and mobile assets in North America. Through its technology platform, OUTFRONT will fundamentally change the ways advertisers engage audiences on-the-go.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE OUTFRONT Media Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/outfront-showcases-barrier-breaking-lgbtqia-individuals-pride-personified-ooh-campaign-pride-month/ | 2022-06-01T18:34:23Z |
DALLAS, Sept. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BAL Partner Frieda Garcia has been honored with a 2022 Women, Influence & Power in Law Award by Corporate Counsel. Frieda was honored in the Thought Leadership category, an area where she has excelled throughout her two decades at BAL. Frieda heads the firm's management committee and is key in influencing the direction of all legal and operational functions at BAL.
Frieda has been instrumental in shaping BAL's innovative culture through her leadership and ability to create inclusive environments. The empathy and compassion with which she approaches her work has its roots in her own immigration experience. Frieda's compelling story, from her childhood in war-torn El Salvador to her top leadership role at BAL, inspires the next generation of lawyers.
"I'm honored to accept this award and for the career guidance I received early on from BAL named partners, David Berry, Jeff Appleman and Warren Leiden.," Frieda said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to pay it forward by providing mentorship to younger attorneys, discussing everything from law firm management to how working parents can succeed in the corporate world while feeling accomplished as parents."
Frieda's unique approach to leadership has nurtured an organizational model that incentivizes collaboration and teamwork instead of competition—a rare feat in the legal industry.
"Frieda has helped shape our 'oneBAL' culture that empowers us to collaborate across offices to grow and thrive," said BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. "I'm thrilled that she is being honored for the incalculable ways she has led and inspired the 1,500 team members at BAL."
Though Frieda has reached a career position with considerable influence, she encourages younger attorneys to dream bigger sooner. "I wish I had realized how much potential there is to grow and be a person of influence – no matter your title or role," Frieda said. "The secret, at least at BAL, is to encourage innovation and fresh ideas from every corner of the firm and empower every individual to raise their hand if they have an idea to make things better."
The awards dinner reception will take place Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, 7 p.m. at the JW Marriott, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, in Washington, D.C.
BAL, the world's leading corporate immigration law firm, is singularly focused on meeting the immigration challenges of corporate clients around the world in ways that make immigration more strategic and enable businesses to be more successful. Established in 1980, BAL has consistently provided immigration expertise, people-centered client services, and leading technology innovation. In 2018, BAL entered into a first-of-its-kind strategic alliance with Deloitte U.K. to create the world's first global immigration service delivery model. BAL's proprietary Cobalt® digital immigration services platform won the 2020 CODiE Award for Best Legal Tech Product, the prestigious CIO100 award for Innovative Use of Intelligent Automation in Immigration Services, and Legalweek's Most Innovative Law Firm Operations Team of 2021. BAL and its leaders are highly ranked in every major legal publication, including Best Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, and Who's Who Legal. BAL has ranked #1 on multiple industry rankings for diversity, equity and inclusion, including the #1 Law Firm for Women on the National Law Journal's Women in Law Scorecard the past four years in a row (2019-2022), #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), and #1 on Law360's Diversity Snapshot for three years running (2020-2022). In 2022, BAL won the "Best Company for Diversity," the "Best HR Team" and the "Best Company for Career Growth" by Comparably, based solely on employee ratings. The Dallas Business Journal named BAL one of only a handful of the 2022 Best Places to Work based exclusively on a confidential employee survey. See website for details: https://www.bal.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/12/bal-partner-frieda-garcia-honored-with-women-influence-amp-power-law-award/ | 2022-09-12T22:53:01Z |
Addition of Fintech Solutions Company Expands Solution Offering and Provides SMB Customers a Simplified R&D Tax Credit Process
DUBLIN, Calif., Sept. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TriNet, (NYSE: TNET), a leading provider of comprehensive human resources solutions for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) today announced that it has acquired Clarus R+D Solutions LLC, an industry-leading, service and expertise driven, fintech solutions company that simplifies the R&D tax credit process for SMBs. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Clarus R+D helps SMBs take advantage of the research and development tax credit, one of the largest tax incentives available to US businesses. Clarus R+D's cutting-edge, cloud-based software platform, coupled with the deep expertise of its professional services team, delivers access, compliance, and clarity for federal and state R&D tax credits. The Clarus R+D platform has automated much of the R&D credit qualification and application process to ensure that the final incentives are optimized for each client. Businesses save valuable time as a result of the automated calculation process, while maximizing their R&D tax credit.
"With our acquisition of Clarus R+D, TriNet takes another important step towards powering the success of small and medium-sized businesses," said Burton M. Goldfield TriNet's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Many of our PEO and HCM customers qualify for R&D tax credits and do not have the time or expertise to successfully apply for them. With the addition of Clarus R+D, TriNet expands its offering to better serve these customers. I look forward to leveraging Clarus R+D to put money back in the hands of our hard-working SMB clients."
"Having worked closely with the Clarus R+D team through the acquisition process, I believe the Clarus R+D team is a great fit with TriNet," said Samantha Wellington TriNet's Executive Vice President, Business Affairs, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary. "Importantly, we both place SMBs at the center of everything we do. We also share the belief that most SMBs are unaware of their eligibility to claim these R&D tax credits. We are excited by this opportunity to unlock possibilities for our customers, and I am thrilled to welcome the Clarus R+D team to TriNet as we pursue this market opportunity."
"The Clarus team is very excited to join TriNet, a world-class organization with a very impressive leadership team. Our shared commitment to go above and beyond to support our teams, our customers, and the small business ecosystem aligns perfectly with our culture and the growth strategy of our company," said Chris Winslow, former Chief Executive Officer at Clarus, now leading TriNet's newly created Tax Credits Business Unit, reporting to Samantha Wellington. "We look forward to leveraging TriNet's scale to help us continue to accelerate our product roadmap in support of our customers and partners."
As part of the acquisition, Clarus R+D will become a wholly owned subsidiary of TriNet. In addition to Winslow, all other members of the Clarus leadership team will remain in their same (or similar) roles.
Ice Miller LLP represented Clarus R+D as legal counsel in the transaction and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP assisted TriNet.
About TriNet
TriNet (NYSE: TNET) provides small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) with full-service HR solutions tailored by industry. To free SMBs from HR complexities, TriNet offers access to human capital expertise, benefits, risk mitigation and compliance, payroll, all enabled by industry leading technology capabilities. TriNet's suite of products also includes services and software-based solutions to help streamline workflows by connecting HR, Benefits, Employee Engagement, Payroll and Time & Attendance. From Main Street to Wall Street, TriNet empowers SMBs to focus on what matters most—growing their business and enabling their people. TriNet, incredible starts here. For more information, visit TriNet.com or follow us on Twitter.
Contacts:
Renee Brotherton, VP Corporate Communications & Editorial, TriNet renee.brotherton@trinet.com 408-646-5103
Josh Gross, Executive Director, Communications, TriNet: josh.gross@ trinet.com
Alex Bauer VP, Investor Relations, TriNet: alex.bauer@trinet.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE TriNet Group, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/06/trinet-announces-acquisition-clarus-rd-solutions-llc/ | 2022-09-06T14:36:21Z |
NEW YORK, May 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning public relations and marketing agency, Teuwen Communications is pleased to announce three new clients: NEFT Vodka, crafted in Austria's Rhaetian Alps; Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parr's Provignage which includes Sandhi Wines, Evening Land Vineyards, and Domaine de la Côte wineries; and Château La Coste - a wine estate, art, culinary and spa destination in Provence. They join the Agency's esteemed roster of international and domestic wine and spirit brands.
Recognized by PR News as an Agency Elite Top 100, the Agency was also named a top ten wine and spirits PR Agency in the US by Meininger's Wine Business International. Growth is a key component of how Teuwen measures its success—which is displayed by these 2021 results. Wines of Alsace, represented by the Agency for more than a decade, surged in imports to the US with +45.85% in volume and +41.33% in volume vs. the year prior. In the spirits sector, the Cognac Bureau (BNIC) reported an increase of +11.1% or 115 million bottles shipped to the US in 2021.
Additionally, Teuwen has joined the ranks of the Food & Wine Republic, an international network of 12 agencies specialized in food, wine and spirits. "This collective allows the Agency to create synergies across markets, optimize programming and create new connections" Founder and President Stephanie Teuwen commented, "We are thrilled to be among this talented group of PR professionals to collaborate, share ideas and strategies in support of the food and drinks sector."
For more than 25 years, Teuwen has serviced clients across the wine, spirits and hospitality industry with deep respect, know-how, passion, and authenticity. Teuwen's creative, compelling and dynamic campaigns captivate audiences across the US.
To learn more:
teuwen.com
info@teuwen.com
@teuwencomm
About Teuwen Communications:
Teuwen Communications is an award-winning food, wine and spirits public relations and marketing agency with insight and influence. A collaborative and creative team, authentic industry connections, and personalized approach to each client produces strategic, integrated programs across multiple touchpoints, with powerful results.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Teuwen Communications | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/20/teuwen-communications-announces-new-clients-strategic-partnership/ | 2022-05-20T13:02:31Z |
Scammers faking calls from doctors’ offices in attempt to defraud patients
“ID Spoofing” cost consumers $700M in 2021
InvestigateTV - Fraudulent phone calls, or “ID spoofing”, cost consumers nearly $700 million last year, according to the newest data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). ID spoofing is when a scammer calls you pretending to be someone else in an attempt to trick you into divulging personal information.
Scammers pretend to be someone else, like agents of the government, law enforcement, or even health providers. According to Better Business Bureau (BBB), the latest attack is scammers posing as someone from your doctor’s office and probing for critical information or cash payouts.
Dr. Jonathan Johnson has been practicing for 15 years and said he is passionate about keeping his patients’ private information secure.
“Usually, a physician’s office will not call you without at least establishing some type of face-to-face relationship,” Dr. Johnson said. “If they are contacting you, it’s to remind you of an appointment.”
Monica Horton, a spokesperson for BBB, North Central Texas, warned that your personal information was the scammer’s target.
”So, that’s a phishing attempt coming in via a phone call using spoofing technology to appear to be from the doctor’s office and they’re impersonating the doctor’s office,” Horton said. “They like to get as much personal information as they can.”
Horton said patients have reported calls that threatened the loss of Medicare or demanded up-front payments for doctor visits.
Dr. Johnson and the BBB said a real doctor’s office will usually never ask you for information they could easily find out just by looking at your records, like your social security or Medicare number.
Dr. Johnson further advised patients to do their homework on their providers and to also call them if you have questions about payments or billing.
For a list of reported scams in your area or to report a scam yourself, visit the BBB Scam Tracker.
The FTC offers tips on how to protect yourself from all scams here.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/07/27/scammers-faking-calls-doctors-offices-attempt-defraud-patients/ | 2022-07-27T19:42:08Z |
Texas officials tout CHIPS Act signing
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - President Biden signed a bipartisan bill Tuesday to encourage semiconductor companies to build chip plants here in this country. The Biden administrations said this will help the U.S. compete with China moving forward.
Biden said, as he was signing the CHIPS and Science Act, the law will also lower costs, create jobs and strengthen supply chains. American companies can now apply for $280 billion in federal grants and tax breaks to boost its semiconductor chip manufacturing through 2026.
“Today, I’m signing into law the CHIPS and Science Act, a once in a generation investment in America itself,” said Biden.
The CHIPS Act also forces Congress to allocate more money for research programs, run by the Department of Commerce, so the country can stay technologically competitive with China for decades.
“Right now, we don’t make any of the sophisticated chips that we need for military equipment in America. We buy it all from Taiwan, one company in Taiwan. This will allow us to not only be secure but leap ahead,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
Texas State Senator Carol Alvarado and Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson attended Tuesday’s signing ceremony. They said this bill is exactly what Texas and the rest of the country needs.
“Amarillo is part of growing our innovative opportunities and making economic return on new jobs, research opportunities,” said Nelson.
“We are on a pretty good path of recruiting businesses to our state but this bill from the Biden administration (is) putting things in perspective of what is important to our country. This is going to give Texas businesses a boost,” said Alvarado.
Meanwhile, there are some Republicans who claim the CHIPS Act will raise taxes and make inflation worse while others supported the bill.
The White House said the new legislation is already working, citing several companies who have announced nearly $50 billion in additional semiconductor manufacturing investments.
Copyright 2022 Gray DC. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/08/09/texas-officials-tout-chips-act-signing/ | 2022-08-09T21:52:27Z |
In an unfinished part of his basement, 95-year-old Richard Soller zips around a makeshift track encircling boxes full of medals he’s won for track and field and long-distance running.
Without a hint of breathlessness, he says: “I can put in miles down here.”
Steps away is an expensive leather recliner he bought when he retired from Procter & Gamble with visions of relaxing into old age. He proudly proclaims he’s never used it; he’s been too busy training for competitions such as the National Senior Games.
Soller, who lives near Cincinnati, has achieved an enviable goal chased by humans since ancient times: Staying healthy and active in late life. It’s a goal that eludes so many that growing old is often associated with getting frail and sick. But scientists are trying to change that — and tackle one of humanity’s biggest challenges — through a little known but flourishing field of aging research called cellular senescence.
It’s built upon the idea that cells eventually stop dividing and enter a “senescent” state in response to various forms of damage. The body removes most of them. But others linger like zombies. They aren’t dead. But as the Mayo Clinic’s Nathan LeBrasseur puts it, they can harm nearby cells like moldy fruit corrupting a fruit bowl. They accumulate in older bodies, which mounting evidence links to age-related conditions such as dementia, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
But scientists wonder: Can the zombie cell buildup be stopped?
“The ability to understand aging – and the potential to intervene in the fundamental biology of aging – is truly the greatest opportunity we have had, maybe in history, to transform human health,” LeBrasseur says.
With the number of people 65 or older expected to double globally by 2050, cellular senescence is “a very hot topic,” says Viviana Perez Montes of the National Institutes of Health.
About 100 companies, plus academic teams, are exploring drugs to target senescent cells. And research offers tantalizing clues that people may be able to help tame senescence themselves using the strategy favored by Soller: exercise.
Although no one thinks senescence holds the key to super long life, Tufts University researcher Christopher Wiley hopes for a day when fewer people suffer with age-related diseases.
“I’m not looking for the fountain of youth,” Wiley says. “I’m looking for the fountain of not being sick when I’m older.”
Mortal cells
Leonard Hayflick, the scientist who discovered cellular senescence in 1960, is himself vital at 94. He’s a professor of anatomy at the University of California, San Francisco, and continues to write, present and speak on the topic.
His scientific renown didn’t come easily. He discovered cellular senescence by accident, cultivating human fetal cells for a project on cancer biology and noticing they stopped dividing after about 50 population doublings. This wasn’t a big surprise; cell cultures often failed because of things like contamination. What was surprising was that others stopped dividing at the same point. The phenomenon was later called “the Hayflick limit.”
The finding, Hayflick says, challenged “60-year-old dogma” that normal human cells could replicate forever. A paper he authored with colleague Paul Moorhead was rejected by a prominent scientific journal, and Hayflick faced a decade of ridicule after it was published in Experimental Cell Research in 1961.
“It followed the usual pattern of major discoveries in science, where the discoverer is first ridiculed and then somebody says, ‘Well, maybe it works’ … then it becomes accepted to some extent, then becomes more widely accepted,” Hayflick says.
Zombie buildup
Scientists say cell senescence can be useful. It likely evolved at least in part to suppress the development of cancer by limiting the capacity of cells to keep dividing. It happens throughout our lives, triggered by things like DNA damage and the shortening of telomeres, structures that cap and protect the ends of chromosomes. Senescent cells play a role in wound healing, embryonic development and childbirth.
Problems can arise when they build up.
“When you’re young, your immune system is able to recognize these senescent cells and eliminate them,” Perez says. “But when we start getting old … the activity of our immune system also gets diminished, so we’re losing the capacity to eliminate them.”
Experimental drugs designed to selectively clear senescent cells have been dubbed “senolytics,” and Mayo holds patents on some. In mice, they’ve been shown to be effective at delaying, preventing or easing several age-related disorders.
Possible benefits for people are just emerging, and at least a dozen clinical trials with senolytics are now testing things like whether they can help control Alzheimer’s progression and improve skeletal health.
Amid the buzz, some companies market dietary supplements as senolytics. But researchers warn they haven’t been shown to work or proven safe.
‘Most promising tool’
Today, LeBrasseur, who directs a center on aging at Mayo, says exercise is “the most promising tool that we have” for good functioning in late life.
Research suggests it counters the buildup of senescent cells. For example, a study LeBrasseur led last year provided the first evidence in humans that exercise can significantly reduce indicators, found in the bloodstream, of the burden of senescent cells in the body.
Many older adults, like Soller, intuitively equate exercise with youthfulness.
After a torn hamstring stopped him from running track in high school, Soller fell into an unhealthy lifestyle in early adulthood, smoking two packs of cigarettes daily. But he and his wife Jean quit when their daughter Mary came along.
He started running again just before turning 50, and since then has run in races across the U.S. and participated in decades of Senior Games competitions. In May, Soller joined 12,000 like-minded athletes in Florida for the latest national games in the Fort Lauderdale area – winning five medals to add to his collection of 1,500 prizes.
Soller says exercise keeps him fit enough to handle whatever comes his way.
“Do as much as you can,” he says. “That should be the goal for anyone to stay healthy.” | https://www.tdtnews.com/life/health_and_fitness/article_d722da94-3293-11ed-acbf-a7da991acd37.html | 2022-09-13T08:41:42Z |
SANDUSKY, Ohio, July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Civista Bancshares, Inc. ("Civista") (NASDAQ: CIVB) today announced it has completed its acquisition of Comunibanc Corp. ("Comunibanc"), and its wholly-owned subsidiary The Henry County Bank, effective as of July 1, 2022. The transaction brings Civista's total assets to approximately $3.5 billion, based on information as of March 31, 2022. In exchange for each share of Comunibanc common stock issued and outstanding, Comunibanc shareholders will receive 1.1888 shares of Civista common stock and $30.13 in cash.
"We are very pleased to complete this transaction, which expands our presence in Henry and Wood Counties in Northwest Ohio. We are also excited to welcome Comunibanc's customers and employees to the Civista family. We look forward to collaborating with Comunibanc's team to grow and enhance their banking platform while maintaining strong ties to their communities. We believe the long-term growth potential of this partnership offers substantial upside for shareholders of both organizations," said Dennis G. Shaffer, CEO and President of Civista.
"After seeing our teams work together over the past several months in preparation of bringing our organizations together, I am more convinced than ever that Civista is the right partner for Comunibanc," stated Bill Wendt, Chairman and President of Comunibanc. "We continue to believe that this merger is a great outcome for our customers, communities, employees and shareholders and positions us for continued success."
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may include: management plans relating to the merger transaction with Comunibanc, any statements of the plans and objectives of management for future operations, products or services, any statements of expectation or belief; projections related to certain financial metrics; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "seek", "plan", "will", "would", "target" "outlook," "estimate," "forecast," "project" and other similar words and expressions or negatives of these words. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time and are beyond our control. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Civista does not assume any duty and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements. Because forward-looking statements are by their nature, to different degrees, uncertain and subject to assumptions, actual results or future events could differ, possibly materially, from those that Civista anticipated in its forward-looking statements, and future results could differ materially from historical performance. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those included under Item 1A "Risk Factors" in Civista's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and those disclosed in Civista's other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").
These risks, as well as other risks associated with the merger transaction, are more fully discussed in the joint proxy statement/prospectus, as filed by Civista and Comunibanc with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) on April 18, 2022 for Comunibanc's June 10, 2022 Special Meeting of Shareholders.
Civista Bancshares, Inc. is a $3.2 billion financial holding company headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio. Prior to the merger, Civista's banking subsidiary, Civista Bank, operated 35 locations in Northern, Central and Southwestern Ohio, Southeastern Indiana and Northern Kentucky. Upon completion of the merger, Civista will be an approximately $3.5 billion financial holding company, and Civista Bank will operate an additional seven locations in Northwestern Ohio. Additional information on Civista may be accessed at www.civb.com, but information at that website is not part of this press release nor is it part of any filing by Civista with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Civista's common shares are traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol "CIVB".
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Civista Bancshares, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/01/civista-bancshares-inc-completes-acquisition-comunibanc-corp/ | 2022-07-01T20:28:57Z |
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tropical Storm Kay is expected to primarily hit northern Mexico, but Southern California and Southwest Arizona could also get pounded by heavy rains and winds. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers in those areas to be prepared for power outages and to take steps now to keep their families safe from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, fire, and electric shock risks after the storm passes.
Loss of Power—Using a Generator Safely
Consumers need to be especially careful when storms knock out electrical power. Gasoline-powered portable generators create a risk of CO poisoning that can kill in minutes. CO is called the invisible killer because it is colorless and odorless. Exposed persons may become unconscious before recognizing the symptoms of nausea, dizziness or weakness.
CPSC estimates that about 85 consumers die in the U.S. each year from CO poisoning from gasoline-powered portable generators.* A recent CPSC report, Fatal Incidents Associated with Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Poisoning from Engine-Driven Generators and Other Engine-Driven Tools 2011-2021 shows that African Americans are at higher risk, accounting for 23 percent of generator-related CO deaths, nearly double their estimated 13 percent share of the U.S. population.
Consumers who plan to use a portable generator in the case of a power loss should follow these tips:
- Never operate a portable generator inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace, shed or on a porch. Opening doors or windows will not provide enough ventilation to prevent the buildup of lethal levels of CO.
- Operate portable generators outside only, at least 20 feet away from the house, and direct the generator's exhaust away from the home and any other buildings that someone could enter, while keeping windows and other openings closed in the exhaust path of the generator.
- Watch our new public service announcement (PSA) on generator safety! (English, Spanish)
- Check that portable generators have had proper maintenance, and read and follow the labels, instructions, and warnings on the generator and in the owner's manual.
- Look for portable generators that shut off automatically when high levels of CO are present. Some models with CO shut-off also have reduced emissions. These models may be advertised as certified to the latest safety standards for portable generators- PGMA G300-2018 and UL 2201 – which are estimated to reduce deaths from CO poisoning by 87% and 100%, respectively.
Check CO and Smoke Alarms
- Install battery-operated CO alarms or CO alarms with battery backup on each level and outside separate sleeping areas at home. Interconnected CO alarms are best; when one sounds, they all sound.
- Make sure smoke alarms are installed on every level and inside each bedroom at home.
- Test CO and smoke alarms monthly to make sure they are working properly and replace batteries, if needed. Never ignore an alarm when it sounds. Get outside immediately. Then call 911.
Dangers with Charcoal and Candles
- Never use charcoal indoors. Burning charcoal in an enclosed space can produce lethal levels of CO. Do not cook on a charcoal grill in a garage, even with the door open.
- Use caution when burning candles. Use flashlights instead. If using candles, do not burn them on or near anything that can catch fire. Never leave burning candles unattended. Extinguish candles when leaving the room and before sleeping.
Dangers with Wet Appliances:
- Look for signs that your appliances have gotten wet. Do not touch wet appliances that are still plugged into an electrical source.
- Before using your appliances, have a professional or your gas or electric company evaluate them for safety. Replace all gas control valves, electrical wiring, circuit breakers and fuses that have been under water.
Dangers with Gas Leaks:
- If you smell or hear gas leaking, leave your home immediately and contact local gas authorities from outside the home. Do not operate any electronics, such as lights or phone, before leaving.
Remember, stay informed, be prepared and keep safe!
CPSC resources:
PSA – Hurricane Safety Tips (English)
PSA – Hurricane Safety Tips (Spanish)
Poster – Carbon Monoxide (CO) the Invisible Killer
Carbon Monoxide Safety Center
Link to broadcast quality video for media:
- Hurricane Safety b-roll: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/XtFQ7YqK0x
- Flood safety b-roll: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/thCBWTX157
CPSC spokespeople are available for interviews. Email nnye@cpsc.gov or call 240-204-4410 to arrange for an interview.
*Annual average for the number of reported fatal non-fire CO exposure deaths associated with generators each year from 2017-2019, the last three complete years of the full report (2011-2021). (Report/Table 3)
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
For lifesaving information:
- Visit CPSC.gov.
- Sign up to receive our e-mail alerts.
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC.
- Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
- Call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
- Contact a media specialist.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/09/cpsc-urges-consumers-take-precautions-tropical-storm-kay-nears-southern-california/ | 2022-09-09T20:05:08Z |
UN seeks $160 million in emergency aid for Pakistan floods
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United Nations and Pakistan issued an appeal Tuesday for $160 million in emergency funding to help millions affected by record-breaking floods that have killed more than 1,160 people since mid-June.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Pakistan’s flooding, caused by weeks of unprecedented monsoon rains, were a signal to the world to step up action against climate change.
“Let’s stop sleepwalking toward the destruction of our planet by climate change,” he said in a video message to an Islamabad ceremony launching the funding appeal. “Today, it’s Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country.”
Guterres will visit Pakistan on Sept. 9 and meet with flood victims to express solidarity with them, according to a statement released by his office. It said Guterres will also “witness how we are working, in collaboration with our humanitarian partners, to support the government’s relief efforts and provide assistance to millions of people.”
More than 33 million people, or one in seven Pakistanis, have been affected by the catastrophic flooding, which has devastated a country already trying to revive a struggling economy. More than 1 million homes have been damaged or destroyed in the past two and half months, displacing millions of people. Around a half million of those displaced are living in organized camps, while others have had to find their own shelter.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the floods badly destroyed crops, and his government was considering importing wheat to avoid any shortage of food.
Sharif said Pakistan was witnessing the worst flooding in its history and any inadvertent delay by the international community in helping victims “will be devastating for the people of Pakistan.”
He promised funds from the international community would be spent in a transparent manner and that he would ensure all aid reaches those in need. “This is my commitment,” he told reporters, saying his country is “facing the toughest moment of its history.”
Pakistan says it has received aid from some countries, and others were dispatching aid too.
On Tuesday, the U.S. government said it would provide $30 million in assistance to help victims of the flood. According to a statement released by the U.S. Agency for International Development, this aid will be given to Pakistan through USAID. It said the United States is deeply saddened by the devastating loss of life and livelihoods throughout Pakistan.
According to initial government estimates, the devastation caused $10 billion in damage to the economy.
“It is a preliminary estimate likely to be far greater,” Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told The Associated Press. More than 243 bridges and more than 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) of road have been damaged.
Although rains stopped three days ago, large swaths of the country remain underwater, and the main rivers, the Indus and the Swat, are still swollen. The National Disaster Management Authority on Tuesday warned emergency services to be on maximum alert, saying flood waters over the next 24 hours could cause further damage.
