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 |
|---|---|---|
(NEXSTAR) – Americans on the move are largely heading to the South and West, especially to areas in Texas and Arizona, newly recently data from the Census Bureau has found. Yet while many cities and towns were growing, some of the nation’s largest were suffering population losses.
Between the summers of 2020 and 2021, Census data found cities in these regions – eight in the West, seven in the South – had the greatest rate of population growth. Seeing the largest increase was Georgetown, Texas, with a rate of 10.5%. Found about 30 miles north of Austin, Georgetown’s population could double in less than seven years if its growth continues at the same rate, researchers found.
Roughly 12 miles west of Georgetown is Leander, the country’s second-fastest-growing city. A third Texas city, New Braunfels, which is found between Austin and San Antonio, also landed in the top five fastest-growing.
Five Arizona cities ranked in the top 15 fastest-growing, while Idaho, Texas, and Florida each had three.
Here are the 15 fastest-growing cities in the U.S.:
When comparing the total number of people moving in, the Census Bureau found cities in the South and West still had the greatest increase. Again, a Texas city topped the list: San Antonio, with an increase of 13,626 people. Close behind was Phoenix at 13,224.
Seven cities had both high rates of growth and numeric growth: Port St. Lucie, Buckeye, New Braunfels, Georgetown, Meridian, Leander, and Fort Myers.
These 15 cities welcomed the most new residents between 2020 and 2021:
Among the nation’s most populous cities, more than half saw their population decrease between 2020 and 2021: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, and Indianapolis.
New York City, which suffered the greatest population decrease at 305,465, still held onto its title as the most populous. The Big Apple edged out Los Angeles and Chicago, with the rankings throughout the list remaining the same as they were in 2020.
Here are the U.S.’s 15 most populous cities:
Seven U.S. cities surpassed a major milestone in 2021 and recorded a population of 50,000 or more. Among those are three from Texas – Kyle, Burleson, and Little Elm. Also in that select group are the Indiana cities of Westfield and Jefferson, as well as Lincoln, California, and Newark, Ohio. Another six cities saw their population surpass 100,000 in 2021. Among those are Bend, Oregon; Fishers and Carmel in Indiana; and three in Arizona – Tuscaloosa, Goodyear, and Buckeye.
The majority of cities and towns in the U.S. have a population under 5,000, according to Census data, yet they are home to less than 1% of Americans. Cities with a population of 50,000 and more – of which there are less than 800 – hold more than 60% of the country’s people.
Reasons for population changes vary from city to city, driven by housing costs, jobs, births and deaths. The pandemic and the lockdown that followed in spring 2020 made living in a crowded city less appealing for a time, and those who could leave — workers who could do their jobs remotely, for example — sometimes did.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/these-were-the-fastest-growing-cities-in-2021-census-data/ | 2022-05-27T20:26:18Z |
(ISeeCars) – Used car prices are up 16.9 percent over last year as the microchip shortage continues to impact the automotive industry, according to iSeeCars.com’s latest analysis of nearly 2 million used car sales in May. This is down from a 23.9 percent increase in April and marks the fourth straight month of used car price declines.
“While used car prices have seen minor decreases for the fourth consecutive month, prices remain elevated due to lingering supply constraints,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “We are also seeing a significant increase in demand for used hybrid and electric vehicles as a result of high gas prices, with the cost of electrics increasing by 37.7 percent and hybrid cars increasing by 32.1 percent compared to last year.”
Although the average used car has significantly increased in price, iSeeCars’s analysis also found some vehicles have lower-than-average increases, making them smarter buys for consumers in the market for a used car. “While these used models are still more expensive than last year, they haven’t been as drastically impacted by price hikes,” said Brauer.
Top 10 Used Cars With the Greatest Price Increases
The top ten vehicles with the greatest price increases have price changes from 1.9 to 2.8 times the average vehicle’s price increase and are primarily alternative-fuel vehicles. “Small cars have become the only affordable used car option for a growing segment of the population, and their price increases reflect the high demand these otherwise low-demand vehicles have experienced in recent years,” said Brauer.
The vehicle with the largest price increase is the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, which had a price increase of 47.8 percent over May 2021. It’s joined by three additional hybrid vehicles, the Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, the Toyota Prius, and the Toyota Avalon Hybrid. “Hybrid vehicles are in high demand due to soaring gas prices, with the hybrid category as a whole increasing in price by 32.1 percent,” said Brauer. “Hybrid sedans have seen a resurgence in popularity after falling out of favor as consumers previously embraced hybrid SUVs due to their more affordable price and fuel-efficient drivetrains.”
Two electric cars make the list including the Nissan LEAF and the Tesla Model S. “The price increase for the Nissan LEAF, which was once the highest depreciating car on the market, is likely due to the surge in gas prices as well as the heightened desirability for the redesigned 2018 model that offers increased range and is now coming off lease to enter the used car market,” said Brauer. “Meanwhile, demand for used versions of the Model S waned in recent months as consumers embraced the more affordable Model 3 and the Model X SUV. But the long wait times for new versions of the Model S, which include March 2023 at the earliest for the base model, has driven consumers to the used market.”
Two small gasoline cars make the list including the Kia Rio subcompact car and the Fiat 500x subcompact SUV. “The Kia Rio is among the most affordable vehicles on the market, while the Fiat 500x is the most affordable SUV,” said Brauer. “These vehicles, priced at $20,000 and below, are attainable for new drivers and those looking for affordable transportation, even after their large increase in price over the past year.”
Two luxury vehicles on both ends of the luxury car pricing spectrum round out the list: the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and the BMW 3 Series. “The wait time for a new version of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class is over a year, so buyers who want this opulent off-roader are turning to the used car marketplace,” said Brauer. “The BMW 3 Series entry-level small sedan has likely seen a rise in demand because it provides practicality and quality for those looking to purchase a luxury car.”
Used Car Price Increases By Bodytype and Fuel Type
iSeeCars further analyzed used car prices by looking at the price increases in March 2022 compared to March 2021 by body style and fuel type.
The three bodytypes that have the largest price increases are hatchbacks, wagons, and sedans respectively. “Hatchbacks, wagons, and sedans have the lowest average prices among all bodytypes, which further illustrates the heightened demand for affordable transportation,” said Brauer. “Additionally, coupes and trucks were the first segments to see big price increases more than a year ago, so their increase over the past 12 months is smaller relative to other body types while minivans have not seen as big of an increase in demand compared to other segments.
Hybrid and electric vehicles had used car price increases well above the average for all fuel types. “The rapid increase in gas prices over the past few months has led to a surge in demand for hybrid and electric vehicles,” said Brauer.
Top 10 Used Cars With the Smallest Price Changes
The top ten vehicles with the smallest price differences over the past year are primarily trucks and sports cars.
Two American sports cars make the list, including the first-ranked Chevrolet Camaro and the eighth-ranked Ford Mustang. “Sports cars were among the vehicle segments that saw the earliest price increases during the pandemic, so their year-over-year price increases aren’t as dramatic as other vehicle segments because prices for them were already high in May 2021.”
Six pickup trucks make the list, including the second-ranked Ford F-150, the fourth-ranked Nissan Titan XD, the fifth-ranked Toyota Tundra, the sixth-ranked Nissan Titan, the seventh-ranked Honda Ridgeline, and the ninth-ranked Chevrolet Silverado 1500. “The Nissan Titan and its XD heavy-duty-ish model are the slowest-selling trucks in the full-size segment, and the Honda Ridgeline is among the slowest-selling in the compact/midsize truck segment, reflecting low demand in the used vehicle marketplace,” said Brauer. “Conversely, the Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, and the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are all popular pickup trucks and reflect the low year-over-year price increases for the pickup truck segment because their prices were already elevated in May 2021.”
The full-size Nissan Armada ranks third. “The Nissan Armada is one of the slowest-selling vehicles in the segment, and the demand for this gas-guzzling vehicle has likely dropped further amid high gas prices,” said Brauer.
The Maserati Levante luxury SUV rounds out the list. “The Maserati Levante is one of the most expensive vehicles in its class, which could explain why its price increase is lower than competitive models,” said Brauer.
Why Are Used Cars So Expensive? Chip Shortage Explained
The prices of used cars are at record highs because demand is exceeding supply. Microchip suppliers paused production in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to protect workers, and the economic slowdown caused automakers to order fewer computer chips while demand for personal electronic devices increased. As demand for new vehicles recovered, microchip factories became overwhelmed. Automakers were forced to stop new vehicle production due to a supply chain shortage of microchips and semiconductors. As a result of the production disruptions, more car buyers bought used cars due to a scarcity of new cars. There was also increased demand for used cars when many consumers moved away from cities and required personal vehicles as people abandoned public transportation during the pandemic. The heightened demand was coupled with reduced supply at dealerships as less people were trading in their old cars, leading to a shortage of used cars. The resulting shortage has caused record high prices for used cars.
And it’s not just used cars that are experiencing price hikes. New car prices have risen too, with the average brand new car transacting above sticker price. Car companies have also slashed incentives due to the shortage of new cars, which has elevated the average price paid for new cars and caused buyers to pay over MSRP. Moreover, the Russia/Ukraine conflict is expected to further elevate new vehicle prices as Russia is a key supplier of nickel, palladium, and aluminum, all of which are required for vehicle production.
“While consumers were previously advised to wait to purchase a used car if they were able to do so, new geopolitical factors are expected to exacerbate and prolong the present used car price increases,” said Brauer. “The best way for American consumers to avoid significantly higher prices while car shopping for the foreseeable future is to either maintain their current vehicle or purchase a used vehicle that isn’t in high demand, and to be as flexible as possible with factors such as color and trim.”
More from iSeeCars.com:
Methodology
iSeeCars.com analyzed nearly 2 million 1-5-year-old used car sales in May 2021 and 2022. The average listing prices of each car model were compared between the two time periods, and the differences were expressed as both a percentage difference from the 2021 price as well as a dollar difference. Heavy-duty vehicles, low-volume vehicles, vehicles discontinued as of the 2022 model year, and vehicles with fewer than 4 of the 5 model years for each period were excluded from further analysis.
About iSeeCars.com
iSeeCars.com is a car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check reports and Best Cars rankings. iSeeCars.com has saved users over $332 million so far by applying big data analytics powered by over 25 billion (and growing) data points and using proprietary algorithms to objectively analyze, score and rank millions of new cars and used cars.
This article, Used Car Prices Fall in May, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/used-car-prices-are-cooling-but-not-evenly-across-all-models/ | 2022-06-26T15:41:32Z |
Passengers on a Manhattan-bound train had to dodge bullets while being blinded by smoke during the Tuesday morning commute, setting off a manhunt for a gunman whose motives are still unknown.
Commuters were riding the subway as it neared the 36th Street subway station in Brooklyn's Sunset Park just before 8:30 a.m. when the gunman opened two smoke grenades, brandished a 9 mm handgun and fired at least 33 times striking 10 people -- seven men and three women -- according to NYPD Chief of Detectives James W. Essig.
Those 10 people were moved to area hospitals. An additional 13 people were injured via smoke inhalation, falling down or panic attacks, Essig said. Hospital representatives told CNN Tuesday's shooting left at least 29 people injured, who were treated at three nearby hospitals for injuries, none of which are life-threatening.
"We saw a quiet Tuesday morning turn an N train into a war zone as a smoke bomb was detonated, and multiple shots rang out," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, adding the quick response from MTA, passengers and first responders saved lives.
Five of the victims injured were students commuting to school, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told reporters outside Maimonides Medical Center. She said she met with a 12-year-old, a 13-year-old, a 16-year-old and two 18-year-olds at the hospital, which is the only pediatric trauma hospital in the area.
A credit card and keys to a U-Haul van that had been rented in Philadelphia were found at the scene, police said. Both items helped investigators find a U-Haul van in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn Tuesday afternoon.
The bomb squad cleared the van and then it will be transported to a forensic location where the FBI NYPD and others can go through the vehicle in a controlled indoor environment.
The NYPD identified a man named Frank James, 62, as a "person of interest" in the shooting. James is believed to be the renter of the U-Haul vehicle found in Brooklyn and has addresses in both Wisconsin and Philadelphia, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said Tuesday.
"Mr. James is just a person of interest we know right now who rented that U-Haul van in Philadelphia," Essig said. "The key to that U-Haul van was found in the subway in our shooter's possessions. We don't know right now if Mr. James has any connection to the subway. That's still under investigation."
The van was rented on Monday from a U-Haul store in Philadelphia, according to company records obtained by CNN. The rental agreement obtained by CNN shows the U-Haul reservation was made Wednesday, and was scheduled to be picked up Monday at 2:01 p.m. The van was supposed to be rented for two days, according to the reservation.
The records show James rented the van using a Wisconsin license with a Milwaukee address.
NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said there are possibly some social media postings connected to James in which he mentions homelessness, New York and Mayor Eric Adams. The mayor's security detail was heightened out of an abundance of caution, Sewell said.
New York City agencies are offering a joint $50,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the suspect involved in Tuesday's shooting, according to a statement from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
Later at the scene, investigators found a Glock 9 mm handgun, three extended magazines, two detonated smoke grenades, two non-detonated smoke grenades, a hatchet and a U-Haul key, Essig said. The key led to authorities finding the van in Brooklyn.
Two officials said they believe the gun jammed during the shooting. Sewell said there were no known active explosive devices on the train. The attack is not being investigated as an act of terrorism, but authorities have not ruled anything out, she said.
The photo gallery below contains graphic images. Viewer discretion is advised.
Anthony Valentino, who lives a block from the subway station, said he saw emergency responders outside his home and so went out to find people bloodied and in shock.
"I saw two people holding up a man who was all bloodied, blood all over his hands, and he was in shock, walking like a zombie before sitting to the floor," Valentino said. "I felt horrible for him."
The incident comes amid a rise in shootings in New York over the past two years and a particular rise in violence on the subway that has become a focus of Mayor Eric Adams' administration. Transit crime, broadly, is up 68% compared to last year, numbers closer to where they were at pre-pandemic levels, according to an NYPD summary of statistics current through Sunday.
The city tweeted later Tuesday because of the MTA disruptions, the NYC Ferry is waiving fares on the South Brooklyn route for the rest of the day and will "provide additional service during the evening commute."
Witness says he sat next to shooting suspect
Hourari Benkada, 27, told CNN he was sitting next to the subway shooting suspect on the "N" train Tuesday morning and was shot in the back of his knee while trying to flee.
"I feel shocked, I feel shaky, I don't know if I can ever ride a train," Benkada, a lifelong New Yorker, told CNN after coming out of surgery.
Benkada, a Housekeeping Manager at the New Yorker Hotel, said he got on the last car of the N train and sat next to a man with a duffel bag who was wearing an MTA vest. The man then let off a "smoke bomb" and started shooting about 20 seconds after the train took off, Benkada said.
Benkada said he was focused on helping a pregnant woman, who he feared would get hurt as people rushed to the front of the car to avoid the shooter, when he got shot, describing it as "the worst pain of my entire life."
He explained the bullet hit him in the back of his knee and came out the other side. Doctors told him the bullet grazed his kneecap. He is expected to walk on his own after several weeks on crutches.
Benkada said he heard other people in pain but was unable to see them or the suspect because of the smoke.
Claire Tunkel, 46, told CNN she took off her jacket and tied it around the leg of a man who suffered a gunshot wound from Tuesday's subway shooting in Brooklyn. Tunkel, who went to the hospital for smoke inhalation, said several gunshot victims were laying on the floor of the subway platform after the train arrived at the station.
"One of the guys who was shot, his leg was bleeding pretty bad, so I took off my jacket and tied it around his leg," she said.
Tunkel was in the subway car where the shooting took place and described the scene as chaotic. While she couldn't see anything because of the smoke, she said she heard people crying out for help and others who said they were bleeding.
"You couldn't see anything, but you could feel it," she said. People were rushing to the front of the car, and some fell to the ground, she noted. "You could feel the bodies."
Yav Montano told CNN he was on the express train heading to work when smoke filled the subway car and he heard what sounded like fireworks. The train was between stations at the time, so panicked passengers tried to move to another train car to get further away from the smoke, he said.
"The whole car was engulfed in smoke," he said. "I couldn't even use my mask anymore because it was black with smoke. It was ridiculous."
About 40 to 50 people were on the train at the time, he said. He was not sure how many were injured but said he saw a lot of blood on the floor of the train. When the train arrived at the 36th Street station, the passengers fled off the train onto the platform in a rush.
Photojournalist Derek French told CNN Tuesday he leveraged his Red Cross first aid training to help victims.
"Nobody was expecting it," he said, explaining he had just stepped off the express N train after conductors said it was out of service.
As French moved toward the front of the train, he noticed the platform getting significantly less crowded, but significantly more smoky. Then, he saw a pool of blood, and victims nearby. At first, French said he thought they had been stabbed, but soon realized they'd been shot.
After snapping a few photos, French said he put his camera bag down and went to help the four victims he remembered were laying on the ground. While helping them, French discovered the victim had been shot in the ankle and was bleeding.
"I used my windbreaker to make an additional tourniquet as far up the limb as possible to slow it or ensure that another gunshot that I don't see is restricted from blood flood," he said.
A video taken by a subway rider shows people rushing off the train after it pulls into the station. Smoke pours from the car where the shooting took place, and people are heard screaming, the video shows. An individual is seen helping an injured and bleeding person dressed in a blue hoodie off the train. Another man hobbles off the train shortly after, the video shows.
Surveillance video from within the station may not be available. A preliminary review indicates there was some sort of malfunction with the camera system at the station, Adams told WCBS Radio 880 AM. There are almost 10,000 cameras in the MTA system including almost 600 cameras on the Brooklyn section of where the attack took place, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber told CNN's Jake Tapper.
"We're going to work with the NYPD to capture all that video to find out where this criminal may have come in or out of the system," Lieber said. "And we're also just reviewing with everybody who is involved, all of the information."
The NYPD activated the city's "Unified Victim Identification System" (UVIS) Tuesday in response to the subway shooting, the department tweeted. The UVIS is a "disaster management system that manages and coordinates all of the activities related to missing persons reporting and victim identification" and enables "centralized communications and data collection processes," according to an official city guide on the system.
The system was previously used in response to various emergencies in New York City, including the East Harlem building explosion and Hurricane Sandy. It was also activated in April 2020, so New Yorkers could file a report about a friend or loved one who may have gone missing due to Covid-19.
Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood is located in the southwest part of the borough and has a significant number of residents who are Asian and Hispanic. Each group makes about a third of its more than 135,000 residents, according to US Census data. The southern part of the neighborhood has emerged as Brooklyn's Chinatown due to its growing population of immigrants from the Fujian province in China.
Shootings on the rise in New York
The shooting comes as violence in New York City and across the US has increased since the Covid-19 pandemic, reversing a decades long decline.
In New York, more than 360 people have been shot this year in 322 shooting incidents, increases of about 8% and 9% from last year, respectively, according to data reported by NYPD through Sunday. Over the last two years, shootings in New York are up 72.2 percent, and shooting victims up 70.4 percent.
Tuesday's subway attack is the second mass shooting, defined as at least four people shot, in Brooklyn this year and the fourth in New York State, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The first Brooklyn mass shooting of the year was on January 13 at a Brooklyn event hall. There have been more than 100 mass shootings in the US so far this year.
Lieber, the MTA chair and CEO, said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Adams made commitments very early on in the new year to keeping the city's subway system safe.
"They have put more officers both on the platforms and on the train where people feel vulnerable," Lieber explained, "And there are, you know, there's an enormous effort to reach out to some of the people who for whatever reason have been sheltering in the subway system."
In February New York City unveiled a comprehensive plan, dubbed The Subway Safety Plan, aimed at combating crime and addressing homelessness in the subway system to expand response teams of health, police and community officials across the city.
Mayor Adams emphasized the entire nation is witnessing a high level of violence, not only New York City.
"We're facing is a problem that is hitting our entire nation right now and that is why this is a national response," Adams told CNN's Dana Bash. "We need a national response to this issue."
Including Tuesday's shooting, there have been 131 mass shootings in America this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit tracking gun death and injury. Those shootings left 141 people dead and 547 people wounded.