Rescuers continued to evacuate stranded people from inundated villages to safer ground. Makeshift tent camps have sprung up along highways.
Meteorologists have warned of more rains in coming weeks.
“The situation is likely to deteriorate even further as heavy rains continue over areas already inundated by more than two months of storms and flooding. For us, this is no less than a national emergency,” Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said Tuesday, urging the international community to give generously to the U.N. appeal.
“Since mid-June, in fact, Pakistan has been battling one of the most severe, totally anomalous cycles of torrential monsoon weather,” he said. Rainfall during that time was three times the average, and up to six times higher in some areas, he said.
The U.N. flash appeal for $160 million will provide food, water, sanitation, health and other forms of aid to some 5.2 million people, Gutteres said.
“The scale of needs is rising like the flood waters. It requires the world’s collective and prioritized attention,” he said.
A day earlier, the International Monetary Fund’s executive board approved the release of a much awaited $1.17 billion for Pakistan.
The funds are part of a $6 billion bailout agreed on in 2019. The latest tranche had been on hold since earlier this year, when the IMF expressed concern about Pakistan’s compliance with the deal’s terms under the government of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Khan was ousted through a no-confidence vote in the parliament in April.
Pakistan has risked default as its reserves dwindle and inflation has spiraled, and to get the IMF bailout, the government has had to agree to austerity measures.
The flooding catastrophe, however, adds new burdens to the cash-strapped government. It also reflects how poorer countries often pay the price for climate change largely caused by more industrialized nations. Since 1959, Pakistan is responsible for only 0.4% of the world’s historic emissions blamed for climate change. The U.S. is responsible for 21.5%, China for 16.5% and the EU 15%.
Several scientists say the record-breaking flooding has all the hallmarks of being affected by climate change.
“This year, Pakistan has received the highest rainfall in at least three decades,” said Abid Qaiyum Suleri, executive director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute and a member of Pakistan’s Climate Change Council. “Extreme weather patterns are turning more frequent in the region and Pakistan is not an exception.”
Pakistan saw similar flooding and devastation in 2010 that killed nearly 2,000 people. But the government didn’t implement plans to prevent future flooding by preventing construction and homes in flood prone areas and river beds, said Suleri.
___
Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten contributed to this story from Geneva.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/08/30/un-seeks-160-million-emergency-aid-pakistan-floods/ | 2022-08-30T19:24:21Z |
NORFOLK, Va., June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At its June meeting, the Hampton Roads Community Foundation Board of Directors elected Sharon Goodwyn as its chair. She is the first African American and the first woman to serve in the prestigious role.
Established in 1950 as Virginia's first community foundation, the organization is the largest grant and scholarship provider in southeastern Virginia. Since then, the community foundation has provided more than $344 million to improve life in the region and beyond. In 2021 alone, the community foundation provided more than $20 million in grants and scholarships, including nearly $1 million to Black-led nonprofits as a part of its commitment to racial equity.
"I am deeply grateful for the board's faith in my ability to uphold and advance the community foundation's vision, mission, and values," said Goodwyn. "There's no better time to lead its work in addressing racial inequities in our region, growing its charitable footprint, and working together to create a thriving community for all."
Goodwyn, who has a long record of community service, is an attorney at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. She earned a law degree from the University of Virginia and an undergraduate degree in economics from Harvard University. She recently served as vice chair. Goodwyn will serve with the newly elected vice chair, Frank Batten, Jr., chairman of Landmark Media Enterprises. L.D. Britt, M.D., chairman of surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School, was re-elected as treasurer. The board oversees the organization's $525 million in assets and supports its mission to make life better in Hampton Roads.
"I am thankful that a distinguished board leads the community foundation," said President and CEO Deborah DiCroce. "Each officer brings a distinct perspective and expertise that assists the community foundation in accomplishing its mission, engaging the community, and stewarding resources that help Hampton Roads thrive."
In 2019, the community foundation formally affirmed its commitment to racial equity and has been working diligently to learn about and address racism, collaborate with the community on solutions, and provide funding to mitigate racial inequities in the region.
In addition to its work in racial equity, the community foundation focuses on regional economic competitiveness, early care and education, mental health and wellness, the environment, and cultural vitality.
To learn more, visit HamptonRoadsCF.org.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Hampton Roads Community Foundation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/15/attorney-sharon-goodwyn-elected-first-african-american-chairwoman-hampton-roads-community-foundation-board-directors/ | 2022-06-15T18:19:26Z |
Amelie H. Mailloux joins the firm's Boston office and Ronald G. Nelson joins in New York City
BOSTON and NEW YORK, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Goulston & Storrs, an Am Law 200 firm, is pleased to announce Amelie H. Mailloux and Ronald G. Nelson have joined the firm as Counsel in its Real Estate Group. Mailloux joins the firm's Boston office and Nelson will be based in the New York City office.
Prior to joining the firm, Mailloux was the Director of Leasing and Dispositions at Retail Business Services, LLC where she provided real estate leasing services to multiple operating brands including major supermarket chains. In this role, she also directed and managed the real estate activities for Ahold Delhaize's non-supermarket real estate assets in the U.S. She brings more than 20 years of business and legal experience in commercial real estate transactions to the firm, and will continue to focus her practice on a wide range of complex real estate and retail leasing matters. She has deep experience in the leasing and disposition of assets, including the negotiation and documentation of new leases, extensions, amendments, lease assignments, lease terminations, buyouts, and sales agreements.
Nelson joins Goulston & Storrs from a major law firm in New York City where he was Of Counsel handling real estate leasing for commercial landlords and tenants. Before that, he spent six years at DLC Management Corp., most recently as Senior Real Estate Counsel. He has nearly 20 years of broad real estate industry and legal experience including working inside real estate companies in leasing, acquisition, and investment roles. He will continue to concentrate his practice on sophisticated lease agreements for commercial spaces and land parcels. His experience spans many property types, including office, medical, laboratory, industrial, hospitality as well as restaurant, retail, and shopping center spaces.
"We are very excited to have these two seasoned real estate attorneys join our practice. Amelie and Ron will be excellent additions to our leasing team in Boston and New York. They both bring deep in-house and outside experience to the firm and will be invaluable resources to our clients. We are thrilled to have them on board," said William Dillon, Co-Managing Director of Goulston & Storrs.
Mailloux received her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in 2007 and her B.A. from Wittenberg University in 1997. Nelson received his J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law in 2001, his M.S. from New York University in 2012, and his B.A. from Binghamton University State University of New York in 1998.
About Goulston & Storrs
Collaboration is not just a pillar of our strategy; it is the key to our competitive advantage and approach to clients, community, and each other. At Goulston & Storrs, we practice law with excellence and integrity. We are a place where mutual respect and collaboration drive open discussion, transparency, creativity and optimal results for our clients. We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace where sophisticated business is conducted with genuine camaraderie. To learn more about us, visit www.goulstonstorrs.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Goulston & Storrs PC | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/04/11/goulston-amp-storrs-adds-two-laterals-counsel-its-real-estate-group/ | 2022-04-11T17:08:00Z |
North Korea claims Covid outbreak improving, may rethink curbs
By Sophie Jeong, CNN
North Korea says its Covid-19 outbreak is improving and it is considering revising its anti-epidemic regulations.
State-run media in the secretive East Asian country reported Sunday that leader Kim Jong Un and other top officials had assessed the pandemic situation as “improved” and discussed adjusting containment measures.
North Korea reported more than 89,500 new “fever cases” and 106,390 recoveries between Friday and Saturday evening nationwide, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
It did not say whether there had been additional deaths.
As of Saturday evening, North Korea’s total number of cases since late April had reached 3,448,880, of which more than 3,262,700 had recovered and at least 186,110 were receiving medical treatment, KCNA reported.
The country’s latest death toll, reported on Friday, was 69 and the fatality rate was 0.002%, according to KCNA.
The country of 25 million reported what it said were its first cases of Covid-19 on May 12 and declared the situation a “major national emergency,” swiftly placing all cities into lockdown and ordering “people with fever or abnormal symptoms” into quarantine.
It reported hundreds of thousands of new “fever cases” and dozens of deaths within days — an outbreak that state-run media described as “explosive.”
Last Sunday, the country claimed the outbreak was slowing, with state-run media reporting a “positive trend” that has seen the daily number of new “fever cases” drop below 200,000.
However, given the lack of independent reporting inside North Korea, it is difficult to verify the figures and there has long been widespread skepticism over the country’s Covid reporting.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/news/2022/05/29/north-korea-claims-covid-outbreak-improving-may-rethink-curbs/ | 2022-05-29T09:08:50Z |
NANJING, China, May 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InxMed Co., Ltd, a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicates on developing innovative therapies targeting stroma microenvironment and drug resistance for hard-to-treat solid tumors, is pleased to announce that the clinical data from an open-label phase Ib trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of IN10018, a highly potent and selective oral inhibitor of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), in combination with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) in patients with platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer (PROC), will be presented in the form of poster at the upcoming 2022 annual meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) from June 3, 2022 to June 7, 2022. Abstract was published on the ASCO's website(Abstract #:5567). The data showed that patients receiving combination of IN10018 with PLD demonstrated promising antitumor activities and manageable safety profile in PROC patients, with a high overall response rate (ORR) of 56.7%(Poster #:445).
This phase Ib study is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and antitumor activities of IN10018 in combination with PLD in patients with platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer. The primary endpoint for the study is objective response rate (ORR), and key secondary endpoint include disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DOR) and progress-free survival (PFS).
As of cutoff data of December 31, 2021, a total of 42 patients were enrolled. Antitumor response was evaluated in 30 efficacy evaluable patients who had at least one post-baseline tumor assessments per investigator's assessment. 17 PRs and 9 SDs were reported and none of the patients had CR. The ORR was 56.7%, the DCR was 86.7%, and the median DOR was 4.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.7 months – NA) and still maturing. The ORR and DCR were 65.0% (13/20) and 90.0% (18/20), respectively, in 20 efficacy evaluable patients who had at least 6 months follow-up. In all 42 enrolled patients, the median PFS were 6.2 months (95% CI: 6.2 months - NA) and still maturing.
The safety profile of the combination is comparable to these single agents alone without additive toxicities. No IN10018 related death observed and only 9.5% (4/42) patients reported SAEs which were related to both IN10018 and PLD. The most frequently reported IN10018 related AEs were proteinuria, decreased appetite, fatigue, and AEs of gastrointestinal origin such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting. Majority of these drug related AEs were CTCAE grade 1 and 2, no drug related grade 4 or 5 AE reported. Proteinuria was noted asymptomatic, reversible and could be managed with appropriate dose interruption/reduction and only one proteinuria event resulted in IN10018 dose reduction.
"We are extremely pleased with the data as it demonstrates the superior efficacy and safety of our IN10018, as well as confirming the proof of mechanism of IN10018 regimen. We are excited by this outcome and are working hard on completing this study and determining the further design for a subsequent pivotal study," said Dr Zaiqi Wang, CEO of InxMed. FAK is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that plays an important role in cell adhesion, migration, and regulation. It exhibits expression upregulation in multiple tumor types. Researchers have found that inhibiting the FAK signaling pathway can effectively reverse previously failed chemotherapy and targeted therapy caused by drug resistance and enhance the response and efficacy of immunotherapy for solid tumors.
InxMed set up a global clinical development program for IN10018, as one of the most advanced FAK inhibitors. Clinical trials currently underway in the US and China are designed for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, NRAS mutant metastatic melanoma, triple-negative breast cancer, head and neck cancer, pancreatic cancer, and other solid tumors that are still lacking effective treatment. IN10018 received fast track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2021, and breakthrough designation from China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for the treatment of patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.
InxMed has the exclusive global development and commercial operation rights of IN10018 and is planning to initiate a pivotal trial in the second half of the year.
For more information, please visit http://en.inxmed.com/
About InxMed
InxMed is a clinical-stage biotech company established in the end of 2018. The company dedicates on developing innovative therapies targeting stroma microenvironment and solid tumor resistance and metastasis, especially new drug development on anti PD-1/PD-L1 treatment drug resistance. InxMed committees to building an efficient engine for clinical translational science and proof of concept platform driven by in-depth understanding of disease biology and being a China based biotech company with global impact. We have built translational medicine and clinical development team across Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, United States, Canada and Australia. We have built a highly differentiated pipeline and established partnership with various multinational pharmaceutical companies including Merck, Roche and Boehringer Ingelheim.
View original content:
SOURCE InxMed | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/30/inxmed-in10018-asco-2022-demonstrates-robust-efficacy-patients-with-platinum-resistant-recurrent-ovarian-cancer/ | 2022-05-30T01:01:26Z |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The contest to replace former Republican Rep. Devin Nunes in Central California will present voters with a sharply defined choice: the candidates are a progressive Democrat who supports universal health care and a former Trump administration appointee.
Preliminary returns released Friday from a Tuesday special election showed Democrat Lourin Hubbard capturing the second spot in a June runoff for the vacant seat in the state’s farm belt. He will face Connie Conway, a former Republican leader in the state Assembly and California executive director of the Agriculture Department’s Farm Service Agency during the Trump administration. She was the top vote-getter who earlier advanced to the June matchup.
With most of the vote tallied, Hubbard had just under 20%, with his closest competitor for the second runoff spot, Republican Matt Stoll, several percentage points back.
Nunes, one of former President Donald Trump’s most ardent loyalists in Congress, resigned the 22nd District seat earlier this year to lead Trump’s social media company.
The seat in the GOP-leaning district is expected to stay in Republican hands.
Because no candidate was able to claim a majority of the vote Tuesday and win outright, only the top two finishers advance to a runoff. The runoff will coincide with the statewide June 7 primary election.
The election for the vacant seat has been largely ignored nationally as Democrats and Republicans focus on midterm elections that will determine control of Congress in 2023.
Nunes’ unexpected departure in January created an unusual situation for his former constituents: The winner of the election will serve only months in Congress, and the district will vanish next year because of redrawn boundaries. | https://cw33.com/news/politics/ap-politics/liberal-conservative-face-off-in-california-us-house-fight/ | 2022-04-09T14:08:14Z |
SHENZHEN, China, April 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei kicked off its 19th annual Global Analyst Summit today in Shenzhen. A hybrid event, the summit gathers industry analysts, financial analysts, key opinion leaders, and media representatives from around the world to learn more about future industry trends and Huawei's development strategy.
At the event, Ken Hu, Huawei's Rotating Chairman, gave a keynote on Huawei's approach to innovation and building a greener intelligent world. "We will strengthen our approach to innovation, equip all industries to go digital and intelligent, and help build a low-carbon world," said Hu. "These are key to our future growth as a company."
The following is a summary of these three initiatives.
Innovating nonstop and advancing the industry:
- In terms of connectivity, Huawei continues to drive the industry forward. The company announced its vision to enable 10 Gbps connections everywhere with 5.5G and F5.5G, the next evolutions in wireless and fixed networks. Together, these will support a broader range of niche network requirements, including a more immersive experience in homes as well as the low latency and high reliability needed for industrial control scenarios.
- In terms of computing, Huawei is redefining system architectures for individual nodes, foundational software, and data centers in an effort to significantly increase system performance and energy efficiency.
- In cloud services, Huawei is building MetaStudio, a cloud-based, end-to-end digital content pipeline that will greatly expedite digital content production.
- In terms of devices, Huawei aims to provide consumers with a user-centric intelligent experience in all aspects of their lives - what the company calls a Seamless AI Life experience - effectively accelerating the convergence of the physical and digital worlds.
Diving into digital transformation to create new value for customers:
- Huawei is adapting its products and product portfolios to different industrial scenarios. At the same time, it will start pre-integrating and pre-verifying products, doing all the complex work beforehand to make digital transformation easier for its customers and partners. With Huawei Cloud as the foundation, Huawei aims to provide "Everything as a Service", turning infrastructure, technology, and expertise into cloud-based services, and making cloud migration easier for customers in different industries.
- Huawei is also building integrated teams that focus on specific industries, bringing a specialized group of experts closer to customers' business challenges and more tightly incorporating horizontal resources, i.e., products and capabilities from partners. The goal is to provide targeted digital transformation solutions for each industry and respond more rapidly to customer needs.
Optimizing power supply and consumption with digital technology to enable low-carbon development:
- Huawei is redefining the PV sector with AI, cloud, and other capabilities to boost the generation of renewable energy.
- Huawei is also developing system-level low-carbon solutions for green ICT infrastructure, focusing on wireless base stations and data centers.
Moving forward, Huawei is taking active steps to boost its business resilience and ensure steady development. "We have to keep the ball rolling through nonstop innovation, creating value for customers and society," said Ken Hu. "We look forward to working more closely with our customers and partners to build a greener intelligent world."
In addition to its innovation strategy, Huawei also shared its far-reaching vision for the future and some of the exploration it's doing to get there. In his keynote speech, Dr. Zhou Hong, President of Huawei's Institute of Strategic Research, said that "everything we imagine today is very likely to be too conservative - too little - for tomorrow. We have to meet the future with bold hypotheses and a bold vision, and throw caution to the wind as we push to break through bottlenecks in theory and technology. This is the only way forward."
In his speech, Dr. Zhou outlined ten challenges that Huawei hopes to address moving forward.
Two scientific questions:
- How do machines perceive the world, and can we build models that teach machines how to understand the world?
- How can we better understand the physiological mechanisms of the human body, including how the eight systems of the body work, as well as human intent and intelligence?
Eight tech challenges:
- New sensing and control capabilities, e.g., brain-computer interfaces, muscle-computer interfaces, 3D displays, virtual touch, virtual smell, and virtual taste
- Real-time, unobtrusive blood pressure, blood sugar, and heart monitoring, and strong AI-assisted discoveries in chemical pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, and vaccines
- Application-centric, efficient, automated, and intelligent software for greater value and better experience
- Reaching and circumventing Shannon's limit to enable efficient, high-performance connectivity both regionally and globally
- Adaptive and efficient computing models, non-Von Neumann architectures, unconventional components, and explainable and debuggable AI
- Inventing new molecules, catalysts, and components with intelligent computing
- Developing new processes that surpass CMOS, cost less, and are more efficient
- Safe, efficient energy conversion and storage, as well as on-demand services
The Huawei Global Analyst Summit was first held in 2004 and has continued annually for 19 years. This year's event is being held from April 26 to 27, and it includes a broad range of breakout sessions on different aspects of Huawei's business.
View original content:
SOURCE Huawei | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/26/huawei-innovating-nonstop-greener-intelligent-world/ | 2022-04-26T11:08:14Z |
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In a victory for President Joe Biden, a federal appeals court Thursday refused to revisit its March decision reviving administration plans to account for potential damage from greenhouse gas emissions when creating rules for pollution-generating industries.
A Louisiana-based federal judge had blocked the so-called social cost of carbon policy earlier this year, saying it would bring costly regulatory burdens and drive up energy prices. But a panel of three 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges in New Orleans unanimously stayed the lower court last month. On Thursday, the appeals court issued a brief order saying none of the court’s 17 full-time judges sought a rehearing, which had been requested by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry.
Landry led the challenge on behalf of Louisiana and nine other states. His office did not immediately respond to an email asking whether he would appeal to the Supreme Court. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming joined Louisiana in the challenge.
The policy aims to put a dollar value on damage caused by every additional ton of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. That cost estimate would be used to shape future rules for oil and gas drilling, automobiles, and other industries, and a higher estimate could justify more stringent rules.
On his first day in office, Biden issued an order that restored the cost estimate to about $51 per ton of carbon dioxide emissions after the Trump administration had reduced the figure to about $7 or less per ton. Former President Donald Trump’s estimate included only damage felt in the U.S. versus the global damage captured in higher estimates that were previously used under the Obama administration.
Republicans and business groups have questioned the accuracy of the complex economic models used to determine the cost estimate. They argue that an emphasis on future climate damage would hobble the economy, particularly the energy industry.
The 5th Circuit panel said in last month’s ruling that any regulatory burdens the policy might bring are speculative at this point and that Louisiana and other states challenging the policy therefore had no standing to sue. It said U.S. District Judge James David Cain, a Trump appointee in Louisiana’s Western district, had gone “outside the authority of the federal courts” in ordering the Biden administration “to comply with prior administrations’ policies on regulatory analysis absent a specific agency action to review.”
The ruling panel included judges Leslie Southwick, appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, and James Graves and Gregg Costa, both appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama. Of the 17 full-time judges on the court, 12 were nominated by Republican presidents — six of those by Trump. | https://cw33.com/business/ap-business/biden-cost-of-carbon-policy-survives-another-legal-hurdle/ | 2022-04-15T07:29:57Z |
JERSEY CITY, N.J., July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Veris Residential, Inc. (NYSE: VRE) (the "Company"), a forward-thinking, environmentally- and socially-conscious real estate investment trust (REIT) that primarily owns, operates, acquires, and develops holistically-inspired, Class A multifamily properties, today announces that it will host its second quarter 2022 financial results webcast and conference call on Thursday, August 4, 2022, at 8:30 a.m., eastern. The Company will release its results after the close of market on Wednesday, August 3, 2022.
The webcast can be listened to via the Internet by accessing the Company's website at http://investors.verisresidential.com/corporate-overview. The conference call is also accessible by dialing (844) 825-9789 (domestic) or (412) 317-5180 (international) and requesting the Veris Residential second quarter 2022 earnings conference call. It is recommended that participants log on or dial in to the call approximately 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.
Replay: Audio replay from the conference call will be available on Veris Residential's website at http://investors.verisresidential.com/corporate-overview.
Veris Residential, Inc. is a forward-thinking, environmentally- and socially-conscious real estate investment trust (REIT) that primarily owns, operates, acquires, and develops holistically-inspired, Class A multifamily properties that meet the sustainability-conscious lifestyle needs of today's residents while seeking to positively impact the communities it serves and the planet at large. The Company is guided by an experienced management team and Board of Directors and is underpinned by leading corporate governance principles, a best-in-class and sustainable approach to operations, and an inclusive culture based on equality and meritocratic empowerment. For additional information on Veris Residential, Inc. and our properties available for lease, please visit https://www.verisresidential.com/.
Investors
Anna Malhari
Chief Operating Officer
investors@verisresidential.com
Media
Amanda Shpiner/Grace Cartwright
Gasthalter & Co.
212-257-4170
veris-residential@gasthalter.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Veris Residential, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/veris-residential-inc-announces-dates-second-quarter-2022-financial-results-webcast/ | 2022-07-21T21:52:13Z |
Rick Faris brings his bluegrass music back home
Published: Jun. 4, 2022 at 10:28 PM CDT|Updated: 34 minutes ago
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - A Topeka area native brought his blugrass music back home.
Rick Faris brought his band to Westminster Presbyterian Church on SW Boswell for a concert Saturday night.
Faris grew up in Jefferson County, performing around the region with his family. He’s gone on to an award-winning career, including a couple Grammy nominations with his former band Special Consensus.
Faris recently released a solo album called “The Next Mountain, and performed in Branson. He said he’s always excited to bring his show back home.
You can check out his most recent performance from Eye on NE Kansas with Ralph Hipp here.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/06/05/rick-faris-brings-his-bluegrass-music-back-home/ | 2022-06-05T04:02:57Z |
AMSTERDAM (AP) — Automaker Stellantis on Thursday reported higher earnings in the first half of 2022 compared with last year, pointing to a nearly 50% increase in global sales of battery electric vehicles.
Stellantis, which was formed last year with the merger of Fiat Chrysler and France’s PSA Peugeot, said net revenue reached 88 billion euros ($89.86 billion), a 17% increase from the first half of last year. Net profit hit 8 billion euros, up 34%.
The world’s fourth-largest automaker said sales of low-emission and battery electric vehicles have been increasing, with the latter up by nearly 50% from last year to 136,000 units.
Car shipments slipped 18% in Europe amid problems acquiring computer chips during a global shortage, with net revenue down 2% compared to the first half of 2021. But shipments rose 10% in North America, with net revenue up 31%.
Stellantis has plans to sell 5 million electric vehicles by 2030, with 50% of its North American passenger car and light truck sales going fully electric by 2030. It plans to sell only electric passenger cars in Europe by 2030.
“In a demanding global context,” CEO Carlos Tavares said, Stellantis is “delivering an outstanding performance and executing our bold electrification strategy.”
The automaker has stepped up investment in electric vehicles, with projects announced earlier this year in North America.
A joint venture between Stellantis and Samsung plans to spend more than $2.5 billion to build an EV battery factory in Indiana for a range of vehicles produced at Stellantis’ North American assembly plants.
The carmaker also said it would invest billions in upgrading two Canadian assembly plants and a research center as well as building a large EV battery factory in Ontario in a joint venture with South Korea’s LG Energy Solution.
U.S. regulators have opened three investigations into safety issues with about 1.65 million vehicles made by Stellantis, but none has been recalled so far or linked to crashes or injuries. | https://cw33.com/business/ap-business/stellantis-earnings-rise-as-electric-vehicle-sales-expand/ | 2022-07-29T02:38:02Z |
WINTERHAVEN, Fla., May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Jackie Robinson's historic debut and breaking of the color barrier 75 years ago, Dugout Mugs has created a one-of-a-kind collection to honor his legacy. Dugout Mugs' mission is to celebrate and serve the heroes of the baseball community by creating uniquely fun gifts that bring people closer to the game they love.
"Jackie Robinson is a legend in baseball history, for what he did on the field, but his incredible talent on and off the field. To be able to associate our brand with someone of his stature is truly an honor," said Dugout Mugs CEO and Co-Founder Kris Dehnert.
Robinson was born in 1919 in Cairo, Georgia. In high school, he didn't just excel in baseball, but also in football, basketball, and track and field. Due to World War 1, he didn't play baseball between the ages of 21 and 26, but at age 28 on April 15th, he made history when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
In his career, he was named an MLB All-Star 6x and won a World Series in 1954. Robinson is a member of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, Major League Baseball All-Century Team, and his number 42 is retired by all MLB Teams.
Several current Major Leaguers including Mychal Givens, Jason Hayward, and Marcus Stroman of the Chicago Cubs as well as MLB veteran Gary Sheffield, showcased their mugs on social media with a note thanking Robinson for being such an influence in their careers and paving the way.
Dugout Mugs is proud to raise a barrel to Jackie and all those in the baseball community. Recently, Dugout Mugs announced that they have teamed up with the National Baseball Hall of Fame (NBHOF) to introduce a line of officially licensed bat barrel mugs.
About Dugout Mugs:
From the quality and the uniqueness of the products to the individual customer experience, Dugout Mugs reimagined what it means to buy a gift for a baseball fan.
For media inquiries contact PR Manager Todd Grasley at Todd@DugoutMugs.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Dugout Mugs | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/11/dugout-mugs-releases-exclusive-jackie-robinson-collection/ | 2022-05-11T19:18:08Z |
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials on Tuesday restated their recommendation that Americans wear masks on planes, trains and buses, despite a court ruling last month that struck down a national mask mandate on public transportation.
Americans age 2 and older should wear a well-fitting masks while on public transportation, including in airports and train stations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended, citing the current spread of coronavirus and projections of future COVID-19 trends.
For months, the Transportation Security Administration had been enforcing a requirement that passengers and workers wear masks.
The government had repeatedly extended the mandate, and the latest one had been set to expire May 3. But a federal judge in Florida struck down the rule on April 18. The same day, the TSA said it would no longer enforce the mandate.
The CDC asked the Justice Department to appeal the decision, which the department did. On Tuesday, CDC officials declined to comment on the status of the appeal. DOJ officials did not immediately respond to a request for information.
___
The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://cw33.com/health/ap-health/cdc-restates-recommendation-for-masks-on-planes-trains/ | 2022-05-04T16:51:06Z |
Worker dies after being trapped in corn silo
Published: Sep. 13, 2022 at 9:03 AM CDT|Updated: 29 minutes ago
ROSELAND, Neb. (KSNB/Gray News) – A worker was killed in a grain silo accident in Nebraska on Monday evening, according to officials.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office said 34-year-old Travis Thelander was pronounced dead upon recovery after becoming trapped inside a corn silo on the CHS property in Roseland.
Thelander was a worker for CHS, and since it is a workplace death, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been notified.
The investigation is still ongoing as officials work to find out how Thelander became trapped.
Copyright 2022 KSNB via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/09/13/worker-dies-after-being-trapped-corn-silo/ | 2022-09-13T14:32:55Z |
NEW YORK, July 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Missfresh Limited (NASDAQ: MF).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/missfresh-limited-loss-submission-form/?id=29849&from=4
This lawsuit is on behalf of persons who purchased or otherwise acquired Missfresh securities pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and related prospectus issued in connection with Missfresh's June 2021 initial public offering.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until September 12, 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, Missfresh Limited issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Missfresh provided false financial figures in its registration statement and related prospectus issued in connection with the Company's June 2021 initial public offering; (2) Missfresh would need to amend its financial figures; (3) Missfresh, among other things, had lesser net revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2021; and (4) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times and negligently prepared.
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
View original content:
SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/15/mf-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-missfresh-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-12-2022/ | 2022-07-15T10:41:38Z |
BEIJING, Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zhihu Inc. ("Zhihu" or the "Company") (NYSE: ZH; HKEX: 2390), the operator of Zhihu, a leading online content community in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2022.
Second Quarter 2022 Highlights
- Total revenues were RMB836.0 million (US$124.8 million) in the second quarter of 2022, representing a growth of 31.0% over the second quarter of 2021.
- Average monthly active users (MAUs)[1] reached 105.9 million in the second quarter of 2022, representing a growth of 12.3% over the second quarter of 2021.
- Average monthly paying members[2] reached 8.5 million in the second quarter of 2022, representing a growth of 78.3% over the second quarter of 2021.
"The recent COVID-19 pandemic situation and macroeconomic condition created challenging environment in the second quarter. Against this backdrop, we focused on retaining high quality user growth in a sustainable and efficient manner," said Mr. Yuan Zhou, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Zhihu." Driven by our 'Community Ecosystem Comes First' strategy, we are actively expanding our fulfilling content offerings to strengthen the thriving vibrancy of our community. Our initiatives to inspire content creators and upgrade our infrastructure for supporting content creation are yielding expected results and improving our commercial value. In the second quarter, we successfully managed to continue growing our user base while further enhancing our operating efficiency and narrowed our operating loss on a sequential basis. Going forward, we will continue to innovate service offerings within our ecosystem and further unlock commercial value that catalyze sustainable long-term development."
Mr. Wei Sun, Chief Financial Officer of Zhihu, added, "Our content-centric business model again demonstrated its exciting growth potential in the quarter with total revenues increasing by 31% year-over-year to RMB836 million. As the macro-economy started to show a positive momentum in June 2022, our Content-Commerce Solutions services promptly captured the related business opportunities and recorded sequential increases in both end-customer pool and average spending per customer in the second quarter of 2022. Paid membership growth momentum remained strong with a revenue increase of 75% year-over-year, and vocational training further increased its contribution to our total revenues. The multiple growth engines in our business model position us well for strong, resilient and sustainable growth. Through prudent cost control, we will be able to effectively improve our operating efficiency and bottom-line performance. Looking forward, we will remain committed to continuously enhancing our monetization capability and driving shareholder value in the long run."
Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results
Total revenues were RMB836.0 million (US$124.8 million) in the second quarter of 2022, representing an increase of 31.0% from RMB638.4 million in the same period of 2021. The increase was driven by the expansion of our user base and increase of our average revenue per MAU.
Advertising revenue was RMB237.6 million (US$35.5 million) in the second quarter of 2022, compared with RMB248.3 million in the same period of 2021. The decrease primarily reflected the headwinds faced by the general online advertising industry in China due to, among other things, the general economic conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic situation.
Paid membership revenue was RMB271.2 million (US$40.5 million) in the second quarter of 2022, representing an increase of 75.1% from RMB154.9 million in the same period of 2021. The year-over-year increase was primarily attributable to increases in our overall user base and paying ratio for the period.
Content-commerce solutions revenue was RMB240.5 million (US$35.9 million) in the second quarter of 2022, representing an increase of 15.9% from RMB207.4 million in the second quarter of 2021. The year-over-year growth was primarily driven by increases in both our user base and average content-commerce solutions revenue per MAU, reflecting our continued efforts to develop this business line.
Vocational Training revenue[3] was RMB46.1 million (US$6.9 million) in the second quarter of 2022, up from RMB6.6 million in the second quarter of 2021. The strong year-over-year growth was primarily driven by a more diversified vocational training course offering, as well as the revenue contributions from companies we acquired in the second half of 2021.
Other revenues were RMB40.7 million (US$6.1 million) in the second quarter of 2022, representing an increase of 91.9% from RMB21.2 million in the same period of 2021. The year-over-year increase was primarily attributable to the growth of our e-commerce services, as well as private label products and book series offerings.
Cost of revenues increased to RMB436.4 million (US$65.2 million) in the second quarter of 2022 from RMB261.8 million in the same period of 2021. The increase was primarily due to an increase in content-related costs, as well as increases in staff costs and cloud services and bandwidth costs.
Gross profit was RMB399.6 million (US$59.7 million) in the second quarter of 2022, compared with RMB376.6 million in the same period of 2021.
Gross margin in the second quarter of 2022 was 47.8%, compared to 59.0% in the same period of 2021. The decrease in gross profit margin is primarily due to our continued efforts in broadening and enhancing content offerings for all of our users.
Total operating expenses were RMB860.3 million (US$128.4 million) in the second quarter of 2022, compared with RMB727.1 million in the same period of 2021.
Selling and marketing expenses were RMB532.4 million (US$79.5 million) in the second quarter of 2022, compared with RMB443.2 million in the second quarter of 2021. The increase was primarily due to higher promotion and advertising expenses related to attracting new users and strengthening Zhihu's brand recognition.
Research and development expenses were RMB223.6 million (US$33.4 million) in the second quarter of 2022, compared with RMB120.6 million in the same period of 2021. The increase was primarily due to the higher headcount of research and development personnel, as we continued to invest in technical infrastructure, and research and development.
General and administrative expenses were RMB104.3 million (US$15.6 million) in the second quarter of 2022, compared with RMB163.2 million in the same period of 2021. The decrease was primarily due to decreased share-based compensation expenses.
Loss from operations was RMB460.7 million (US$68.8 million) in the second quarter of 2022, compared with RMB350.5 million in the same period of 2021.
Other income/(expenses) comprised investment income, interest income, fair value change of financial instruments, exchange gains/(losses) and others, net. The year-over-year changes were mainly due to the following.
Fair value change of financial instruments was a loss of RMB101.2 million (US$15.1 million) in the second quarter of 2022, compared with a gain of RMB10.6 million in the same period of 2021, primarily attributable to the fair value change of financial instruments related to currency exchange options and forward contracts due to the appreciation of U.S. dollars against Renminbi in the second quarter of 2022.
Exchange gains/(losses) were gains of RMB49.1 million (US$7.3 million) in the second quarter of 2022, compared with gains of RMB5.5 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to the appreciation of U.S. dollars against Renminbi.
Net loss was RMB487.0 million (US$72.7 million) in the second quarter of 2022, compared with RMB321.1 million in the same period of 2021.
Adjusted net loss (non-GAAP)[4] was RMB443.8 million (US$66.3 million) in the second quarter of 2022, compared with RMB200.3 million in the same period of 2021.
Basic and diluted net loss per ADS was RMB0.79 (US$0.12) in the second quarter of 2022, compared with RMB0.55 in the same period of 2021.
Cash and cash equivalents, term deposits, restricted cash and short-term investments
As of June 30, 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents, term deposits, restricted cash and short-term investments of RMB7.0 billion (US$1.0 billion), compared with RMB7.4 billion as of December 31, 2021.
First Half 2022 Financial Results
Total revenues were RMB1.6 billion (US$235.8 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, representing a growth of 41.4% from RMB1.1 billion in the same period of 2021. The increase was primarily driven by the expansion of our user base and increase of our average revenue per MAU.
Advertising revenue was RMB454.9 million (US$67.9 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, compared with RMB462.0 million in the same period of 2021. The decrease primarily reflected the headwinds faced by the general online advertising industry in China due to, among other things, the general economic conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the first half of 2022.
Paid membership revenue was RMB492.8 million (US$73.6 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, representing a growth of 75.1% from RMB281.4 million in the same period of 2021. The year-over-year increase was primarily attributable to increases in our overall user base and paying ratio for the period.
Content-commerce solutions revenue was RMB467.2 million (US$69.8 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, representing a growth of 42.3% from RMB328.3 million in the same period of 2021. The year-over-year growth was primarily driven by increases in both our user base and average content-commerce solutions revenue per MAU, reflecting our continued efforts to develop this business line.
Vocational training revenue[3] was RMB85.7 million (US$12.8 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, up from RMB9.6 million in the same period of 2021. The year-over-year growth was primarily driven by a more diversified vocational training course offering, as well as the revenue contributions from companies we acquired in the second half of 2021.
Other revenues were RMB78.6 million (US$11.7 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, compared with RMB35.3 million in the same period of 2021. The year-over-year increase was primarily attributable to the continued growth in e-commerce services, private label products, and book series offerings.
Cost of revenues increased to RMB844.1 million (US$126.0 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022 from RMB467.4 million in the same period of 2021. The increase was primarily due to an increase in content-related costs, as well as increases in staff costs and cloud services and bandwidth costs.
Gross profit was RMB735.1 million (US$109.8 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, compared with RMB649.2 million in the same period of 2021.
Gross margin for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was 46.6%, compared to 58.1% in the same period of 2021. The decrease in gross profit margin is primarily due to our continued efforts in broadening and enhancing content offerings for all of our users.
Total operating expenses were RMB1,844.0 million (US$275.3 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, compared with RMB1,342.2 million in the same period of 2021.
Selling and marketing expenses were RMB1,039.0 million (US$155.1 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, compared with RMB789.9 million in the same period of 2021. The increase was primarily due to higher promotion and advertising expenses related to attracting new users and strengthening Zhihu's brand recognition.
Research and development expenses were RMB390.1 million (US$58.2 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, compared with RMB226.9 million in the same period of 2021. The increase was primarily due to the higher headcount of research and development personnel, as we continued to invest in technology infrastructure and research and development.
General and administrative expenses were RMB414.9 million (US$61.9 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, compared with RMB325.4 million in the same period of 2021. The increase was primarily due to an increase in the headcount of general and administrative personnel, as well as the expense related to our dual primary listing on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.
Loss from operations was RMB1,108.8 million (US$165.5 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, compared with RMB693.0 million in the same period of 2021.
Other income/(expenses) comprised investment income, interest income, fair value change of financial instruments, exchange gains/(losses) and others, net. The year-over-year changes were mainly due to the following.
Fair value change of financial instruments was a loss of RMB92.7 million (US$13.8 million) for the six months ended June 20, 2022, compared with a gain of RMB10.6 million in the same period of 2021, primarily attributable to the fair value change of financial instruments related to currency exchange options and forward contracts due to the appreciation of U.S. dollars against Renminbi.
Exchange gains/(losses) were gains of RMB45.0 million (US$6.7 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, compared with gains of RMB4.8 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to the appreciation of U.S. dollars against Renminbi.
Net loss was RMB1,101.3 million (US$164.4 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, compared with RMB645.8 million in the same period of 2021.
Adjusted net loss (non-GAAP)[4] was RMB811.2 million (US$121.1 million) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, compared with RMB393.9 million in the same period of 2021.
Basic and diluted net loss per ADS was RMB1.81 (US$0.27) for the six months ended June 30, 2022, compared with RMB2.22 in the same period of 2021.
Share Repurchase Program
In May 2022, the Company announced a share repurchase program of up to US$100 million for the next 12 months, subject to the shareholders' approval for granting a general mandate to the board of directors to repurchase shares and/or ADSs of the Company. This mandate was obtained at the Company's annual general meeting held on June 10, 2022. The repurchases may be made from time to time in the open market at prevailing market prices and/or through other legally permissible means, depending on market conditions and in accordance with applicable rules and regulations. As of June 30, 2022, approximately 0.3 million Class A ordinary shares have been repurchased on both the New York Stock Exchange and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the program for a total price of approximately US$1.1 million.
Conference Call
The Company's management will host an earnings conference call at 7:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on August 30, 2022 (7:30 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time on August 30, 2022).
All participants must pre-register online using the link provided below. Once the pre-registration has been completed, participants will receive dial-in numbers, a passcode, and a unique registrant ID which can be used to join the conference call. Participants may pre-register at any time, including up to and after the call start time.
PRE-REGISTER LINK: https://dpregister.com/sreg/10170482/f41885ff42
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.zhihu.com.
A replay of the conference call will be accessible approximately one hour after the conclusion of the live call until September 6, 2022, by dialing the following telephone numbers:
About Zhihu Inc.
Zhihu Inc. (NYSE: ZH; HKEX: 2390), the operator of Zhihu, a leading online content community in China where people come to find solutions, make decisions, seek inspiration, and have fun. We have been dedicated to expanding our content and service offerings to enable our users to explore and enjoy "fulfilling content" (有获得感的內容) that broadens horizons, provides solutions, and resonates with minds. Since the initial launch in 2010, we have grown from a Q&A community into one of the top five comprehensive online content communities and the largest Q&A-inspired online content community in China, both in terms of average mobile MAUs and revenue in 2019, 2020, and 2021, according to CIC. For more information, please visit https://ir.zhihu.com.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measure
In evaluating the business, the Company considers and uses adjusted net loss, a non-GAAP financial measure, to supplement the review and assessment of its operating performance. The Company defines adjusted net loss as net loss adjusted for the impact of share-based compensation expenses, amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisition and tax effects of the non-GAAP adjustments, which are non-cash expenses. The Company believes that the non-GAAP measure facilitates comparisons of operating performance from period to period and company to company by adjusting for potential impacts of items, which the Company's management considers to be indicative of its operating performance. The Company believes that the non-GAAP financial measure provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating the Company's consolidated results of operations in the same manner as it helps the Company's management.
The non-GAAP financial measure is not defined under U.S. GAAP and is not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The presentation of the non-GAAP financial measure may not be comparable to similarly titled measure presented by other companies. The use of the non-GAAP measure has limitations as an analytical tool, and investors should not consider it in isolation from, or as a substitute for analysis of, our results of operations or financial condition as reported under U.S. GAAP. For more information on the non-GAAP financial measure, please see the tables captioned "Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results" set forth at the end of this press release.
Exchange Rate Information
This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars were made at a rate of RMB6.6981 to US$1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of June 30, 2022 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board.
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. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "target," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to," or other similar expressions. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the SEC and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
Zhihu Inc.
Email: ir@zhihu.com
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Helen Wu
Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
Email: zhihu@tpg-ir.com
In the United States:
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Phone: +1-212-481-2050
Email: zhihu@tpg-ir.com
View original content:
SOURCE Zhihu Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/zhihu-inc-reports-second-quarter-first-half-2022-unaudited-financial-results/ | 2022-08-30T11:23:46Z |
CHICAGO, July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) CEO, Chris Kempczinski sent the following message to the McDonald's global System, sharing its international markets leadership structure.
Digital CV's and headshots for these leaders are embedded within this release.
+++
As our global business and our two international segments continue to grow, each can further benefit from strong leadership teams focused closely on their needs —supporting the strong bench of talent in their segments and representing the perspectives of their markets on the Global Senior Leadership Team.
Following our leadership announcements last month, I am pleased to share that we will be returning to a structure of dedicated leadership overseeing each of our international segments. From a financial reporting standpoint, this represents no change as we've always reported International Operated Markets (IOM) results separate from International Developmental Licensee Markets (IDLM).
Jill McDonald will be returning to McDonald's as Executive Vice President and President, IOM, overseeing our five largest wholly-owned international markets and our IOM Business Unit, consisting of our remaining wholly-owned international markets.
Jill began her career as a marketing trainee at Colgate Palmolive and later joined British Airways, rising through the company to eventually lead Global Marketing. Jill then joined McDonald's as Chief Marketing Officer for our UK business and Northern Europe, and later became the Managing Director for our UK business and President, Northern Europe.
In her tenure, she sustained strong performance across all metrics of our business, including a strengthened brand, a reinvigorated employee experience and double-digit sales growth, all while fostering successful franchisee performance and engagement.
Jill's accomplishments with McDonald's and her deep marketing expertise and experience leading several consumer-focused businesses (including most recently as CEO of Costa Coffee), make her the perfect leader to accelerate the next phase of the IOM segment's growth. Working closely with Chief Customer Officer, Manu Steijaert, and Chief Marketing Officer, Morgan Flatley, Jill will help us elevate our marketing and creative excellence while enhancing our crew and customer experience to unlock new growth opportunities in IOM.
Jill's first day will be September 5. She will be based in London, reporting directly to me as a member of the Global SLT.
I am also happy to share that Jo Sempels will continue to lead our International Developmental Licensed Markets (IDLM) as Senior Vice President and President, IDL. Jo's responsibilities will now include our large, fast-growing China business, which had reported to Ian in his capacity as President, International. Jo is a highly respected and talented leader who is known (quite literally) around the world for putting the System first.
Jo will also join our Global SLT and report directly to me, effective immediately.
I am extremely proud of our International team's progress in driving our Accelerating the Arches strategy. With Jill, Jo and their leaders in respective segments, we are well positioned to continue building on our success. I look forward to even greater growth across these markets through an enhanced customer and crew experience, and improved connectivity and collaboration between our Market and Global teams.
Please join me in welcoming Jill back to the McFamily and thanking Jo for his continued leadership.
Chris
ABOUT MCDONALD'S
McDonald's is the world's leading global foodservice retailer with more than 39,000 locations in over 100 countries. Approximately 95% of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business owners.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE McDonald's Corporation | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/mcdonalds-appoints-jill-mcdonald-executive-vice-president-president-international-operated-markets/ | 2022-07-13T11:32:33Z |
Free small businesses resources celebrate AAPI entrepreneurs and offers personalized support
WASHINGTON, May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, SCORE, mentors to America's small businesses and a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration, has launched SCORE for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Entrepreneurs. This centralized hub provides the AAPI community with information, tools and support to start and grow successful small businesses.
SCORE saw a 60% increase in mentoring requests for the AAPI small business community in 2021 over the previous year. As a result, SCORE mentors provided more than 215,000 volunteer hours or the equivalent of more than $16 million, in free, expert consulting advice.
Through this new resource hub, SCORE for AAPI will continue to celebrate and uplift the 1.9 million AAPI entrepreneurs who employ 3.6 million people throughout the country. SCORE for Asian American and Pacific Islander Entrepreneurs includes:
- Free, remote, expert business mentoring
- Webinars and original online educational content specific to the AAPI community
- Inspiring stories of AAPI entrepreneurs who have achieved their business goals
"Everyone who has a small business dream should be able to achieve it," said SCORE CEO Bridget Weston. "We're proud to launch this resource to support Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs. We hope this centralized hub brings AAPI small business owners one step closer to the goals, achievements and success they're working toward."
Entrepreneur and SCORE client Sharon Lu, founder of Vegan Distribution, says working with her SCORE mentor helped her improve her overall business mindset: "When in doubt, seek a few trusted mentors who have industry-related experience and can provide sound and unbiased advice. One of the effective ways to grow the business and tackle the different aspects of running a business is to leverage someone else's experience. SCORE can definitely provide that."
Carlton Chen, certified mentor for SCORE's Fairfield County and Western Connecticut chapter, offers insight for AAPI entrepreneurs: "I volunteered at SCORE to unselfishly share my wealth of business and legal knowledge and experience with fledgling small business owners and entrepreneurs. The wealth of resources that SCORE has to offer, including online materials and endless webinar offerings, are unequaled. My message to the AAPI small business community is to try SCORE out. You'll be very pleased that you did."
Click here to access SCORE for AAPI Entrepreneurs.
About SCORE:
Since 1964, SCORE has helped 11 million entrepreneurs start or grow a business. SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide free mentoring, workshops and educational services to 1,500+ communities nationwide, creating 25,084 new businesses and 71,475 non-owner jobs in 2021 alone. Visit SCORE at www.score.org. Follow @SCOREMentors on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Funded [in part] through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Contact:
Meghan Dooley
SCORE
202-968-6428
media@score.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE SCORE | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/10/score-small-business-mentors-launches-hub-asian-american-pacific-islanders/ | 2022-05-10T14:37:05Z |
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — In the face of staggering gas prices, the Biden administration is taking unprecedented steps to try and lower costs at the pump.
The President is calling on Congress to make bold investments to accelerate the use of alternative energy sources to bring America to true energy independence.
But the push is not going over well with Republicans who argue the push is divorced from reality as still most Americans rely on tradition fuel.
To diminish Russian influence in the world, the Biden administration says it’s time the country takes a leap towards an independent green future by investing big in clean energy solutions.
“The President recognizes the time-limited nature of this opportunity and the reason for us to go big and bold in this moment,” said Ali Zaidi, White House deputy climate advisor.
He says the investments will do more than just relieve Americans from fluctuating gas prices.
“We’re also going to reduce our consumption of oil by 2 million barrels per day, so that means less reliance on a volatile commodity and bolstered energy security,” Zaidi said.
The administration is calling on Congress to pass billions in funding to invest in sustainable energy solutions like electric vehicles and solar energy to protect the planet and national security.
But Republicans say it’s an especially bad time to make the switch.
On the house floor this week, Republicans like Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman argued it’s the president’s green energy push that sparked the current crisis at the pump.
He says instead, the administration should focus on ramping up long-term clean oil production.
“By processing permits, issuing leases, streamlining the regulatory process and giving our own home-grown industries the ability to use our American resources,” Westerman said.
With Congress sharply divided, the chances of passing climate policy remains low. With pressure mounting for the President to relieve Americans of crippling gas prices, this week his administration announced plans to begin releasing one million barrels of oil from the strategic petroleum reserve each day for as long as 3 months. | https://cw33.com/news/congress-sharply-divided-on-bidens-green-energy-push/ | 2022-04-02T23:17:06Z |
Company's digital wallet and accounts payable platform will help track, report and facilitate distribution of up to $93 million during the 2022-23 school year
MIAMI and JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Missouri State Treasurer's Office have each selected ClassWallet's digital wallet and accounts payable platform to track, report and facilitate the distribution of funds for two educational support programs that will benefit non-public schools and families in the state.
The Missouri DESE is engaging ClassWallet's technology to expedite the disbursement of $68 million from the federal government's American Rescue Plan Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS II) program to help them recover from the educational disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Our office administered the first round of EANS funding last year and found the process was cumbersome. While our staff worked hard to assist non-public schools, we wanted to expedite the process to improve our service," said Chris Neale, assistant commissioner, DESE's Federal Relief Aid programs. "ClassWallet's detailed response to our complex needs gave us confidence that its platform would alleviate the tedious and time-consuming paperwork and oversight normally associated with purchasing items for classrooms throughout the state—from books and pencils to COVID-19 tests and mitigation supplies that help keep students in school safely."
Separately, ClassWallet's platform will support MOScholars, the Missouri State Treasurer's Office educational savings account (ESA) program, that will distribute scholarships of up to $6,375 from six non-profit Educational Assistance Organizations (EAO) to Missouri students with approved Individual Education Plans or who live in lower-income households. The program provides state tax credits for contributions to the certified EAOs, which include ACSI Children Education Fund (dba Children's Tuition Fund of MO), Agudath Israel of Illinois (dba Agudath Israel of Missouri), Bright Futures Fund, Herzog Tomorrow Foundation, Missouri District of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation.
The program is currently slated to spend $14 million dollars on scholarships for the 2022-2023 school year, with the opportunity grow to as much as $25 million by the end of the year and up to $50 million in subsequent years.
The ClassWallet platform was selected for its ability to allow the EAOs to allocate funds to families rapidly while enabling the Treasurer's Office to audit the flow of resources in real-time by simply logging into the ClassWallet portal. To further ensure funds are used properly, the program requires pre-approvals of expenditures at the EAO level.
"Our ESA program is unique in terms of how it is funded and how scholarship funds are allowed to be spent," said Mike Price, Deputy State Treasurer. "We needed a solution that allowed for the funds to be distributed efficiently, while still providing necessary oversight to ensure the integrity of the program."
"The agreements in Missouri illustrate our ability to solve multiple fund oversight pain points in government agencies and schools with our extremely flexible and easy-to-use digital wallet and accounts payable platform," said Jamie Rosenberg, CEO, ClassWallet. "While Missouri's two programs are very different in terms of where the funds are sourced and how they will be utilized, their needs are quite similar. They each require a means to allocate funds efficiently with built-in oversight allowing them complete control, tracking and auditing."
ClassWallet provides eligible schools, teachers, support staff and families with digital wallets which provide them with access to an integrated e-commerce marketplace with reputable national, regional and local education resource providers such as Staples, Office Depot, Scholastic, School Specialty and Really Good Stuff. Authorized users on the ClassWallet e-commerce platform can order the materials they need without the need to lay out cash, collect receipts or submit expense reports since all reporting and documentation is managed through the platform. For purchases made outside of the e-commerce marketplace, such as in brick-and-mortar establishments or with service providers, ClassWallet enables users to submit receipts and invoices for review. When approved, the platform automates an ACH direct deposit reimbursement or payment.