As a result of the attack, the Brooklyn Nets told fans to expect an "increased security presence" at Tuesday night's postseason play-in tournament game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center, the team tweeted Tuesday.
"Your safety and security is our top priority, and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners," the tweet read. "Fans should plan to arrive early and expect an increased security presence at Barclays Center."
Mass transit systems in the US increased patrols and asked the public to report anything unusual in the wake of the attack. In California, both the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) have either increased police presence at stations or are on "heightened alert" as a result of the incident in New York.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Laura Kavanagh's last name.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/a-quiet-morning-commute-on-a-brooklyn-subway-quickly-became-a-war-zone-leaving-more/article_ebca625f-924d-5e77-9d90-cbc0bbd82d55.html | 2022-04-13T09:17:54Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blockworks' Digital Asset Summit (DAS) returns for its fourth year — this time, to The Glasshouse in New York City on Sept. 13-14, 2022. A record number of investors will be attending, as governments and institutions alike recognize the impact and maturation of digital assets.
"Institutional involvement hasn't slowed down despite the market crash," said Blockworks' co-founder Michael Ippolito. "Today we're seeing more interest from everyone from BlackRock to bulge brackets, and everyone in between."
DAS: NYC will bring together financial institutions, family offices, financial advisers, investment banks, crypto protocols, exchanges, RIAs, hedge funds, prime brokers, venture capitalists and other industry professionals to discuss how digital assets can evolve and be recognized as a macro asset.
More than 700 institutions and 300 funds representing $800 billion in assets under management will be in attendance to hear from over 100 speakers, including:
- Fidelity, Director of Global Macro
- JPMorgan, Head of Onyx Digital Assets & Blockchain Launch
- FTX, Head of Ventures
- Morgan Stanley, Head of Emerging Markets Equity
- Apollo Global Management, Head of Digital Asset Strategy
- State Street Digital, Vice President
- Circle, Vice President of Finance, Treasury and Corporate Development
- Compound Labs, Founder
- dYdX, Founder
The past two years of sold-out attendance and the industry's rapid growth prompted Blockworks to expand the topics covered during the two-day conference, which include:
- Crypto's Institutional Lending Market
- Institutional Access to DeFi
- Bailouts: Crypto's Financial Crisis
- Security and Risk Management: Taking a Step Back to Move Forward
- Navigating Regulatory Uncertainty
- The State of Crypto Market Structure: Liquidity, Arbitrage & Security
Through fireside chats, panels and networking opportunities—including an exclusive dinner for VIP guests and speakers and an after-party open to all attendees—guests will have access to unparalleled insights shared by leaders from both traditional finance and the crypto ecosystem.
Thanks to the Diamond Sponsors for making this event possible: Ava Labs, Circle, Fireblocks, Ledger, OKX and Solidus Labs. Emerald Sponsors include Abra, Algorand, Copper.co, Lukka and Matrixport. Platinum Sponsors include: Amberdata, Bequant, BlockFi, Blockware Solutions, Bloomberg, Bullish, Chainalysis, Chainge Finance, Crypto.com, Davis Wright Tremaine, Elliptic, Eventus, EY, Figment, Gemini, Kaiko, Kiln, LMAX, Maple Finance, Membrane, Merkle Science, Metamask Institutional, Nansen, Perkins Coie, Prime Trust, SFOX, SOMA.finance, Taxbit, and TradeStation. Gold Sponsors include: Allnodes, Apifiny, Arkhivist, B2C2, BingX, Blockfills, Bosonic, CME Group, Compound Treasury, Crystal Blockchain, ErisX, FTI Consulting, Ledgible, MantraDAO, NAV, Realio, The Tie, TRM Labs and Withum.
Blockworks is a financial media brand that delivers breaking news and premium insights about digital assets to millions of investors. Blockworks is the host of the Digital Asset Summits (DAS), the leading conferences for institutional investors looking at digital assets.
Contact:
Julie Muroff
Events@blockworks.co
View original content:
SOURCE Blockworks | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/blockworks-gathers-worlds-leading-financial-crypto-institutions-discuss-cryptos-role-macro-asset/ | 2022-08-17T11:24:57Z |
The Florida family-owned wine and spirits retailer leads its 11th campaign benefiting NPCF
ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ABC Fine Wine & Spirits (ABC), Florida's largest family-owned and operated wine and spirits retailer, is once again partnering with National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF) and Constellation Brands to raise vital funds for childhood cancer research. ABC guests can donate at store registers or contribute by purchasing select wines from July 31 to Oct. 1, 2022. The campaign is part of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.
"ABC and our team members throughout the state are proud to support charities that champion children and families," said CEO Charles Bailes III. "NPCF is a life-changing organization with an incredible reputation that works to ensure that every child can live a long, happy life, and the research they fund allows for extraordinary work."
NPCF is a top-rated nonprofit organization dedicated to research and clinical trials to find less toxic, more effective treatments for childhood cancer. The foundation was created when two mothers met through their daughters' cancer diagnoses and decided to pursue measurable change in the field of pediatric oncology.
"We are grateful for the ongoing support from ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. The Bailes family, with their exceptional Florida workforce and customer base, has embraced raising funds for the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation's research mission," NPCF CEO David Frazer said. "As a result, over $1.3 million has been provided for critical science – specifically right here in Florida at the University of Florida, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center and more."
Guests can donate at checkout or by purchasing products from participating Constellation Wine brands like Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Ruffino, SIMI, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, Cooper & Thief, Unshackled and Saldo. A portion of each sale of those bottles will go to NPCF.
To learn more about this partnership and donate, please visit abcfws.com/npcf. Keep up with ABC on these platforms: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
About ABC Fine Wine & Spirits
Orlando-based ABC Fine Wine & Spirits currently has 125 stores throughout Florida with 8 more underway. The company has been family-owned and operated since 1936.
Media Contacts
Ms. Peyton Whittington
ABC Fine Wine & Spirits
Communications Specialist
Pwhittin@abcfws.com
407.738.0310
Mr. Christopher Geib
National Pediatric Cancer Foundation
Chief Development Officer
Cgeib@nationalpcf.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE ABC Fine Wine & Spirits | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/04/abc-fine-wine-amp-spirits-partners-with-national-pediatric-cancer-foundation-raise-funds-childhood-cancer-research/ | 2022-08-04T13:14:37Z |
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Agree Realty Corporation (NYSE: ADC) (the "Company") today announced that it will release its second quarter operating results after the market closes on Tuesday, August 2, 2022. A conference call to discuss the Company's operating results is scheduled for Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at 9:00 AM ET. Interested parties and shareholders may access the call via teleconference or webcast:
To participate, please dial-in or log-on at least five minutes prior to the scheduled time.
A live webcast of the conference call will also be available through the Company's website. To access, log-on to www.agreerealty.com and go to the Investors section five minutes prior to the call.
A replay of the conference call webcast will be archived and available online through the Investors section of www.agreerealty.com.
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/2022/06/30/agree-realty-announces-second-quarter-2022-earnings-release-date-conference-call-information/ | 2022-06-30T21:38:07Z |
New details revealed in court documents on gruesome Hawaii Loa Ridge murder investigation
By Duane Shimogawa
Click here for updates on this story
HONOLULU, Hawaii (KITV) — Court documents have revealed new details in the grisly Hawaii Loa Ridge murder of Gary Ruby.
Juan Baron, who has been charged with second-degree murder and three other felonies, has a bail hearing scheduled for May 5. His trial is scheduled to start on June 20.
In court documents recently released, investigators say Baron last entered the U.S. on June 26, 2018 on a B-2 visitor visa (tourist visa) with authorization to remain in the U.S. until Dec. 25, 2018. Baron did not depart the U.S. by Dec. 25, 2018, and has since been considered an “overstay” and therefore remains in unlawful status.
If Baron is released from OCCC for any reason, he would be transferred to federal custody. Once in federal custody, it would be within the federal government’s purview to initiate removal/deportation proceedings against Baron.
Other details in the newly-released court documents say Baron made numerous attempts on Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 to trade Ruby’s Audi A6 at Honolulu Audi and BMW showrooms. At both locations, Baron attempted to convince sales agents that Ruby was his uncle who lived in Texas. He also said his “Uncle Gary” was willing to remotely sign all documents electronically.
Baron provided sales associates at both locations with Ruby’s vehicle insurance, using Ruby’s personal email to transmit a copy of Ruby’s Hawaii Driver’s License, and ultimately presented the Audi General Sales Manager a fraudulently obtained certificate of title issued Feb. 7. This title was issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles Kapalama Satellite City Hall and named Baron as the registered owner.
Additionally, the sales deed for Ruby’s house was purchased on HawaiiDeed.com, and Baron paid $478.53 for the transfer with Ruby’s Mastercard, conducted entirely with Ruby’s personal email address
Other new details included in the court documents:
On March 8, investigators were contacted by an individual who dined with Baron and Scott Hannon the night before. This individual received a social media screenshot from a Waikiki bartender who had served the group on March 7 around 2 p.m. and since learned Baron and Hannon were criminal murder suspects. The individual informed police that after leaving the Waikiki bar, Baron and Hannon were at the individual’s home from about 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Around 9 p.m. on March 7, Baron and Hannon related they needed to go to the airport to catch flights to the mainland. Baron was flying to San Diego and Hannon to Boston. Baron said he met Ruby online and the two began dating. Baron can be seen on video purchasing several bags of cement and an American Express receipt at Lowe’s for the purchase of 440 pounds of Quikrete brand cement on Feb. 7.
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/cnn-regional/2022/04/26/new-details-revealed-in-court-documents-on-gruesome-hawaii-loa-ridge-murder-investigation/ | 2022-04-27T05:37:45Z |
TIFTON — In the past 16 years and two months, only two individuals have occupied the president’s office at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Those two people met this week when new ABAC President Tracy Brundage sat down with former ABAC President David Bridges in historic Tift Hall.
“It was great,” Brundage said. “Dr. Bridges established quite a legacy at ABAC during his tenure, and I think it’s prudent to understand his perspective and learn from his deep-seated knowledge of the institution. We talked about many aspects of the college and how ABAC can build for the future.”
Bridges retired on July 31 after 16 years and one month as president. He is the longest-serving president in the history of ABAC and the only ABAC president to have once been a student at the college (Class of 1978).
Brundage, the former president at Keystone (Pa.) College for four years, began her ABAC presidency on Aug. 1. Her first week on the job took an unexpected turn when her entire family contracted COVID. She bounced back strong and now has one month as president behind her.
“ABAC is a very special place,” Brundage said. “I knew that coming in, and everything I have learned over the past month has done nothing but amplify that fact. The faculty, the staff, the students, and the community have all been wonderful.”
After he retired, Bridges immediately transitioned into the role of director of the Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation, a state-funded entity which has offices across the state including one at ABAC.
On his last day as president, Bridges had simple words of wisdom for the first female president in ABAC’s history.
“My primary advice to her is to remain laser-focused on our mission,” Bridges said. “Focus on who we are and who we might realistically become. Don’t get caught up in who people think we ought to be.”
Brundage said ABAC is on the move.
“The founders of ABAC were not afraid to look to the future,” Brundage told incoming freshmen at the recent convocation. “They knew society was evolving, and education would be a much-needed component for an ever-changing world. That holds true today as well.”
With the Labor Day weekend at hand the countdown to fall starts in southwest Georgia. The weather is still great to find something to do outside of the hosue. 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/new-abac-president-meets-with-her-predecessor/article_50ee9a24-2a34-11ed-94df-f7ed2d1801db.html | 2022-09-01T22:22:04Z |
NEW YORK, June 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Oscar Health, Inc. (NYSE: OSCR).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/oscar-health-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=28320&from=4
This lawsuit is on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Oscar Class A common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and prospectus issued in connection with the Company's March 2021 initial public offering.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until July 11, 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, Oscar Health, Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Oscar was experiencing growing COVID-19 testing and treatment costs; (2) Oscar was experiencing growing net COVID costs; (3) Oscar would be negatively impacted by an unfavorable prior year Risk Adjustment Data Validation result relating to 2019 and 2020; (4) Oscar was on track to be negatively impacted by significant SEP membership growth; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.
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/2022/06/10/oscr-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-oscar-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-july-11-2022/ | 2022-06-10T11:20:55Z |
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Methanol was found in the blood of the 21 teenagers who died last month in a bar in South Africa’s city of East London, according to a health official. Methanol — often called wood alcohol — is a toxic chemical and if ingested even small amounts of it can be fatal. Here’s a look at what is known.
WHAT HAPPENED IN SOUTH AFRICA?
The teenagers died at the Enyobeni tavern in East London’s Scenery Park township in the early hours of June 26, shocking the country and resulting in several investigations by the police and liquor license authorities. Many of the teens, ranging in age between 13 and 17, were found dead in the tavern, their bodies slumped across tables and couches and collapsed on the dance floor, according to officials. Final toxicology reports will show if the levels of methanol were fatal and South Africa’s police will determine whether anyone will face criminal charges for the 21 deaths, national police minister Bheki Cele has said.
WHY IS METHANOL SO POISONOUS?
Methanol is a colorless liquid used industrially in antifreeze and paint remover. It’s toxic to humans. Public health expert Professor Sue Goldstein, from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, warned that ingesting even small amounts of methanol can be lethal. Methanol is sometimes used in making illicit alcohol, she said.
“The one used in normal liquor is ethanol. There is a slight difference in name, but the difference is huge in that methanol is poison.
“These are early stages, but we don’t know if there was homemade alcohol there perhaps and the levels of methanol which were found in the people who died,” said Goldstein. Methanol can cause blindness and can cause brain and organ damage. Drinking even small amounts can lead to death, say experts. The toxic effects of methanol are often delayed so if poisoning is identified early an antidote can be given to reduce deaths.
IS METHANOL BLAMED FOR OTHER DEATHS?
Yes. Because methanol is cheap it has been used in making illegal alcoholic drinks, sometimes called moonshine. Other incidents of suspected methanol poisoning in South Africa were in May and June 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown when liquor sales were banned. Police reported that a man had died in the small town of Brakpan, far east of Johannesburg, from organ failure caused by homemade liquor bought from an illegal trader. Seven people died in the Western Cape province after consuming homemade alcohol which was laced with methanol, said police.
WHAT ABOUT OTHER COUNTRIES?
Outbreaks of methanol poisoning have occurred around the world. Even though consumption of methanol can easily be fatal, it accounts for less than 1% of all alcohol-related deaths, according to the World Health Organization. The medical charity, Doctors Without Borders, established a special Methanol Poisoning Initiative in 2012, to help create effective responses to outbreaks of methanol poisoning and to make an effective antidote more widely available.
ARE THERE OTHER INCIDENTS IN WHICH METHANOL HAS CAUSED MULTIPLE DEATHS?
In Iran in March 2020, methanol was included in an illegal remedy for COVID-19, resulting in the deaths of nearly 300 people, according to official reports. An Iranian doctor helping the country’s Health Ministry told The Associated Press at the time that the problem was even greater, giving a death toll of around 480 with 2,850 people sickened. Fake remedies spread across social media in Iran, where people were deeply suspicious of the government after it downplayed the COVID-19 crisis before the disease overwhelmed the country.
In the United States, four people died in Arizona and New Mexico in August 2020 after drinking hand sanitizer which had methanol in it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had earlier issued a warning about a Mexican-made hand sanitizer gel that was dangerous because it had large amounts of methanol. The FDA said the methanol “can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested.”
In northern India, 79 people died from bootleg liquor in three separate incidents in February 2019. Post mortems found that the liquor contained methanol.
In the Russian city of Irkutsk, at least 49 people died after drinking a counterfeit bath lotion containing methanol in December 2016. Officials found that the lotion contained deadly levels of methanol and antifreeze. Police found an underground facility that made the counterfeit lotion, and seized 500 liters (132 gallons) of it at about 100 shops in Irkutsk, according to the Tass news agency. Poisonings caused by cheap surrogate alcohol are a regular occurrence in Russia, but the Irkutsk case was much larger, said authorities at the time. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/explainer-methanol-in-south-africa-teen-deaths-often-fatal/ | 2022-07-20T16:26:10Z |
DALLAS (KDAF) — In keeping up with all the latest trends, 7-Eleven has released a new limited edition clothing line with Overtime and Easy Otabor.
Officials say the clothing line is inspired by the pick-up basketball phrase “Game to Eleven. The clothing line is described as “streetwear-meets-sportswear” with designs based around fan favorite 7-Eleven items, including Slurpee drinks and Big Gulp fountain drinks.
The line features branded hoodies, T-shirts, and mesh shorts. It drops on Friday, Aug. 5 at noon at 7-Eleven.com/lp/Overtime.
“It has been a blast teaming up with Easy Otabor and Overtime for this ‘slam dunk’ capsule – and we can’t wait to see how our customers sport these designs both in and out of stores,” Marissa Jarratt, 7-Eleven Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer said in a news release on 7-Eleven’s site.
Customers can also have the chance to win the collection by purchasing select items through 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards loyalty programs or through 7NOW Delivery.
For the full release, click here. | https://cw33.com/news/local/7-eleven-releases-new-limited-edition-apparel-collection/ | 2022-08-03T18:44:22Z |
Fans have a chance to win a Klondike 100th birthday cake of their own by completing an iconic "What Would You Do for a Klondike?" challenge on Instagram or at Pop-Ups in Select Cities on National Ice Cream Day
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Klondike, America's beloved ice cream treat, is celebrating its 100th birthday this year! Founded in 1922, Klondike has become one of the most iconic frozen dessert brands of all time. As the Klondike product portfolio has since expanded with new flavors and formats, fans can now spot the iconic polar bear mascot on not only the signature silver foil wrapped bar, but also on Shakes, Sandwiches, and Cones in freezer aisles nationwide. A century later, Klondike fans continue to crave spontaneous moments of fun and prove that they will do almost anything for a Klondike.
That's why the makers of the iconic chocolate-dipped bar teamed up with Buddy Valastro (aka 'The Cake Boss') to create a once-in-a-lifetime, ten-tier 100th birthday cake. Inspired by the diverse Klondike frozen treat portfolio, this larger-than-life cake includes representations of its classic Bars, irresistible Sandwiches, delicious Shakes and whimsical Cones.
"Cakes are such a special and meaningful way to create memories and celebrate every birthday. I've been eating Klondike Bars since I was a kid, so I was so excited to help the brand celebrate its 100th birthday," says Buddy Valastro. "This is, without a doubt, the ultimate birthday cake – I was inspired to capture the brand's fun and witty spirit and all the sweet memories and milestones Klondike has been a part of in the past one hundred years."
Putting a spin on the well-known Klondike challenge, Klondike is asking fans, "What would you do for a once-in-a-lifetime Klondike birthday cake of your own?" Now through July 16, 2022, fans can enter to win their own Klondike 100th birthday cake by posting a photo or video on Instagram of themselves completing a decades-themed "What Would You Do for a Klondike" challenge with #4aKlondike100Sweepstakes and tagging @klondikebar in the caption.
The fun doesn't stop there! On National Ice Cream Day (7/17), Klondike is popping up in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago to give away free frozen treats to fans! Those who complete a "What Would You Do for a Klondike?" challenge at a pop-up location have the chance to claim a Klondike 100th birthday cake of their own.
BONUS: one lucky winner of a Klondike cake from either Instagram or a pop-up location also has a chance to win the Klondike Kard that comes with coupons and a $11,820 check for free Klondike treats for one hundred years! Check out the list of all 100 challenges at www.klondikebar.com/4aklondike100.
"Klondike has been recognized as the original challenger brand and champion of spontaneous fun, most notable from our timeless jingle and "What Would You Do" challenges. What better way to celebrate this status and incredible birthday milestone than with the ultimate challenge and reward of being part of our once-in-a-lifetime birthday celebration," said Russel Lilly, general manager of Unilever Ice Cream for total North America. "We look forward to continuing to spark moments of fun and bringing joy to fans across the nation with Klondike for another 100 years."
The sweepstakes runs from June 27, 2022 – July 16, 2022 on Instagram, and on July 17, 2022, National Ice Cream Day, at pop-up locations in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago from 11 AM – 7 PM.*
- New York: Washington Square Park
- Los Angeles: 3rd Street Promenade (Downtown Santa Monica)
- Chicago: Navy Pier
Not up for the challenge? No problem! Stop by grocery retailers nationwide to purchase Klondike Bars, Shakes, Cones, Minis and Sandwiches. To find your favorite Klondike products nearest to you, please visit https://www.klondikebar.com/us/en/where-to-buy.html.