For more information about ClassWallet, send an email to info@classwallet.com or call 877-969-5536.
About ClassWallet
Founded in 2014, ClassWallet (www.classwallet.com) is the leading digital wallet and automated accounts payable platform for federal, state and district education. Saving valuable time and overhead costs to track, pay and report on decentralized purchases, ClassWallet is used in 27 states and by 19 state agencies, across 6,200 schools serving 4.1 million students. ClassWallet's integrated marketplace of leading suppliers and learning curricula includes top retailers like Amazon, Office Depot, Staples, Scholastic, School Specialty, Lakeshore Learning and more. Headquartered in Miami, ClassWallet ranked #33 on Inc. Magazine's 2022 list of fastest-growing private companies in the Southeast.
CONTACTS:
Doug Wright / Ashley Blas
Feintuch Communications
646-753-5711 / 646-753-5713
classwallet@feintuchpr.com
Media room
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE ClassWallet | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/06/missouri-department-elementary-secondary-education-missouri-state-treasurers-office-select-classwallet-distribute-grant-funds-non-public-schools-families/ | 2022-07-06T13:33:48Z |
WHO: COVID-19 cases mostly drop, except for the Americas
LONDON (AP) — The number of new coronavirus cases and deaths are still falling globally after peaking in January, the World Health Organization said.
In its latest weekly assessment of the pandemic, the U.N. health agency said there were more than 3.7 million new infections and 9,000 deaths in the last week, drops of 3% and 11% respectively. COVID-19 cases rose in only two regions of the world: the Americas and the Western Pacific. Deaths increased by 30% in the Middle East, but were stable or decreased everywhere else.
WHO said it is tracking all omicron subvariants as “variants of concern.” It noted that countries which had a significant wave of disease caused by the omicron subvariant BA.2 appeared to be less affected by other subvariants like BA.4 and BA.5, which were responsible for the latest surge of disease in South Africa.
Salim Abdool Karim, an infectious diseases expert at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said it appeared that South Africa had passed its most recent wave of COVID-19 caused by the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants; the country has been on the forefront of the pandemic since first detecting the omicron variant last November.
Karim predicted that another mutated version of omicron might emerge in June, explaining that the large number of mutations in the variant meant there were more opportunities for it to evolve.
Meanwhile in Beijing, authorities in the Chinese capital ordered more workers and students to stay home and implemented additional mass testing Monday as cases of COVID-19 continue to rise. Numerous residential compounds in the city have restricted movement in and out, although lockdown conditions remain far less severe than in Shanghai, where millions of citizens have been under varying degrees of lockdown for two months.
China is vowing to stick to a “zero-COVID” policy despite the fact that the WHO describes the policy as “unsustainable,” given the infectious nature of omicron and its subvariants.
__
Follow AP’s coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/26/who-covid-19-cases-mostly-drop-except-americas/ | 2022-05-26T15:39:01Z |
GREELEY, Colo., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JBS USA Food Company announced today that it has commenced cash tender offers (each, a "Tender Offer" and collectively, the "Tender Offers") for (i) any and all of the outstanding U.S.$900,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.750% Senior Notes due 2028 issued by JBS USA Lux S.A., JBS USA Food Company and JBS USA Finance, Inc. (the "2028 Notes") and (ii) up to U.S.$300,000,000 aggregate principal amount (the "Maximum Tender Amount") of the outstanding U.S.$1,400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.500% Senior Notes due 2029 issued by JBS USA Lux S.A., JBS USA Food Company and JBS USA Finance, Inc. (the "2029 Notes" and together with the 2028 Notes, the "Notes").
In conjunction with the 2028 Notes Tender Offer, JBS USA Food Company is also soliciting consents (the "Consent Solicitation") from the holders of the 2028 Notes for the adoption of proposed amendments (the "Proposed Amendments"), which would eliminate substantially all of the restrictive covenants and certain events of default and related provisions contained in the indenture governing the 2028 Notes. The Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation are being made pursuant to an Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement, dated June 6, 2022 (as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase").
Holders who tender 2028 Notes must also consent to the Proposed Amendments to the indenture governing the 2028 Notes. Holders of 2028 Notes may not deliver consents to the Proposed Amendments without validly tendering the 2028 Notes in the 2028 Notes Tender Offer and may not revoke their consents without withdrawing the previously tendered 2028 Notes to which they relate. The Proposed Amendments will be set forth in a supplemental indenture relating to the 2028 Notes and are described in more detail in the Offer to Purchase. Adoption of the Proposed Amendments requires the delivery of consents by holders of 2028 Notes of a majority of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of 2028 Notes (not including any 2028 Notes which are owned by JBS S.A. or any of its affiliates).
Certain information regarding the Notes and the terms of the Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation is summarized in the table below.
The deadline for holders to validly tender Notes and deliver consents and be eligible to receive payment of the Total Consideration (as defined below), which includes the Early Tender Payment (as defined below), will be 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 17, 2022, unless extended or earlier terminated by JBS USA Food Company (such date and time, as the same may be modified, the "Early Tender Payment Deadline"). The Tender Offers will expire at 11:59 PM, New York City time, on July 5, 2022, unless extended or earlier terminated by JBS USA Food Company (such date and time, as the same may be modified, the "Expiration Time"). 2028 Notes tendered may be withdrawn and consents for the Proposed Amendments delivered may be revoked at any time prior to the execution of the supplemental indenture (the date and time of such execution and delivery, the "2028 Notes Withdrawal Deadline"), but not thereafter, unless required by applicable law. 2029 Notes tendered may be withdrawn at any time prior to the Early Tender Payment Deadline (the "2029 Notes Withdrawal Deadline" and together with the 2028 Notes Withdrawal Deadline, the "Withdrawal Deadline"), but not thereafter, unless required by applicable law.
The total consideration payable to 2028 Notes Holders for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2028 Notes validly tendered and purchased pursuant to the 2028 Notes Tender Offer will be U.S.$1,053.75 (the "2028 Notes Total Consideration"). The 2028 Notes Total Consideration includes an early tender payment of U.S.$30.00 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2028 Notes (the "2028 Notes Early Tender Payment") payable only to 2028 Notes Holders who validly tender (and do not withdraw) their 2028 Notes and validly deliver (and do not revoke) the related 2028 Notes consents at or prior to the Early Tender Payment Deadline. 2028 Notes Holders who validly tender (and do not withdraw) their 2028 Notes after the Early Tender Payment Deadline but at or prior to the Expiration Time will be eligible to receive U.S.$1,023.75 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2028 Notes (the "2028 Notes Tender Offer Consideration"), which amount will be equal to the 2028 Notes Total Consideration less the 2028 Notes Early Tender Payment. In addition, JBS USA Food Company will pay accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount of 2028 Notes accepted for purchase from the most recent interest payment date on the 2028 Notes to, but not including, the applicable settlement date for such 2028 Notes (the "2028 Notes Accrued Interest"). Payment in cash of an amount equal to the 2028 Notes Total Consideration, plus 2028 Notes Accrued Interest, for such accepted 2028 Notes will be made on the 2028 Notes early settlement date, which is expected to be within three business days after the Early Tender Payment Deadline, or as promptly as practicable thereafter.
The total consideration payable to 2029 Notes Holders for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2029 Notes validly tendered and purchased pursuant to the 2029 Notes Tender Offer will be U.S.$1,046.25 (the "2029 Notes Total Consideration", and together with the 2028 Notes Total Consideration, the "Total Consideration"). The 2029 Notes Total Consideration includes an early tender payment of U.S.$30.00 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2029 Notes (the "2029 Notes Early Tender Payment", and together with the 2028 Notes Early Tender Payment, the "Early Tender Payment") payable only to 2029 Notes Holders who validly tender (and do not withdraw) their 2029 Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Payment Deadline. 2029 Notes Holders who validly tender (and do not withdraw) their 2029 Notes after the Early Tender Payment Deadline but at or prior to the Expiration Time will be eligible to receive U.S.$1,016.25 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of 2029 Notes (the "2029 Notes Tender Offer Consideration", and together with the 2028 Notes Tender Offer Consideration, the "Tender Offer Consideration"), which amount will be equal to the 2029 Notes Total Consideration less the 2029 Notes Early Tender Payment. In addition, JBS USA Food Company will pay accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount of 2029 Notes accepted for purchase from the most recent interest payment date on the 2029 Notes to, but not including, the applicable settlement date for such 2029 Notes (the "2029 Notes Accrued Interest", and together with the 2028 Notes Accrued Interest, the "Accrued Interest"). Payment in cash of an amount equal to the 2029 Notes Total Consideration, plus 2029 Notes Accrued Interest, for such accepted 2029 Notes will be made on the 2029 Notes early settlement date, which is expected to be within three business days after the Early Tender Payment Deadline, or as promptly as practicable thereafter. If 2029 Notes are validly tendered in an aggregate principal amount in excess of the Maximum Tender Amount pursuant to the 2029 Notes Tender Offer, such tendered 2029 Notes will be subject to proration (as described in the Offer to Purchase). JBS USA Food Company reserves the right, but is not obligated, to increase the Maximum Tender Amount in its sole and absolute discretion without extending the Early Tender Payment Deadline or 2029 Notes Withdrawal Deadline or otherwise reinstating withdrawal or revocation rights, except as required by applicable law.
JBS USA Food Company's obligation to accept for purchase, and to pay for, Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Tender Offers is conditioned upon the satisfaction or, when applicable, waiver of certain conditions, which are more fully described in the Offer to Purchase, including, among others, a financing condition as described in the Offer to Purchase. In addition, subject to applicable law, JBS USA Food Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to (i) extend, terminate or withdraw the Tender Offers or the Consent Solicitation at any time or (ii) otherwise amend the Tender Offers or the Consent Solicitation in any respect at any time and from time to time. JBS USA Food Company further reserves the right, in its sole discretion, not to accept any tenders of Notes or deliveries of consents with respect to the 2028 Notes. JBS USA Food Company is making the Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation only in those jurisdictions where it is legal to do so.
Barclays Capital Inc., BMO Capital Markets Corp., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, RBC Capital Markets, LLC and Truist Securities, Inc. are acting as dealer managers for the Tender Offers and as solicitation agents for the Consent Solicitation and can be contacted at their respective telephone numbers set forth on the back cover page of Offer to Purchase with questions regarding the Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation.
Copies of the Offer to Purchase are available to holders of Notes from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent and the tender agent for the Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation. Requests for copies of the Offer to Purchase should be directed to D.F. King at +1 (800) 967-7574 (toll free), +1 (212) 269-5550 (collect) or jbs@dfking.com.
Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any related documents have been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, nor have any such documents been filed with or reviewed by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority of any country. No authority has passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Offer to Purchase or any related documents, and it is unlawful and may be a criminal offense to make any representation to the contrary.
The Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation are being made solely on the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Under no circumstances shall this press release constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell the Notes or any other securities of JBS S.A. or any of its subsidiaries, including JBS USA Food Company. The Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation are not being made to, nor will JBS USA Food Company accept tenders of Notes or accept deliveries of 2028 Notes Consents from, holders in any jurisdiction in which the Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation or the acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities of blue sky laws of such jurisdiction. This press release also is not a solicitation of consents to the Proposed Amendments to the indenture governing the 2028 Notes. No recommendation is made as to whether holders should tender their Notes or deliver their consents with respect to the 2028 Notes. Holders should carefully read the Offer to Purchase because it contains important information, including the various terms and conditions of the Tender Offers and the Consent Solicitation.
Important Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about JBS S.A.'s perspectives and expectations, are forward-looking statements. The words "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan" and similar expressions, when related to JBS S.A. and its subsidiaries and affiliates, indicate forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the current view of management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on various assumptions and factors, including general economic, market, industry and operational factors. Any changes to these assumptions or factors may lead to practical results different from current expectations. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made and JBS S.A. undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made.
About JBS USA Lux S.A.
JBS USA Lux S.A. is one of the world's largest producers of beef, pork, chicken and packaged food products. In terms of daily production capacity, JBS USA Lux S.A. is among the leading beef producers and the second-largest pork and chicken producer in the United States. In Australia, JBS USA Lux S.A. is the leading producer of beef, lamb and packaged foods. JBS USA Lux S.A. prepares, packages and delivers fresh, value-added and branded beef, pork, chicken, and lamb products to customers in more than 150 countries on six continents. JBS USA Lux S.A. is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of JBS S.A., the largest protein company and the largest food company in the world in terms of net revenue.
View original content:
SOURCE JBS USA Food Company | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/06/jbs-usa-food-company-announces-cash-tender-offers-consent-solicitation/ | 2022-06-06T14:14:08Z |
The first report covers 2021 and Q1 2022 and includes detailed regional giving patterns for nonprofits across the United States
PITTSBURGH, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DipJar, a giving technology platform, today released a summary of 2021 giving trends based on more than 380,000 transactions (or "dips") conducted by over 2,000 clients totaling more than three million dollars using the company's devices, a number that has surpassed $20M since the company's inception. In addition, DipJar is releasing data for Q1 2022. This data will be tracked quarterly to provide insights into developing trends and patterns.
The top categories in 2021 included food and hunger-related organizations, which received more than $1M in donations; social-focused nonprofits, which received nearly $400K; and faith-based groups, which received approximately $350K. Organizations in the South received more than $1.6M, making it the most well-supported region of the country.
For the first quarter of 2022, the top categories included food and hunger-related organizations, which received more than $140K in donations; social-focused nonprofits, which received more than $55K; and organizations focused on gardens and nature, which received over $50K during the quarter. DipJar customers in the South again saw the highest amount of donations received, at nearly $300K.
"It's gratifying to see the diversity of organizations that benefit from DipJar," said Chris Selland, the company's CEO. "It's also interesting to see the details on giving on the platform. We're pleased to share trends data with our customers and community. We want nonprofits and their supporters to understand the impact and potential of our technology."
A few recent examples of successful DipJar customers in action include the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and the Florida Botanical Gardens Foundation. Vernon Bryant, the executive director of the Florida Botanical Gardens, had this to say about his DipJars and their impact: "We benefit from warm weather, beautiful natural spaces, and a generous community. In December, our 'Holiday Lights in the Garden' raised over $62,000 using three DipJars. It was a phenomenal success."
That kind of success is repeatedly enjoyed by other organizations across the country.
Another interesting facet of the data reflects giving trends over time:
2021 - Aggregate Donations by Region and Quarter
2022 Aggregate Donations by Region and Quarter
"This information just scratches the surface," said Selland. "We'll continue to look at these numbers every quarter and will report interesting trends and developments. Our customers have an impact on their communities every day, and we're thrilled to be supporting them."
A more complete set of results is available upon request.
DipJar is changing the fundraising game with a connected, cashless donation jar and an integrated payments platform that enables joyful, engaging, and frictionless giving. With DipJar, organizations of any size can collect donations anywhere and "Create More Giving Moments."
Learn more at www.dipjar.com.
Media Contact:
Melissa Smith
VP of Marketing and Strategy, DipJar
melissa.smith@dipjar.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE DipJar | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/31/dipjar-introduces-quarterly-reporting-giving-trends/ | 2022-05-31T17:11:25Z |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF) (the "Company"), a leading provider of title insurance and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries and a leading provider of insurance solutions serving retail annuity and life customers and institutional clients through FNF's wholly-owned subsidiary, F&G, will release second quarter 2022 earnings after the close of regular market trading on Tuesday, August 2, 2022. A conference call to discuss the results will follow at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, August 3, 2022. Those wishing to participate via the webcast should access the call through FNF's Investor Relations website at www.fnf.com. Those wishing to participate via the telephone may dial-in at 1-877-407-0784 (USA) or 1-201-689-8560 (International). The conference call replay will be available via webcast through FNF's Investor Relations website at www.fnf.com. The telephone replay will be available from 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 3, 2022, through August 10, 2022, by dialing 1-844-512-2921 (USA) or 1-412-317-6671 (International). The access code will be 13730096.
Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF) is a leading provider of title insurance and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries. FNF is the nation's largest title insurance company through its title insurance underwriters - Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title, Commonwealth Land Title, Alamo Title and National Title of New York - that collectively issue more title insurance policies than any other title company in the United States. More information about FNF can be found at www.fnf.com.
F&G is part of the FNF family of companies. F&G is committed to helping Americans turn their aspirations into reality. F&G is a leading provider of insurance solutions serving retail annuity and life customers and institutional clients and is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. For more information, please visit www.fglife.com.
FNF-G
View original content:
SOURCE Fidelity National Financial, Inc.; FGL Holdings | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/fidelity-national-financial-announces-second-quarter-2022-earnings-release-conference-call/ | 2022-07-19T21:07:52Z |
Gross margin continued to improve, reaching 26.3% from 21.1% a year ago
GUANGZHOU, China, May 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viomi Technology Co., Ltd ("Viomi" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: VIOT), a leading IoT @ Home technology company in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022.
First Quarter 2022 Financial and Operating Highlights
- Net revenues reached RMB712.1 million (US$112.3 million), compared to RMB1,255.6 million for the first quarter of 2021.
- Gross margin increased to 26.3% from 21.1% for the first quarter of 2021.
- Number of cumulative household users reached approximately 6.9 million, compared to approximately 6.6 million as of the end of 2021 and approximately 5.6 million as of the end of the first quarter of 2021.
- Percentage of household users with at least two connected products reached 21.8%, compared to 21.5% as of the end of 2021 and 20.4% as of the end of the first quarter of 2021.
Mr. Xiaoping Chen, Founder and CEO of Viomi, commented, "heading into 2022, we have been under pressure from overall weak consumer spending, challenging macroeconomic conditions and the rising price of raw materials due to widespread COVID-19 recurrences, leading to a year-over-year decrease in total net revenues for the first quarter, which is in line with our previous guidance. To strengthen our long-term product competitiveness and brand awareness, we continued to invest in R&D and increase marketing and advertising spending. As a result, our R&D-related personnel and experts at the beginning of this year grew by nearly 47% compared to the beginning of 2021, primarily due to the expansion of our AI and algorithms talent pool. As of March 31, 2022, we had 5,232 cumulative patent applications and 3,142 registered patents globally. Furthermore, to support the release of our new products in the first quarter, we launched a large number of elevator and print ads promoting our 'trending technology' branding positioning. Our investment for long-term growth caused a temporary loss in the first quarter, but contributed to a higher sales contribution from our premium products due to the increased investment in R&D. In addition, we further improved our operating quality through product portfolio adjustment and strict manufacturing cost control. Our gross margin for the first quarter increased to 26.3%, again representing a year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter improvement and demonstrating our enhanced product and brand strength."
"At our strategic new product launch event in March, we introduced our upgraded one-stop IoT home solution, '1=N44,' which includes (i) our whole-home product portfolio; (ii) four major smart home capabilities: automatic networking, active intelligence, spatial awareness and natural interactions; and (iii) four additional services for our users, namely smart home solution design, OTA upgrades, a membership system and value-added services. Our upgraded one-stop IoT home solution has already achieved solid initial results, thanks to our focus on product innovation, service system improvements, and our expanded sales channels for whole-home intelligence."
"First, with respect to our products, we have enhanced their active intelligence through innovative AI applications. We introduced a series of new high-end AI products at our launch event in March, many of which have received favorable market feedback and reviews, including the Royal series of AI dishwashers and our AI screen-based control interface, HomePad Plus. More of our new products will be on the market soon, such as our all-space AI air conditioner Space Pro, the 2000G large-flux water purifier Super 2, an AI laser interactive smart screen, and our Royal Pro series of double-screen refrigerators and AI twin-tub washing machines."
Mr. Chen added, "our ongoing product innovation would not be possible without our growing and talented R&D team. Our R&D achievements have also been recognized by industry and professional institutions. In April, our AI range hoods' visual detection module technology won the Excellence Award at the 23rd China Patent Awards. Also, in the same month, we took the silver at the 8th Guangdong Patent Awards with one of our water purifiers and its integrated waterway module technology. Further, the Viomi brand was added to the key trademark protection list in Guangdong province. Our hardware R&D, IoT, AI and algorithms team is also expanding with an increasing number of PhD talents. We were officially listed as Guangdong PhD Work Station by the government and have obtained the selection qualification to establish the Guangdong Postdoctoral Work Station.As a result, we believe going forward we will have greater opportunities to cultivate top talents for our society, incubate smart home programs and promote the overall development of the smart home industry in cooperation with universities and professional institutions."
"Second, based on our one-stop IoT home solution, we are accelerating the implementation of our newly-introduced, premium bundled smart home solution offerings. Our offline merchants recently signed whole-home solution orders ranging from RMB200,000 to RMB400,000 with customers in Beijing, Guangzhou, Changsha, Hebei and Kunming, successfully shifting our business from 'selling products' to 'selling solutions.' In addition, we deepened our cooperation with JD Logistics to access a broader range of services including planning, logistics, warehousing and installation. This enables us to improve efficiency throughout our cycle, from solution design and delivery to installation, as well as provide our customers with more enjoyable after-sale service experience."
"Third, to align with the overall development of the smart home industry, we expanded our strategic partnerships with sales channels. Last week, we reached a strategic cooperation with Tmall concerning a portfolio of one-stop smart home solutions. Together, we will promote a whole-home smart ecology, with an AI smart kitchen, living room, balcony, restroom and bedroom. Furthermore, in April, we cooperated with JD.com to host 'Viomi 420 JD Day' and introduced new whole-home smart products on its platform. Finally, after forming a strategic partnership with China Unicom last year, we were recently listed as one of China Telecom's top digital ecology partners, promoting channel integration and bringing an intelligent lifestyle to tens of millions of households in China. As one of the first movers in one-stop smart home solutions, we expect to continue to promote partnerships with additional channels and companies to jointly develop the smart home ecology for families."
"In the second half of this year, we will continue to (i) focus on product innovation and develop key AI SKUs; (ii) increase our advertising and marketing investment to strengthen our 'trending technology' branding positioning; (iii) streamline our product lines and optimize our product portfolio; and (iv) enhance our sales channels and execute our 'larger store, better merchant' offline strategy. Together with stricter and more disciplined cost and expense control measures, we remain committed to healthy growth in the mid- to long-term and creating value for our customers and shareholders in the long run," concluded Mr. Chen.
First Quarter 2022 Financial Results
REVENUE
Net revenues were RMB712.1 million (US$112.3 million), compared to RMB1,255.6 million for the first quarter of 2021. Net revenues were in line with the Company's previous guidance. In addition to the overall weaker consumption environment, the decrease was mainly due to (i) the complete cutoff of sales of Xiaomi-branded sweeper robots this year, as well as its high prior-year base for comparison, and (ii) continued product portfolio adjustments for margin expansion in other categories.
- IoT @ Home portfolio. Revenues from IoT @ Home portfolio decreased by 60.8% to RMB360.2 million (US$56.8 million) from RMB919.2 million for the first quarter of 2021. The decline was primarily due to the complete cutoff of sales of Xiaomi-branded sweeper robots and the continued product portfolio adjustments for margin expansion in other categories, both of which also contributed to the overall gross margin improvement for IoT @ Home portfolio.
- Home water solutions. Revenues from home water solutions decreased slightly by 2.6% to RMB101.0 million (US$15.9 million) from RMB103.8 million for the first quarter of 2021. The decline was primarily due to the continued product portfolio adjustment involving a decrease in small-flux water purifiers, which was partially mitigated by the increased sales contribution of large-flux water purifiers. As a result of the product portfolio adjustment, the Company once again achieved year-over-year gross margin improvement in this category.
- Consumables. Revenues from consumables increased by 10.8% to RMB71.8 million (US$11.3 million) from RMB64.8 million for the first quarter of 2021, primarily due to increased demand for purifier filter products.
- Small appliances and others. Revenues from small appliances and others increased by 6.7% to RMB179.1 million (US$28.3 million) from RMB167.8 million for the first quarter of 2021.
GROSS PROFIT
Gross profit was RMB187.0 million (US$29.5 million), compared to RMB265.0 million for the first quarter of 2021. Gross margin increased to 26.3% from 21.1% for the first quarter of 2021, primarily driven by the Company's continued efforts to shift the business and product mix toward higher gross margin products.
OPERATING EXPENSES
Total operating expenses increased by 15.9% to RMB254.8 million (US$40.2 million) from RMB219.8 million for the first quarter of 2021, primarily due to the increase in research and development expenses and selling and marketing expenses.
Research and development expenses increased by 20.5% to RMB79.1 million (US$12.5 million) from RMB65.6 million for the first quarter of 2021, mainly due to the increase in research and development headcount and related salaries and expenses.
Selling and marketing expenses increased by 15.0% to RMB158.8 million (US$25.0 million) from RMB138.0 million for the first quarter of 2021, mainly due to the increase in advertising and marketing expenses to promote the Company's brand awareness.
General and administrative expenses increased by 4.7% to RMB17.0 million (US$2.7 million), compared to RMB16.2 million for the first quarter of 2021, primarily due to the increase in consulting and professional service fee.
LOSS FROM OPERATIONS
Loss from operations was RMB65.3 million (US$10.3 million), compared to income from operations of RMB47.1 million for the first quarter of 2021.
Non-GAAP operating loss,[1] which excludes the impact of share-based compensation expenses, was RMB57.0 million (US$9.0 million), compared to non-GAAP income from operations of RMB63.2 million for the first quarter of 2021.
NET LOSS
Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company was RMB50.0 million (US$7.9 million), compared to net income attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company of RMB49.1 million for the first quarter of 2021.
Non-GAAP net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company[2] was RMB41.7 million (US$6.6 million), compared to non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company of RMB65.3 million for the first quarter of 2021.
BALANCE SHEET
As of March 31, 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of RMB868.4 million (US$137.0 million), restricted cash of RMB64.2 million (US$10.1 million), short-term deposits of RMB10.0 million (US$1.6 million) and short-term investments of RMB411.8 million (US$65.0 million), compared to RMB587.0 million, RMB35.8 million, nil and RMB828.9 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2021.
OUTLOOK
For the second quarter of 2022, the Company currently expects:
- Net revenues to be between RMB850 million and RMB1.05 billion.
The Company estimates that the year-over-year change in revenues will be mainly due to the high comparison base from the Xiaomi-branded sweeper robot business for the second quarter of 2021, which the Company has completely cut off in 2022, as well as the impact of overall market demands in the second quarter of 2022.
The above outlook is based on the current market conditions and reflects the Company's current and preliminary estimates of market and operating conditions and customer demand, all of which are subject to change.
Conference Call
The Company's management will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, May 27, 2022 (8:00 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time on May 27, 2022) to discuss financial results and answer questions from investors and analysts. Listeners may access the call by dialing:
United States (toll free): +1 888-346-8982
International: +1 412-902-4272
Hong Kong (toll free): 800-905-945
Hong Kong: +852 3018-4992
Mainland China (toll free): 400-120-1203
Conference ID: 9040942
A telephone replay will be available one hour after the call until June 3, 2022 by dialing:
United States: +1 877-344-7529
International: +1 412-317-0088
Replay Access Code: 9040942
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at http://ir.viomi.com.
About Viomi Technology
Viomi's mission is to redefine the future home via the concept of IoT @ Home.
Viomi has developed a unique IoT @ Home platform consisting an ecosystem of innovative IoT-enabled smart home products, together with a suite of complementary consumable products and value-added businesses. This platform provides an attractive entry point into the consumer home, enabling consumers to intelligently interact with a broad portfolio of IoT products in an intuitive and human-like manner to make daily life more convenient, efficient and enjoyable, while allowing Viomi to grow its household user base and capture various additional scenario-driven consumption events in the home environment.
For more information, please visit: http://ir.viomi.com.
Use of Non-GAAP Measures
The Company uses non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income attributable to the Company, non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders, non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ordinary share and non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per American depositary share ("ADS"), which are non-GAAP financial measures, in evaluating its operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. Non-GAAP operating income is income from operations excluding share-based compensation expenses. Non-GAAP net income is net income excluding share-based compensation expenses. Non-GAAP net income attributable to the Company is net income attributable to the Company excluding share-based compensation expenses. Non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders is net income attributable to ordinary shareholders excluding share-based compensation expenses. Non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ordinary share is non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders divided by weighted average number of ordinary shares used in the calculation of non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ordinary share. Non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ADS is non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders divided by weighted average number of ADS used in the calculation of non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ADS. The non-GAAP adjustments do not have any tax impact as share-based compensation expenses are non-deductible for income tax purpose.
The Company believes that non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in its business by excluding the impact of share-based compensation expenses, which are non-cash charges, and these measures provide useful information about the Company's operating results, enhance the overall understanding of the Company's past performance and future prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by the Company's management in its financial and operational decision-making.
Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation or construed as alternative to income from operations, net income, or any other measure of performance or as an indicator of the Company's operating performance. Investors are encouraged to review the historical non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. Non-GAAP financial measures presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures to the Company's data. We encourage investors and others to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure. Reconciliations of the Company's non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures are included at the end of this press release.
Exchange Rate
The Company's business is primarily conducted in China and the significant majority of revenues generated are denominated in Renminbi ("RMB"). This announcement contains currency conversions of RMB amounts into U.S. dollars ("US$") solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to US$ are made at a rate of RMB6.3393 to US$1.00, the effective noon buying rate for March 31, 2022 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted, realized or settled into US$ at that rate on for March 31, 2022, or at any other rate.
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 terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Viomi's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Viomi may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the United States 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 Fourth parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company'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: the Company's growth strategies; the cooperation with Xiaomi, the recognition of the Company's brand; trends and competition in global IoT-enabled smart home market; development and commercialization of new products, services and technologies; governmental policies and relevant regulatory environment relating to the Company's industry and/or aspects of the business operations and general economic conditions in China and around the globe, and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company'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 the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
Viomi Technology Co., Ltd
Cecilia Li
E-mail: ir@viomi.com.cn
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Emilie Wu
Tel: +86-21-6039-8363
E-mail: viomi@tpg-ir.com
In the United States:
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: viomi@tpg-ir.com
View original content:
SOURCE Viomi Technology Co., Ltd | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/27/viomi-technology-co-ltd-reports-first-quarter-2022-unaudited-financial-results/ | 2022-05-27T11:18:34Z |
TSX: SIL | NYSE American: SILV
VANCOUVER, BC, July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - SilverCrest Metals Inc. ("SilverCrest" or the "Company") is pleased to report the first pour of silver and gold at the Company's Las Chispas Mine ("Las Chispas" or the "Mine") located in Sonora, Mexico. The first precious metal pour was completed on June 30, 2022 and consisted of 312 kilograms of dore with approximately 9,200 ounces of silver and 100 ounces of gold.
N. Eric Fier, CEO commented, "This marks another significant milestone in progressing towards commercial production in Q4, 2022. It is with great pride that I acknowledge the hard work of our team and thank everyone who has contributed to the completion of construction of Las Chispas, ahead of schedule and under budget, and all of those dedicated to commissioning the Mine".
Pierre Beaudoin, COO comments, "We are pleased with the initial trajectory of the plant commissioning. While it is still early days in the plant ramp-up, we are encouraged by some of the operating indicators. Underground mining rates and our knowledge of the deposit continue to increase, which will be key data, along with plant performance, to incorporate in our updated technical report (including resources, reserves, mine plan, revised costs and economics), expected to be released in H1, 2023".
Underground mining rates have increased during the quarter with production from stoping and in-vein development in a number of veins. Mining is active using two mining methods. As outlined in the Company's Feasibility Study*, the processing plant is expected to utilize low-grade historic stockpiles through the ramp-up, reducing the reliance on underground mine production at the start of the operation.
Overall, the plant commissioning is tracking in-line with our objective to reach nameplate capacity of 1,250 tonnes per day. The plant started in late May 2022 and milled an estimated 12,700 tonnes of low-grade ore during June 2022. Metallurgical recoveries are expected to reach Feasibility Study* parameters in 2023 and results observed to date are tracking toward these objectives.
The Company expects to provide further updates on the commissioning and ramp-up of operations later in Q3, 2022.
Photos of the first pour at Las Chispas Mine are attached.
* NI 43-101 Technical Report & Feasibility Study on The Las Chispas Project dated January 4, 2021 ("Feasibility Study")
The Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects for this news release is N. Eric Fier, CPG, P.Eng, and CEO for SilverCrest, who has reviewed and approved its contents.
ABOUT SILVERCREST METALS INC.
SilverCrest is a Canadian precious metals exploration and development company headquartered in Vancouver, BC, that is focused on new discoveries, value-added acquisitions and near-term production in Mexico's historic precious metal districts. The Company's top priority is on the high-grade, historic Las Chispas mining district in Sonora, Mexico, where it has completed construction of its Las Chispas Project and is proceeding with commissioning. SilverCrest is the first company to successfully drill-test the historic Las Chispas Property resulting in numerous high-grade precious metal discoveries. The Company is led by a proven management team in all aspects of the precious metal mining sector, including taking projects through discovery, finance, on time and on budget construction, and production.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These include, without limitation, statements with respect to: the timing and expectations of the Company completing commissioning and ramp up and achieving commercial production in Q4, 2022, reaching nameplate capacity of the plant of 1,250 tonnes per day, reaching Feasibility Study metallurgical recoveries parameters in 2023 and completing a technical report update by the end of H1, 2023. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the reliability of mineralization estimates, mining and development costs, the conditions in general economic and financial markets; availability of skilled labour; timing and amount of expenditures related to rehabilitation and drilling programs; and effects of regulation by governmental agencies. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of risk factors including: uncertainty as to the impact and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic; the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities; the interpretation of drilling results and other geological data; receipt, maintenance and security of permits and mineral property titles; environmental and other regulatory risks; project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; and general market and industry conditions. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.
N. Eric Fier, CPG, P.Eng
Chief Executive Officer
SilverCrest Metals Inc.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE SilverCrest Metals Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/05/silvercrest-announces-first-pour-las-chispas-mine/ | 2022-07-05T11:39:22Z |
Honoring the visionary musician with sustainable, earth-friendly CBD wellness products.
DENVER, August 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jerry Garcia Wellness, the CBD-centric business that evokes the vision and values of Jerry Garcia, announced today the launch of its CBD wellness brand and products. Known as the founder of The Grateful Dead, one of the most successful touring bands in rock and roll history, Jerry Garcia was an early proponent of cannabis legalization and believed in its natural benefits decades before it became widely recognized as an effective aid to health and wellness.
The brand is an officially licensed partner of the Garcia family and features a full line of CBD products that will pay homage to the Jerry Garcia legacy. Products include a collection of highly effective tinctures, a full array of topicals, and custom molded rose-shaped gummies inspired by Garcia's love of roses. Each product elicits its own unique vibe, and all are centered on caring for the mind, body, and soul, as well as our planet.
More than 109 million Americans have used CBD for years to help with relaxation, sleeplessness, muscle soreness, balance, mental well-being, and to naturally support the body's response to a whole host of other physical and mental discomforts.
Jerry Garcia Wellness has enlisted Cameron Keluche, founder of KelSie Biotech, as Head of Product Development, to ensure that the quality and efficacy are second to none. Kelsie Biotech is known in the industry as a developer of some of the most highly effective CBD products and brands.
All Jerry Garcia Wellness products are made with 100% USDA Certified Organic CBD and a myriad of other natural, functional, botanical ingredients. Consumers can trust the brand to deliver highly efficacious, all-natural, hemp-derived, cannabidiol-based products.
"It is an honor to work on this 100% organic and plastic-free CBD project initiated by Jerry Garcia Wellness," said Keelin Garcia, Jerry's daughter and president of Jerry Garcia Music Arts, LLC. "We appreciate how dedicated the company has been to ensure that every aspect of the project is in line with what father believed in and supported. We're excited to be able to honor him on his 80th birthday by sharing this natural wellness CBD program with his fans."
"It's so cool that Jerry Garcia Wellness is announcing its debut in the CBD market on Garcia's 80th birthday," added Chris McCutcheon, Jerry Garcia Foundation board member, a long-time member of the Grateful Dead extended family, and Chief Historian and Story Teller for Jerry Garcia Wellness, "The whole venture's mission serves as a tribute to Garcia's fans by giving new life to his vision."
Staying true to Garcia's desire to take care of the Earth is a core tenet of Jerry Garcia Wellness. As a lifelong enthusiast of both Jerry Garcia's and the Grateful Dead's music and art, company founder and CEO Bobby Brahms has worked diligently with the Garcia family to ensure all products and packaging, along with the company's mission, are in line with Jerry's belief in sustainability.
"We will be including Jerry's fine art and other recognizable iconography in our packaging to instantly identify the brand as one that is his," said Brahms, "Every detail of every product has been designed to recognize and respect Jerry's vision for legal cannabis products that are intended to improve well-being without harming the planet. Fans and those seeking a better quality of life alike will know that they're getting a superior product that carries on Jerry's prolific legacy with each experience."
To carry on Garcia's work as a philanthropist, the company will be donating a portion of its proceeds to charities directed by his family. Jerry Garcia Wellness products will be available this fall for purchase online and at retail locations. To sign up for information and product availability, visit JerryGarciaWellness.com or email info@JerryGarciaWellness.com.
Jerry Garcia Wellness continues to honor the legendary artist and musician by creating products he would be proud of through sustainable means. Jerry Garcia Wellness was developed in conjunction with a team of long-time organic CBD product producers and the Garcia family. The company develops and sells premium, responsibly sourced, all-natural, organic, highly effective, hemp-derived cannabidiol-based products. A portion of all sales will be donated to charitable organizations directed by Jerry's family.
Media Contact:
Adam Romero
Ericho Communications
Adam@erichopr.com
929-276-1994
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Jerry Garcia Wellness | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/new-cbd-brand-worthy-jerry-garcia-name-comes-market/ | 2022-08-01T13:20:20Z |
VANCOUVER, BC, May 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Taseko Mines Limited (TSX: TKO) (NYSE MKT: TGB) (LSE: TKO) ("Taseko" or the "Company") has published its annual Environment, Social & Governance ("ESG") Report, providing detailed information about the Company's 2021 performance and outcomes against the most critical ESG topics and metrics for the global mining sector.
Stuart McDonald, President & CEO of Taseko, commented, "Taseko's annual ESG Report provides our many stakeholders – employees, local communities, governments, business partners and investors – with clear information about our performance on key sustainability topics. We believe we have a great story to tell.
Taseko is a growing and responsible producer of copper and other metals required to facilitate the global transition to a low-carbon future. With our North America-based operations, we hold ourselves to a high standard for operational excellence, for environmentally sound and socially responsible mining, for safe and healthy workplaces, and for sharing the economic benefits of our work."
Mr. McDonald noted, "Taseko's focus on operational excellence translates into best-in-class ESG performance in key measures, such as energy efficiency, greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity, health and safety, and more."
For the first time, in the 2021 ESG Report Taseko has established long-term goals in the areas of energy management, water management, reclamation and biodiversity. In addition, the Company is reporting against the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) framework, providing consistent and comparable ESG metrics specific to the global mining sector.
Taseko Mines' 2021 ESG highlights include:
- Recognition by the Province of British Columbia for excellence in health and safety (the sixth time in eight years that Gibraltar Mine has won the prestigious John Ash Safety Award for the lowest frequency of lost-time injuries among major open-pit mines in BC).
- Achieved a new long-term labour agreement with the Company's unionized workforce at Gibraltar.
- Completion of a land swap at Florence Copper to protect centuries-old archeological features associated with the Hohokam culture.
- Ongoing engagement and partnership development with Indigenous groups with respect to Gibraltar Mine and the Yellowhead and Aley projects in British Columbia, and Florence Copper in Arizona.
- Continued permitting and engineering progress at Florence Copper, which, with its innovative mining method, is poised to become one of the lowest greenhouse gas intensity copper operations in the world.
- Taseko's 2021 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report is available at tasekomines.com/esg.
Stuart McDonald
President and CEO
CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This document contains "forward-looking statements" that were based on Taseko's expectations, estimates and projections as of the dates as of which those statements were made. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "outlook", "anticipate", "project", "target", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "should" and similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These included but are not limited to:
- uncertainties about the future market price of copper and the other metals that we produce or may seek to produce;
- changes in general economic conditions, the financial markets, inflation and interest rates and in the demand and market price for our input costs, such as diesel fuel, reagents, steel, concrete, electricity and other forms of energy, mining equipment, and fluctuations in exchange rates, particularly with respect to the value of the U.S. dollar and Canadian dollar, and the continued availability of capital and financing;
- uncertainties resulting from the war in Ukraine, and the accompanying international response including economic sanctions levied against Russia, which has disrupted the global economy, created increased volatility in commodity markets (including oil and gas prices), and disrupted international trade and financial markets, all of which have an ongoing and uncertain effect on global economics, supply chains, availability of materials and equipment and execution timelines for project development;
- uncertainties about the continuing impact of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") and the response of local, provincial, state, federal and international governments to the ongoing threat of COVID-19, on our operations (including our suppliers, customers, supply chains, employees and contractors) and economic conditions generally including rising inflation levels and in particular with respect to the demand for copper and other metals we produce;
- inherent risks associated with mining operations, including our current mining operations at Gibraltar, and their potential impact on our ability to achieve our production estimates;
- uncertainties as to our ability to control our operating costs, including inflationary cost pressures at Gibraltar without impacting our planned copper production;
- the risk of inadequate insurance or inability to obtain insurance to cover material mining or operational risks;
- uncertainties related to the feasibility study for Florence copper project (the "Florence Copper Project" or "Florence Copper") that provides estimates of expected or anticipated capital and operating costs, expenditures and economic returns from this mining project, including the impact of inflation on the estimated costs related to the construction of the Florence Copper Project and our other development projects;
- the risk that the results from our operations of the Florence Copper production test facility ("PTF") and ongoing engineering work including updated capital and operating costs will negatively impact our estimates for current projected economics for commercial operations at Florence Copper;
- uncertainties related to the accuracy of our estimates of Mineral Reserves (as defined below), Mineral Resources (as defined below), production rates and timing of production, future production and future cash and total costs of production and milling;
- the risk that we may not be able to expand or replace reserves as our existing mineral reserves are mined;
- the availability of, and uncertainties relating to the development of, additional financing and infrastructure necessary for the advancement of our development projects, including with respect to our ability to obtain any remaining construction financing potentially needed to move forward with commercial operations at Florence Copper;
- our ability to comply with the extensive governmental regulation to which our business is subject;
- uncertainties related to our ability to obtain necessary title, licenses and permits for our development projects and project delays due to third party opposition, particularly in respect to Florence Copper that requires one key regulatory permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") in order to advance to commercial operations;
- our ability to deploy strategic capital and award key contracts to assist with protecting the Florence Copper project execution plan, mitigating inflation risk and the potential impact of supply chain disruptions on our construction schedule and ensuring a smooth transition into construction once the final permit is received from the EPA;
- uncertainties related to First Nations claims and consultation issues;
- our reliance on rail transportation and port terminals for shipping our copper concentrate production from Gibraltar;
- uncertainties related to unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings;
- changes in, and the effects of, the laws, regulations and government policies affecting our exploration and development activities and mining operations and mine closure and bonding requirements;
- our dependence solely on our 75% interest in Gibraltar (as defined below) for revenues and operating cashflows;
- our ability to collect payments from customers, extend existing concentrate off-take agreements or enter into new agreements;
- environmental issues and liabilities associated with mining including processing and stock piling ore;
- labour strikes, work stoppages, or other interruptions to, or difficulties in, the employment of labour in markets in which we operate our mine, industrial accidents, equipment failure or other events or occurrences, including third party interference that interrupt the production of minerals in our mine;
- environmental hazards and risks associated with climate change, including the potential for damage to infrastructure and stoppages of operations due to forest fires, flooding, drought, or other natural events in the vicinity of our operations;
- litigation risks and the inherent uncertainty of litigation, including litigation to which Florence Copper could be subject to;
- our actual costs of reclamation and mine closure may exceed our current estimates of these liabilities;
- our ability to meet the financial reclamation security requirements for the Gibraltar mine and Florence Project;
- the capital intensive nature of our business both to sustain current mining operations and to develop any new projects, including Florence Copper;
- our reliance upon key management and operating personnel;
- the competitive environment in which we operate;
- the effects of forward selling instruments to protect against fluctuations in copper prices, foreign exchange, interest rates or input costs such as fuel;
- the risk of changes in accounting policies and methods we use to report our financial condition, including uncertainties associated with critical accounting assumptions and estimates; and Management Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A"), quarterly reports and material change reports filed with and furnished to securities regulators, and those risks which are discussed under the heading "Risk Factors".
For further information on Taseko, investors should review the Company's annual Form 40-F filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission www.sec.gov and home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com, including the "Risk Factors" included in our Annual Information Form.
View original content:
SOURCE Taseko Mines Limited | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/30/taseko-issues-2021-environment-social-amp-governance-esg-report/ | 2022-05-30T21:02:19Z |
Atria's Cadaret Grant Welcomes 360° Wealth Management Group, Reflecting Robust Recruiting from Large Wall Street Firms
NEW YORK, Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Atria Wealth Solutions, Inc. ("Atria"), a wealth management solutions company, announced the recruitment of a fast-growing team of UBS financial professionals, led by Anthony Mona and Joseph Mansoor. The seasoned wirehouse breakaways bring over $600 million in client assets as they join forces with Michigan-based OSJ Spartan Wealth Management, now a $1.2 billion in assets under administration (AUA) practice affiliated with Atria's subsidiary Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc.
"The onboarding and launch of Anthony Mona and Joseph Mansoor's independent wealth management business from UBS truly reflects where our industry is going and why we founded Atria," said Atria's CEO and Founding Partner Doug Ketterer.
Mr. Ketterer, who before co-founding Atria, previously led Morgan Stanley's entire US financial professional and branch office network as Head of Field Management and its ultra-high-net-worth focused Private Wealth Management business, added, "Our executive team has decades of experience working extensively in the wirehouse segment, so we know how to meet the needs of these financial professionals when transitioning to independence and the ongoing support they demand for themselves and their clients."
Mona said, "Having spent decades as an advisor at leading wirehouse firms, it became clear that independence was a better path for our business and our clients. The technology, service and support structure, and management team at Atria made Cadaret Grant the clear choice for us as we searched for a premium wealth management experience. Our clients' expectations continue to rise. As a firm built by former wirehouse leaders, Atria was clearly the best choice for our firm to partner with in order to meet and exceed those expectations."
Mona, who has been named to the Forbes/SHOOK list of Best-In-State Wealth Advisors in Michigan each year since 2019, Mansoor and Wagner, now have complete access to the full suite of modern tools available through Atria's broker-dealer subsidiaries, including Unio, Atria's award-winning technology platform for financial professionals. Beyond its extensive capabilities, Unio integrates with Contour, a comprehensive fee-based advisory platform, and Clear1, an intuitive client-facing portal and mobile app.
"Like so many other wirehouse advisors, Anthony and Joseph realize that their real value lies in their client relationships — and that the advantages of independence will result in a brighter future for their practices and their clients," said Kevin Beard, Atria's Chief Growth Officer and Founding Partner. "We are thrilled to partner with Anthony and Joseph in helping them achieve their ambitious growth objectives."
Atria Wealth Solutions, Inc. (Atria), headquartered in New York City, is a wealth management solutions holding company focused on delivering a clear path to the future of financial advice for financial professionals, financial institutions and their clients. Atria's broker-dealer subsidiaries, located throughout the U.S., empower financial institutions and independent financial professionals with a sophisticated set of tools, services and capabilities that deepen client relationships and maximize efficiencies in their practices.
Atria has six broker-dealer subsidiaries: Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc., NEXT Financial Group, Inc., Western International Securities, Inc., SCF Securities, Inc., CUSO Financial Services, L.P., and Sorrento Pacific Financial, LLC. Atria's subsidiaries together support nearly 2,500 financial professionals and over $100 billion of assets under administration. For more information, please visit atriawealth.com.
Established in 1985, Cadaret Grant & Co, Inc. is an independent wealth management firm serving over 700 independent financial professionals nationwide from its headquarters in Syracuse, New York.
Founded in 2018 by Brian Mosallam, Steve Nofar, Esq., and Alexander Wagner, Spartan Wealth Management delivers financial planning, investment, wealth management and insurance solutions to high-net-worth individuals. The firm is based in Birmingham, Michigan, and its financial professionals are associated with Cadaret Grant. For more information, visit spartanwealth.com.
Media Contact
Haven Tower Group
Julian Arenzon
424 317 4865
jarenzon@haventower.com
View original content:
SOURCE Atria Wealth Solutions | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/atria-wealth-solutions-announces-addition-ubs-team-with-over-600-million-client-assets/ | 2022-08-30T10:15:36Z |
PHOENIX , July 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bluum, North America's leading education technology solutions provider, today announced that it recently received the honor of being Verkada's large partner segment MVP. Bluum earned the award after securing more net sales in less than a year in education than any other provider.
"It is an honor that Verkada, an industry leader in the physical security space, named Bluum its large partner segment MVP," Bluum Senior Vice President, Product Strategy Andre Vashilko said. "Bluum has expanded its suite of products and services to physical security at schools, so it was only natural that Bluum partnered with Verkada, which is on the cutting edge of that vertical. Verkada's turnkey solutions benefit schools because their products are simple, plug-and-play devices ready to go out of the box and accommodate novice users."
Based on a 2019 National Center of Education Statistics data collection, nearly 71 percent of public schools experienced at least one violent incident, and 65 percent recorded at least one nonviolent incident, which is when a campus reports a theft or possession of a firearm or explosive. According to the Centers for Disease Control statistics, one in five high school students reported being bullied on school property last year. Also, two million U.S. middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2021, the most commonly used tobacco product in schools.
With such demands for physical security at schools escalating, Verkada's easy-to-use systems that manage devices on a secure, reliable and scalable infrastructure can help to improve physical security across sites. The centralized platform can empower users to scale massively and quickly, increase bandwidth efficiency, decrease incident response time, reduce vape use and enable remote access to sites from any browser or device without in-depth technical training.
"The health and safety of students, teachers, and administrators are paramount," Verkada National Channel Sales Manager Zach Smith said. "Partnering with a leading education technology organization like Bluum to deliver and assist schools in deploying our products is an ideal match. Bluum's ability to consult and provide their customers with the best technology, services and funding options has made the company an invaluable partner to Verkada."
In addition to being trusted by Verkada's customers in education, Bluum will also market Verkada's solutions to its municipalities and corporate customers. Bluum featured Verkada's next-generation solutions on its nationwide Tech Tour, which is an opportunity for schools around the country to sample the latest technology before they invest thousands of dollars.
To learn more about how Bluum and Verkada can provide your security needs, visit https://www.bluum.com/.
About Bluum
Bluum empowers educators with technology solutions that improve learning and make it more accessible, assisting more than 26 million students grow and flourish. Cultivate possibility with us at bluum.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
Media Contact
Stefan Swiat
Director of Communications
O: 602-809-7028
stefan.swiat@bluum.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Bluum | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/18/bluum-awarded-verkadas-large-partner-segment-mvp/ | 2022-07-18T16:17:37Z |
On its surface, the saga of FN Meka appeared to be a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of music powered by artificial intelligence.
The digital avatar of a Black man with green braids, face tattoos and a sound reminiscent of 6ix9ine was billed as an "AI-powered robot rapper." Though the company that created FN Meka said the character was voiced by a human, it insisted that other aspects of the music were based on AI.
Depending on who you asked, FN Meka was either the next frontier in music or a death knell for human artists. FN Meka amassed millions of followers on TikTok, and as the hype around him grew, music industry executives took notice. In August, Capitol Records announced it had signed the virtual character.
Just weeks later, the record company dropped FN Meka from its label after Black music industry professionals criticized the project for using reductive stereotypes. Soon, the narrative began to unravel. The artist Kyle the Hooligan told VICE that he wrote and voiced FN Meka's early songs, and claimed he still hadn't been paid. Recently, a co-founder of the company behind FN Meka characterized his previous comments about the use of AI in FN Meka's music as little more than a marketing gimmick.
The questions raised by the FN Meka case, then, aren't inherently about the ethics of technology in music. Rather, some experts say, technology is just one layer in larger conversations about cultural appropriation, copyright and ownership.
Virtual artists are on the rise
FN Meka's digital persona -- and the extent to which it was readily embraced by an audience -- reflects a cultural shift that is well underway.
From the band Gorillaz to holographic Tupac to Travis Scott's "Fortnite" concert, artists and engineers have been experimenting with digital alter egos for years. And as the metaverse expands, virtual influencers and avatars likely aren't going anywhere.
Lateef Garrett, music manager for the virtual record label Spirit Bomb and an industry veteran, says virtual personas open up new creative opportunities for real-life artists. Virtual characters can allow artists to experiment with new musical styles, reach new audiences, and access new revenue streams without necessarily having to be the face of the music. But he says it's critical that real-life artists have a stake in developing those characters -- something that didn't appear to be the case for FN Meka.