*Limited quantities available. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Klondike's 100th Birthday Sweepstakes is sponsored by Conopco, Inc., d/b/a Unilever. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18 & older. Begins 8:00 AM ET on 6/27/22 & ends 10 PM ET on 7/17/22. For official rules, visit unileversweepsrules.com/klondike100thbirthday
About Unilever North America
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 148,000 employees and generated sales of €52.4 billion in 2021. Over half of our footprint is in developing and emerging markets. We have around 400 brands found in homes all over the world – including iconic brands like Dove, Knorr, Hellmann's, Magnum, Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Degree, Seventh Generation, St. Ives, Suave, TRESemmé, and Vaseline.
Our vision is to be the global leader in sustainable business and to demonstrate how our purpose-led, future-fit business model drives superior performance. We have a long tradition of being a progressive, responsible business. It goes back to the days of our founder William Lever, who launched the world's first purposeful brand, Sunlight Soap, more than 100 years ago, and it's at the heart of how we run our company today.
The Unilever Compass, our sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while:
- improving the health of the planet;
- improving people's health, confidence and wellbeing; and
- contributing to a fairer and more socially inclusive world.
While there is still more to do, in the past year we're proud to have achieved sector leadership in S&P's Dow Jones Sustainability Index, 'Triple A' status in CDP's Climate, Water and Forest benchmarks, and to be named as the top ranked company in the GlobeScan/SustainAbility Sustainability Leaders survey for the eleventh consecutive year.
For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com
For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit: www.unilever.ca
About Klondike®
Klondike® was born in 1922 when the original Klondike® bar was handmade by dipping square slices of ice cream into pans of rich, delicious milk chocolate. Today, millions of Americans have come to love Klondike®'s delicious variety of frozen novelty products and the "What would you do for a Klondike®?" advertising slogan which has become an American icon and commonly referenced in pop culture.
Klondike® bars with their distinctive silver wrapper, square shape, and famous chocolaty coating remain top selling novelties in the ice cream category. There are currently 10 unique stickless bar varieties in a variety of delicious flavors. Through the years, Klondike® has innovated into other formats as well, including sandwiches, minis, cones, and shakes, making it a true frozen snacking destination to meet all needs.
Visit Klondike on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to learn more.
For more information or images, please contact:
Media Contact
Claire Grummon | Edelman
Claire.Grummon@Edelman.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Klondike | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/klondike-asks-what-would-you-do-celebrate-its-100th-birthday-teaming-up-with-the-cake-boss-buddy-valastro-create-limited-edition-klondike-birthday-cake/ | 2022-06-30T17:18:29Z |
TORONTO, May 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - With great sadness, the Executive team and Board of Quarterhill Inc. ("Quarterhill") (TSX: QTRH) (OTCQX: QTRHF) announce the sudden and untimely passing of our friend Michael Vladescu, Chief Executive Officer of Wi-LAN Inc. ("WiLAN"). Michael joined WiLAN, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quarterhill, in 2012 as Chief Operating Officer and has been WiLAN's Chief Executive Officer since 2019.
"On behalf of Quarterhill and WiLAN and our Board and all our employees, I want to express our deepest condolences to Michael's family and community at this very difficult time," said Bret Kidd, Chief Executive Officer of Quarterhill. "For ten years Michael was an outstanding leader and contributor to the success at WiLAN, earning the utmost respect of the WiLAN team and Quarterhill's Board. His tenacity and intellect, and most of all his kindness and guidance will be missed throughout the halls of WiLAN."
"Michael and I have been friends and colleagues for 25 years and we at Quarterhill are in shock over this sudden loss," said Jim Skippen, Vice-Chair of Quarterhill. "Michael was a talented, dedicated, hard-working and warm person who was well-loved by his colleagues and all those he came into contact with during his career. He was a well-respected and recognized leader in the field of technology licensing and was frequently invited to speak at conferences and events on patents and technology licensing. Despite his dedication to his profession and his friends at work, nothing was more important to him than his wonderful family, and our thoughts are with his wife Caroline and their children."
The Board and Management of Quarterhill will have further announcements in the near future about the future leadership of WiLAN.
About Quarterhill
Quarterhill is a leading provider of tolling and enforcement solutions in the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) industry, as well as, through its Wi-LAN Inc. subsidiary, a leader in Intellectual Property licensing. Our goal is global leadership in ITS, via organic growth of the Electronic Transaction Consultants, LLC (ETC) and International Road Dynamics, Inc. (IRD) platforms, and by continuing an acquisition-oriented investment strategy that capitalizes on attractive growth opportunities within ITS and its adjacent markets. Quarterhill is listed on the TSX under the symbol QTRH and on the OTCQX Best Market under the symbol QTRHF. For more information, visit www.quarterhill.com
View original content:
SOURCE Quarterhill Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/04/quarterhill-announces-passing-michael-vladescu/ | 2022-05-04T22:08:57Z |
Major Sales Milestone Driven by Significant PRT Deals
DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- F&G Annuities & Life, Inc. (F&G or the Company), an operating segment of Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE:FNF) and a leading provider of insurance solutions serving retail annuity and life customers and institutional clients, recently closed two pension risk transfer (PRT) transactions propelling cumulative sales from F&G's Institutional Markets to nearly $5 billion since the channel launched in June 2021. Institutional Markets transactions include PRT and funding agreements.
During August, F&G closed PRT transactions representing $620 million in pension obligations and 13,000 certificate holders, including a first repeat client transaction. Since launching last year, the Company has now closed 10 total PRT deals resulting in $2.3 billion in sales and 44,000 total participants who will receive their pension payments from F&G.
"In just over a year, F&G's institutional business continues to experience strong growth as evidenced by this significant sales milestone," said Scott Cochran, President of Institutional and New Markets at F&G. "Our PRT deals this year have already exceeded total PRT sales from 2021, thanks in part to our deeply experienced team and overall ability to leverage our financial and investment strengths. We are excited for continued momentum in the institutional business as part of our diversified growth strategy which complements our growing retail channels."
F&G's nearly $5 billion in institutional sales has also been driven by continued opportunistic growth in the funding agreement backed note (FABN) market, resulting in $700 million in sales during the first half of 2022, despite elevated capital market volatility this year.
About F&G
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 fglife.com.
"F&G" is the marketing name for Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company issuing insurance in the United States outside of New York. Life insurance and annuities issued by Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company, Des Moines, IA.
Media Contact:
Karen Pevenstein
Karen.Pevenstein@fglife.com
617.312.3922
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Fidelity & Guaranty Life; Fidelity National Financial, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/fampg-reaches-nearly-5-billion-institutional-markets-sales-since-launching-june-2021/ | 2022-09-01T21:35:01Z |
SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VAPORESSO, the renowned vaping brand, is inviting fans and vape shop partners to join them on August 18th to celebrate the company's seventh year of operations.
"Throughout the years, VAPORESSO has been blessed with the support of fans and partners," said Thalia Cheng, CMO of VAPORESSO. "They continued to value VAPORESSO's innovation, reliability, and style. Their unwavering support has made us reach our seventh anniversary. Now, we want to express our gratitude by giving something to all of our loyal partners and friends around the world."
VAPORESSO has dedicated the previous seven years to creating a smoke-free future while improving the quality of life for users. TARGET, the brand's first product, was released in 2015. With over 400,000 TARGET kits sold in the United States, VAPORESSO entered Europe in 2016, with Germany as its first stop. REVENGER, VAPORSSO's first dual-battery product, was released in 2017, and over 5 million REVENGER kits were sold. In 2018, the brand debuted ZERO, which set a new shipment record of over 10 million kits.
VAPORESSO kicked off the Power Shop Program in 2019, aiming to open over 7000 stores globally. Its GEN series launched in the same year made high-power devices more accessible than ever before. Following its XROS SERIES launched in 2020 and sold more than 3 million kits in 2021, VAPORESSO redefined DTL vaping with its newly developed iTank at the beginning of 2022.
Leveraging its robust market penetration strategy and ability to expand its offline retail networks, VAPORESSO is well-positioned to capitalize on its growth momentum to further increase its global footprint.
About VAPORESSO
VAPORESSO was created in 2015 and is dedicated to establishing a smoke-free world while raising the quality of life for its users. Based on its continuous innovation, strict quality control, and substantial commitment, VAPORESSO creates products that can fit all levels and styles of vapers.
Media Contact
media@vaporesso.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE VAPORESSO | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/vaporesso-gears-up-7th-birthday-extravaganza/ | 2022-08-18T14:18:08Z |
Legacy of Valuing Employees and Producing Quality Product Passes from Father to Son
CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Local plumbing company Price Brothers, Inc. is getting a new CEO, as founder Bob Price steps down from his position as CEO after 45 years in the business. He now transitions leadership over to his son, Matthew Price, who grew up working at Price Brothers and brings over two decades of industry expertise built from years working in all aspects of the plumbing business.
Price Brothers, Inc., known locally within the Greater Charlotte area as a force for plumbing within the residential new construction market, has built a brand based on its commitment to quality and exceptional customer service, a tone set by Bob Price.
"It is definitely hard to let go after 45 years, but it's with great pride that I step down from my position and entrust it to my son Matt," stated Bob Price, owner of Price Brothers, Inc. "I am confident that the lessons I've shared with him over the years will be invaluable as he continues to grow and evolve the Price Brothers brand. I am leaving this company in very capable hands, and I know great things will come with Matt at the helm."
Matthew Price, a licensed master commercial and residential plumber in both North Carolina and South Carolina, will now serve as the new CEO of the organization. His priority is on ensuring that the company's culture is built around demonstrating its commitment to valuing employees and producing quality product. Price will oversee all aspects of the business, including daily operations and finance, employee engagement, strategic planning and driving company culture. He will align both the company's strategic plan and leadership team to ensure long-term success for Price Brothers.
The new CEO grew up in the Price Brothers business, starting out as a young teen sweeping floors and stocking the warehouse. Early in his career, Matthew Price served in a variety of departments at Price Brothers, including field work, estimating, accounts payable, operations and special projects, before leaving to run a company in a specialized segment of the plumbing industry.
After watching his son successfully run a business, Bob Price brought his son back in 2018 as an Operations Specialist. With experience serving in a wide range of positions to truly understand the plumbing business from the ground up, Matthew Price is in a solid position to lead Price Brothers to continued success.
For more information, visit https://www.pricebrothersinc.com.
Price Brothers, Inc. is a plumbing company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and now led by Matthew Price, CEO. Price Brothers focuses primarily on plumbing projects targeted to the residential market for new home construction and light commercial projects within the Charlotte Metro. Founded in 1977, the company has grown over 45 years to more than 380 employees. For more information, visit www.pricebrothersinc.com.
View original content:
SOURCE Price Brothers, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/12/founder-residential-plumbing-company-price-brothers-inc-announces-new-ceo/ | 2022-07-12T20:17:58Z |
SAN JOSE, Calif., April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Netenrich, a leading security and operations analytics company known for its Resolution Intelligence® SaaS platform, today provided a recap of partner-focused Q1 activities driving business momentum. The company expanded efforts in helping managed service providers (MSPs) uplevel their security services and solve critical digital operations issues for their customers.
Netenrich recently held their CxO Partner Summit to a captive crowd of channel executives with guest speakers from Google Chronicle, MultiCare Health and Epsilon. Discussions addressed the accelerating strategic and operational challenges facing service providers (MSSPs, MSPs, SIs & VARs). Cybersecurity and the importance of analytics-driven operations took center stage.
During the summit, channel leaders shared business insights:
"When we look at the market today, the challenges we face serving our customers really comes down to execution. At GreenPages, we're focused on market-driven innovation, collaborating with our customers and innovating as a company and with our partners." Ron Dupler, CEO at GreenPages Technology Solutions
"Data is the new currency. But the reality is, all our customers want this. They want to make data-driven decisions that benefit their business. And the more we can help them understand, interpret, and make their data useful, the more beneficial we are to them as a partner." Tony Bushell, EVP Services at Trace3
"With data being put to work, the traditional ways of running all ops in silos will be questioned by savvy CIOs/CTOs/CISOs and Operations leaders. The current SOCs and NOCs are mired with senseless work and constantly lag behind the eight ball. Our obsession focuses on disrupting the status quo by leveraging data at scale and helping these companies gain north of 50% efficiencies through our Service Provider partner network." Raju Chekuri, Chairman and CEO at Netenrich
The company also announced industry distinctions:
- Netenrich has been recognized by CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, in their 2022 Partner Program Guide. CRN's annual Partner Program Guide is the ultimate list of the most notable partner programs from industry-leading technology vendors that provide innovative products and services through the IT channel.
- Netenrich and Justin Crotty, Senior Vice President of Channels, has been recognized by CRN's Channel Chiefs for 2022. The industry distinction features the top channel executives at leading IT companies who have excelled in meeting the rapid changing needs of their partners and customers.
- Netenrich named Channel Insider's Best Network Security Service Providers 2022
Channel Insider reviewed the many network security services to finalize the top providers for medium sized enterprises and MSSPs.
Netenrich joined CompTIA to help further IT initiatives and technology advancements. Christopher Morales, Netenrich CISO, continues his advisory role as a valued expert, contributor and speaker to CompTIA. Netenrich debuts at CompTIA ChannelCon, August 2 – 4, 2022 in Chicago.
Netenrich and featured partners will also attend and speak at upcoming industry events including:
- Channel Partners Conference, April 12, 2022
- Justin Crotty joins an esteemed panel to discuss cybersecurity trends and ways MSPs and MSSPs can solve their customers' most pressing IT, cloud and security operations challenges.
- Midsize Enterprise Summit, April 24 – 26, 2022, Orlando
- Google Cloud Security Summit 2022, May 17, 2022, a virtual event
- RSA Conference, June 6 – 9, 2022, San Francisco
To learn more about Netenrich, visit our solutions page or our Netenrich Partner Program page.
About Netenrich
Netenrich Resolution Intelligence® lets companies accelerate and scale their digital business to avoid disruption and preempt risk. The secure analytics-as-a-service platform connects IT, cloud, and security operations in real time combining AIOps, automation, and over 15 years of digital ops expertise. The platform transforms security and ops data into intelligence that organizations can act on before critical issues occur. More than 6,000 customers and managed services providers rely on Netenrich to deliver secure operations at scale and speed. The company is based in San Jose, CA.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Netenrich | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/04/11/netenrich-announces-channel-momentum-key-milestones-q1-2022/ | 2022-04-11T17:10:03Z |
Climate change leading to more childhood obesity with less physical activity, study finds
(Gray News) - Climate change has been a topic of discussion over the years, and a doctor says higher temperatures could be affecting our children’s health.
According to Study Finds, environmental physiologist Dr. Shawnda Morrison is sounding the alarm in a comprehensive review of studies on this topic.
She said physical fitness is the key to tolerating higher temperatures, and unfit children could face heat-related health problems such as dehydration and heat stroke as global warming continues.
According to the doctor, obesity and physical inactivity among children are leaving many struggling to regulate their body temperature in the heat, leading them to do less exercise.
Morrison said she found that children are 30% less aerobically fit than their parents were at their age, with fewer children reaching the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 60 minutes of daily exercise.
The doctor criticized failures to sufficiently prioritize children’s health needs in climate change policy, arguing more action is necessary to get children exercising so they will cope in a hotter world.
Morrison shared that the pandemic made children less likely to exercise, notably when schools closed, and she fears rising heat could similarly obstruct children from physical activity. Parents may also tell their children it’s too hot to play, preventing children from maintaining their healthy physical activity requirements.
The study recommends physical education and for children to play sports when it comes to helping them stay fit, along with active play among friends and family.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/08/06/climate-change-leading-more-childhood-obesity-with-less-physical-activity-study-finds/ | 2022-08-06T23:13:00Z |
Homebuilder stock slump over rates seen overdone
By ALEX VEIGA
AP Business Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Homebuilder stocks have lagged far behind the broader market during Wall Street’s swoon this year, weighed down by fears that rising mortgage rates could severely dampen sales. One prominent exchange traded fund for homebuilders has fallen about 26% this year, while the S&P 500 is down just 5%. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage hit 4.67% this week. It was 3.18% a year ago. The spike in rates appears to be taking a bite out of new home sales. Still, some Wall Street analysts say market trends continue to favor homebuilders as the spring home buying season kicks off, and the pullback could make builder stocks attractive. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/04/01/homebuilder-stock-slump-over-rates-seen-overdone/ | 2022-04-01T20:41:31Z |
LAS VEGAS, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OPTX, a leading casino intelligence agency, is excited to announce its partnership with Isleta Resort & Casino of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Isleta Resort & Casino has selected OPTX Slots and Slots AI for its slot analytics platform. While these products focus on the same operational department, the two products will contribute distinct operational value within Isleta's slots department. OPTX Slots contains real-time high-level daily KPIs, comprehensive reports, optimization tools, and machine performance tracking to help streamline daily operations and data-driven decision making. Slots AI utilizes AI and machine learning models to generate recommendations for relocation, conversion, removal, replacement, and revising of machines for total floor optimization.
Sue Mulholland, Slot Director at Isleta Resort & Casino, is looking forward to utilizing the OPTX platform. "After thorough research of all the options for slots floor optimization, we've decided to proceed with OPTX for a number of reasons. Most importantly, OPTX has an invariable track record of providing the most comprehensive intelligence in the market, putting its clients at the forefront of the casino industry." Mulholland further praised OPTX's Slots and Slots AI products, stating, "OPTX will provide powerful analytics and operational functionality for my entire department, helping us make smarter, faster decisions that will ultimately drive a better experience for our guests."
The opportunity to partner with yet another leading casino is a step forward in OPTX's mission to revolutionize the casino industry with never-before-seen technology. OPTX co-CEO Brooke Fiumara stated, "Isleta was looking for the best-in-class slot analytics and AI tool in the market to assist their team and drive profitability and performance. That is exactly what they will get with OPTX."
To learn more about OPTX and its revolutionary casino intelligence, visit https://optx.com/
OPTX was founded in mid-2019 by former casino executives that believe only through the union of operations, people and technology can impactful results be achieved. The OPTX solution is designed from the ground up to simplify complex processes and improve operational efficiency. As an enterprise technology solution for casino operators, OPTX gathers the meaningful player data from multiple source systems, cleanses it and then presents it in an understandably clear way. For more information about OPTX go to www.OPTX.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE OPTX | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/new-mexico-casino-selects-optx-slot-analysis-recommendations/ | 2022-06-29T15:26:36Z |
Police: Pennsylvania man tried to buy stolen human remains
(AP) - A Pennsylvania man was charged with abuse of a corpse, receiving stolen property and other charges after police say he allegedly tried to buy stolen human remains from an Arkansas woman for possible resale on Facebook.
A spokeswoman for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock confirmed that the remains were to be donated to UAMS’s facility. UAMS spokeswoman Leslie Taylor said they were instead stolen from Arkansas Central Mortuary Services in Little Rock by a female mortuary employee and sold, adding that there is an open federal investigation.
“We are very respectful of those who donate their bodies, and we are appalled that such a thing could happen,” Taylor said.
A representative of the mortuary hung up on a reporter who reached out for comment Thursday.
FBI Little Rock spokesman Conor Hagan said the office was aware of the Pennsylvania incident “but will not comment on ongoing investigations.” No charges had been filed as of Thursday against the Arkansas woman.
East Pennsboro Township Police in Pennsylvania announced the arrest of and charges against 40-year-old Jeremy Lee Pauley, of Enola, Pennsylvania. Pauley had been arrested on July 22 and had an initial court appearance Thursday.
Calls to an attorney representing Pauley were not returned late Thursday. Pauley was released on $50,000 bond, according to court records.
On a Facebook page under his name, Pauley has posted pictures of bags and stacks of femurs, one captioned, “Picked up more medical bones to sort through.” The Facebook page he uses to market his body parts is called “The Grand Wunderkammer,” “Vendors of the odd and unusual, museum exhibits, guest lectures, live entertainment, and so much more! Strange, curious, and unique in every way possible!” It also provides a link to his website.
“I think I’ve seen it all, and then something like this comes around,” said Sean McCormack, district attorney for Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, where Pauley was charged. “The question we had to answer was, Is the sale of body parts or bones and remains illegal ... or legal? Some of it, to our surprise, was legal. And as the investigation went on, it became clear there was illegal activity going on as well.”
Pauley, who described himself as a collector of what he called “oddities,” including human body parts, said the remains were acquired legally when first contacted by police, according to a police affidavit. Police initially found what they described as older human remains including full skeletons that they determined were legally obtained.
However, after a second tip about newer remains in Pauley’s home, investigators returned to the house to find more recent purchases. Police found three five-gallon buckets containing assorted body parts— including of children— and federal and state law enforcement agents intercepted packages addressed to Pauley from the Arkansas woman that contained body parts.
Pauley told investigators that he intended to resell the body parts, according to the affidavit. Investigators allege that Pauley arranged to pay the Arkansas woman $4,000 for the body parts through Facebook Messenger.
Facebook did not respond to messages seeking comments on Pauley’s pages. However, its community standards prohibit human exploitation and explicitly prohibit selling body parts through its commercial policies and advertising policies.
___
Associated Press writer Kantele Franko of Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/08/19/police-pennsylvania-man-tried-buy-stolen-human-remains/ | 2022-08-19T02:18:32Z |
Arasan, a leading provider of semiconductor IP for all things mobile, including automobiles announces its 2'nd generation of CAN IP
SAN JOSE, Calif., May 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Arasan announces the immediate availability of its 2'nd generation of CAN IP for the CAN 2.0 and CAN FD Specifications. The controllers have been rearchitected and upgraded to lower power consumption and area, which make them suitable for FPGA applications in addition to Arasan's primary ASIC IP market. Although automobiles do not have stringent power requirements like mobile phones, Arasan's power saving techniques implemented on these controllers help conserve battery power which automobiles also rely on. Use of FPGA's is prevalent in the automotive and industrial sectors, so optimizing area was another criterion that was set for these next gen controllers.
Arasan's 2nd Gen CAN IP controller core performs serial communication as per CAN2.0 and CAN FD specifications. It supports CAN 2.0A and CAN 2.0B protocols, TT-CAN, CAN-FD (ISO 11898-1.2015, plus earlier ISO, and Non-ISO Bosch specifications). It is fully programmable up to 1 Mbps for CAN 2.0 and multiple devices. Our 2nd Gen CAN IP is designed to increase reliability, faster error reporting, features advanced Error management unit, prevents data loss during transmission and prevents message collisions.
Arasan's 2nd Gen CAN IP controller cores can be easily integrated with the host processor using standard AMBA AHB/AXI interfaces. Our highly configurable controller core supports programmable Interrupts, data and baud rates, acceptance filters & flexible buffering schemes allows it to be fine-tuned to the specific need for the application.
Arasan's 2nd Gen CAN IP is 100% architected and designed by Arasan in-house team with engineering support direct from the designers. Further, the IP has been designed in the USA enabling us to support projects requiring US security clearance for support personnel. The defense and aerospace sectors in addition to automotive are a major target market for Arasan's fault tolerant CAN IP.
Arasan's CAN IP has passed compliance through multiple licensees and ASIL requirements.
For more information https://www.arasan.com/products/can-fd/
About Arasan
Arasan is at the forefront of this evolution of "Mobile" with its standards-based IP at the heart of Mobile SoCs. Arasan's high-quality, silicon-proven, Total IP Solutions include digital IP, AMS PHY IP, Verification IP, HDK, and Software. Arasan has a focused product portfolio targeting mobile SoCs to Automobiles, Drones, and IoT. Arasan Chip Systems, a contributing member of the MIPI Association since 2005 for mobile storage and mobile connectivity interfaces with over a billion chips shipped with our MIPI IP.
Contact:
Dr. Sam Beal
Mktg1@arasan.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Arasan Chip Systems, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/19/arasan-announces-its-2nd-generation-can-ip/ | 2022-05-19T18:40:25Z |
-Post-hoc analyses showcase Mallinckrodt's commitment to patients with HRS involving rapid reduction in kidney function,1an acute and life-threatening condition2-
DUBLIN, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mallinckrodt plc (OTCMKTS: MNKPF), a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced two scientific posters to be presented on the disease progression and treatment paradigms for patients with hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) involving rapid reduction in kidney function1 at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) 2022 International Liver Congress, taking place June 22 – 26 in London, UK. The full list of Mallinckrodt's presentations is below. For more information, please visit the EASL website here.
Terlipressin is an investigational agent being evaluated for the treatment of HRS involving rapid reduction in kidney function1 in the U.S., and its safety and effectiveness have not yet been established by the FDA.
Khurram Jamil, Vice President, Hepatology, Clinical Development & Critical Care, said, "It is our hope that this research may help inform clinicians on the early identification and management of adult patients with HRS with rapid reduction in kidney function.1 We look forward to sharing new data from a retrospective analysis that uncovers the influence of baseline serum creatinine (SCr) levels on clinical outcomes for patients with HRS involving rapid reduction in kidney function,1 and resharing the findings of our subgroup analysis examining HRS gender differences and response to treatment – recently presented at the 2022 American Transplant Congress."
These studies are sponsored by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and include:
Abstract 2952 Title: Early Treatment with Terlipressin in Patients with Hepatorenal Syndrome Yields Improved Clinical Outcomes in 3 Phase III North American Studies
- Presenter: Michael Curry, MD
- Presentation Date: June 24, 2022; 9AM – 6PM BST
- Poster #: FRI537
Abstract 564 (Encore) Title: Gender Affects the Association Between Serum Creatinine Levels and Clinical Response to Terlipressin in Patients with Hepatorenal Syndrome Type of Acute Kidney Injury
- Presenter: Khurram Jamil, MD
- Presentation Date: June 24, 2022; 9AM – 6PM BST
- Poster #: FRI490
Terlipressin is one of the most studied pharmacological agents in HRS with more than 70 published manuscripts and presented abstracts on clinical data to date.3 It has been approved outside the U.S. for more than 30 years and is available on five continents for its two indications in the countries where it is approved.4,5,6
Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) involving rapid reduction in kidney function1 is an acute and life-threatening syndrome involving acute kidney failure in people with advanced liver disease.2 HRS is classified into two distinct types – a rapidly progressive type that leads to acute renal failure and a more chronic type that progresses over weeks to months.2 HRS is estimated to affect between 30,000 and 40,000 Americans annually.7,8 If left untreated, the rapid reduction in kidney function associated with HRS1 has a median survival time of approximately two weeks and greater than 80 percent mortality within three months.9
Mallinckrodt is a global business consisting of multiple wholly owned subsidiaries that develop, manufacture, market and distribute specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. The company's Specialty Brands reportable segment's areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, nephrology, pulmonology, ophthalmology, and oncology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; analgesics; cultured skin substitutes and gastrointestinal products. Its Specialty Generics reportable segment includes specialty generic drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com.
Mallinckrodt uses its website as a channel of distribution of important company information, such as press releases, investor presentations and other financial information. It also uses its website to expedite public access to time-critical information regarding the company in advance of or in lieu of distributing a press release or a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing the same information. Therefore, investors should look to the Investor Relations page of the website for important and time-critical information. Visitors to the website can also register to receive automatic e-mail and other notifications alerting them when new information is made available on the Investor Relations page of the website.
This release includes forward-looking statements with regard to terlipressin, including related to interactions with regulators, steps being taken related to its manufacturing, and its potential impact on patients. The statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: satisfaction of regulatory and other requirements; actions of regulatory bodies and other governmental authorities; changes in laws and regulations; issues with product quality, manufacturing or supply, or patient safety issues; and other risks identified and described in more detail in the "Risk Factors" section of Mallinckrodt's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the SEC, all of which are available on its website. The forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date hereof and Mallinckrodt does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise, except as required by law.
CONTACT
Media Inquiries
Heather Guzzi
Senior Vice President, Green Room Communications
973-524-4112
hguzzi@greenroompr.com
Investor Relations
Daniel J. Speciale
Global Corporate Controller & Chief Investor Relations Officer
314-654-3638
daniel.speciale@mnk.com
Derek Belz
Vice President, Investor Relations
314-654-3950
derek.belz@mnk.com
Mallinckrodt, the "M" brand mark and the Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals logo are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company. Other brands are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company or their respective owners.
© 2022 Mallinckrodt. US-2200583 06/22
References
1 Data on File – Ref-05737. Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.
2 National Organization for Rare Disorders. Hepatorenal Syndrome. Available at: https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/hepatorenal-syndrome/. Accessed June 16, 2022.
3 Data on File – Ref-05488. Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.
4 Data on File – Ref-05482. Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.
5 FDA Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee. Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Terlipressin Advisory Committee Briefing Document NDA #022231. July 2020.
6 European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL). Clinical practice guidelines for the management of patients with decompensated cirrhosis. J Hepatol. 2018;69(2):406-460.
7 C Pant, B S Jani, M Desai, A Deshpande, Prashant Pandya, Ryan Taylor, R Gilroy, M Olyaee. Hepatorenal syndrome in hospitalized patients with chronic liver disease: results from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2002–2012. J of Investig Med. 2016; 64:33–38.
8 United States Census Bureau: Quick Facts. Available at: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045218. Accessed June 16, 2022.
9 Flamm, S.L., Brown, K., Wadei, H.M., et al. The Current Management of Hepatorenal Syndrome–Acute Kidney Injury in the United States and the Potential of Terlipressin. Liver Transpl, 2021; 27: 1191-1202. https://doi.org/10.1002/lt.26072.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Mallinckrodt plc | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/mallinckrodt-present-data-terlipressin-adult-patients-with-hepatorenal-syndrome-hrs-european-association-study-liver-easl-2022-international-liver-congress/ | 2022-06-23T11:27:57Z |
Registration for the Landmark Race Up the Empire State Building Stairs Opens July 11 at Noon
NEW YORK, July 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Empire State Building (ESB) today announced that the 2022 Empire State Building Run-Up (ESBRU) – presented by Turkish Airlines and powered by the Challenged Athletes Foundation – will take place Oct. 6, 2022 at 8 p.m. EST.
Approximately 150 runners will have the opportunity to race up the 1,576 stairs to the 86th Floor of the "World's Most Famous Building" in the 44th annual Run-Up. Runners will be divided into designated heats such as elite runners, celebrities, adaptive athletes, media, and public. Registration for this preeminent tower-running event will be available online at https://nycruns.com/race/esb2022 from July 11 at noon on a first-come, first-served basis. Participation costs of $125 per runner will be charged upon acceptance.
"As the first and most famous tower-running event, the Empire State Building Run-Up is the bucket list race for elite runners from all over the world," said Anthony E. Malkin, chairman, president, and CEO at Empire State Realty Trust. "We welcome our athletes back to face the challenge and test their limits in the race to the top."
Turkish Airlines, a leading global airline that flies to more destinations than any other, will act as the presenting sponsor for the ESBRU for the fourth year.
Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF) is the official charity partner of the ESBRU once again, with a designated heat for adaptive athletes and CAF supporters who want to race for more and raise funds to empower athletes with physical disabilities through sports.
The 2022 Empire State Building Run-Up is produced by NYCRUNS.
More information about the Empire State Building, and the annual Run-Up, can be found online.
About the Empire State Building
The Empire State Building, the "World's Most Famous Building," owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (ESRT: NYSE), soars 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan from base to antenna. The $165 million reimagination of the Empire State Building Observatory Experience creates an all-new experience with a dedicated guest entrance, an interactive museum with nine galleries, and a redesigned 102nd Floor Observatory with floor-to-ceiling windows. The journey to the world-famous 86th Floor Observatory, the only 360-degree, open-air observatory with views of New York and beyond, orients visitors for their entire New York City experience and covers everything from the building's iconic history to its current place in pop-culture. Learn more at www.esbnyc.com. Declared "America's Favorite Building" by the American Institute of Architects, the world's most popular travel destination by Uber, the #1 Attraction in the United States in Tripadvisor's 2022 Travelers' Choice Best of the Best, and the #1 New York City attraction by Lonely Planet, it welcomes more than 4 million annual visitors from around the world.
Since 2011, the building has been fully powered by renewable wind electricity, and its many floors primarily house a diverse array of office tenants such as LinkedIn and Shutterstock, as well as retail options like STATE Grill and Bar, Tacombi, and Starbucks. For more information and Observatory Experience tickets visit esbnyc.com or follow the building's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Weibo, YouTube, or TikTok.
About Empire State Realty Trust
Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT) is a REIT that owns and manages office, retail, and multifamily assets in Manhattan and the greater New York metropolitan area. ESRT owns the Empire State Building – the World's Most Famous Building – and TripAdvisor's 2022 Travelers' Choice Best of the Best Awards #1 attraction in the U.S. and #3 attraction in the world, in the newly reimagined and iconic Empire State Building Observatory. The company is a leader in healthy buildings, energy efficiency, and indoor environmental quality, and has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per square foot of any publicly traded REIT portfolio in New York City. As of Mar. 31, 2022, ESRT's portfolio is comprised of approximately 9.4 million rentable square feet of office space, 700,000 rentable square feet of retail space and 625 units across two multifamily properties. More information about Empire State Realty Trust can be found at esrtreit.com and by following ESRT on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Turkish Airlines
Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines has a fleet of 377 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 340 worldwide destinations as 287 international and 53 domestic, in 129 countries. More information about Turkish Airlines can be found on its official website www.turkishairlines.com or its social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About Star Alliance
The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance, based on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition and seamless service. Since inception, it has offered the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a focus on improving customer experience across the Alliance journey. The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 12,000 daily flights to almost 1,300 airports in 197 countries. Further connecting flights are offered by Star Alliance Connecting Partners Juneyao Airlines and THAI Smile Airways.
Category: Observatory
View original content:
SOURCE Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/11/2022-empire-state-building-run-up-return-oct-6-2022-presented-by-turkish-airlines-powered-by-challenged-athletes-foundation/ | 2022-07-11T18:25:22Z |
Liminal adds Chief Operating Officer with 20 years of experience in technology startups, investment management, and fraud and identity solutions
NEW YORK, June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Liminal, a boutique strategy advisory firm serving digital identity, fintech, cybersecurity clients, and the private equity and venture capital community, announced today the addition of Kathryn Montilla as Chief Operating Officer. The Liminal team is excited to welcome Kathryn to help achieve its strategic growth objectives and expansion.
"Kathryn has demonstrated an impressive track record of achieving measurable results and operational accomplishments across a number of organizations," said Travis Jarae, CEO of Liminal. "We are excited to welcome her as a valuable asset as we continue to accelerate our growth and scale our operations to serve a global community."
As Liminal COO, Kathryn will be responsible for performance management, aligning talent to growth opportunities, and continuing to build upon the organization's high-performing culture. She'll also play a pivotal role in accelerating the execution of Liminal's strategy, scaling innovation, and identifying new market opportunities.
Kathryn brings two decades of operator, builder, and leadership experience to Liminal, spanning across technology startups, finance, and life sciences companies. She has proven success in scaling businesses and leading diverse, global teams at companies like Feedzai, Bridgewater Associates, Pfizer, and management consulting firms. Most recently, Kathryn was at Redesign Health, a venture innovation company, where she was Head of Business and Portfolio Operations.
"I am thrilled to join the incredible team at Liminal," said Kathryn Montilla. "I have a passion for helping companies build great teams and effective processes, scale globally, and achieve their strategic vision. Liminal is a leader in the digital identity space, and I look forward to working with the team to deliver outstanding results for our clients."
ABOUT LIMINAL:
Liminal is a boutique strategy advisory firm serving digital identity, fintech, and cybersecurity clients, and the private equity and venture capital community. Since 2016, we have offered objective, high impact strategic advice, and analytical services, helping to support clients in crucial business decisions at all stages of the product and business lifecycle. We've advised many of the world's most innovative business leaders, investors, and government officials on building, buying, and investing in the next generation of integrated digital identity platforms and technologies. As a result, our clients trust us to set strategic direction in light of radically evolving ecosystem dynamics, pursue new growth strategies, capitalize on M&A opportunities, and optimize deal flow. We see the solutions to these complex digital challenges not as a 'what' but as a 'how.' We don't just tell you about the destination, we show you how to get there.
Contact: Kristen Grazia
Contact email: kristen.grazia@liminal.co
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Liminal Strategy Partners, LLC | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/liminal-announces-new-chief-operating-officer/ | 2022-06-21T15:13:25Z |
NEW YORK, July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced today that Thomas J. Flaherty III, a highly experienced consultant to the Power & Utilities sector, has joined EY-Parthenon as a senior advisor. Flaherty brings more than four decades of experience advising utility and midstream C-suite executives on growth strategy and M&A, business transformation, innovation, market analysis and go-to-market strategy.
Throughout his career, he has advised power and utility companies on critical decisions related to establishing their future market position, strategies and priorities. Flaherty has been a frequent speaker at industry conferences on topics such as corporate strategy, M&A and industry evolution and is a widely published writer who recently released the book Roll-Up: The Past, Present, and Future of Utilities Consolidation.
Flaherty has been involved in the vast majority of US power and gas mergers and a number of cross-border transactions involving companies in the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Canada, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. He has similarly worked with private equity firms and infrastructure funds on the assessment, modeling and operations transfer of assets related to generation, transmission and distribution businesses or segments.
"Tom's vast experience and knowledge adds to our practice's strong ability to help clients transform their operations and respond to changing customer and regulatory demands in a time of unparalleled industry disruption," says EY Americas Power & Utilities Strategy Lead Jeffrey W. Miller. "He also brings a unique perspective and ability to look ahead with a vision on how future sector transactions and trends might evolve."
Adding Flaherty to the EY-Parthenon team further demonstrates the firm's commitment to elevating the importance of energy and energy transition in the market, says Miller.
"As the energy transition accelerates and demands on energy providers change quickly, adding Tom's experience and industry knowledge brings another dimension to what our firm can offer clients during this pivotal time of industry convergence," says Karen Felton, EY Americas Energy & Resources Industry Leader.
"I am excited to join EY-Parthenon and become part of one of the world's largest global strategy consulting organizations with an active presence in M&A," says Flaherty. "Today, the power and utilities sector is staring at radical transformation and an energy transition that's more complex, challenging and competitive than ever. I'm looking forward to working with companies in differentiating themselves in areas like growth and value, innovation and cleantech, business entry and go-to-market strategy, and the entire M&A value chain."
Flaherty holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Oklahoma, where he currently serves on Board of Advisors for the Price College of Business Energy Institute.
About EY
EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.
Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.
Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.
EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws.
This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.
For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.
About EY Strategy and Transactions
EY Strategy and Transactions teams work with clients to navigate complexity by helping them to reimagine their eco-systems, reshape their portfolios and reinvent themselves for a better future. With global connectivity and scale, EY Strategy and Transactions teams help clients drive corporate, capital, transaction and turnaround strategies through to execution, supporting fast-track value creation in all types of market environments. EY Strategy and Transactions teams help support the flow of capital across borders and help bring new products and innovation to market. In doing so, EY Strategy and Transactions teams help clients to build a better working world by fostering long-term value. For more information, please visit ey.com/StrategyandTransactions.
About EY-Parthenon
EY-Parthenon teams work with clients to navigate complexity by helping them to reimagine their eco-systems, reshape their portfolios and reinvent themselves for a better future. With global connectivity and scale, EY-Parthenon teams focus on Strategy Realized — helping CEOs design and deliver strategies to better manage challenges while maximizing opportunities as they look to transform their businesses. From idea to implementation, EY-Parthenon teams help organizations to build a better working world by fostering long-term value. EY-Parthenon is a brand under which a number of EY member firms across the globe provide strategy consulting services. For more information, please visit ey.com/parthenon.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE EY | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/27/thomas-j-flaherty-joins-ey-parthenon-senior-advisor-power-utilities-strategy/ | 2022-07-27T13:56:54Z |
LEADING OFF: Opening day! Guardians debut, Ohtani and Braves
By The Associated Press
Cubs veteran Kyle Hendricks is set to deliver the first pitch of the season against Corbin Burnes and Milwaukee at Wrigley Field just past 2:20 p.m. EDT, the first of seven games still on the calendar amid rainy forecasts across the country. The World Series champion Atlanta Braves open at home against the Cincinnati Reds, raising a banner without fan favorite Freddie Freeman, who signed with the Dodgers last month. Los Angeles is among 12 teams that don’t start until Friday. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/04/06/leading-off-opening-day-guardians-debut-ohtani-and-braves/ | 2022-04-06T16:38:18Z |
The all-in-one care app for families caring for a remote senior adds Walmart grocery delivery to its support for seniors and caregivers
NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Avanlee Care, the creator of the Avanlee app transforming how families care for seniors remotely, announced they have teamed up with Walmart to integrate online grocery ordering and delivery into their solution to help seniors live healthier and happier lives at home.