Kyle the Hooligan, who is Black, said he was the original voice of FN Meka and helped shape his sound. He claimed that he was promised equity in the character but was eventually ghosted, telling VICE that "them cutting me out of it was like they basically used me for the culture." It wasn't until after he was cut off from the project, he said, that he learned of certain creative choices that have since been critiqued -- he also hadn't realized FN Meka had been signed to a record deal.
"You can't side step working with Black artists by creating a Black virtual artist," Garrett says. "Most importantly, you can not replicate the Black experience or Black culture through virtual artists, unless Black people are involved in creating that character."
FN Meka employed the stereotypical aesthetics of SoundCloud rappers, used the N-word in lyrics and simulated the experience of police brutality and incarceration -- a result that, according to some critics, amounted to "digital blackface." It also highlights concerns about cultural appropriation when creating virtual characters: Is it appropriate for a virtual character to use the slang and markers of Black hip-hop culture if the people behind the character aren't steeped in that culture themselves? In other words, whose culture is being extracted and who is profiting?
"It's important that when these virtual artists and AI tech companies are built, the ones making the decisions on character developments and music reflect the community in which they're trying to reach," Garrett says. "I think certainly having a diverse staff would solve a lot of the problems that we're seeing in this situation."
Virtual characters also create distance between creators and their creation, says Gigi Johnson, who leads the Maremel Institute, a think tank focused on the intersections of creativity and technology. At the height of FN Meka's popularity, there was little clarity about who exactly was behind the character, confusing consumers and making it easier for developers to evade accountability.
In instances where artificial intelligence is actually generating or assisting music, the questions get murkier.
"Who makes the decision about whether this goes out or gets edited?" Johnson says. "Who stands behind this piece of work?"
AI still has significant limitations
FN Meka's music may not have been generated by AI. But for better or for worse, artists and researchers have already been experimenting with AI to try and push music to new heights.
In 2020, the company OpenAI released "deepfake" tracks made to sound like the musical stylings of Katy Perry, Frank Sinatra and other well-known artists. The company space150 generated buzz with TravisBott, an artificial neural network that creates original music made to sound like Travis Scott. Meanwhile, the artist Holly Herndon used AI prominently in her 2019 album "Proto," and has since introduced an instrument that allows users to transform any audio into the singer's voice.
Even as more artists employ it, music composed by AI is far from perfect. Algorithms are trained to recognize patterns in existing music that is input into computing systems, spitting out a product that's inherently derivative. In other words, AI -- for now -- is only as good as the data that feeds it. Even then, as evidenced by many of the nonsensical lyrics generated by TravisBott, a fair amount of human intervention is needed to create cohesive songs.
For these reasons, Nina Eidsheim, a professor of musicology at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, sees AI as yet another tool that musicians will be able to use in creating art -- not as a replacement for the artist.
"There are going to be glitches, and there are going to be things that we wouldn't have imagined," Eidsheim says. "As much as what the AI technology in itself is creating, what's interesting is how we as human artists are interpreting it and maybe taking it into our own artmaking -- or rejecting it."
But, as Holly Herndon noted to the music magazine FADER, there are other concerns about ownership and consent when it comes to the data powering these algorithms: What happens when an artist's work is used without permission to generate music that someone else could profit from? How much of that work can be used before it infringes on intellectual property laws? And how much control does that artist have over their own likeness?
Hip-hop has been wrestling with such questions when it comes to sampling for a long time. But advancements in AI now allow people to go beyond just taking a fragment of another person's work.
"Is it okay to literally sample someone's personhood? Are we okay with that, as a society?" Herndon said in the interview with FADER. "And if we're okay with that, how does that play out within the existing power structures that we already have in society?"
And as more artists are included in the datasets fueling these algorithms, the harder it will become to trace which elements were borrowed from whom, Johnson says.
"If you can't really take the pie back apart for its ingredients, who should get paid for the whole?" she says.
Tech has long transformed music
Technology has been transforming music, and art more broadly, for generations. And when it comes to AI specifically, other recent endeavors force us to grapple with more profound questions than FN Meka ever did.
Last month, a man won first prize in a state fair's fine arts competition for an artwork of a space opera scene he generated using AI software, sparking outrage from some artists and resurfacing anxieties that machines are out to replace humans. Though that image was created using the software Midjourney, an app called DALL-E 2 works in a similar way.
The incident also called into question what, precisely, constitutes art: Is there less value in the work if the artist's only involvement was crafting the prompt that generated the image? When applied to music, does the use of AI diminish the artistic skill once needed to craft songs? Or does it tap into a new skill set and lower the barriers to entry?
While AI systems have come up with close approximations of existing music, and can do so at a scale that surpasses humans, they're still dependent on real artists to fuel and fine-tune the end result. What is evolving, then, is who gets to be an artist and how artists work.
"Whatever we make, or however we use AI, it's not going to stand outside any of the things that humans do because we're involved," Eidsheim says.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/entertainment/the-rise-and-fall-of-a-virtual-rapper-reignites-old-questions-about-art--/article_cf81fb4f-dfdc-5919-9eb4-9bb635b47b59.html | 2022-09-11T08:36:57Z |
JACKSONVILLE, Texas (KETK) – A fisherman in Texas caught a lot more than fish on Wednesday.
The angler, who was fishing on the west side of the Lake Jacksonville dam in Jacksonville, detected something unusual on his Garmin Livescope Camera: a pickup truck 20 feet underwater.
The fisherman sent the video to his friend Jon Hargett, who is also a member of a dive team.
“It was just an interesting day on Lake Jacksonville,” said Hargett.
A dive team came out Thursday morning to investigate, and Nexstar’s KETK was there to capture it all.
With only about a foot of visibility, the divers found a 1999 black Ford F-150 under the water that was last registered in Rusk, Texas. Investigators located the owner and learned that the truck had been stolen in 2014.
“We already knew from sonar pictures provided by Jon Hargett what the vehicle looked like,” diver Billy McDonald said. “So once we made contact, we knew which direction to go and what we were looking for, and we could do that in zero visibility by feel.
A towing and hauling company helped extract the truck from the lake. No one was inside the vehicle, but a diver found a fish swimming in the back. He caught the fish and released it.
“It was interesting to at least see the truck come out of the water, and [I was] relieved to find out there was no souls in the cab, so to speak,” said Hargett. “There was no one involved in that accident.” | https://cw33.com/news/texas/fisherman-in-texas-finds-submerged-truck-that-was-stolen-in-2014/ | 2022-04-22T16:52:08Z |
Woman celebrating 100th birthday still raises and sells cattle
SALINA, Kan. (KWCH/Gray News) – Age is no factor for 100-year-old Ethel Diehl. She still prefers to work, raising and selling cattle.
“I prefer working to just doing nothing, watching TV, you know, or reading books,” she told KWCH. “I want to do my work first and then I have my evenings for that.”
Diehl turned 100 on Aug. 4 but was treated to another birthday celebration this week while selling her cattle in Kansas.
Having lived on a dairy farm as a child, Diehl has been around livestock most of her life, and she’s been raising cattle for the better part of a century.
“I’ve always done it since I got married in 1944,” Diehl said. “Because I lived on a farm, married a farmer, always had cattle, still do.”
She said staying active helps her manage the farm, even after her husband’s death.
“Because I worked and got in and out of four-wheel-drive trucks and things like that, I had the muscular ability to continue,” she said. “Never spent a day where I didn’t work, unless I was ill.”
The working mentality is also what Diehl believes the younger generations should adopt to have long and prosperous lives.
“Work. It’s a great benefit,” she said. “You need to be active, be a participant in what you’re doing. And really, you have to enjoy it. There’s all kinds of jobs, and what suits one does not suit another.”
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/08/19/woman-celebrating-100th-birthday-still-raises-sells-cattle/ | 2022-08-19T17:35:19Z |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Recently U.S. News released their rankings of the best hospitals for rehabilitation in the country and a Dallas rehab hospital among other Select Medical rehab hospitals.
According to a press release, “The 2022-2023 rankings also mark the 30th consecutive year that Kessler Institute has been named to the prestigious list.”
- No. 4 – Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation – West Orange, New Jersey
- No. 14 – Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation – Dallas, Texas*
- No. 26 – Emory Rehabilitation Hospital – Atlanta, Georgia*
- No. 31 – OhioHealth Rehabilitation Hospital – Columbus, Ohio*
“We are honored that four of our inpatient rehabilitation hospitals have been recognized among the best in the country,” said Jeff Ruskan, president, inpatient rehabilitation hospital division at Select Medical. “These prestigious rankings underscore our commitment to clinical excellence, innovative rehabilitative care and outcomes that enable patients with catastrophic injuries and illnesses to rebuild their lives. We are also incredibly proud of the teams at these hospitals who are dedicated to delivering an exceptional patient care experience every day.”
U.S. News took a look at many measures to decide on their rankings like the scope of services, outcomes, quality/safety metrics, and reputational scores.
“The hospitals named among the best have extensive medical expertise and a history of delivering good outcomes,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “When patients and their medical professionals are considering their options for care, the rankings are designed to help them identify hospitals that are superior in the kind of care they may need.” | https://cw33.com/news/local/dallas-rehab-hospital-ranked-among-united-states-best-for-2022-23-by-u-s-news/ | 2022-07-28T20:14:30Z |
Icon Protection is a collection of powerful brands known for protecting jobsites: Ram Board®, Surface Shields®, Trimaco®, and Antinox®
CLEVELAND, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With over 1,000 years of collective industry experience among them, Ram Board, Surface Shields, Trimaco, and Antinox are united under one parent brand: Icon Protection.
Icon Protection pulls together four of the most influential, respected, and prolific names in jobsite protection. Icon Protection's focus is to prepare the jobsite for the trades, so that the craftsmanship of the trades can shine.
Ram Board is strong and reliable. Its name is so powerful that those in the trades use the words "Ram Board" as a catchall for floor protection.
Surface Shields created the category of jobsite protection and literally coined the phrase "surface protection."
With origins in the paint industry, and for over 100 years, Trimaco has delivered an innovative and extensive product line that touches many different markets.
And across the pond, Antinox has worked to become the United Kingdom's unquestionable premier supplier of products that perform exceptionally for every jobsite protection challenge.
"Creating a house of brands will unify our 500+ person team, will offer vendors and customers the ideal product portfolio, and will allow the men and women of the trades to work with purpose and pride as they strive to meet exacting and demanding expectations and deadlines," says VP of Marketing, Tim McDonough.
Together, these brands can leverage the thousands of jobsites of which they have been a part into product innovation and meaningful problem-solving. A wide range of industries will benefit from this high level of experience. These include paint and coating, construction, remodeling and drywall, flooring, automotive and marine, disaster restoration, and moving and storage. Adds McDonough, "Icon Protection will be a company that is always confidently preparing the jobsite and the trades for success."
Icon Protection is a collection of the powerful brands Ram Board, Surface Shields, Trimaco, and Antinox. Known for jobsite protection that enables the craftsmanship of the trades to shine, Icon Protection thrives on the relentless pursuit of innovation that compels them to be at the start and finish of every successful project. Visit iconprotection.com or call Nicola Rushin at 919-674-3479 for more information.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Icon Protection | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/icon-protection-unites-four-pioneers-surface-protection-industry-under-one-roof/ | 2022-08-01T20:57:17Z |
The placement recognizes the beauty industry leader's long-standing commitment to gender equity and inclusion
NEW YORK, July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- L'Oréal USA, the largest subsidiary of the L'Oréal Group, was recognized within the top 10 on America's Best Employers for Women, a list compiled by Forbes and market research company Statista. The ranking (#6) is the result of demonstrated strength in key areas such as diversity, working conditions and likeliness to recommend the employer as well as policies and practices that support women's professional development and advancement, including parental leave and pay equity. Gender-diverse leadership was also considered.
"At L'Oréal USA, we embed our diversity, equity and inclusion strategy within every aspect of our business and we have a rigorous, company-wide approach to ensuring ongoing progress toward our goals. That means we review our people data regularly, test new initiatives, work with trusted partners to benchmark and assess ourselves, and continuously optimize our strategy," said David Greenberg, CEO of L'Oréal USA. "We are honored to be recognized within the top 10 of America's Best Employers for Women by Forbes, and we are committed to being a best-in-class employer for people across all dimensions of diversity."
L'Oréal USA has a long-standing commitment to advancing gender equity, reflected in its data-driven approach and engagement with the EDGE (Economic Dividends for Gender Equality) Foundation to ensure external audits on internal initiative. In 2021, L'Oréal USA was recognized as the first company worldwide to be EDGEplus certified—a new standard recognizing organizations that go beyond gender and measure the intersectionality between gender and race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, and nationality. As part of the certification process, L'Oréal developed an internal global pay measurement tool based on the EDGE methodology to consistently measure and monitor equitable pay across its global workforce. The results demonstrated that L'Oréal USA exceeded the EDGE standard for pay equity at the organizational level, virtually eliminating a pay gap based on gender, controlling for observable and explainable factors such as performance.
L'Oréal USA also offers employees generous benefits including, but not limited to a 16-week parental leave policy that includes paid leave for childbirth at 100% of base pay for up to 8 consecutive weeks, plus paid bonding leave at 100% of base pay for up to 8 weeks for parents to bond with and care for a new child(ren), either through childbirth, adoption, surrogacy, legal guardianship or foster care. The company also offers Family Building Leave up to 8 weeks at 100% pay to support families in the adoption or surrogacy planning process.
For more information about L'Oréal USA's commitment to equity, visit: https://www.loreal.com/en/usa/.
About L'Oréal USA
L'Oréal USA is the largest subsidiary of the L'Oréal Group, the world's leading beauty company. Through its management of over 35 iconic beauty brands, L'Oréal USA has generated more than $8 billion in sales annually. Products are available across all distribution channels including hair salons, department stores, mass market, pharmacies, medi-spas, e-commerce and more. L'Oréal USA's commitment to growth is generated through sustainable innovation and driven by the company's L'Oréal for the Future ambition which demonstrates sustainable development across the Group's value chain. The company is headquartered in New York City, employs more than 11,000 people, and operates administrative, research, manufacturing and distribution facilities across 16 states.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE L'Oreal USA | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/27/loral-usa-ranked-within-top-10-americas-best-employers-women-by-forbes/ | 2022-07-27T18:42:19Z |
NEW YORK, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Bakkt Holdings, Inc. f/k/a VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings (NYSE: BKKT) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws.
This lawsuit is on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired: (a) Bakkt securities between March 31, 2021 and November 19, 2021, both dates inclusive; and/or (b) Bakkt Class A common stock pursuant and/or traceable to documents issued in connection with the business combination between the Company and Bakkt Holdings, LLC completed on or about October 15, 2021.
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: June 20, 2022
No obligation or cost to you.
Learn more about your recoverable losses in BKKT:
https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/bakkt-holdings-inc-f-k-a-vpc-impact-acquisition-holdings-loss-submission-form?id=27276&from=4
Bakkt Holdings, Inc. f/k/a VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings NEWS - BKKT NEWS
CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that Bakkt Holdings, Inc. f/k/a VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company had defective financial controls; (ii) as a result, there were errors in the Company's financial statements related to the misclassification of certain shares issued prior to the business combination between the Company and Bakkt Holdings, LLC; (iii) accordingly, the Company would need to restate certain of its financial statements; (iv) the Company downplayed the true scope and severity of these issues; (v) the Company overstated its remediation of its defective financial controls; and (vi) as a result, the documents issued in connection with the business combination and defendants' public statements throughout the class period were materially false and/or misleading and failed to state information required to be stated therein.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in Bakkt Holdings, Inc. f/k/a VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings you have until June 20, 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 Bakkt Holdings, Inc. f/k/a VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings 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 BKKT lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/bakkt-holdings-inc-f-k-a-vpc-impact-acquisition-holdings-loss-submission-form?id=27276&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.
CONTACT:
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
View original content:
SOURCE The Klein Law Firm | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/17/bkkt-alert-klein-law-firm-announces-lead-plaintiff-deadline-june-20-2022-class-action-filed-behalf-bakkt-holdings-inc-fka-vpc-impact-acquisition-holdings-shareholders/ | 2022-05-17T11:33:35Z |
Investigator describes South Carolina woman’s ‘gruesome’ dog attack injuries during owner’s hearing
By Janice Limon
Click here for updates on this story
ABBEVILLE COUNTY, South Carolina (WYFF) — A man who owned the dogs that brutally attacked an Upstate woman last month, critically injuring her and forcing the amputation of her arms, appeared in court Thursday.
Justin Minor is charged with three counts of owning dangerous animals attacking a human, a rabies violation and allowing dangerous animals off his property unrestrained in the March 21 attack on Kyleen Waltman.
Investigators said three dogs mauled Waltman as she walked along Ball Road in Honea Path.
Waltman suffered critical injuries, including having both arms amputated up to the shoulder, her colon removed and has undergone numerous skin grafts, all of which her family is documenting on a GoFundMe page.
During the preliminary hearing, Minor sat with his attorney, Charles Gross, often with his elbows on a table and his hands clasped, covering his mouth.
The only person to testify during the hearing was Abbeville County sheriff’s investigator Lt. Jeffrey Hines, who described what deputies saw at the scene the day Waltman was found in a ditch, severely mauled.
Hines said the man who called 911 about the attack was riding his tractor up to his cows and saw Waltman being attacked by three dogs. He said the witness got off his tractor and tried to help Waltman and one of the dogs tried to attack him, so he fired a shot with his pistol to scare off the dogs. The dogs ran away after that, Hines said.
Hines said the witness did not see how the attack started.
Minor’s attorney Charles Gross asked Hines if they spoke with any witnesses who saw the beginning of the attack, to which he answered no.
Hines said deputies arrived at the scene and saw Waltman “badly bitten” on the side of the dirt road across from Minor’s home.
He said emergency medical service workers later arrived and treated Waltman at the scene before taking her by ambulance to the hospital.
Hines said he went to the hospital a couple of days after the incident after he said Waltman had several surgeries.
He took pictures in the intensive care unit and described both her arms were “amputated off completely all the way up to the shoulders,” he said. “She had bites from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet, including her whole entire body. It was one of the more gruesome animal attacks that I’ve ever seen in my career.”
Hines said when Minor arrived, he told deputies he was at work when he got a call about the attack.
Minor told deputies they could take the dogs and put them down, Hines said.
Animal control officers said previously they took a total of 11 dogs from Minor’s property.
According to Hines, Minor told deputies he wanted to put the dogs down after they killed his chickens, but his wife was against it. Minor told deputies that his wife thought they could be trained.
Minor told deputies that “once a dog tastes blood, that’s it,” Hines said in court.
Hines testified that the witness described the dogs that attacked Waltman to Minor, who retrieved the dogs and signed them over to Abbeville County Animal Control.
Hines said dispatchers told deputies a man had reported a previous attack involving Minor’s dogs on Christmas Eve 2021, when a person was bitten, but animal control officials said no animals were taken in that incident and the sheriff’s office was not notified.
He said the person who reported the incident said he was attacked by two pit bull mix dogs.
Hines said none of Minor’s dogs were vaccinated for rabies “or anything else.”
Hines testified that a neighbor told deputies he felt unsafe to go outside of his home because Minor’s dogs would come near him and growl at him. He said he had to carry a stick whenever he did have to go outside, Hines said. The neighbor said he was told by Minor a few days before the attack, “those dogs will bite anyone.”
Hines describes Minor’s property, saying there was no fencing around the property. He says there were some kennels outside with some dogs inside, but he says others were roaming around the property.
Hines said both responding deputies were equipped with body cameras but said the first deputy to arrive did not immediately start the camera. Hines said he didn’t know why, but offered that it could have been the stress of the situation, “seeing this lady viciously attacked,” or because the deputy’s first priority was to give aid to Waltman.
Hines described to the court what he later saw on the body camera footage that he reviewed. The video showed Waltman being carried on a stretcher with “her whole tricep removed and nothing but the bone on her left arm.”
Gross asked the court for the charges to be dismissed, saying testimony did not satisfy all the requirements for probable cause.
“There’s been no connection made as far as whether these were the same dogs from the Christmas Eve incident,” Gross said.
Gross also said no testimony presented in court offered evidence that the attack was unprovoked.
“While this is a tragic situation, it does not necessarily mean that it’s a criminal situation, and I would just ask everybody to remember the presumption of innocence,” Gross said.
In the end, the judge ruled there was enough probable cause to move forward with the charges.
Waltman’s mother and sister were in the courtroom, emotional at times during the hearing. Her family declined to comment following the hearing.
The next court date has not yet been set.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://localnews8.com/news/2022/04/29/investigator-describes-south-carolina-womans-gruesome-dog-attack-injuries-during-owners-hearing/ | 2022-04-29T16:39:09Z |
MedVanta delivers time-tested, next-generation MSO strategies and solutions for independent orthopaedic and MSK practices to transform business operations
BETHESDA, Md., June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In the midst of soaring costs, industry-wide consolidation and encroachment from outside investors, a coalition of leading independent orthopaedic and musculoskeletal (MSK) specialists today announced the launch of MedVanta as a new path forward for private practices seeking to maintain their independence and preserve high-quality patient care. Now the nation's largest physician-owned and led organization of its kind, MedVanta's suite of solutions go beyond that of a traditional management services organization, and are designed by independent physicians, for independent physicians.
The more than 150 private practice physicians behind MedVanta are the same leaders who pioneered, in 2013, a new model of care with the launch of The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics (CAO), the second largest orthopaedic group in the country. CAO has a proven track record of reducing operating and musculoskeletal costs, improving patient experience and outcomes, and embracing technology to create higher practice efficiency as well as participate and succeed in value-based care payment models. This innovative group is now expanding on its unique model and offering it to private practice MSK groups across the country.
"When we launched CAO, it was in direct response to the headwinds facing private practice medicine, threatening its very survival. Since that point, those challenges have only accelerated," said Dr. Nicholas Grosso, President of MedVanta and CAO. "With the launch of MedVanta, we're offering our proven model to other like-minded physicians who want to remain independent to best serve patients. As a truly physician owned company, we are not beholden to outside investor influence, and our leadership team shares a commitment to enabling superior, patient-first care."
In a national healthcare landscape that is increasingly becoming dominated by corporations and financiers, MedVanta is committed to preserving and revolutionizing independent private practice medicine. Its innovative, scalable and tailored solutions are customized for MSK practices and ancillaries. Private practice clients of MedVanta will have the opportunity to invest in the company.
"The impetus for forming MedVanta was the pivotal question – who should be the caretakers of the future of musculoskeletal care?," said Dr. Louis Levitt, Chief Medical Officer of MedVanta and Vice President and Secretary for CAO. "We feel strongly, and the data reinforces it, that the future of healthcare shouldn't be led by financiers and profit-driven corporations. MedVanta provides a new and bright path forward for independent MSK physicians."
MedVanta fully leverages CAO's successful business model, meticulously developed over a decade. Since CAO launched in 2013, its robust infrastructure and proprietary resources have delivered on its key objectives to:
- Retain independence
- Enhance patient experience and outcomes
- Reduce costs, with 20-30% savings in supply costs and up to 40% malpractice savings
- Increase revenue, with significant growth every year since inception
- Expand market share
- Improve provider quality of life
"MedVanta is the natural evolution of The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics," said Dr. Subir Jossan, Chief Transformation Officer of MedVanta and Treasurer for CAO. "We can now offer our transformative business model to independent MSK providers across the nation, helping to create a new era where private practice medicine will not only survive, but thrive in the ever-changing healthcare landscape. We look forward to collaborating with the full healthcare ecosystem – payers, employers, health systems, primary and urgent care providers, medical device manufacturers, pharma and even MedTech companies – to expand access to high-quality, cost-effective patient care throughout the communities we serve."
MedVanta is the nation's largest physician-owned and operated musculoskeletal management services organization (MSO) designed by independent physicians, for independent physicians. Understanding the future of MSK care lies in independent private practice medicine, MedVanta provides the people, processes, technology and solutions to transform business results and adapt to industry disruption. Founded by the same physicians that successfully pioneered a new model for private practice orthopaedic care, MedVanta offers a better path forward for private practices in a landscape dominated by corporations and financiers.
For more information, please visit MedVanta.com or contact us at info@medvanta.com.
CONTACT:
Kourtnaye Lewis
klewis@briancom.com
(407) 506-6384
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE MedVanta | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/09/medvanta-launches-nations-largest-physician-owned-operated-musculoskeletal-management-services-organization/ | 2022-06-09T15:43:42Z |
BETHESDA, Md., June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Saul Centers, Inc. (NYSE: BFS) has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.59 per share on its common stock, to be paid on July 29, 2022, to holders of record on July 15, 2022. The common dividend represents a $0.02 per share (3.51%) increase over the amount paid in the previous quarter and a $0.04 per share (7.27%) increase over the amount paid in the prior year's comparable quarter.
The Company also declared quarterly dividends on (a) its 6.125% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, in the amount of $0.3828125 per depositary share and (b) its 6.000% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, in the amount of $0.3750000 per depositary share. The preferred dividends will be paid on July 15, 2022, to holders of record on July 5, 2022.
Saul Centers, Inc. is a self-managed, self-administered equity REIT headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, which currently operates and manages a real estate portfolio of 61 properties which includes (a) 50 community and neighborhood shopping centers and seven mixed-use properties with approximately 9.8 million square feet of leasable area and (b) four land and development properties. Approximately 85% of the Saul Centers' property operating income is generated by properties in the metropolitan Washington, DC/Baltimore area.
More information about Saul Centers is available on the Company's website at www.saulcenters.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain matters discussed within this press release may be deemed to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. These factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors described in (i) our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and (ii) our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 and include the following: (i) general adverse economic and local real estate conditions, (ii) the inability of major tenants to continue paying their rent obligations due to bankruptcy, insolvency or a general downturn in their business, (iii) financing risks, such as the inability to obtain equity, debt or other sources of financing or refinancing on favorable terms to the Company, (iv) the Company's ability to raise capital by selling its assets, (v) changes in governmental laws and regulations and management's ability to estimate the impact of such changes, (vi) the level and volatility of interest rates and management's ability to estimate the impact thereof, (vii) the availability of suitable acquisition, disposition, development and redevelopment opportunities, and risks related to acquisitions not performing in accordance with our expectations, (viii) increases in operating costs, (ix) changes in the dividend policy for the Company's common and preferred stock and the Company's ability to pay dividends at current levels, (x) the reduction in the Company's income in the event of multiple lease terminations by tenants or a failure by multiple tenants to occupy their premises in a shopping center, (xi) impairment charges, (xii) unanticipated changes in the Company's intention or ability to prepay certain debt prior to maturity and (xiii) an epidemic or pandemic (such as the outbreak and worldwide spread of COVID-19), and the measures that international, federal, state and local governments, agencies, law enforcement and/or health authorities implement to address it, which may (as with COVID-19) precipitate or exacerbate one or more of the above-mentioned and/or other risks, and significantly disrupt or prevent us from operating our business in the ordinary course for an extended period. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements that we make, including those in this press release. Except as may be required by law, we make no promise to update any of the forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You should carefully review the risks and risk factors included in (i) our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and (ii) our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.