Approximately 90% of Americans ages 65+ want to age in place*. That is leading to an increasing burden on the 53 million unpaid family caregivers in the United States. Avanlee helps reduce that burden. Avanlee combines care coordination, medication adherence, health and mood monitoring and alerts, private family social activity, a rich "Ask Avanlee'' customer support experience and now grocery fulfillment powered by Walmart … all in one easy to use place.
"We are excited to be working with Walmart for grocery delivery through the Avanlee app, reducing the many tasks associated with caring for an aging parent," said Avanlee Christine, CEO and founder of Avanlee Care. Christine founded Avanlee Care after watching her family tackle the myriad challenges associated with managing care and logistics for older relatives remotely.
"We're constantly thinking of ways to make the busy lives of caregivers easier. Integrating online grocery ordering and delivery from Walmart into Avanlee Care further helps our caregivers access everything they need to support an aging relative in one place. The delivery status tracking gives caregivers confidence that their relative has the food they need when they need it." says Christine.
This solution enables both Avanlee Care and Walmart to further improve their support for senior customers and their family caregivers.
Avanlee and its integrated grocery delivery capability powered by Walmart is available for free download via the App Store and Google Play.
To learn more, visit www.avanleecare.com.
*Source: AARP Report
About Avanlee Care
Avanlee Care is transforming senior care management for families in the United States. Its product Avanlee is an all-in-one app that helps families care for an aging relative remotely so they live healthier and happier lives at home. Avanlee Care was born in Montana, CEO Avanlee Christine's home state, to fix something missing in her life when she witnessed her family's struggles managing her grandfather's care. She's worked in the healthcare system, helped build health tech startups, and today manages her grandmother's care through the app her family inspired. Avanlee Care is supported by investors who want to improve the experience of both caregivers and care receivers. Investor and Board Chair Esther Dyson, executive founder of Wellville, is a leading angel investor who grows businesses in healthcare, human capital, digital technology and biotechnology; her 10-year nonprofit project Wellville is dedicated to demonstrating the value of long-term investment in health and equity.
Press Contact
avanlee@avanleecare.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Avanlee Care | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/07/avanlee-care-teams-up-with-walmart-help-families-coordinate-grocery-needs-aging-loved-ones/ | 2022-06-07T14:45:33Z |
Citrus greening devastates Florida’s orange crops
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Citrus greening is devastating the orange production industry and orange growers are feeling the pain.
“Very concerned about it,” said Paul Meador, the President of Everglades Harvesting, Inc. “We are right now able to produce enough oranges to cover our costs of operation. It’s very close. Anything, a freeze, or a hurricane, would be enough to push us over the edge.”
Meador is a 4th generation citrus grower in Hendry County and he is very worried about his future. For the first time, Florida has been surpassed by California in orange production. Meador said fifteen years ago, Florida was producing more than 250 million, 90-pound boxes of oranges annually. This year, he said, that will drop to about 41.2 million boxes. This is a decrease of more than 83.5%. The state is expected to have its smallest orange crop in 75 years due, in large part, to citrus greening.
What was once a thriving business in Florida is now struggling and farmers are now being forced to get out of the citrus industry all together.
Citrus greening, a bacterial disease, is spread by a tiny insect, called the Asian citrus psyllid. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the disease has been present in Florida since 1998. It has infected more than 1.5 million orange trees in Florida.
Meador said more than 20-years ago, there were 900-thousand acres of orange trees. Now, more than half been wiped out. This has Meador worried. “The citrus industry in Florida could go away if something doesn’t change soon,” he said.
Infected trees produce green, deformed, and bitter oranges. These are unsuitable for fresh fruit and juice. Once a tree is infected, it will likely not survive.
“We’ve had to figure out as growers how do we grow a citrus tree in the presence of this disease because there is no known cure,” said Ray Royce, the Executive Director of the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association. Royce said farmers are now trying to battle the disease and are working on ways to save the industry.
Some growers are now participating in the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) program. This allows them to record their work and the results.
“We’re using individual protected covers to give the trees a couple of years to grow without becoming infected,” said Royce. Using tents to cover crops as well as covers over individual trees, growers are experimenting to see what will prevent the trees from getting the disease.
Florida has spent around $165 million to battle citrus greening. Worldwide, that figure is more than $1 billion.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/07/21/citrus-greening-devastates-floridas-orange-crops/ | 2022-07-22T00:19:27Z |
RESTON, Va., May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Infotek Consulting LLC , a leading consultancy and implementer of project-based ERP software, today announced a growth equity investment from Attain Capital Partners. The company also announced that Gautam Mehndiratta has been named Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Greg Baroni, Founder and Managing Partner of Attain Capital Partners , has joined the Infotek Board of Directors as an investor and strategic advisor. Attain Capital Partners is a private equity firm which invests in expansion and growth-stage companies with cutting-edge, technology-enabled solutions. Baroni, himself a tech entrepreneur who helped to launch a distributed learning group known as Blackboard that became a first-mover and an industry leader, now part of Anthology, has led a diverse portfolio of successful businesses throughout his career, including KPMG Consulting, Unisys, and more recently, Attain, LLC, selling the company's federal business division in 2021. He also is the Founder and CEO of Attain Partners and Attain Sports and Entertainment.
"Infotek has built a strong reputation as an award-winning consulting and implementation firm that helps clients leverage technology to improve business strategies and drive innovation and competitive edge. We look forward to partnering together to further accelerate the company's growth, entering new markets, and continuing to develop innovative products and services to help Infotek's clients improve their business performance and achieve a higher ROI," Baroni said.
Gautam Mehndiratta, Infotek's founder , will serve as the company's CEO. He founded Infotek in 2005 with the primary goal of simplifying technology solutions for project-based businesses. Earlier in his career, he was a Senior Systems Engineer for Deltek. With more than 25 years of diverse experience across multiple industries developing, maintaining, and deploying solutions for organizations from startups to Fortune 500 companies, Mehndiratta is a recognized expert in project-based business. "We are eager to work with Attain Capital for their valuable expertise and resources to grow Infotek as a diverse solutions provider for project-based companies," Mehndiratta shared.
About Infotek Consulting LLC
Infotek provides consulting services, development, and products to clients across the country and around the globe. From requirements to system implementation, support, and training, the team brings the experience of more than 600 successful implementations and 400 cloud migrations, helping clients get the most out of their software investments. With the highest level of accreditation from Deltek, Infotek is the most award-winning partner, recognized by Deltek as its GovCon Partner of the Year in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021 and the MVP Award in 2017 and 2020. For more information, please visit www.infotekconsulting.net.
About Attain Capital Partners
Attain Capital Partners invests in growth-stage companies in the knowledge economy. We seek to partner with firms delivering high-value technology-enabled solutions and services to business, government, and education clients. Our mission is simple: Truly empower teams while building lasting partnerships that make a real impact. For more information, please visit www.attain.capital.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Attain Capital Partners; Infotek Consulting LLC | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/17/infotek-consulting-announces-investment-attain-capital-partners-accelerate-growth-innovation/ | 2022-05-17T13:43:42Z |
Select supermarkets pulling gun-themed koozies from shelves following controversy
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) - Harris Teeter supermarkets are pulling what some are calling controversial koozies from their store shelves.
WBTV reports one of the koozies had a bald eagle holding a rifle with the phrase “Give me liberty or give me death,” with another showing Thomas Jefferson holding a scroll with the Second Amendment on it and a gun.
Former North Carolina representative Christy Clark shared her disappointment on Twitter regarding the koozies, and a Harris Teeter representative has since said the items would be removed from stores.
“I think they recognize that as we face mass shootings and gun violence in our communities, we have to look closely at our culture and make changes,” Clark said.
Copyright 2022 WBTV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/06/25/select-supermarkets-pulling-gun-themed-koozies-shelves-following-controversy/ | 2022-06-25T21:12:59Z |
BEIJING, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Luokung Technology Corp. (NASDAQ: LKCO) ("Luokung" or the "Company"), a leading spatial-temporal intelligent big data services company and provider of interactive location-based services ("LBS") and high-definition maps ("HD Maps") in China, today announced that Luokung's independently developed digital twin visualized highway management and control platform (the "platform") has passed the road operation inspection for a pilot demonstration project on the Shanghai-Wuhan Expressway. The platform also passed the review by members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering ("CAE") and traffic safety related area experts, which ruled that the platform, as a product, has reached the international advanced level, significantly improving the efficiency of highway safety operation management and driving safety.
The platform incorporates Luokung's patented technology, intelligent digital monitoring and early warning system for severe weather conditions, based on HD Maps, satellite imaging and other holographic spatial-temporal data. Combined with visualization deep learning algorithms, the platform aims to achieve complete all-weather all-day coverage and attains high-precision detection and real-time early warning for low visibility and severe weather conditions such as thick fog.
During a four-month pilot demonstration project that began on February 8, 2022, Luokung's platform and its patented solution was applied on the Shanghai-Wuhan Expressway (G4221), a key section of the national expressway network called the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The platform achieved a forecast and monitoring accuracy rate of 100%, subsequently passing the review by the expert committee (the "Committee") organized by Anhui Traffic Control Construction Management Co., Ltd, the operating department of the Anhui section of the Shanghai-Wuhan Expressway.
At the expert review meeting of "Research on Precise Management and Control Scheme Based on Meteorological Data Analysis" hosted on July 22, 2022, the Committee assessed, "Luokung's system combines the concept of meteorological visibility with specific application scenarios of expressways and creatively uses existing video surveillance facilities, artificial intelligence, big data and other technologies to provide real-time visibility broadcasts and fog monitoring on expressways. It is a cost-effective solution that has reached the international advanced level and can be considered a pioneer product both domestically and internationally."
Mr. Shanlin Yang, an expert in management science and information systems engineering at CAE who was on the Committee, commented, "This technical solution solves a significant issue of long-term inaccuracy and tardiness of monitoring fog using conventional observation and meteorological satellites in the transportation field. I believe this new platform will increase our ability to monitor expressways and improve safety for drivers and passengers."
Mr. Xuesong Song, Luokung's Chairman and CEO, stated, "Based on our digital twin technology, Luokung digitally and dynamically visualizes all spatial and temporal elements and scenes on the expressway, introducing a digital twin product. The severe weather digital intelligent monitoring and early warning system, one of the key scene-level innovative solutions provided on the platform, addresses a major pain point for monitoring road conditions in severe weather globally through digitalized meteorological monitoring, AI accurate identification and advance notifications. According to China Climate Bulletin, severe weather conditions are the primary factor affecting the safe operation of the road network, with an impact ratio of 45%, and thick fog being one of the most unpredictable factors. With the introduction of this platform, Luokung is providing a smart transportation solutions product to improve expressway operation and management safety and efficiency, while increasing the passing rate of vehicles. We are optimistic that this product will become an important commercialization project in the field of next-generation smart transportation services. We believe this presents us with a unique competitive advantage to seize a greater market share in the expressway smart services market."
About Luokung Technology Corp.
Luokung Technology Corp. is a leading spatial-temporal intelligent big data services company, as well as a leading provider of LBS and HD Maps for various industries in China. Backed by its proprietary technologies and expertise in HD Maps and multi-sourced intelligent spatial-temporal big data, Luokung has established city-level and industry-level holographic spatial-temporal digital twin systems and actively serves industries including smart transportation (autonomous driving, smart highway and vehicle-road collaboration), natural resource asset management (carbon neutral and environmental protection remote sensing data service), and LBS smart industry applications (mobile Internet LBS, smart travel, smart logistics, new infrastructure, smart cities, emergency rescue, among others). The Company routinely provides important updates on its website: https://www.luokung.com.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and other statements that are other than statements of historical fact. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "could", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "might", "plan", "probable", "potential", "should", "would" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.
The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, management's examination and analysis of the existing law, rules and regulations and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you the statement herein will be accurate. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements.
CONTACT:
The Company:
Mr. Jay Yu
Chief Financial Officer
Tel: +86-10-6506-5217
Email: ir@luokung.com
Investor Relations:
Ms. Carolyne Sohn
Vice President
The Equity Group Inc.
Tel: 415-568-2255
Email: csohn@equityny.com
Ms. Alice Zhang
Investor Relations Analyst
The Equity Group Inc.
Tel: 212-836-9610
Email: azhang@equityny.com
View original content:
SOURCE Luokung Technology Corp. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/luokungs-digital-twin-intelligent-highway-management-control-platform-passes-expressway-operation-inspection-expert-committee-review/ | 2022-08-03T14:26:03Z |
LOS ANGELES, May 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A bill requiring oil refiners to disclose their per gallon profits month passed out of the California Senate by a vote of 22 to 4 and will now be heard in the California Assembly.
SB 1322 (Allen) requires the oil refiners to disclose monthly their refining profits -- the difference between average cost they pay for a barrel crude oil and the average price they charge for the finished barrel of gasoline, minus their expenses. With 42 gallons in a barrel, we will know exactly how much oil refiners make per gallon of gas in California.
As of today, Californians are paying $1.30 more gallon for their gasoline than the average US driver. Environmental costs add about 60 cents per gallon.
"Consumers deserve to know how much oil refiners are making off their pain at the pump," said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. "Recent quarterly profit reports suggest California oil refiners are pocketing $1 per gallon or more off the recent price spikes at the pump. That's unconscionable."
The senators who voted in support were Senators Allen, Atkins, Becker, Cortese, Dodd, Durazo, Eggman, Gonzalez, Hueso, Kamlager, Laird, Leyva, Limón, McGuire, Portantino, Roth, Rubio, Skinner, Stern, Umberg, Wieckowski, and Wiener
Opposed to the disclosure were Senators Dahle, Jones, Nielsen, Wilk.
Refining margins are typical industry measures. In fact, California refining margins are already published quarterly by two of California's five oil refiners – so this is information that is already public. PBF publishes refining profits from its San Francisco and LA refineries, which show that it made 78 cents per gallon on the gasoline it sold in the first quarter of 2022. That's double its profits last year and significantly more than it makes in other parts of the country. Valero also publishes its margins for its West Coast refineries, which are exclusively in California. The other refiners publish Western regional margins. You can read about the refining profits reported by all California refiners in our review of the latest investor report here: https://www.consumerwatchdog.org/energy/profit-reports-show-oil-refiners-are-gouging-californians-profits-gallon-double
Since prices only tipped $5 per gallon in March, significantly into the first quarter reporting period, this means that PBF likely made $1 per gallon profits on the gasoline sold in Southern California from March through May.
"Requiring oil refiners to post their profits per gallon month will allow the public, regulators, and legislators to pinpoint periods of gouging and have the opportunity to respond," said Court. "When people have to choose between gas and food because pump prices are $6 per gallon there ought to be a law that no oil refiner can make $1 per gallon in profits. Oil refiners are gouging Californians because they have the leverage to do it and it's unconscionable."
View original content:
SOURCE Consumer Watchdog | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/24/legislation-requiring-oil-refiners-post-profits-per-gallon-monthly-clears-senate-says-consumer-watchdog/ | 2022-05-24T20:19:19Z |
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A law enforcement officer shot and killed one of the people suspected of firing shots at a festival in Mississippi, a sheriff said late Saturday. Organizers said Sunday that, in response to the shootings, they canceled the final day of the Mississippi Mudbug Festival at the state fairgrounds in Jackson.
Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said several people were taken to local hospitals with unknown injuries after gunfire Saturday night. He said the person killed was a teenager.
He said an “officer-involved shooting investigation is underway stemming from this incident,” but did not provide additional details. He said the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation was called to assist.
Jones said two or three people exchanged gunfire at about 10 p.m. Saturday in and around a vehicle at a fairgrounds parking lot.
“During the course of the exchange, at least one of these individuals fired multiple rounds, multiple shots, toward the midway area of the event that was in progress,” Jones said. “We do not believe there was anybody else injured along the midway during the course of this gunfire.”
The second annual festival — a spring celebration of crawfish, live entertainment and amusement park rides — shut down after the shootings. Saturday’s headliner was Blue Oyster Cult, the rock band best known for classic hits like “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” and “Burnin’ For You.” A spokesman for the band said Sunday that everyone in the band was safe, and the band had no further comment.
The precise conditions of the wounded weren’t clear. Jones said two juveniles were detained for questioning, and authorities recovered a car, two rifles and a pistol from the scene.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bailey Martin confirmed Sunday that MBI is investigating, as it does with most shootings of or by law enforcement officers in the state. She declined to name the agency for which the officer works.
MBI said in a statement that it was asking the public for names, videos or other details about the violence at the fairgrounds. The bureau said people could provide information anonymously by calling CrimeStoppers at 1-888-827-4637 or contacting the MBI at MBITIPS@dps.ms.gov.
Grammy-winning blues singer Bobby Rush was the headline performer scheduled for Sunday. The state Department of Agriculture and Commerce hosted the festival, and Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson said people who bought advance tickets for Sunday will receive refunds. He said safety is a priority at the fairgrounds.
“I appreciate the rapid response from the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office and the Jackson Police Department,” Gipson said in a statement Sunday. “Their quick action in securing the scene prevented others from potentially being hurt.” | https://cw33.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/final-day-of-mississippi-fest-canceled-after-fatal-shooting/ | 2022-05-01T20:32:14Z |
EXPLAINER: Why is Texas policing its border with Mexico?
By ELLIOT SPAGAT and PAUL WEBER
Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to impose additional inspections of trucks entering Texas from Mexico is his latest move in an unprecedented foray into border security, which has long been the federal government’s domain. The two-term governor, like many Republican Party leaders, calls illegal immigration and drug smuggling from Mexico a “crisis” and fully blames President Joe Biden. His latest actions follow the Biden administration’s decision to end pandemic-related restrictions for those claiming asylum at the border on May 23. Border officials stopped migrants 164,973 times in February, a daily average of nearly 5,900. They stopped migrants an average of 7,101 times a day during the week that ended March 28. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/04/15/explainer-why-is-texas-policing-its-border-with-mexico/ | 2022-04-15T20:39:52Z |
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A bill requiring oil refiners to disclose their per gallon profits monthly is now on Governor Newsom's desk, having passed out of the California Senate with a concurrence vote of 29 to 8.
SB 1322 (Allen) requires the oil refiners to disclose monthly their refining profits -- the difference between average cost they pay for a barrel crude oil and the average price they charge for the finished barrel of gasoline. With 42 gallons in a barrel, the public will know exactly how much oil refiners make per gallon of gas in California.
Californians are paying $1.25 more per gallon for their gasoline than the average US driver. Environmental costs add about 60 cents per gallon.
"California drivers have had enough. SB 1322 will bring much-needed transparency to oil companies' true costs of doing business," said the bill's author Senator Ben Allen.
"Consumers deserve to know how much oil refiners are making off their pain at the pump," said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. "Recent quarterly profit reports suggest California oil refiners are pocketing more than $1 per gallon off the recent price spikes at the pump. That's unconscionable."
Refining margins are typical industry measures. Investor reports show California's refiners' Western region profit margins are through the roof. West Coast profits per gallon for Marathon topped an unprecedented $1 per gallon, as opposed to 34 cents in the second quarter of 2021. Valero, PBF and Phillips reported profits of 83 cents, 82 cents, and 79 cents per gallon (as opposed to 27 cents, 15 cents and 8 cents per gallon in second quarter last year). Chevron does not report quarterly refining margins. Read more about the investor reports.
SB 1322 is supported by the California Attorney General, CALPIRG (California Public Interest Research Group), Greenpeace USA, Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment, SoCal 350 Climate Action, San Diego 350 Climate Action, Friends of the Earth US, Stand.earth, Sunflower Alliance, FracTracker Alliance
Food & Water Watch, Public Watchdogs and California Nurses for Environmental Health and Justice.
"With this real time information, lawmakers, regulators, and the public will be able to pinpoint periods of price gouging and respond to it," said Court.
View original content:
SOURCE Consumer Watchdog | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/governor-decide-whether-require-oil-refiners-disclose-profits-per-gallon-monthly-says-consumer-watchdog/ | 2022-08-31T06:36:10Z |
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico workplace safety regulators on Wednesday issued the maximum possible fine of nearly $137,000 against a film production company for firearms safety failures on the set of “Rust” where actor and producer Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer in October.
New Mexico’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau said Rust Movie Productions must pay $136,793, and distributed a scathing narrative of safety failures in violation of standard industry protocols, including testimony that production managers took limited or no action to address two misfires on set prior to the fatal shooting. The bureau also documented gun safety complaints from crew members that went unheeded and said weapons specialists were not allowed to make decisions about additional safety training.
“What we had, based on our investigators’ findings, was a set of obvious hazards to employees regarding the use of firearms and management’s failure to act upon those obvious hazards,” Bob Genoway, bureau chief for occupational safety, told The Associated Press.
At a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021, Baldwin was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins inside a small church during setup for the filming of a scene when it went off, killing Hutchins and wounding the director, Joel Souza.
Baldwin said in a December interview with ABC News that he was pointing the gun at Hutchins at her instruction on the New Mexico set of the Western film when it went off without his pulling the trigger.
The new occupational safety report confirms that a large-caliber revolver was handed to Baldwin by an assistant director, David Halls, without consulting with on-set weapons specialists during or after the gun was loaded. Regulators note that Halls also served as safety coordinator and that he was present and witnessed two accidental discharges of rifles on set, and that he and other managers who knew of the misfires took no investigative, corrective or disciplinary action. Crew members expressed surprise and discomfort.
“The Safety Coordinator was present on set and took no direct action to address safety concerns,” the report states. “Management was provided with multiple opportunities to take corrective actions and chose not to do so. As a result of these failures, Director Joel Souza and cinematographer Halyna Hutchins were severely injured. Halyna Hutchins succumbed to her injuries.”
Rust Movie Productions said through a spokesperson that it would dispute the findings and sanction.
“While we appreciate OSHA’s time and effort in its investigation, we disagree with its findings and plan to appeal,” said Stefan Friedman. Any appeal would be heard initially by the state’s occupational health and safety commission.
Baldwin issued a statement from his attorney, asserting that the safety investigation “exonerates Mr. Baldwin.”
An attorney for Halls was not immediately available.
The state fine applies to a film with a budget of about $7 million. Baldwin was assigned a salary of $250,000 as an actor and producer and may have put some of that money back into the production.
At least five lawsuits have been filed over the shooting, including a wrongful death suit brought by Hutchins’ family against Baldwin and the movie’s other producers. The lawsuit on behalf of widower Matt Hutchins and his 9-year-old son alleges a “callous” disregard in the face of safety complaints on the set.
James Kenney, secretary of the Environment Department that oversees occupational safety, said the agency dedicated 1,500 staff hours to its investigation, examined hundreds of documents and conducted at least a dozen interviews with cast and crew members.
Investigators found production managers placed tight limits on resources for a small team that controlled weapons on set and failed to address concerns about a shotgun left unattended twice.
Armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the daughter of a sharpshooter and consultant to film productions, was limited to eight paid days as an armorer to oversee weapons and training, and was assigned otherwise to lighter duties as a props assistant. As her time as an armorer ran out, Gutierrez Reed warned a manager and was rebuffed.
Gutierrez Reed is both a plaintiff and a defendant in lawsuits seeking damages in the fatal shooting. In a statement Wednesday, her attorney highlighted findings that the armorer “was not provided adequate time or resources to conduct her job effectively.”
Safety investigators also note that the production company did not develop a process to ensure live rounds of ammunition were not brought on set, in violation of industry safety protocols. Safety meetings were conducted, but not every day weapons were used, as required.
Kenney said the separate investigations into possible criminal charges are still underway. The Santa Fe County sheriff and local prosecutors had no immediate comment.
Kenney said his agency received no direct safety complaints from cast or crew prior to the fatal shooting, even though anonymity is offered.
“This tragedy, this loss of life, it could have been prevented, and we want people to say something,” he said.
Kenney was appointed in 2019 by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a staunch advocate for the film industry who increased a state cap in industry incentives shortly after taking office.
New Mexico competes with non-Hollywood production sites in states such as Georgia, Louisiana and New York. Film productions have flocked to New Mexico in recent years to seize on its diverse outdoor scenery, moderate costs and generous state incentives, including a rebate of between 25% and 35% of in-state spending for video production that helps filmmakers large and small underwrite their work.
___
This story has been updated to correct the state workplace safety fine to $136,793 instead of $139,793. | https://cw33.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/new-mexico-fines-rust-for-willful-gun-safety-failures/ | 2022-04-21T04:14:50Z |
SALADO — A free exhibit on the U.S. Constitution will open Friday in Salado.
“The Blessings of Liberty: The U.S. Constitution” will be on display Friday through July 29 at the Salado Museum and College Park meeting hall at 423 S. Main St. in Salado. The exhibit, prepared for travel by Humanities Texas, is open to the public.
The exhibit, developed by a national consortium of scholars and institutions, consists of 12 poster panels addressing the transformation of the United States from a group of colonies to a nation founded upon and united by a single document, the U.S. Constitution, according to a news release.
“Written to ‘secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,’ the Constitution is short, simple, and often ambiguous,” the museum said in the release. “As the blueprint for our nation’s government, it represents a set of beliefs and a way of life. The exhibit seeks to explain the immense importance of a document that holds answers to challenging questions of government, cryptic though it may seem.
For more information, contact Michele Melsha at 254-947-5232 or office@saladomuseum.org . | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_29105c9c-f65c-11ec-b309-7f57f55472c9.html | 2022-06-28T02:35:12Z |
Premium blend features notes of cocoa, caramelized sugar and cherries in a striking new design
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y., July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Death Wish Coffee Co., The World's Strongest Coffee®, today launched its latest everyday offering, Espresso Roast. The rich new roast features a smooth aroma with notes of cocoa, caramelized sugar and black cherry, for an intense taste and double the strength. A proprietary blend to Death Wish Coffee, Espresso Roast is Certified Fair Trade and USDA organic like its other coffee products, resulting in a high-quality and flavorful cup of coffee without any artificial additives.
Espresso Roast is the first product to debut Death Wish Coffee's new look, featuring their signature lightning bolts and vibrant colors to quickly communicate roast varieties and flavors. This electrifying new look will invigorate the coffee landscape. Death Wish Coffee's other products, including Dark Roast and Medium Roast, will transition to the new look later this year.
"Our consumers are looking for a premium coffee experience at home with a rich, intense flavor and a base for espresso drinks to channel their inner barista. Espresso Roast delivers a smooth, never-bitter cup every time, no matter how it's brewed," Mike Pilkington, CEO of Death Wish Coffee, said. "Espresso Roast joins our everyday line-up of Dark Roast and Medium Roast, along with our seasonal flavors, to give coffee consumers the variety they're seeking."
Espresso Roast is a dark roast made with Sumatran and Peruvian arabica beans and Indian Cherry robusta beans. The new coffee joins the brand's everyday offerings including the original Dark Roast – featuring notes of dark chocolate and black cherry – and Medium Roast, which features hints of caramel and roasted peanuts.
The new blend is available for purchase starting July 1 in ground and whole bean bags and Death Cups, compatible with Keurig single-serve coffee makers. Consumers can purchase on www.deathwishcoffee.com, and in Walmart and Kroger locations nationwide starting in July. The blend will also be available on Amazon later this year.
Death Wish Coffee — The World's Strongest Coffee® — is sourced from the highest-quality coffee beans in the world and roasted to deep, never-bitter perfection. The brand boasts a Dark Roast as well as a Medium Roast, which debuted in 2021, available in whole bean, ground, and single-serve coffee pods. The company also sells seasonal, limited-edition flavors and collectible mugs and merchandise.
For more information about Death Wish Coffee Co., visit http://www.deathwishcoffee.com.
Good things start small. Mike Brown brought a bold idea to life in 2012—crafting a stronger coffee for his local community. He searched far and wide for the world's best beans, perfected a unique roasting technique and Death Wish Coffee Company was born. What started as a few employees packing orders in the basement of a quaint coffee shop has repeatedly earned Amazon's #1 "Most Wished For" coffee and can be found in over 20,000 stores nationwide. Death Wish Coffee Company is committed to sustainability, and our Medium Roast, Dark Roast, Espresso Roast and Valhalla Java coffees are always Fair Trade + USDA Certified Organic. For more information, visit www.deathwishcoffee.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Death Wish Coffee | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/01/death-wish-coffee-co-launches-espresso-roast-new-look/ | 2022-07-01T13:17:03Z |
MCLEAN, Va., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SpaceLink, a company that provides secure data from any orbit, any time, announced it was selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Strategic Technology Office (STO) for a contract award. SpaceLink will participate in the Space-Based Adaptive Communications Node (Space-BACN) program designed to connect the proliferated space domain.
SpaceLink is building a constellation of relay satellites in MEO that use optical intersatellite links to speed communications between spacecraft on orbit and users on the ground. Along with other contributors, SpaceLink will assist DARPA in studying and developing protocols for how commercial communications constellations will interact with Department of Defense (DoD) systems in a Space-to-Space interconnected future.
"DARPA's Space-BACN program is well-aligned with our mission to provide continuous high capacity, real-time links to deliver data from space to the warfighter," said David Nemeth, Senior Vice President of Systems Engineering at SpaceLink. "DARPA's vision of interoperability will unlock the value of the proliferating commercial remote sensing constellations for U.S. government agencies. We are gratified to share our technical insights with regard to command and control and API development."
SpaceLink will contribute its technical insights in the development of the application program interface (API) and algorithms included in Space-BACN Technical Area 3 (TA3). SpaceLink will also have the opportunity to support the simulation and testing that informs the deployment and utilization of Space-BACN reconfigurable optical communications terminals.
SpaceLink is partnering with Parsons Corporation (NYSE: PSN) on a technical approach to support the Space-BACN program by combining Parsons' existing enterprise scheduling and tasking software with the SpaceLink optical relay network. Together they will enable space-to-space optical communications terminals that can be dynamically modified on-orbit to adapt and talk across various optical standards used by different satellite systems.
The Space-BACN contract award marks an important milestone in the SpaceLink roadmap. The company also recently announced it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Technical Center (SMDTC) in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.
In March 2022 SpaceLink was the recipient of the Chairman's Award for Outstanding Innovation from the MSUA.
About SpaceLink
SpaceLink will help advance humanity to a new age of space commerce, exploration, environmental awareness, and security. The Always in Sight™ data relay system provides global coverage to empower space system operators to maximize use of their assets. SpaceLink Corporation is headquartered in Northern Virginia and has offices in Silicon Valley, California. It is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited, a public company traded on the Australian stock exchange.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE SpaceLink | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/darpa-selects-spacelink-participate-its-program-connect-proliferated-space-domain/ | 2022-08-22T13:20:57Z |
CHICAGO (AP) — Two Chicago police officers face felony charges for allegedly shooting and seriously wounding an unarmed man during a July shootout on the city’s southwest side that also wounded a second man, authorities said Friday.
Sgt. Christopher Liakopoulos, 43, and Officer Ruben Reynoso, 42, have been charged with one count each of aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm and official misconduct, said Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.
Foxx said the officers were relieved of their police powers on Thursday before they turned themselves in to authorities.
Foxx said both officers “are being charged with having fired their shots” that wounded an unarmed 23-year-old man — identified separately Friday through a civil court filing as Miguel Medina — on July 22 in the city’s Pilsen neighborhood. That man has since recovered and is cooperating with the investigation, she said.
“The victim who was shot and injured in this incident was not in possession of a weapon, nor did he fire a weapon at these two officers,” Foxx said during a news conference.
After the shooting, police said in a statement that two officers who had observed four people loitering in front of a closed store stopped to investigate and identified themselves as police.
Police said one of the four in the group then displayed a handgun and an exchange of gunfire ensued in which Medina suffered gunshot wounds and was transported to a hospital in serious condition.
Foxx said that based on a review of the evidence, including video surveillance footage, prosecutors believe “the officers involved in this incident did not have provocation or justification to shoot the unarmed” Medina.
“The evidence does not support the use of deadly force related to the shooting of the unarmed victim, and was not lawful,” Foxx said.
Assistant State’s Attorney Alyssa Janicki said Friday at the officers’ bond hearing that a juvenile and Medina initially approached the unmarked police vehicle when questioned by the officers.
The juvenile ran, but Medina showed both hands to the officers as Reynoso and Liakopoulos both pointed their guns out the vehicle’s passenger window and started shooting. Medina was shot in the back and leg.
The juvenile, who Janicki said had a gun in a satchel across his chest, kept running before turning and firing shots at the officers who shot back. A pedestrian near the juvenile suffered a grazing wound.
The officers were heading to a morning training course and were in plain clothes at the time of the shooting. Neither had on their police body cameras because they were going to training, Janicki said.
Prosecutors later obtained surveillance video from the area.
After the shooting, Foxx said, the two officers “made representations to legal authorities, including the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, that was directly contradicted by the videotaped evidence.”
Brian Sexton, Reynoso’s attorney, said during Friday’s hearing that his client was focused on the 17-year-old with the gun and never shot in the direction of Medina.
Sexton said that after Reynoso watched a surveillance video of the shooting, he told the Civilian Office of Police Accountability and the state’s attorney’s office that he “just didn’t remember” the shooting.
Tim Grace, Liakopoulos’ attorney, told the judge that the officers were confronted “by an armed assailant who points a gun at them and eventually fires at them.”
“We are supposed to see if the police officer’s actions were objectively reasonable,” Grace said. “We don’t use 20/20 hindsight. We don’t second-guess. We don’t slow down video like the state’s attorney’s office does.”
Medina filed a federal lawsuit on Friday against Liakopoulos and the city accusing the officer of using excessive force and battery during their interaction and falsely arresting him afterward.
Medina alleges that he and others were walking when the officers drove up in police vehicle and started questioning the group. Medina says he showed his hands and began walking away when Liakopoulos fired shots at him from the vehicle, striking him several times.
Medina was treated at a hospital for his wounds and then held for several hours at a police station, though he was never charged, according to the lawsuit, which doesn’t say how much Medina is seeking and requests a jury trial.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the shooting and has a deadline of Sept. 22 to release materials related to the shooting, including videos, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. | https://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-us-headlines/ap-2-chicago-cops-charged-in-shooting-that-wounded-unarmed-man/ | 2022-09-16T23:12:19Z |
WUHAN, China, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The new Peugeot 408 has made its world debut in Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (WHDZ), also known as China's Auto Valley. To one's surprise, in the middle of the front face of the new 408, a new shield-shape lion logo replaces the previous standing lion cub as the brand's image.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile Company LTD (DPCA). DPCA has developed together with the WHDZ in the past three decades.
On May 16, 1991, bearing the national mission of developing the automobile industry, the WHDZ officially broke ground in Wuhan's Zhuankou. The vast deserted land has been sleeping for a long time began to wake up, and the dream of building China's automobile capital set sail.
After more than 30 years of development, the WHDZ has transformed from a project into a city, and the annual output of automobiles has ballooned from 1,000 to one million, an increase of nearly 1,000 times, making it one of the regions with the highest concentration of automobile manufacturing industry in China.
Within less than 500 square kilometers, it has attracted 9 vehicle enterprises, 13 vehicle factories that have been built or are under construction, and more than 500 world-famous parts supporting enterprises from countries such as the United States, Britain, Japan, Germany and France. State-owned auto enterprises, new comers and emerging forces develop together in the WHDZ, elevating the region to one of the most competitive auto districts and counties in China, and the WHDZ gains the reputation of China's Auto Valley.
In October 2002, Dongfeng Company signed a joint venture contract with France's PSA Peugeot Citroen Group in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. As an important part of the contract, the Peugeot brand made a comeback to the Chinese market by means of establishing Peugeot. Over the years, Peugeot 206, 307, 408 and other models have entered many families, making Peugeot one of the mainstream joint venture automobile brands in China.
In particular, Peugeot 408 has been upgraded and modified for many times since its launch, with a cumulative sales volume of nearly 600,000 units in 12 years, including nearly 8,000 units exported overseas. In 2015, the 408 model was thrown into the spotlight, with annual sales exceeding 100,000 units and becoming the star model of DPCA and Peugeot.
The automobile market is always changing fast. DPCA and Peugeot have posted steady rises amid competition. In October 2020, DPCA launched a project and a campaign at the DPCA Automotive Cultural Festival. The project upgrades DPCA's mid-term business strategy to more localized products, more accurate marketing, more reliable services and more efficient operations. The customer-focused campaign seeks to offer more quality services throughout the car purchase and use experience.
These efforts have brought changes. In 2021, Peugeot got a refresh with a new brand strategy to compete in the Chinese passenger car market again. Peugeot sold 51,000 vehicles in 2021, registering a year-on-year increase of 74 percent.
DPCA takes customer as the focus and keeps pressing ahead with innovation, which is also a solid step on the road of helping the WHDZ build China's Auto Valley and a world-class automobile industry cluster.
To make products more localized, half a year ago, Dongfeng Citroen launched the Versailles C5 X, which became a market hit immediately. Now the new 408 has gone global from China's Auto Valley with a bright future.
Image Attachments Links:
Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=423853
Caption: New Peugeot 408
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE DPCA | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/new-peugeot-model-debuts-chinas-auto-valley-with-fresh-brand-image/ | 2022-06-22T07:43:58Z |
New admissions rules for Kansas attorneys to take effect July 1
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The Kansas Supreme Court has updated the rules of admission for attorneys in the Sunflower State to allow online applications and drop outdated requirements.
The Kansas Supreme Court says on Wednesday, June 29, it adopted updated rules which govern attorney admissions to pave the way for a streamlined process including an online application form for those who seek admission to the Kansas bar, a restricted license or an intern permit.
The Court said Chief Justice Marla Luckert signed Administrative Order 2022-RL-055 which adopts Supreme Court Rules 700-726 and repeals Rules 701-723. It said the order follows a vast review and overhaul of the rules and a public comment period.
According to the Court, the updated rules were restyled to match other court rules and were reordered to better match how an application moves through the admissions process. It said amendments also dropped outdated requirements and codified practices that already exist.
The Court said the process to update the rules took place at the same time a new online attorney admissions application had been developed. It said the online application replaces the paper process for those who seek admission to the Kansas bar, a restricted license or a legal intern permit.
The Court noted that the new online application is still in testing and should be ready to use ahead of the Oct. 1 filing deadline for the February 2023 bar exam. It said the application will allow for more electronic communication - including sending character reference forms by email directly from the system.
The Court indicated that other substantive changes in the updated rules include:
- Outdated provisions which precluded admission based on an applicant’s failure to achieve a passing score on a prior bar exam and required termination of a single-employer restricted license when an applicant did not get a passing score on the bar exam have been eliminated.
- An applicant will be allowed for admission by examination to take the bar while the character and fitness investigation remains pending.
- The timeframe for an applicant to apply for admission by Uniform Bar Examination score transfer has been increased from 36 months to 60 months.
- The unauthorized practice of law has been made a consideration during a character and fitness investigation instead of an absolute bar to admission by reciprocity.
- The standard of review during a character witness and fitness hearing has been clarified.
The Court noted that the updated rules will take effect on July 1.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/06/29/new-admissions-rules-kansas-attorneys-take-effect-july-1/ | 2022-06-29T21:12:49Z |
- Raise and Listing offered through INX Securities in the U.S.
XIAMEN, China, July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HGC (BVI) Info Tech Co. Ltd.("HGC"), the owner of Trucpal, also a blockchain-based SaaS platform serving the Chinese freight market, today announced a partnership with INX Limited ("INX"), the owner of blockchain-based trading platforms for digital securities and cryptocurrencies, to offer the Trucpal digital security token on July 25th. With a fundraising goal of $20 million.