View original content:
SOURCE Saul Centers, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/saul-centers-declares-quarterly-dividends/ | 2022-06-23T22:05:59Z |
Japan ex-leader Shinzo Abe apparently shot, in heart failure
Published: Jul. 7, 2022 at 11:12 PM EDT|Updated: 23 minutes ago
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe collapsed bleeding and was in heart failure after apparently being shot during a campaign speech in western Japan, NHK public television said Friday.
NHK says Abe was rushed to a hospital.
Witnesses reported hearing gunshots in the apparent attack in Nara. He was standing while making an election campaign speech ahead of Sunday’s election for the parliament’s upper house.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/07/08/japans-nhk-tv-says-former-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-apparently-was-shot-collapsed-during-campaign-speech/ | 2022-07-08T03:41:59Z |
DETROIT, June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Samaritas will celebrate refugees' positive economic and cultural impact on June 20, World Refugee Awareness Day. April Baer of Michigan Radio's "Stateside" show will lead a virtual discussion with former refugee and refugee experts on June 21 at 11:30 a.m.
The Samaritas Refugee Roundtable will dive into what Ukrainian refugees are facing and how Wayne County and state of Michigan leaders are handling resettlement needs. The panel will feature Samaritas New Americans Director Mihaela Mitrofan's firsthand account of what she experienced at the Ukrainian border a few weeks ago. Visit samaritas.co/RefugeeRoundtable to register for this free event.
"Samaritas strongly believes we need to uphold America's legacy of welcoming refugees. For 72 years, we've served refugee children and families, and we'll continue to do so as long as there is a need," said Kevin Van Den Bosch, COO, Samaritas. "Refugee Resettlement is a lifeline to so many vulnerable refugees at an unprecedented global crisis, but we can't do it alone. Resources are stretched to their limits, and we can always use more staff, volunteers, and community partners to bolster our existing statewide programs."
Samaritas will celebrate the creativity of the young refugees in its care with an online art show. The 2022 collection titled "Colorful Journeys /Viajes de Colores," presented by Delta Dental of Michigan, will be unveiled at Samaritas.org/youthartshow on Monday, June 20.
The 2022 collection will also make an in-person debut at Tabooli in East Lansing located at 515 W Grand River Ave, East Lansing starting on Fri., June 17. It will run through Monday, June 27 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Call (517) 993-6461 for more information. This collection and other pieces will travel to different places throughout the state throughout the year. The schedule will be updated on Samaritas.org/youthartshow.
The Samaritas Youth Art Shop will also offer art lovers and refugee advocates the option of purchasing merchandise, like mugs, beach bags, and journals with imprints of the refugee art. Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit Samaritas Refugee Youth programs.
Visit the Samaritas Samaritas Michigan Refugee Network page to make a donation, volunteer, or offer other in-kind support to aid all Samaritas New American programs.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Samaritas | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/15/samaritas-celebrate-world-refugee-awareness-day-with-virtual-panel-art-show/ | 2022-06-15T13:16:43Z |
LOS ANGELES, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The addiction crisis in Los Angeles is no secret.
Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, is often mixed with other drugs without the person's knowledge, and it's becoming increasingly common in pills sold as counterfeit prescription drugs.
Shari Colato, Program Director at Discovery Transitions, an outpatient rehab facility in Los Angeles, is seeing more and more patients coming in with fentanyl overdoses.
"It's definitely something we're seeing more of," she says. "People think they're taking a pill that's going to help them feel better, but it's actually laced with a deadly drug."
Colato says that most of the patients who come in for fentanyl overdoses are struggling with addiction and are trying to self-medicate.
"People who have an addiction are already in a very vulnerable state," she says. "They are trying to numb themselves with drugs, and they are not thinking about the consequences."
To avoid an accidental overdose, Colato recommends that people seek out professional help instead of self-medicating themselves.
"Usually, drugs and alcohol are the tools used to bury the emotions a person is feeling. But the reality is, the individual is just numbing themselves and not addressing the real issue," Colato says. "Here at Discovery Transitions Outpatient, we use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in our treatment. We understand the need to address substance abuse and mental health issues because they are linked together."
Colato explains that CBT therapy is an effective treatment for addiction because it helps people learn how to cope with their emotions in a healthy manner. This is important for those who are attempting to learn how to cope with triggers and cravings without using drugs or alcohol.
"Our specialists educate clients on how to handle their cravings in a healthy manner. We know that cravings are tough to deal with, but it is possible to get through them." Colato says.
Colato mentioned that in most cases, private health insurance covers a person's treatment in rehab.
"Anyone who is searching for a solution to break free from addiction should be aware that professional help is available. It is not a terrible thing to have extra assistance, especially if you are attempting to improve your wellbeing," Shari concluded.
Discovery Transitions Outpatient
17635 Vanowen St,
Van Nuys, CA 91406
(866) 916-3211
admissions@discoverytransitions.com
View original content:
SOURCE Discovery Transitions Outpatient | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/14/accidental-fentanyl-related-deaths-is-rise-los-angeles-program-director-discovery-transitions-speaks-out-how-prevent-overdose/ | 2022-07-14T14:58:42Z |
NEWINGTON, Conn., Sept. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PCX Aerosystems ("PCX"), a market-leading producer of advanced mechanical systems for the aerospace industry, today announced the September 2, 2022 acquisition of NuSpace, Inc. ("NuSpace") from Cornerstone Capital Holdings and members of the NuSpace leadership team. With engineering and manufacturing roots going back to 1907, NuSpace has evolved from a diversified mechanical systems manufacturer into a leading-edge designer and manufacturer of proprietary propellant and high-pressure tanks for advanced satellite, launch vehicle spacecraft, and missile platforms.
"NuSpace brings a unique capability to design and produce mission critical complex assemblies for the rapidly growing space marketplace which is a fantastic addition to the growing portfolio of flight-critical components and assemblies we supply to the defense aerospace market," said PCX CEO, Tom Holzthum.
Ian Ballinger, CEO and Chief Technology Officer of NuSpace, said, "Joining the PCX team is a natural next step for NuSpace, bringing the stability and support of being part of a broader portfolio while maintaining the freedom to pursue continued growth with our customers."
Headquartered in Connecticut, PCX Aerosystems is a leading privately owned supplier of highly engineered, precision, flight critical assemblies for rotorcraft and fixed wing aerospace platforms The company produces rotorhead assemblies and control systems, landing gear assemblies, external fuel tank systems, engine and structural airframe components in addition to composite fabrications and refueling probes. The company also offers integrated special processing services such as heat treating, painting and non-destructive testing. PCX provides direct delivery of components and large assemblies to customers such as Boeing, General Electric Aircraft Engines, Bell, Sikorsky and the U.S. Government. Founded in 1900, PCX owns facilities in CT, CA and MA. PCX Aerostructures, LLC, dba PCX Aerosystems is owned by Greenbriar Equity Group, L.P. To learn more about PCX, visit www.pcxaero.com.
NuSpace is a Long Beach, California based aerospace and defense manufacturer with proprietary design and specialized fabrication capabilities, and flight-critical assembly and quality systems. Their experienced engineering and manufacturing teams excel at the design to specification and manufacture of mission critical propellant and pressure vessel solutions.
For more information:
Trevor Hartman
Vice President – Sales & Marketing
(860) 594-4388
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE PCX Aerosystems | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/12/pcx-aerosystems-announces-acquisition-nuspace/ | 2022-09-12T08:57:04Z |
MIAMI, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IMS, part of Aleph Group Inc and global partner of the world's leading digital platforms, announced a new exclusive alliance with Moovit, an Intel company, a Mobility as a Service (MaaS) solutions company and creator of the popular urban mobility app. IMS by Aleph will represent Moovit in México, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Perú and help brands reach on-the-go public transport commuters and drive traffic to their physical stores.
Moovit's free apps for iOS, Android and the Web guide people in getting around town effectively and conveniently, using any mode of transport, an ideal space for advertisers. Introduced in 2012, it has served more than one billion users, in 3,500 cities, across 112 different countries. The app has a daily score of 4.5 points in the App Store and Play Store, and is very popular throughout Latin America, holding official partnerships with operators and government in major cities like Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Santiago de Chile.
"New alliances represent new opportunities. Through this recent agreement with Moovit, IMS by Aleph can offer Latin American companies the possibility of making native ads in a strategic geolocation application and thus reach new real audiences," announces Ignacio Vidaguren, CEO of IMS by Aleph.
Moovit's audience is distinguished by its high level of engagement. Urban travelers use the application to find the best public transport routes to their destination, receive live directions and service disruption notifications. These types of users often have free time before or during their journey to interact with their mobile device where, opportunely, the app is open.
"When users plan a trip with Moovit, they discover public and other shared transport options that can take them to their destination. Based on the users' current location and route points during their journey — origin, destination, and points of transfer — an ad appears, inviting them to deviate just a few minutes from the route to visit the advertised shop. Also, during the trip, it is common to look at the phone more than once to check on the journey, which is an excellent chance to impact them with a new ad. The opportunity is enormous," explains Pamela Chavarria, Global VP of Corporate Development of IMS.
These types of ads, known as "Native Ads", are a trend in the sector. Due to the nature of native advertising, the user perceives this type of promotion as part of the app and interacts organically with the content, generating direct results for advertisers.
In addition to traditional ads, such as small banners and interstitial ads, Moovit uses strategically distributed native ads. They appear on the Home Page, Suggested Routes, Itinerary, Line Details, and Station Details screens, in addition to nearby locations on the Stations screen, Itinerary screen.
"We look forward to working with Aleph in markets across Latin America to enable local advertisers to leverage moments when users are out and about to create meaningful touchpoints," said Yovav Meydad, Moovit's Chief Growth and Marketing Officer. "Our ultimate goal is to help people get around town effectively and conveniently, and that includes providing an app experience with relevant nearby information to each user."
With this new alliance, Moovit joins IMS's portfolio of strategic partners in Latin America, which includes, among others: Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Warner Music, Twitch, TikTok, Electronic Arts and Activision Blizzard Media.
About IMS by Aleph
Internet Media Services (IMS) is one of Aleph Group, Inc companies. Aleph is a leading global enabler of digital advertising connecting thousands of advertisers in emerging countries with the world's leading digital platforms.
Aleph represents the world's leading platforms in 90+ markets across the globe where they don't have a physical presence, enabling platforms like Twitter, Meta, Snapchat, and nearly 30+ others to expand into new markets and enabling advertisers to take full advantage of the platforms' advertising capabilities. Through these long-lasting partnerships, Aleph creates the opportunity for all people and businesses to advertise at a local and global level without limits.
Find out more: alephholding.com or press@alephholding.com
About Moovit
Moovit, from Intel Company, is a leading Mobility as a Service (MaaS) solution provider and creator of the #1 urban mobility app. Moovit was acquired by Intel in 2020 in order to join forces with Mobileye and advance its MaaS strategy. Together, Moovit and Mobileye will accelerate the global adoption of autonomous transportation.
Moovit's iOS, Android, and other web applications guide people to get around the city effectively and conveniently, using any mode of transportation. Introduced in 2012, it now serves more than 1 billion users in more than 3,500 cities in 112 countries.
Moovit amasses up to 6 billion anonymous data points a day to add to the world's largest repository of transit and urban mobility data. For governments, cities, transit agencies, and private companies, Moovit offers AI-powered MaaS solutions covering planning, operations, and optimization with proven value in reducing congestion, growing ridership, and increasing efficiency and asset utilization. Industry leaders like Microsoft, Uber, and Cubic have partnered with Moovit to power their mobility offerings.
Find out more: press@moovit.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Aleph Group, Inc | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/04/ims-by-aleph-group-inc-announces-new-strategic-alliance-with-moovit-help-advertisers-reach-users-right-place-right-time/ | 2022-08-04T13:34:40Z |
TradeCentric brand better reflects the organization's deep connection to leading B2B buyers and suppliers leveraging modern digital commerce technology, and the expanded team will build upon the company's established leadership position
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PunchOut2Go, the leading provider of B2B trade automation that integrates eCommerce and eProcurement solutions, announced today that it has changed its name to TradeCentric. The company also announced the addition of key hires within sales, channels and strategic partnerships. Together, these moves provide the foundation for the company's next phase of growth and development.
Since its launch a decade ago, the business has grown exponentially into adjacent sectors of eCommerce and eProcurement in addition to its core PunchOut solution. Today, nearly half of customers leverage more than one of TradeCentric's technology solutions, which include PunchOut, Purchase Order and Invoice Automation, eQuotes, Shipping Acknowledgements, Notifications and Marketplace Integrations. The TradeCentric name more accurately reflects the full scope of the company's business, which includes solutions for the entire digital procurement and commerce lifecycle.
"Our company has evolved tremendously over the last several years," said Troy Lynch, Chief Executive Officer at TradeCentric. "We've invested heavily in services delivery, customer success, and product development to ensure we meet the needs of our customers both today and tomorrow. As we evolve, it makes sense to step into a name that reflects these changes and our future direction."
TradeCentric's recent new hires reinforce the company's commitment to innovation in tandem with the rapidly evolving B2B trade requirements across all industries. New members of the leadership team include:
- Kevin Kazenmayer as Head of Channel Development. With more than 20 years of B2B buy and sell-side experience from companies such as Lowe's, Grainger and Staples, Kevin is responsible for driving penetration and adoption of digital solutions across the TradeCentric buyer and supplier network while identifying expansion opportunities to grow the connected ecosystem of more than 3,000 active Trading Partners.
- Matt Moen as Vice President of Sales. Matt is tasked with driving sales development and growth, building and enhancing enterprise customer relationships, and helping foster team professional growth.
- Matt Hassler as Director of Strategic Partnerships. Matt focuses on strengthening and growing TradeCentric's current strategic partnerships and building new relationships with partners around the world.
"We are committed to building a team that will honor the PunchOut2Go brand and what it represents, and I am thrilled about this new chapter of our business," said Lynch.
While the company is changing names, corporate ownership and leadership remain the same. Under the new branding, TradeCentric will continue to deliver the high-caliber products and services customers have come to expect from the PunchOut2Go brand.
The name change follows two years of record growth for the company along with significant investment in talent acquisition. TradeCentric is clearly the global leader in a market that is exploding. Digital Commerce 360 predicts that spend originated from B2B eProcurement will exceed $1 Trillion in 2022 and leading industry analysts say that by 2025 80% of all B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers will occur in digital channels.
"TradeCentric helps our customers by easily integrating Coupa to any eCommerce or ERP platform, improving the requisitioning experience," said Roger Goulart, EVP of Business Development and Alliances at Coupa.
As TradeCentric, the company will continue to develop and deploy the industry-leading solutions that thousands of businesses around the world rely on. Future plans include enhanced solutions for alerts, dashboards, analytics and advanced reporting. The company will also roll out new networking programs that connect its extensive community of B2B buyers and suppliers to benefit all members of the TradeCentric global network.
Visit tradecentric.com for more details, images, and the latest video featuring TradeCentric.
TradeCentric, formerly PunchOut2Go, transforms the way businesses do business by enabling PunchOut, Purchase Order and Invoice Automation for thousands of companies every day. Uniquely positioned at the intersection of eCommerce and eProcurement, TradeCentric helps B2B buyers and suppliers connect, automate and scale their digital trading capabilities. We offer a cloud-based integration platform that is fully managed and purpose-built to simplify the complexities of B2B trade and transaction processes. Learn more at www.tradecentric.com.
Media Contact:
Ariane Wolff
Warner Communications
ariane@warnerpr.com
+1. 978.729.3542 (U.S.)
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE PunchOut2Go | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/06/punchout2go-further-expands-b2b-trade-footprint-with-new-name-management-hires/ | 2022-06-06T14:17:12Z |
Cooperative leveraging sustainability and agronomic expertise with program that provides a warranty to farmers transitioning to regenerative agriculture practices
ARDEN HILLS, Minn., Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Land O'Lakes, Inc., one of America's largest farmer-owned cooperatives, is encouraging more farmers to adopt regenerative farming practices by working to remove one of the biggest barriers – fear of lost profitability and productivity of their acres.
This effort is made possible because of the synergies of its businesses and the strength of its ag retail network. With Truterra's work in supporting farmers with sustainable practices, WinField United's scientific approach to crop management and the expertise of local ag retailers, the Land O'Lakes cooperative system is ready to help mitigate the risk associated with converting to more climate smart practices.
- Farmers can start by inquiring about the Truterra™ market access program at their local ag retailer to understand options for their fields.
- For those interested in exploring first-time practice change such as cover crops or reducing tillage to position fields for future carbon market eligibility, qualified growers may be eligible to receive $2/acre to set this baseline.
- This $2/acre incentive is to support farmers interested in participating in ecosystem markets and learn more about potential carbon market opportunities in the future.
- In addition, farmers have the opportunity to participate in the WinField United Advanced Acre® Rx prescription plan1 -- a component of which provides a warranty to offset part of the risk of this practice change implementation.
- For farmers more advanced in their sustainability journey, eligibility for the Truterra™ carbon program, could pay up to $25/tonne of sequestered CO2.
"When it comes to sustainable farming, we know that one of the biggest barriers to entry for farmers considering carbon or other ecosystem services markets is the risk of lost income associated with converting to climate-smart production practices," said Jason Weller, Vice President, Truterra. "We are thrilled to be working in collaboration with our retail-owners to bring this innovative program to farmers to help them manage risk and maximize natural resources to generate a potential return on investment. Not only that, but by working through our farmer cooperative system, participants can have peace-of-mind that they are getting holistic agronomic, conservation, and carbon market support."
The goal of the program is to create a pathway for farmers to improve their soil health and potentially become eligible for future market opportunities through Truterra and WinField United as a result of continuous cover and/or tillage changes. For example, through Truterra's most recent carbon offer, participating farmers can earn up to $25 per tonne of sequestered CO2 upfront for new carbon stored in soils, with a contract designed to help maximize farmers' earning potential and flexibility.
While Truterra has proven to be a leader in providing farmer-driven carbon programs, this marks the first time its offerings are marketed together with the WinField United Advanced Acre® Rx prescription plan to further demonstrate that sustainability and profitability can go hand-in-hand for farmers. The agronomic prescription service, Advanced Acre Rx, uses data and insights specific to how and where farmers are operating with the goal to increase profit potential per acre and lower per-bushel costs for corn and soybeans. All options in the Advanced Acre Rx program include an agronomic plan; including products and ag technology recommendations, with a service warranty for performance.
"Together with our owners, Land O'Lakes and its businesses are committed to supporting farmer productivity and profitability by helping reduce risk while simultaneously creating new markets that value how farmers manage their fields as much as final yields," said Brett Bruggeman, President, WinField United. "We are marching ahead together with a go-to-market approach aimed at enhancing the relevance of our locally owned retail network and securing a bright future for the farmers of tomorrow."
Land O'Lakes is committed to investing in programs, tools and support that drive voluntary practice changes that not only contribute to the health of the planet, but also position farmers and the agriculture sector for success in a challenging operating environment.
To learn more and to get started, growers can visit their local Truterra retailer.
Land O'Lakes, Inc., one of America's premier agribusiness and food companies, is a member-owned cooperative with industry-leading operations that span the spectrum from agricultural production to consumer foods. With 2021 annual sales of $16 billion, Land O'Lakes is one of the nation's largest cooperatives, ranking 232 on the Fortune 500. Building on a legacy of more than 100 years of operation, Land O'Lakes today operates some of the most respected brands in agribusiness and food production including Land O'Lakes Dairy Foods, Purina Animal Nutrition, WinField United and Truterra. The company does business in all 50 states and more than 60 countries. Land O'Lakes, Inc. corporate headquarters are located in Arden Hills, Minnesota.
Truterra is a leading sustainability solutions provider, advancing and connecting sustainability efforts throughout the food system at scale – from farmers to ag retailers to value chain collaborators including food and fiber companies. Truterra positions farmers for success by providing them tools and resources to establish a stewardship baseline, track progress on every field they farm, access conservation resources, and prepare for ecosystem services market opportunities. The Truterra network brings together the best in agricultural technology and precision conservation to drive sustainability across the food system, feeding people, safeguarding the planet, and supporting farmer livelihoods. Truterra was launched in 2016 by Land O'Lakes, Inc., a member-owned cooperative that spans the spectrum from agricultural production to consumer foods. To learn more, visit www.truterraag.com.
WinField United is the seed, crop protection products, crop nutrients (CN), agricultural services and agronomic insights business of Land O'Lakes, Inc. As an industry leader, the business focuses on meeting the needs of more than 1,000 locally owned and operated agricultural retailers and their grower-customers by delivering data-proven solutions across products and services, as well as through connections to new markets like carbon and other premium ingredients.
Media contact:
Natalie Long
NLong@landolakes.com
1 *Agreement is required and conditions, restrictions and service fees apply. Percentage goals for the crops' Approved Yield range from 95–105% for corn and 95–100% for soybeans. Only available to corn and soybean farmers who enroll a minimum of 250 acres of an individual crop in the program.
View original content:
SOURCE Truterra, LLC | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/land-olakes-inc-positioned-support-carbon-curious-farmers/ | 2022-08-30T14:25:33Z |
Ultimate Deathknight is Available to All Players From August 25th Through October 27
TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Plarium, a global leader in developing F2P mobile and PC games with more than 435 million users worldwide, announces that fan-favorite character Deathknight makes his long-awaited debut as a Legendary Champion in acclaimed mobile collection RPG RAID: Shadow Legends. Ultimate Deathknight will be free for all players during a two-month loyalty in-game event from August 25 through October 27, 2022.
Since RAID launched in 2018, Deathknight has become the most recognizable face of the RAID brand and developed a massive cult following for his humorous and good-natured attitude and forlorn aspirations of becoming a powerful hero. He has also served as a lead in many of RAID's most viral commercial spots including RAID 2nd Anniversary, RPG Life Training, Therapy, DK Dreams Big, and RAID 3rd Anniversary. Finally, everyone's favorite underdog gets his day in the sun.
"Deathknight became instantly beloved by fans, and we couldn't be more excited to answer the call from so many to finally bring them a Legendary version of Deathknight," said Nick Day, VP of Creative at Plarium. "And to the fans that have always been rooting for the original Deathknight, 6-starring him, and putting him in your lineup regardless of how much weaker it made your team, this Ultimate Deathknight is for you. We (and OG Deathknight) will always appreciate your support and dedication."
Hosting the Ultimate Deathknight event is none other than…. The original Deathknight himself! Alongside the Ultimate Deathknight Champion, Plarium has brought Deathknight to life for the RAID community—and in advertising—using a cutting-edge real-time rendered motion capture avatar. Players can follow the skeleton himself on his Facebook and Twitter at @OGDeathknight for first-look reveal of his new Champion, running campaign commentary, and live appearances from high profile streamers and creators over the coming months.
"I'm so proud to officially announce my partnership with Raid as the face… uh, skull, if you will - of the Ultimate Deathknight Campaign," said Deathknight. "I'll be hosting this amazing event from August 25 through October 27, and I just want to say, this has been… lifechanging. Humbling. I mean, come on - I'm doing press interviews! I met Jeff Goldblum! Heck, I have an agent! To all my fans out there - my "Skeleton Crew" - I wouldn't be here without you pushing for this for all these years. I just want you to know that while I'm getting bigger, stronger, and hopefully better - I'm not gonna change. Let's go get some #Justice4Deathknight."
RAID: Shadow Legends is available to download on iOS and Android mobile devices, as well as PC through the Microsoft Store or the Plarium Play platform.
Plarium Global Ltd. is dedicated to creating the best mobile and PC experience for its community of over 435 million hardcore and casual gamers worldwide. Our diverse portfolio includes over 20 games ranging from hardcore RPGs to casual adventures, featuring acclaimed titles such as RAID: Shadow Legends, Vikings: War of Clans, Lost Island: Blast Adventure, and the Stormfall franchise. The App Store and Google Play regularly feature our games, with Facebook twice recognizing us as a top hardcore Facebook developer. Plarium employs more than 1,800 specialists at its headquarters and across seven offices and development studios in Europe and the United States. Our games are available on iOS, Android, and PC. They are also available through Plarium Play, our optimized game launcher for PC and Mac players. Plarium is part of Pixel United, the global mobile-first games publishing business of Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX code: ALL). Visit www.plarium.com for more information.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Plarium Global | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/raid-shadow-legends-fan-favorite-deathknight-finally-becomes-legendary-champion/ | 2022-08-22T13:09:40Z |
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new debit card will help H-E-B shoppers save on some in-store purchases.
The Texas-based grocer launched a debit account program Monday to give customers 5% cash back on qualifying H-E-B brand products. Cash back will automatically issue to the customer’s account.
The card can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted, the release said. There are no monthly fees for the card, and customers have an optional high-yield savings account. Card users can also get free cash withdrawals at H-E-B ATMs.
“At H-E-B, we’re always looking to provide Texans more ways to save,” said Ashwin Nathan, H-E-B Group vice president of marketing, in a statement. “With the H-E-B debit card, customers can have a more rewarding shopping experience that allows them to keep more money in their pockets while enjoying valuable benefits and perks.”
Applicable H-E-B brands include H-E-B, Hill Country Fare, Meal Simple, Field & Future by H-E-B, Home by H-E-B, Kodi, Cocinaware, H-E-B Kitchen & Table and GTC, according to the grocer.
H-E-B Debit Account applications are now open online at www.hebdebit.com. | https://cw33.com/news/texas-based-h-e-b-launches-debit-card-with-5-cash-back-on-store-brand-items/ | 2022-09-13T15:30:14Z |
The Parent Pass App was designed by Fort Worth families, for Fort Worth families and features a multitude of free parenting resources including a local child care finder, learning resources for kids aged zero to eighteen, family events, neighbor giveaways, and more.
FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Best Place for Kids!, the public-private partnership focused on ensuring every Fort Worth child is on a path to learning and life success, today announces the official launch of their Parent Pass app for Fort Worth families. The Parent Pass app is a first-of-its-kind app designed by parents, for parents, to provide them with all of the information and resources they need as a parent in Fort Worth in one location. The Best Place for Kids! is celebrating the launch of the Parent Pass app with a family-friendly celebration on October 8, 2022.
Parent Pass is free to download and use. The app provides the opportunity for parents to connect with other parents in Fort Worth, and gain instant access to educational opportunities and key resources for families and children from birth through high school. Parent Pass includes unique features such as:
- Local child care finder
- Calendar of free neighborhood events and programs
- Free mental health and wellness resources
- At-home child learning activities and resources
- Ability to exchange freebies with other Fort Worth families
- Real-time crime data for every Fort Worth neighborhood
- Direct access to family and child specialists and emergency hotlines
The app was designed together with 100 Fort Worth families weighing in on every feature - ensuring its relevance and usefulness. These 100 families from across nine diverse neighborhoods in Fort Worth came together each month, spending over 1,200 hours developing and designing key features and functionalities of the app.
"By partnering with Fort Worth families to create the Parent Pass app, we were able to incorporate the specific resources, partners, and supports that matter most to them, and put them in one place. This not only makes the Parent Pass convenient for families, but it helps provide access to many free events and parent-recommended resources that every Fort Worth parent should know about and have access to," said Sadie Funk, Director of The Best Place for Kids! "We hope to build an even more uplifting, empowering community of parents and families here in Fort Worth who are all connected and helping each other through the Parent Pass app."
"I am so proud of the many partners and parents from across this city who have come together to contribute their time and talents to create a one-of-a-kind resource for every local family here in Fort Worth," said Mayor Mattie Parker. "As our city grows, so do our opportunities to innovate and change things for the better - the Parent Pass app is a shining example of what our city can do when we all work together to build a more connected community and a brighter future for every child and family."
To celebrate the launch of the Parent Pass app, The Best Place for Kids! is hosting a free launch celebration on October 8, 2022, at Dream Park featuring games, bounce houses, giveaways, food, and many community partners who will have activities for children of all ages. Families can sign up for the free event at https://parentpass.app/parent-pass-family-launch-party/.
Parents and caregivers who reside in Fort Worth can download the Parent Pass app for free on the App Store or Google Play and view a tutorial on how to use the app at parentpass.app.
The Best Place for Kids! is rooted in the belief that education is about developing the whole child. Together with leaders from philanthropy, education, healthcare, business, nonprofits, and our local cities and counties, we are employing a whole-community, whole-child approach to build a more connected and supportive local ecosystem that enables students and families to thrive. Learn more about The Best Place for Kids! at https://bestplace4kids.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Best Place for Kids! | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/29/best-place-kids-launches-first-of-its-kind-app-connect-fort-worth-parents-with-free-resources-events-education-opportunities/ | 2022-08-29T12:55:53Z |
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. and MINNEAPOLIS, June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Taylor Morrison Home Corporation (NYSE: TMHC), a leading national land developer and homebuilder, and Värde Partners, a leading global alternative investment firm, are pleased to share that they have quickly scaled their Build-to-Rent joint venture. In the first several weeks since the venture's inception, it has closed on nine assets across Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Arizona.
As previously announced in April, the joint venture was established to develop rental properties as a part of Taylor Morrison's Build-to-Rent program. The venture includes $850 million in equity commitments, funded 60 percent by Värde Partners and 40 percent by Taylor Morrison. The agreement provides Värde with the exclusive opportunity to invest in the acquisition and development of Build-to-Rent projects identified by Taylor Morrison that meet the venture's investment guidelines.
The capital will help finance the ongoing expansion of Taylor Morrison's Build-to-Rent program, which began in 2019 through a branding and servicing relationship with Christopher Todd Communities, a successful early adopter of innovative, luxury rental communities.
"The growth in demand for rental housing in high quality suburban areas continues to outpace supply, creating substantial opportunities for institutional capital," said Brendan Bosman, Senior Managing Director at Värde Partners.
"This vehicle offers the ability to efficiently scale our Build-to-Rent platform to capitalize on the attractive market dynamics in the horizontal rental arena with a known and respected capital partner. We believe we are in early innings of the evolution of this attractive space and remain very excited about its growth prospects," said Erik Heuser, Taylor Morrison EVP and Chief Corporate Operations Officer.
In July 2021, the firms also entered into a land banking facility agreement to acquire and develop residential lots across the homebuilder's markets of operation. Värde and Taylor Morrison have closed on 6,800 lots under the arrangement in 11 markets.
Värde Partners has 28 years of experience investing in real estate with substantial equity and credit investments in residential land development and homebuilding transactions. The Build-to-Rent joint venture and land banking facility will further increase Värde's U.S. housing footprint in its target markets.
About Taylor Morrison
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Taylor Morrison is one of the nation's leading homebuilders and developers. We serve a wide array of consumers from coast to coast, including first-time, move-up, luxury, and 55-plus active lifestyle homebuyers under our family of brands—including Taylor Morrison, Esplanade, Darling Homes Collection by Taylor Morrison, and Christopher Todd Communities built by Taylor Morrison. From 2016-2022, Taylor Morrison has been recognized as America's Most Trusted® Builder by Lifestory Research. Our strong commitment to sustainability, our communities, and our team is highlighted in our latest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report on our website. For more information about Taylor Morrison, please visit www.taylormorrison.com.
About Värde Partners
Värde Partners is a leading global alternative investment firm with roots in credit and distressed. Founded in 1993, the firm has invested $90 billion since inception and manages over $13 billion on behalf of a global investor base. The firm's investments span corporate and traded credit, real estate and mortgages, private equity and direct lending. Värde has offices in Minneapolis, New York, London, Singapore and other cities in Asia and Europe. For more information, please visit www.varde.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Taylor Morrison: Alice Giedraitis
+1 (480) 840-8137
agiedraitis@taylormorrison.com
Värde Partners: Andrea Raphael
+1 (212) 321-3784
communications@varde.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Taylor Morrison | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/15/taylor-morrison-vrde-partners-scale-850-million-build-to-rent-joint-venture-with-nine-asset-closings-since-inception/ | 2022-06-15T11:41:47Z |
This invisible COVID-19 mitigation measure is finally getting the attention it deserves
By Amanda Sealy, CNN
Two-plus years into the COVID-19 pandemic, you probably know the basics of protection: vaccines, boosters, proper handwashing and masks. But one of the most powerful tools against the coronavirus is one that experts believe is just starting to get the attention it deserves: ventilation.
Respiratory backwash
“The challenge for organizations that improve air quality is that it’s invisible,” said Joseph Allen, director of the Healthy Buildings Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
It’s true: Other COVID tools are more tangible. But visualizing how the virus might behave in poorly ventilated spaces can help people better understand this mitigation measure.
Allen likens it to cigarette smoke. “If I’m smoking in the corner of a classroom and you have low ventilation/filtration, that room is going to fill up with smoke, and everyone is breathing that same air.”
Then apply that to the outdoors.
“I could be smoking a cigarette, you could be a couple of feet from me, depending which way the wind was blowing, you may not even know I’m smoking.”
If you’re indoors, you could be breathing in less fresh air than you think.
“Everybody in a room together is constantly breathing air that just came out of the lungs of other people in that room. And depending on the ventilation rate, it could be as much as 3% or 4% of the air you’re breathing just came out of the lungs of other people in that room,” Allen said.
He describes this as respiratory backwash.
“Normally, that’s not a problem, right? We do this all the time. We’re always exchanging our respiratory microbiomes with each other. But if someone’s sick and infectious … those aerosols can carry the virus. That’s a problem.”
It’s airborne
“We’ve known for decades how to keep people safe in buildings from infection, from airborne infectious diseases like this one,” Allen said.
From the beginning of the pandemic, Allen and other experts have waved red flags, saying that the way we were thinking about transmission of COVID-19 — surfaces, large respiratory droplets — was missing the point.
“Hand washing and social distancing are appropriate but, in our view, insufficient to provide protection from virus-carrying respiratory microdroplets released into the air by infected people. This problem is especially acute in indoor or enclosed environments, particularly those that are crowded and have inadequate ventilation,” hundreds of scientists stated in an open letter in July 2020.
Eventually, the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged what the experts had been saying all along: that COVID-19 could also spread by small aerosolized particles that can travel more than 6 feet.
The coronavirus itself is very small — about 0.1 microns — but that doesn’t affect how far it can travel.
“The size of the virus itself doesn’t matter because, as we say, the virus is never naked in air. In other words, the virus is always traveling in respiratory particles that develop in our lungs. And those are all different sizes,” Allen said.
Singing or coughing can emit particles as large as 100 microns (almost the width of a human hair), he said, but the virus tends to travel in smaller particles — between 1 and 5 microns.
The size of these particles affects not only how far it can travel but how deeply we can breathe it into our lungs, and how we should approach protecting ourselves from this virus.
“When you’re talking about an airborne disease, there’s the what’s right around you, you know, the sort of the people who you know can cough in your face, the 6 feet thing, and then there’s the broader indoor air, because indoor air is recirculated,” said Max Sherman, a leader on the Epidemic Task Force for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
Dilute and clean
“Outdoors is safer than indoors” has become an accepted mantra with COVID-19. Allen points out that protecting ourselves indoors is where our focus should always be, even beyond the pandemic.
“We’re [an] indoors species. We spend 90% of our time indoors. The air we breathe indoors has a massive impact on our health, whether you think about infectious disease or anything else, but it just has escaped the public consciousness for a long time,” he said.
Making sure our indoor air is healthy is not that complicated, Sherman said. “You just want to reduce the number of particles that might be carrying COVID or any other nasty [virus].”
The way you do that is through ventilation and filtration.
Filtration — just like it sounds — is filtering or cleaning the air, removing the infected particles. But think of ventilation as diluting the air. You’re bringing more fresh air in to reduce the concentration of those particles.
Dilution is exactly why we haven’t seen superspreader events outdoors, Allen says.
“We have hardly any transmission outdoors. Why is that? Unlimited dilution, because you have unlimited ventilation. And so, even in crowded protests or outdoor sporting events like the Super Bowl, we just don’t see superspreading happening. But if we did, we’d have the signal be loud and clear. We just don’t see it. It’s all indoors in these underperforming, unhealthy spaces.”
Healthy spaces
Even before the advent of HVAC systems, ventilation was integrated into many building designs.
The 1901 Tenement Housing Act of New York required every tenement building — a building with multifamily households — to have ventilation, running water and gas light.
Builders added ventilation to many of these buildings with a shaft in the middle that runs from the roof to the ground, allowing more airflow.
“In the late 19th century, people are finally starting to understand how disease spreads. So airshafts and the accompanying ventilation were seen as a solution to the public health crises that were happening in tenement buildings,” said Katheryn Lloyd, director of programming at the Tenement Museum. “There were high cases of tuberculosis, diphtheria and other diseases that spread. Now we know that spread sort of through the air.”
Today, we’re facing the same challenge.
“Getting basic ventilation in your home is important, full stop,” Sherman said.
One of the easiest, cheapest ways to do that is to open your windows.
Open doors or windows at opposite ends of your home to create cross-ventilation, the Environmental Protection Agency advises. Opening the highest and lowest windows — especially if on different floors — of a home can also increase ventilation. Adding an indoor fan can take it even further.
“If a single fan is used, it should be facing (and blowing air) in the same direction the air is naturally moving. You can determine the direction the air is naturally moving by observing the movement of drapes or by holding a light fabric or dropping paper clippings and noting which direction they move,” the EPA says.
Just cracking a window can help a lot, Allen says: “Even propping a window open a couple inches to really facilitate higher air changes, especially if you do it in multiple places in the house, so you can create some pressure differentials.”
It’s important to note that if you have an HVAC system, it must be running to actually circulate or filter the air. The EPA says that these systems run less than 25% of the time during heating and cooling seasons.
“Most of the controls these days have a setting where you can run the fan on low all the time. And that’s usually the best thing to do because that makes sure you’re getting you’re pushing air through the filter all the time and mixing the air up in your in your home,” Sherman advised.
This could be something to keep in mind if you’re going to have visitors or if someone in the household is at higher risk for severe illness.
Choose the most efficient filter your HVAC system can handle, and make sure you routinely change the filters.
Filters have a minimum efficiency reporting value, or MERV, rating that indicates how well they capture small particles. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers recommends using at least a MERV-13 filter, which it says is at least 85% efficient at capturing particles from 1 to 3 microns.
If that’s not an option, portable air filters can also work well, but the EPA says to use one that is made for the intended room size and meets at least one of these criteria:
- Designed as high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA)
- CADR rated
- Manufacturer says the device will remove most particles below 1 micron
Finding a safe space
When you walk into a space, there’s no good rule of thumb to look around and gauge how well-ventilated it might be, and that can be a challenge when people have been tasked with assessing their own risk.
Allen suggests starting with the basics: Make sure you’re up to date with vaccinations and aware of where COVID-19 numbers stand in your community.
But then it gets harder. Even the number of people in a space isn’t a giveaway of a higher-risk situation.
“The more people in there could be higher-risk because you’re more likely to have someone who’s infectious, but if the ventilation is good, it really doesn’t matter.”
Ventilation standards are based on “an amount of fresh air per person, plus the amount of fresh air per square foot,” Allen explained. “So if you have a good system, the more people that enter the room, the more ventilation is brought in to the room.”
One tool that can help you assess ventilation in a room is a CO2 monitor, something Allen wishes he saw more in public spaces. He likes to carry a portable one, which you can order online for between $100 and $200.
“If you see under 1,000 parts per million, generally, you’re hitting the ventilation targets that are the design standard. But remember, these are not health-based standards. So we want to see higher ventilation rates.”
Allen prefers to see CO2 at or under 800 parts per million. He also notes that just because a space has low CO2 levels, it might not be unsafe if filtration is high, like on an airplane.
A gamechanger for schools
Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Lisa Herring says the installation of 5,000 air filtration units — enough for every classroom — in her school district is “a gamechanger.”
The district had begun upgrading HVAC systems in several schools even before the pandemic, but federal funding allowed it to add filtration units during a crucial time when masks have become optional.
“It gives a greater level of confidence for us as a system to know that our air filtration systems are in place,” Herring said.
School districts all over the country have been jumping at the opportunity for ventilation upgrades made possible by an influx of federal funding.
An analysis in February by FutureEd, a think tank at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, found that public schools had earmarked $4.4 billion for HVAC projects, which could grow to almost $10 billion if trends continued.
New Hampshire’s Manchester School District is pouring almost $35 million into upgrading HVAC systems, and interim Superintendent Jennifer Gillis says federal funding is “absolutely key.”
“You think about a district of our size with all the competing demands and the need to be fiscally responsible, a $35 million project, that’s a large project to introduce to our budget. Having those funds available to us lets us do 19 projects — and 19 projects in a very short span of time.”
For Gillis, ventilation has been an important mitigation strategy and an unobtrusive way to keep people safe.
“It’s something that most in the building don’t think about, but it’s a very passive way for us to create safety within the schools. Since the beginning, the goal was always ‘let’s get our kids in, let’s get our staff in, but let’s do it in a way that’s safe for all of them.’ ”
Good ventilation isn’t only about keeping students safe from COVID-19, Sherman says. It can also improve their performance in school.
“They’re going to learn better; they’re going to be awake more; they’re going to be more receptive. They’re going to be healthier if they’ve got good indoor air quality,” he said.
Finally front and center
Helping solidify ventilation’s role in the COVID-19 battle, the Biden administration announced a Clean Air in Buildings Challenge last month.
The challenge calls on building operators and owners to improve ventilation by following guidelines laid out by the EPA.
The main actions include creating a clean indoor air action plan, optimizing fresh air ventilation, enhancing air filtration and cleaning, and engaging the building community by communicating with occupants to increase awareness, commitment and participation.
The message may seem overdue, but it’s one that Allen enthusiastically welcomed.
“The White House used its pulpit to say unequivocally that clean air and buildings matter. That’s massive. Regardless of what you think about what will happen next with implementation or what happens with the funding. That is a crystal-clear message that is already being heard by businesses, nonprofits, universities and state leaders. I see these changes happening already.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/health/coronavirus/2022/04/11/this-invisible-covid-19-mitigation-measure-is-finally-getting-the-attention-it-deserves-2/ | 2022-04-11T17:36:05Z |
Longtime Emporia business owner remembered as a “force”
EMPORIA, Kan. (WIBW) - A longtime Emporia businesswoman is being remembered as a “force” by local leaders.
KVOE reports that on Tuesday, Sept. 6, community leaders and local business owners fondly remembered longtime local business owner Sharon Ewing who passed away on Monday.
According to KVOE, Ewing was best known as the owner of Designs by Sharon which opened in 1993.
Riverside Gardens owner Vickie Triemer - who employed Ewing before she opened Designs by Sharon - said she was a hard worker who cared tremendously for customers.
On top of her work as a florist, Ewing was also one of the first to take advantage of Emporia’s Rural Housing Incentive development opportunity.
In coordination with Emporia Main Street, Ewing started to update the second floor of her business at 703 Commercial St. in December 2021. She planned to turn a 3-bedroom apartment into a 2-bedroom apartment with a den and turn an office space into a separate 3-bedroom apartment.
Emporia Main Street Director Case Woods told KVOE that Ewing was a “force.”
Funeral arrangements for Ewing are currently pending.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/09/06/longtime-emporia-business-owner-remembered-force/ | 2022-09-06T19:57:22Z |
The Family-Owned Brand Will Debut a Limited-Edition Anniversary Bottle as Demand for the Miracle Solution Soars
WALLA WALLA, Wash., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognized by customers and retailers as one of the most powerful red wine stain removers in the market, Wine Away celebrates its 25th Anniversary this June. In anticipation of the milestone, the brand has released an Anniversary Collection on WineAway.com that offers the signature stain fighter packaged in a limited-edition anniversary bottle, branded tote bag, and City Roast, a specialty coffee blend from a local roastery.
"Wine Away is truly one of those accidental discoveries – a product that was designed to be an all-purpose cleaner and degreaser, ended up being this amazing red wine stain remover," said Staci Wanichek, CEO of Wine Away. "25 years later, we still use the same formula and original label design."
Founded in 1997 by Staci Wanichek and her mother, Cheryl Corn, the USA-made solution was originally developed as a part-time side project. After discovering that it was safe and consistently powerful on removing the toughest of stains, the pair spent weekends traveling to wine regions from Washington to California, demonstrating the quality and effectiveness of Wine Away in-person so people could watch how incredibly the product performed on stains in a live setting.
Since its founding, Wine Away has garnered numerous awards and accolades. Rated as Good Housekeeping's Best Overall Stain Remover and with over 1,500 five-star reviews on Amazon, Wine Away has become a household name and essential cleaning product - with fans ranging from families to businesses and restaurants. The company is still family-owned and operated today, with all Wine Away products manufactured and distributed in Walla Walla, Washington.
"Building the brand to what it is today, we faced many challenges and obstacles, but I wouldn't want it any other way. We're excited about all the relationships we've created and love hearing from customers how Wine Away saved the day," Wanichek added.
Today, the legacy carries on. Staci's son, Jack Wanichek, now oversees marketing and social media for the brand, while Staci continues actively leading the company's team in developing domestic and global strategies. Wine Away is still thriving after a quarter century, and with Staci's guidance and unwavering support from the Wanichek family, the company is poised to take on a new generation of brand fans as it continues to evolve.
Wine Away is currently sold in major retailers throughout the United States and has expanded internationally to 17 countries. The product line is available online at WineAway.com, Amazon, World Market, Sur la Table, Total Wine and BevMo! along with many other specialty wine shops, wineries, and wine catalogs.
For more information about Wine Away and its 25 years of success, visit wineaway.com.
Founded in 1997, Wine Away is a remarkable red wine stain remover, offering the best solution to the world's biggest party-related problems. Wine Away is formulated to remove both fresh and dried wine stains on clothing, upholstery, and carpeting, and is also effective on pet accidents, coffee, blood, and ink.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Wine Away | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/31/wine-away-celebrates-25-years-leading-stain-remover-market/ | 2022-05-31T22:31:18Z |
RESTON, Va., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) today declared a regular quarterly dividend of $1.26 per share on the company's common stock, payable November 10, 2022, to shareholders of record on October 7, 2022.
General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; and technology products and services. General Dynamics employs more than 100,000 people worldwide and generated $38.5 billion in revenue in 2021. More information about General Dynamics is available at www.gd.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE General Dynamics | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/general-dynamics-board-declares-dividend/ | 2022-08-03T18:58:47Z |
Services for Dylan Dwight Cathey, 25, of Nolanville, will be 11 a.m. today at Freedom Road Biker Church in Belton.
Please log in, or sign up for a
new account and
Subscribe for as little as $4
to continue reading.
To submit a free obituary, please email tdt@tdtnews.com.
To submit a paid obituary, please email advertiz@tdtnews.com with verbiage, along with an optional photograph.
Services for Dylan Dwight Cathey, 25, of Nolanville, will be 11 a.m. today at Freedom Road Biker Church in Belton.
Mr. Cathey died Sunday, Sept. 4, in Nolanville.
He was born Dec. 14, 1996, in Temple to Daniel Cathey and Valerie Smith. He worked for Trinity Exterior Group.
Survivors include two sons, Dwight Cathey and Waylon Cathey; a daughter, Madi Cathey; and her parents.
Harper-Talasek Funeral Home in Temple is in charge of arrangements. | https://www.tdtnews.com/obituaries/article_9b1358ae-2fb8-11ed-a43c-4b187b850853.html | 2022-09-09T07:41:09Z |
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A jury on Tuesday acquitted a commercial truck driver of causing the deaths of seven motorcyclists in a horrific head-on collision in northern New Hampshire that exposed fatal flaws in the processing of license revocations across states.
Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 26, of West Springfield, Massachusetts, was found innocent on seven counts of manslaughter, seven counts of negligent homicide and one count of reckless conduct in connection with the June 21, 2019, crash in Randolph. Jailed since the crash, he appeared to wipe away tears as the verdict was read and briefly raised his index finger skyward before leaving the courtroom.
Jurors deliberated for less than three hours after a two-week trial during which prosecutors argued that Zhukovskyy — who had taken heroin, fentanyl and cocaine earlier on the day of the crash — repeatedly swerved back and forth before the collision and told police he caused it. But a judge dismissed eight charges related to whether he was impaired, and his attorneys blamed the lead biker, Albert “Woody” Mazza Jr., saying he was drunk and not looking where he was going when he lost control of his motorcycle and slid in front of Zhukovskyy’s truck.
“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. Our trial team did an excellent job and we firmly believe that the State proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt,” New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said in a statement.
Zhukovskyy’s family, some of whom attended the trial, said in a statement they were grateful to God, the court and the defense attorneys for an “honest and fair trial.”
“Our family expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends affected by this tragedy,” the family said, describing him as a “very honest and kind man. He would never have done anything to hurt anyone.”
Zhukovskyy, who was born in Ukraine, remained jailed as of late Tuesday afternoon. It is unclear when he might be released. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued an immigration detainer on him after the crash and that was executed following the verdict, said Ben Champagne, the superintendent at the Coos County Department of Corrections.
ICE said in a statement that Zhukovskyy has been served a notice to appear before an immigration judge and will remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of that appearance. It did not say where he is being held.
All seven motorcyclists killed were members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club. After the verdict, a member of the Marine group reached through Facebook declined to comment. Mazza’s father, also named Albert, said he was stunned.
“Killing seven people and he gets off. That is unbelievable,” said Mazza. He described his son as a “good man” who devoted much of his time to charity, and said it was wrong to pin blame on him.
“It doesn’t make much sense,” he said. “There are seven people dead. There are seven families affected. It’s strange that he didn’t get something.”
The motorcyclists who died were from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island and ranged in age from 42 to 62. They were part of a larger group that had just left a motel along U.S. Route 2 in Randolph.
Killed were Mazza, of Lee, New Hampshire; Edward and Jo-Ann Corr, a couple from Lakeville, Massachusetts; Michael Ferazzi, of Contoocook, New Hampshire; Desma Oakes, of Concord, New Hampshire; Daniel Pereira, of Riverside, Rhode Island; and Aaron Perry, of Farmington, New Hampshire.
In closing statements Tuesday morning, the two sides raised questions about who was more “all over the place”: the trucker accused of swerving back and forth across the road or the eyewitnesses accused of contradicting each other.
“Those witnesses were all over the place about what they recalled and what they claimed to have seen,” said defense attorney Jay Duguay.
Duguay also accused prosecutors of ignoring that their own accident reconstruction unit contradicted their theory that Zhukovskyy crossed into the oncoming lane. An expert hired by the defense, meanwhile, testified that the crash happened on the center line of the road and would have occurred even if the truck was in the middle of its lane because Mazza’s motorcycle was heading in that direction.
“From the beginning of this investigation, the state had made up their mind about what had happened, evidence be damned,” said Duguay, who also highlighted inconsistencies between witness accounts or when witnesses contradicted themselves.
In particular, Duguay suggested that the bikers “shaded” their accounts to protect Mazza and the club. Prosecutor Scott Chase acknowledged some inconsistencies, but asked jurors to remember the circumstances.
“People were covering the dead, trying to save the barely living, comforting the dying. This wasn’t story time,” he said. “They were up here talking about some of the most unimaginable chaos, trauma, death and carnage that we can even imagine three years later. They were talking about hell broke open.”
Witnesses were consistent, he argued, in describing the truck as weaving back and forth before the crash. That behavior continued “until he killed people,” Chase said.
“That’s what stopped him. It’s not that he made some responsible decision to start paying attention or do the right thing,” he said. “The only thing that stopped him was an embankment after he tore through a group of motorcycles.”
Chase called the attempt to blame Mazza a “fanciful story” and “frivolous distraction,” while reminding jurors that Zhukovskyy, who didn’t testify at trial, told investigators “Obviously, I caused the crash.”
“He was crystal clear from the very beginning that he caused this crash,” Chase said. “That is what he said, because that is what happened.”
Zhukovskyy’s commercial driving license should have been revoked in Massachusetts at the time of the crash because of a drunken driving arrest in Connecticut about two months earlier.
Connecticut officials alerted the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, but Zhukovskyy’s license wasn’t suspended due to a backlog of out-of-state notifications about driving offenses. In a review, federal investigators found similar backlog problems in Rhode Island, New Hampshire and at least six other jurisdictions.
___
Associated Press Writers Michael Casey and Kathy McCormack contributed to this report. | https://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-us-headlines/jury-deliberations-start-in-deadly-motorcycle-crash-trial/ | 2022-08-10T18:05:56Z |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.