HGC is a leading digital SaaS service provider serving the Chinese freight market. HGC maintains its strengths and position through continuous business innovation and an open system. With an annual output value of $1.5 trillion in 2020 and annual transportation volume of 52.1 billion tons in 2021 in the Chinese freight market, HGC believes that China is the world's most promising digital freight market.*
Recognising the rapid growth and benefits of blockchain technology and security tokens, HGC has worked closely with blockchain experts and advisors to launch its own security token for Trucpal's ecosystem. After a preparatory phase, including designing the token's economic model, and in-depth compliance audit and technology development. HGC now is ready to offer and list the Trucpal security token using the INX platform.
This collaboration between HGC and INX will bring the first Security Token to the Chinese freight market, potentially allowing millions of Trucpal users to turn their contributions into financial rewards through the Trucpal digital security token in compliance with U.S. Securities laws and regulations. It is also a very positive contribution to the development of the HGC freight ecosystem. It will foster collaboration amongst each other; and encourage both INX and HGC to explore the future of digital securities together.
Wendong Zhang, Founder of HGC: "lNX is the leader in issuance and trading services for US compliant digital securities. The cooperation with lNX will greatly help HGC to successfully issue the Trucpal token in compliance with U.S. regulatory requirements. The successful issuance of Trucpal Token can greatly promote faster development of the HGC system, can potentially gain the support of millions of loyal users and is likely to be a long-term win-win development, while creating potential rewards to Trucpal Token investors."
Shy Datika, Founder & CEO of INX: "We are excited to bring HGC's Trucpal capital raise to the market on July 25th, and encourage interested parties to onboard at INX today. Trucpal brings an innovative platform to the Chinese freight market, one that investors should learn about. Their decision to raise capital with INX, under U.S. securities laws is commendable, and working with their management team has provided much insight into the potential that such innovative Chinese companies offer."
1. Over 10 trillion! 2020 China's total logistics industry revenue on a new level url: https://bit.ly/3nSEhLI
2. 2021 Transportation Industry Development Statistics Bulletin released url: http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2022-05/26/content_5692335.htm
About HGC
HGC(wehgc.com) operates a blockchain based freight service SaaS platform in China. Based on the development of e-commerce. HGC believes that China is the world's most promising digital freight market. HGC maintains its strengths and position through continuous business innovation and an open system. The HGC/Trucpal Team has been developing and operating in the field of freight and crypto for many years. Since its official launch in Feb 1st, 2021, the Trucpal App has a record of 300 million RMB on GMV, more than 7,000 cooperatives and 4.5 million Trucpoints have been mined by its users.
About INX
The Company is the holding company for the INX Group, which includes regulated trading platforms for digital securities and cryptocurrencies, combining traditional markets expertise and an innovative fintech approach. The INX Group's vision is to be the preferred global regulated hub for digital assets on the blockchain. The INX Group's overall mission is to bring communities together and empower them with financial innovation. Our journey started with our initial public token offering of the INX Token in which it raised US$83 million. The INX Group is shaping the blockchain asset industry through its willingness to work in a regulated environment with oversight from regulators like the SEC and FINRA.
In addition to operating two regulated trading platforms for blockchain assets, the Company's interdealer broker, I.L.S. Brokers, plans to offer non-deliverable cryptocurrency forwards to Tier-1 banks in the future. For more information, please visit the INX Group website here.
View original content:
SOURCE HGC (BVI) Info Tech Co. Ltd. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/12/trucpal-security-token-raise-commence-july-25th/ | 2022-07-12T15:14:35Z |
The Salvation Army of Bell County and the Central Texas Food Bank will host a drive-through food distribution Tuesday for area residents.
Most Popular
Articles
- Temple Police, CPS investigate toddler’s severe burns
- Temple mother, 2 young sons killed in traffic accident in Mexico
- Troy man indicted for teen’s sexual assault
- Man who drowned at Temple Lake Park identified
- Residents petition against planned West Temple apartments
- Temple gang member sentenced to 12 years in prison
- Behind bars: Nine violent Temple gang members wait for court proceedings after one sentenced
- Temple man whose pants fell down while fleeing from police sentenced
- Three family members killed in crash near Burlington
- Motorist killed in I-35 crash in Temple | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_5060b338-1cdf-11ed-918d-67c31bb7ecb5.html | 2022-08-15T22:28:06Z |
CAMDEN, Maine, June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gregory A. Dufour, president and chief executive officer of Camden National Corporation (NASDAQ®: CAC; the "Company"), announced today that the board of directors of the Company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share. This quarterly payout results in an annualized dividend yield of 3.60% based on the June 27, 2022 closing price of the Company's common stock at $44.48 per share as reported by NASDAQ. The dividend is payable on July 29, 2022 to shareholders of record on July 15, 2022.
About Camden National Corporation
Camden National Corporation (NASDAQ:CAC) is the largest publicly traded bank holding company in Northern New England with $5.4 billion in assets and approximately 620 employees. Camden National Bank, its subsidiary, is a full-service community bank founded in 1875 in Camden, Maine. Dedicated to customers at every stage of their financial journey, the bank offers the latest in digital banking, complemented by personalized service with 58 banking centers, 24/7 live phone support, 66 ATMs, and additional lending offices in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. For the past four years, Camden National Bank was named a Customer Experience (CX) Leader by Coalition Greenwich, a division of CRISIL. In 2021, it received awards in two CX categories: U.S. Retail Banking and U.S. Commercial Small Business Banking. Camden National Bank was included in the 2021 list of Best Places to Work in Maine. Member FDIC.
Comprehensive wealth management, investment and financial planning services are delivered by Camden National Wealth Management. To learn more, visit CamdenNational.bank.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Camden National Corporation | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/camden-national-corporation-announces-its-second-quarter-2022-dividend/ | 2022-06-28T21:09:18Z |
US labor board sues Starbucks to rehire unionizing employees
By Ramishah Maruf, CNN Business
The National Labor Relations Board petitioned in federal court to force Starbucks to rehire three workers who claimed the coffee chain retaliated against them for attempting to unionize.
An Arizona-based regional director for the NLRB filed for an injunction asking the court to require Starbucks to reinstate the employees with their usual schedules and accommodations and expunge any disciplinary actions from their records, the NLRB said in a press release Friday.
The labor board claims that Starbucks “swiftly retaliated” against three members of the union organizing committee, including disciplining and discharging one employee, creating work conditions that led to the resignation of a second and placing a third on an unpaid leave of absence.
Starbucks locations across the country are experiencing a wave of organizing efforts. Thirty stores have voted to unionize and more than 220 have filed to hold votes through Starbucks Workers United, a grassroots union effort. Starbucks Workers United announced Monday that a store in New Jersey voted to unionize, becoming the first in the state to do so.
“The faith of Starbucks employees nationwide in workplace democracy will not be restored unless these employees are immediately reinstated under the protection of a federal court order,” NLRB Region 28 Regional Director Cornele Overstreet said in a statement.
The NLRB can seek injunctions in federal district courts in cases where the agency’s normal processes aren’t sufficient to stop alleged unfair labor practices.
Starbucks said it “wholly disagrees” with the allegations from the NLRB, claiming the employees, whom the company refers to as “partners,” were “terminated because they violated our established policies.” Starbucks also alleged the employees violated state law in some instances, but did not elaborate.
“A partner’s interest in union representation does not exempt them from the standards we’ve put in place to protect partners, customers and the communities that we serve,” a Starbucks spokesperson said in a statement to CNN Business.
This move by the NLRB could be a huge win for Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union and the union supporting the Starbucks employees, which has also filed dozens of complaints against the coffee giant. It also marks another chapter in Starbucks’ long and expensive battle against unionizing efforts.
“Starbucks’ treatment of our fellow partners in Arizona mirrors its treatment of union supporters at stores across the country,” Workers United said in a statement to CNN Business. “As a result, we fully expect that this is the first of many future petitions the NLRB will pursue against Starbucks, until the company is held accountable for its violations of our right to organize.”
According to reports, including one from Reuters, Starbucks filed two complaints with the NLRB earlier this week claiming Workers United broke federal labor law alleging its organizers intimidated baristas in Denver and Phoenix.
“The Unfair Labor Practice charge was filed to protect the physical safety and emotional wellbeing of our partners and customers and to make it clear that the intimidation, bullying and harassment we’re seeing from some union organizers is not acceptable,” a Starbucks spokesperson said in a statement to CNN Business.
Workers United said Starbucks is running an “illegal campaign” against its employees.
“As partners vote to join Starbucks Workers United every week in stores all across the country, Starbucks management are getting desperate, with misinformation campaigns and charges like those filed today,” Workers United said in a statement to CNN Business.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/money/cnn-business-consumer/2022/04/25/us-labor-board-sues-starbucks-to-rehire-unionizing-employees/ | 2022-04-25T20:10:43Z |
ALBANY — While discussing Albany State University, there are alumni and supporters who will gladly tell you all the memorable events that have elevated the historically black university’s rich history.
They’ll talk about the chimney on the lower campus, the impact of the Flood of ‘94, of founder Joseph Winthrop Holley’s brave efforts to offer a higher education to a population that had no such options, of the Jones brothers and their basketball prowess, of the post-flood move to the “upper campus,” of the consolidation with Darton State College, of students’ involvement in the civil rights movement, of alumni who have gone on to bigger and better things.
But the people who know the ins and outs of the university well will, to a person, tell you there’s a behind-the-scenes face of ASU that for the last 30 years has been just as vital and memorable a part of the institution as some of those more heralded personnel, landmarks and events.
Anyone who has ever attended an event at the university, be it on-campus, an athletic competition, a community happening, will, if they’re paying attention, have noticed the same gentleman at all things ASU, taking photographs to record the university’s history. That man, Reginald Christian, is the keeper — the chronicler — of Albany State’s history, an individual whose passion for the college runs as deep and as fully as the Flint River that flows along the university’s eastern campus.
“I cannot imagine Albany State University without Reggie Christian,” a university alumnus said. “I’ve never seen a man more passionate about his work. That he is so personable and professional makes him perhaps one of the brightest gems in ASU’s long history.”
An Albany born-and-raised native, Christian started working at ASU after a 13-year career as a production assistant at local television station WALB. Shortly after earning a business administration degree at — where else? — Albany State, Christian answered a “help wanted” ad at the TV station.
“I had absolutely no experience, but they told me they’d give me 90 days to learn,” Christian said while he prepared for a recent photo shoot on campus. “I took to it and really enjoyed it. I had no plans of leaving the TV station, but one day I was doing a story on campus and (then-ASU president) Dr. (Billy) Black told me I ought to come to work over here. I told them I was happy with my job.
“I came back again three or four months later, and Dr. Black and (former educator) Brenda Tiller told me again I would be welcome at Albany State. We talked a little more, and even though I was happy at the TV station, money does talk. So I decided to make the change.”
Christian came to ASU two weeks after the worst of the Great Flood, and working to preserve and restore photographs and documents that had received water damage was one of his first chores. He set up and often operated equipment in classrooms and, since he had a photography background, he was called on to take pictures at certain events.
As new presidents came — Black, Shields, Freeman, Fedrick — Christian’s duties evolved. He obtained a CDL license and was often called on to take university officials from place to place. And somewhere along the way the administration realized how valuable Christian’s photography background would be in chronicling the university’s history.
“It kind of started out that I was the only person on campus who could do these things,” Christian said. “But it soon became an important part of my job. I think it really hit me that ‘this is what I do’ when I started meeting and photographing the celebrities that were on campus or at university-sponsored events.
“When you get an opportunity to take just one shot of Ray Charles — and you know you have to get it right — and it ends up in Jet magazine, you realize this is a pretty cool thing to do. Then taking pictures in a hotel room for a private event for Ray Charles with Usher and Janet Jackson in the room, and walking onstage with Patti LaBelle ... You realize, first, that you can do this and, second, that these folks are really ordinary people like everyone else.”
Christian has shot easily millions of photographs for ASU, but he says the experience is never mundane.
“Being around all these students keeps you young,” he said. “And it’s pretty cool — and humbling — to go to a homecoming event and have alumni come up and say, ‘Are you still here? You were here when I was a student.’ Or have students say, ‘Mr. Christian, you were here when my momma or daddy came to Albany State.’”
With 30 years under his belt, there is inevitable talk about maybe leaving the college behind and engaging more in his passions: fishing and riding his Harley-Davidson. But even a recent knee replacement surgery hasn’t slowed Christian down or cooled his ardor for ASU.
“People start talking about retirement, but that’s not something I think about,” he said. “I love coming to work today as much as I did 30 years ago. There’s something new and different going on every day.
“When I look back over my 30 years here, I know in my heart I gave it my all every day. And every time I see something — out in the community or somewhere outside Albany — that has Albany State on it, I say to myself, ‘I had something to do with that.’ That’s a good feeling.” | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/reggie-christian-one-of-the-faces-of-albany-state-university/article_2597a426-ff99-11ec-b1d7-37ef31ad97ea.html | 2022-07-09T20:53:57Z |
GENEVA (AP) — Chile has lost its appeal to replace Ecuador at the World Cup in Qatar, but Friday’s verdict by FIFA will lead the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
FIFA dismissed Chile’s argument that Ecuador player Byron Castillo was actually Colombian and ineligible to play in World Cup qualifying games. Castillo played in eight of them for Ecuador.
FIFA said its appeal judges “deemed that on the basis of the documents presented, the player was to be considered as holding permanent Ecuadorian nationality in accordance” with soccer’s legal statutes.
The verdict, which upholds a FIFA disciplinary ruling from June, keeps Ecuador on track to play Qatar in the opening game of the World Cup in Doha on Nov. 20. The Netherlands and Senegal are also in Group A.
“In silence, we continue to defend what we achieved on the pitch,” Ecuadorian soccer federation president Francisco Egas wrote on Twitter.
However, Chile’s legal challenge can continue.
The Chilean soccer federation will appeal against FIFA’s verdict to CAS in Lausanne, Switzerland. Sport’s highest court can organize an urgent hearing and ruling in the nine weeks left until the World Cup starts.
“It is a sad day for soccer and for fair play. The message is clear — tricks are allowed,” Chilean federation lawyer Eduardo Carlezzo said, adding “there is an enormous amount of documents which prove that the player undoubtedly was born in Colombia.”
Chile prepared its case after the World Cup draw was made on April 1, and after FIFA and Qatari organizers sold thousands of tickets and accommodation rooms to Ecuador fans.
Had Ecuador forfeited all eight games Castillo played, Chile would have risen to the fourth automatic qualification place in the South American qualifying group. Ecuador would have dropped out of contention.
The appeal to FIFA also involved the soccer federation of Peru, which placed fifth in the group and advanced to an intercontinental playoff in June, which was won by Australia.
FIFA’s legal statues include a section on national team eligibility when a state government has granted citizenship to players.
“Any person holding a permanent nationality that is not dependent on residence in a certain country is eligible to play for the representative teams of the association of that country,” according to the statutes.
Castillo’s lawyer, Andrés Holguín, said his player had no doubt about the result.
“We always knew we were going to win this case,” Holguín told The Associated Press. “Today is a simple ratification of something we knew would succeed.”
The appeal hearing on Thursday was held remotely from Zurich with only the three judges present. The chief judge overseeing the case was Neil Eggleston, an American who is a former White House Counsel in the second administration of Barack Obama.
The FIFA appeals committee rarely overturns a ruling by the soccer body’s disciplinary committee.
Chile has filed complaints against an opponent’s player in back-to-back World Cup qualifying programs.
In the 2018 World Cup qualifying group, Bolivia forfeited two games in which it fielded an ineligible player as a late substitute. FIFA got complaints from Chile and Peru about Bolivia defender Nelson Cabrera, who was born in Paraguay and had previously played for Paraguay.
Bolivia lost an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which said FIFA was right to investigate even when protests were filed weeks after the games were played.
That case ultimately harmed Chile. Three extra points awarded to Peru lifted it above Chile and into an intercontinental playoff that it won to advance to the 2018 tournament in Russia.
FIFA then wrote stricter rules for the 2022 World Cup requiring all players in qualifying games to produce a “valid permanent international passport” for inspection by match officials.
___
Associated Press writers Mauricio Savarese in São Paulo and Eva Vergara in Santiago contributed to this report.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-chile-loses-fifa-appeal-in-world-cup-case-with-ecuador/ | 2022-09-16T23:14:19Z |
Internal IT departments and MSPs looking to replace their current RMM tool with a modern alternative can use Action1 RMM for free until their existing RMM contract expires.
HOUSTON, May 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Action1 Corporation, provider of the #1 secure and easy-to-use remote monitoring and management (RMM) cloud platform, today announced that it offers its solution for free to organizations that want to replace their current RMM tool with a more modern RMM alternative, until their existing RMM contract expires. Moreover, Action1 RMM is guaranteed to be lower cost going forward. This offer will be particularly relevant for MSPs concerned about potential changes to their current contracts due to recent acquisitions by their vendors, such as Kaseya's buyout of Datto.
Supporting organizations in switching to Action1 RMM is yet another expression of Action1's core mission: to help organizations and MSPs ditch legacy approaches to endpoint management and secure and empower today's hybrid workforce more effectively.
Action1 RMM mitigates security risks and improves efficiency through policy-based patching, simple deployment of OS and third-party software, and robust endpoint management capabilities. Plus, it enables high-quality remote support and troubleshooting by including a remote desktop compliant with modern privacy laws.
"To control costs, organizations often wait until their current contract expires before replacing a tool they're dissatisfied with — which leaves them vulnerable to security and business risks in the interim," said Alex Vovk, CEO and co-founder of Action1. "As part of our commitment to strengthening security and productivity worldwide, Action1 is happy to enable organizations to move to Action1 RMM right away."
Organizations looking to switch from another RMM tool to Action1 RMM can sign up at www.action1.com/switch-to-action1-get-free-services.
Action1 is a registered trademark of Action1 Corporation. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owner(s).
About Action1 Corporation
Action1 is the provider of the #1 secure and easy-to-use cloud RMM that delivers real-time visibility into vulnerabilities and IT assets. It delivers security risk mitigation via policy-based patching and deployment of OS and third-party software, and includes a remote desktop compliant with modern privacy laws. The company was founded by Netwrix cybersecurity veterans Alex Vovk and Mike Walters to give companies and MSPs a modern and secure alternative to legacy on-premises solutions that do not function in hybrid workforce environments. For more information, please visit www.action1.com.
View original content:
SOURCE Action1 Corporation | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/19/action1-offers-its-modern-rmm-platform-free-organizations-using-other-rmm-tools/ | 2022-05-19T12:28:30Z |
Correctional officer charged after having sexual relationship with inmate, sheriff says
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. (Gray News) – A correctional officer in Georgia has been charged for having a sexual relationship with an inmate, officials said.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said that Leigh Anne Lewis, 31, was arrested Wednesday and charged with sexual assault by correctional facility employee and violation of oath by a public officer.
The sheriff’s office said that authorities received a letter from an inmate at the Douglas County Jail alleging that Lewis was sexually involved with another inmate at the jail.
Investigators were able to corroborate the inmate’s allegations, and Lewis admitted that she had kissed and performed oral sodomy on an inmate in custody, officials said.
Lewis’ first court appearance was Thursday morning, where she was placed under a $30,000 bond.
According to the sheriff’s office, Lewis had worked for them for a little more than a year, initially as a dispatcher before transferring to the jail division.
Douglas County Sheriff Tim Pounds said in a statement that while he believes he has many great officers, if one of them knowingly violates the law, they will be punished accordingly.
“I have many great officers and I’m not going to allow one bad apple to spoil the bunch,” Pounds said.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/07/14/correctional-officer-charged-after-having-sexual-relationship-with-inmate-sheriff-says/ | 2022-07-14T21:57:19Z |
NRA stages marketing event as Texas mourns school shooting
HOUSTON (AP) — The National Rifle Association begins its annual convention in Houston on Friday, and leaders of the powerful gun-rights lobbying group are gearing up to “reflect on” -- and deflect any blame for -- the deadly shooting earlier this week of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
Former President Donald Trump and other leading Republicans are scheduled to address the three-day firearms industry marketing event, which is expected to draw protesters fed up with gun violence.
Some scheduled speakers and performers have backed out, including two Texas lawmakers and “American Pie” singer Don McLean, who said “it would be disrespectful” to go ahead with his act in the aftermath of the country’s latest mass shooting.
While President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress have renewed calls for stricter gun laws, NRA board member Phil Journey said the focus should be on better mental health care and trying to prevent gun violence. He said he wouldn’t support banning or limiting access to firearms.
The NRA said in an online statement that meeting attendees will “reflect on” the Uvalde school shooting, “pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members, and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure.”
People planning to attend picked up registration badges Thursday and shopped for NRA souvenirs, such as T-shirts that say “Suns Out Guns Out.” Police already had set up metal barriers across the street from the convention center, at a park where protesters are expected to gather Friday.
Texas has experienced a series of mass shootings in recent years. During that time, the Republican-led Legislature and governor have relaxed gun laws.
There is precedent for the NRA to gather amid local mourning and controversy. The organization went ahead with a shortened version of its 1999 meeting in Denver roughly a week after the deadly shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado. Actor Charlton Heston, the NRA president at that time, told attendees that “horrible acts” shouldn’t become opportunities to limit constitutional rights and he denounced critics for casting NRA members as “villains.”
Rocky Marshall, a former NRA board member, said that although the tragedy in Uvalde “does put the meeting in a bad light,” that’s not a reason to cancel it. Marshall said gun-rights advocates and opponents can perhaps reduce gun violence if they focus on factors such as mental illness or school security.
“Throwing rocks at the NRA, that doesn’t solve the next mass shooting,” he said. “Throwing rocks at the people that hate guns, that doesn’t solve the next mass shooting.”
But country music singer Larry Gatlin, who pulled out of planned appearance at the event, said he hopes “the NRA will rethink some of its outdated and ill-thought-out positions.”
“While I agree with most of the positions held by the NRA, I have come to believe that, while background checks would not stop every madman with a gun, it is at the very least a step in the right direction,” Gatlin said.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that the NRA’s leaders “are contributing to the problem of gun violence and not trying to solve it.” She accused them of representing the interests of gun manufacturers, “who are marketing weapons of war to young adults.”
Two Republican Texas lawmakers who had been scheduled speak Friday — U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw — are no longer attending due to what their staffs said were changes in their schedules.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz, both Republicans, were listed as speakers, and Trump said Wednesday that he still intends to attend. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, also is sticking to her plans to speak Friday at the NRA event.
Though personal firearms are allowed at the convention, the NRA said guns would not be permitted during the session featuring Trump because of Secret Service security protocols.
Several groups have said they planned to stage protests outside of the convention center.
“This is not the time or the place to have this convention,” said Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL, a Houston-based civil rights group that plans to participate in protests. “We must not just have thoughts and prayers from legislators, but rather we need action to address this public health crisis that is affecting our communities.”
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a Democrat, said the city is obligated to host the NRA event, which has been under contract for more than two years. But he urged politicians to skip it.
“You can’t pray and send condolences on one day and then be going and championing guns on the next. That’s wrong,” Turner said.
Shannon Watts, the founder of gun-control group Moms Demand Action, said she was not surprised the NRA is not canceling its meeting.
“The real question now is which elected officials will choose to side with violence and go kiss the ring in Houston this weekend instead of siding with communities crying out for public safety,” Watts said.
___
David A. Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/26/nra-stages-marketing-event-texas-mourns-school-shooting/ | 2022-05-26T21:52:09Z |
Sitterle Homes will build homes on 79 lots in the newest section of the residential mixed-use community
GEORGETOWN, Texas, April 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new gated section of Parmer Ranch, an amenity-rich master-planned community in Georgetown, will soon open for sales. Featuring 79 lots, Sitterle Homes will build new homes ranging from 1,586-2,689 square feet in Parmer Ranch Cottages beginning this summer.
Homebuyers can join Sitterle's interest list for updates on pricing and home designs in Parmer Ranch Cottages. Sitterle Homes is currently selling Parmer Ranch lots and homes from an off-site center but plans to build a new model home in the Cottages.
"Parmer Ranch has been a huge success for us as we sold out Phase 1 incredibly fast. We are excited to continue within this community with this product," said Brian Shields, President of Sitterle Homes Austin LLC.
Nestled in the rolling Texas Hill Country north of Austin, Parmer Ranch is a 454-acre community showcasing beautiful amenities steps from home, including a 10-acre park currently under development that will feature an extensive trail system, zip lines and a playground. The community will also offer an amenity center and 100 acres of dedicated commercial real estate space.
In 2022, developer Owen Holdings began construction on new homesites in the second and third phases of Parmer Ranch, which are scheduled to open in May. GFO Home's new model home is now open at 2002 Clearlight Lane, Georgetown, TX 78633. Homebuilders Gehan Homes and Empire Communities anticipate to open model homes in early May.
Parmer Ranch is situated at Williams Drive and Ronald Reagan Boulevard, minutes from beloved restaurants, boutiques and festivals in the historic downtown Georgetown Square. Nearby Lake Georgetown also offers boating, hiking and mountain biking opportunities. The community is a quick commute away from top employment centers and major tech companies across northern parts of the region. Austin, Round Rock, Killeen/Ft. Hood and favorite Hill Country entertainment destinations are only a short drive away.
Served by the acclaimed Georgetown Independent School District, development of a new middle school within Parmer Ranch will begin this summer. The new Benold Middle School is scheduled to open for the 2024-2025 school year. The community will also be home to a future Georgetown ISD elementary school.
To visit the community from Austin, head north on I-35 to Georgetown and take exit 262. Head west on Williams Drive for 11 miles to the community entrance on Parmer Ranch Boulevard. For more information, visit parmerranch.com.
About the Developer
Owen Holdings Inc., founded by long-time real estate professional Joe Owen, owns and develops single-family and commercial real estate property throughout Texas. Along with his operating partner, Klugman Company, his current focus is residential and mixed-use development projects. In addition to Parmer Ranch, they developed and manage North Haven, an estate lot community in Liberty Hill and Crystal Falls Business Park in Leander and other projects in early stage of development.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Owen Holdings | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/23/georgetown-master-planned-community-parmer-ranch-opens-new-gated-section/ | 2022-04-23T23:50:09Z |
Endless Caverns to Continue Partnership with Shenvalee Golf Resort
OCEAN CITY, Md., June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ocean City, Md.-based outdoor hospitality specialist, Blue Water, continues its rapid expansion with the recent acquisition of Endless Caverns.
Located on 265 acres in the Shenandoah Valley against the breathtaking backdrop of the Massanutten Mountains, Endless Caverns offers a breathtaking on-site cavern system for guests to enjoy, elevating the standard for adventure and setting the bar for fully contained resort vacation destinations. The caverns include 148 pull-through & back-in RV sites, nature trails for hiking and biking, a zero-entry pool, a catch and release fishing pond, and more. The resort also offers recreation on the Shenandoah River including kayaking, rafting, and tubing, along with plenty of history and culture to explore in the area.
The entire staff has stayed employed following the transition, and Blue Water will be bringing on additional staff to help for the summer. Endless Caverns is continuing its longstanding partnership with the historic Shenvalee Golf Resort, which includes a hotel, restaurant and 27 golf holes three miles down the road. Campers at Endless Caverns can go there to play golf and eat at the onsite restaurant Miller Grill, where they can enjoy 10% off their meals, and Shenvalee Golf Resort in turn sends their guests to inquire about camping and guided cave tours, which are available on-site with several rooms and formations to explore.
"This action-packed resort is a triumph of an acquisition for Blue Water," said Todd Burbage, CEO of Blue Water. "It is conveniently next to Luray RV Resort & Campground on Shenandoah River, another recent Blue Water operations acquisition taken over in the end of December 2021."
Blue Water is growing rapidly and continuously adding new managed properties, owned assets, and developing new projects with dozens of resort-area properties in East Coast states from Maine to Florida, and new additions out west in Texas, Montana, and Oregon. This marks Blue Water's 12th campground and 14th overall property in the state of Virginia.
Photos of the property can be viewed here. For more information on Endless Caverns, please visit endlesscaverns.com.
Founded in 2002, Blue Water specializes in investing, developing, and managing RV resorts, campgrounds, hotels, and attractions. Blue Water's integrated approach to marketing, revenue management, and operations has quickly established itself as a hospitality industry leader. With dozens of resort-area properties in East Coast states from Maine to Florida, and new additions out west in Texas, Montana, and Oregon, the Blue Water family is committed to creating elite assets, delivering exceptional guest experiences, and enhancing the communities we serve. To learn more, visit BWDC.com. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-water-development-corp/ | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueWaterDev/
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Blue Water Development | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/02/blue-water-acquires-endless-caverns-shenandoah-valley/ | 2022-06-02T17:28:10Z |
NASSAU, Bahamas, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A rebirth is on the horizon for Grand Bahama Island. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (BMOTIA) made the long-awaited announcement that an offer has been accepted for the purchase of Grand Lucayan, a beachfront resort located in the bustling city of Freeport.
Electra America Hospitality Group (EAHG) has entered into an agreement with Lucayan Renewal Holdings to buy the resort for $100 million.
CEO and Principal of Electra America Hospitality Group Russell Urban said the company was very interested in the resort for many reasons, among them is the "opportunity to reinvent, renaissance, rebirth, and revive" the island of Grand Bahama. "We saw this as a very unique opportunity in a world class location to create energy and to revive a community that has been so ravaged over recent years," he said. "So, we are very very pleased and humbled to be chosen for this amazing opportunity."
The deal is a part of an initiative called "The Return of the Grand Life to Grand Bahama," which seeks to re-establish the destination as the vibrant entertainment hub it once was.
"The sale of Grand Lucayan is only the beginning of the revival that we are witnessing in Grand Bahama Island," said the Honourable I. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation. "We are committed to pumping a renewed spirit back into this special island, while bringing thousands of jobs to Bahamians."
Minister for Grand Bahama the Honourable Ginger Moxey also applauded the choice of Electra America Hospitality Group as the right fit for Grand Bahama. "They recognize the role of corporate citizens, and the need for a holistic approach to enhancing communities where they do business, and appreciate the significance of this property to the people and economy of Grand Bahama," she said.
With nearly $300 million in renovations planned, the new-and-improved Grand Lucayan will be transformed into an environmentally sustainable luxury hotel with approximately 200 rooms and 24 villas; an upscale convention-style hotel with more than 500 rooms that will cater to meetings, groups, and incentive travellers; as well as a family-friendly resort. To become environmentally sustainable, the property will utilise solar energy, establish a recycling program, and plant a garden to supply farm-to-table dining.
Electra America Hospitality Group also plans on revitalizing the resort's golf course by adding a country club and villas for golf aficionados. A casino, world-class bars and restaurants, as well as a variety of pools, spas, and fitness facilities are also in the works, Bahamian art, culture, and entertainment will be infused throughout.
Construction is set to begin this summer and will be completed by 2025.
ABOUT THE BAHAMAS
Explore all the islands have to offer at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram.
PRESS INQUIRIES
Anita Johnson-Patty
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation
ajohnson@bahamas.com
Weber Shandwick
Public Relations
Bahamas@webershandwick.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/17/bahamas-accepts-purchase-offer-grand-lucayan-resort-marking-beginning-grand-bahama-islands-rebirth/ | 2022-05-17T21:16:01Z |
Pilot Program to Study Impact of Pre-paid Passes
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Metropolitan Transportation Commission — in conjunction with BART and all other transit agencies participating in the Clipper® fare payment system — today launched a two-year pilot program to study the impact of a single pass that will provide some 50,000 Bay Area residents free access to all bus, rail and ferry services in the nine-county region.
Known as the Clipper® BayPass, the new passes initially will be distributed to participating students at San Francisco State University, San Jose State University, the University of California's Berkeley campus and Santa Rosa Junior College, and then expanded to include residents of select affordable housing communities managed by MidPen Housing. While the Clipper BayPass will be made available to all students at Santa Rosa Junior College, about a quarter of students at the other campuses will be invited to participate in the pilot. Other students will use another form of payment (such as a standard adult Clipper card; U.C. Berkeley's EasyPass for travel on AC Transit buses; or San Francisco State's Gator Pass for free travel on Muni and SamTrans and reduced fares on BART). This limited distribution, which will be based on random assignment, is designed to measure the impact on travel of an all-system pass when compared to students not using Clipper BayPass. All residents at participating MidPen Housing properties will be offered a Clipper BayPass.
"One of the big takeaways from the Blue Ribbon Transit Recovery Task Force convened early in the Covid-19 pandemic is the urgency of making Bay Area transit simpler and more seamless," explained MTC Chair and Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza. "Clipper BayPass is a great way to get real-world data on the role fare coordination can play in meeting those goals. We'll use the information collected to help shape the development, pricing and implementation of one or more new multi-agency passes or fare caps that eventually will be used by vastly more riders."
Pilot program participants will be able to use Clipper BayPass for unlimited travel on:
- BART
- SFMTA (Muni)
- AC Transit
- VTA
- Caltrain
- SamTrans
- Golden Gate Transit
- Golden Gate Ferry
- San Francisco Bay Ferry
- County Connection
- Dumbarton Express
- Fairfield and Suisun Transit (FAST)
- Marin Transit
- Petaluma Transit
- Santa Rosa CityBus
- SMART
- Soltrans
- Sonoma County Transit
- Tri Delta Transit
- Union City Transit
- Vacaville City Coach
- VINE
- WestCAT
- Wheels
"This pilot program is an exciting step toward fare coordination among transit agencies and toward making it easy for organizations to prioritize and promote transit as the preferred mode of transportation in the Bay Area," said BART Board President Rebecca Saltzman. "Studying a regional fare pass using students and residents of affordable housing communities makes clear our commitment to building a more equitable fare system."
Clipper BayPass is the first initiative to be implemented based on recommendations of the Coordination/Integration Study and Business Case, an 18-month study led by MTC and BART that focused on creating more customer-friendly transit fare system in the Bay Area and was conducted in partnership with all other Bay Area transit agencies.
MTC will provide funds to transit agencies to offset the revenue impacts of the Clipper BayPass pilot, which is expected to conclude at the end of 2024.
Participants in the BayPass program will continue to use their Clipper cards — either traditional plastic cards or Clipper cards on their smartphones or Apple Watch — to tag on (or off) at faregates, on buses, on rail platforms or at ferry ramps. Aside from traveling at no charge, the Clipper BayPass will function like any other Clipper card. The Clipper BayPass may not be shared with family or friends; it may be used only by participants selected for the pilot program, and any violators will be removed from the program.
MTC is the transportation planning, funding and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. MTC operates the Clipper system on behalf of the region's transit agencies.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Metropolitan Transportation Commission | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/clipper-baypass-sets-sail-with-unlimited-transit-access/ | 2022-08-15T20:28:20Z |
Commencing on July 25th, INX Securities, LLC, a member of FINRA and SIPC, will enable a primary raise of the first Digital Security Token for Trucpal, a blockchain-based SaaS Platform serving the Chinese freight market
NEW YORK, July 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The INX Digital Company, Inc. (NEO: INXD, INXATS: INX), the owner of blockchain-based trading platforms for digital securities and cryptocurrencies, announced that its subsidiary, INX Securities, LLC, will support HGC (BVI) Info Tech Co. Ltd.("HGC"), the owner of Trucpal, a blockchain-based SaaS platform serving the Chinese freight market, in its upcoming Trucpal digital security token offering. The offering will be available for potential US accredited investors as well as non-US investors starting July 25th.
INX Securities, LLC offers new opportunities for raising capital, under its broker dealer license through the issuance of digital securities using the INX Platform and the opportunity to list that same security on its Alternative Trading System ("ATS") after holding periods and other regulatory requirements are satisfied. Following months of rigorous preparations and technology development, INX Securities, LLC will enable the offer of the Trucpal Digital Security Token through the INX Platform.
Shy Datika, Founder & CEO of INX: "The INX Digital Security Tokens were bought by individual and institutional investors in 75 countries, raising $85MM. We are now happy to assist other companies in maximizing their raise potential, and among these, we are thrilled to bring HGC's Trucpal capital raise to the market. Their decision to raise capital with INX under U.S. securities laws is a pioneering step. We are delighted to offer our global traders an opportunity to participate in this rapidly growing company and industry."
Wendong Zhang, Founder of HGC: "We are excited to collaborate with INX, the world's first SEC-registered IPO of blockchain security. HGC envisions the rapid development of blockchain technology and views the token economy as the new paradigm in business development. Innovation aside, we also recognize the importance of remaining compliant while democratizing the industry. With this goal, HGC is offering the Trucpal Digital Security Token to the Trucpal ecosystem. The token can be widely used in different transactions within the trucking ecosystem in compliance with regulatory standards. We are seeking to motivate and sustain a loyal and thriving community and promote ecosystem sustainability."
This material is provided for informational purposes and is not a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any financial instruments. The information provided here is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personal investment advice.
The Company is the holding company for the INX Group, which includes regulated trading platforms for digital securities and cryptocurrencies, combining traditional markets expertise and an innovative fintech approach. The INX Group's vision is to be the preferred global regulated hub for digital assets on the blockchain. The INX Group's overall mission is to bring communities together and empower them with financial innovation. Our journey started with our initial public token offering of the INX Token in which it raised US$83 million. The INX Group is shaping the blockchain asset industry through its willingness to work in a regulated environment with oversight from regulators like the SEC and FINRA.
In addition to operating two regulated trading platforms for blockchain assets, the Company's interdealer broker, I.L.S. Brokers, plans to offer non-deliverable cryptocurrency forwards to Tier-1 banks in the future. For more information, please visit the INX Group website here.
The Trucpal Digital Security Token offering is being made inside the United States to accredited investors in reliance on Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), pursuant to Rule 506(c) thereunder, or outside the United States to non-U.S. persons in offshore transactions in reliance on Regulation S of the Securities Act. Any non-U.S. persons shall be deemed to have represented that they are eligible to purchase the Trucpal Digital Security Token in accordance with the securities laws of their jurisdiction and, if applicable, that they qualify under the equivalent of an accredited investor under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. Investors will be subject to a lock-up period in connection with this Offering that will restrict their ability to lend, offer, pledge, sell, resell or otherwise transfer the shares issuable upon conversion of the Trucpal Digital Security Token for a period of 40 days for non-US persons and one year for US persons following the closing date of the Offering, subject to customary exceptions. This shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, and investment time horizons carefully before investing. The offering documents will contain important information about Trucpal and should be read carefully before investing in the security token.
This release contains forward looking statements based on assumptions and reflects the company's expectations, estimates, and projections of future events. Forward looking statements include, without limitations, statements regarding the performance, prospects, opportunities, priorities, targets, goals, objectives, strategies, growth, and outlook of the company. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "seeks," "intends," and "targets," "projects," "forecasts," or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might," or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. The company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward looking statements as a result of certain factors not within the control of the company.
For further information
Contact:
The INX Digital Company, Inc.
Investor Relations
+1 855 657 2314
Email: investorrelations@inx.co
Carrie Rubinstein
Head of Content and Media
Email: carrie.rubinstein@inx.co
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The INX Digital Company, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/20/inx-announces-agreement-facilitate-digital-security-token-offering-trucpal-blockchain-based-saas-platform-through-inx-platform/ | 2022-07-20T14:03:41Z |
HOUSTON, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Winston & Strawn LLP announced today that Justin F. Hoffman has joined the firm as a partner in the Houston office. Justin is a member of the firm's Transactions Department and focuses his practice on corporate finance, M&A transactions, and governance and compliance matters.
Justin regularly advises clients on public and private capital markets transactions, acquisition financing, and special situations and Chapter 11 proceedings. He has significant experience in high-yield and convertible debt securities and has led billions of dollars of bond transactions for both issuers and underwriters, including some of the largest energy players in Texas and the Southeast. He has also represented clients in mergers and acquisitions, including both public– and private-company transactions.
"Winston & Strawn is a highly respected firm with a strong culture of collaboration and experience in corporate transactions," said Justin. "I have worked alongside Winston attorneys for years and look forward to delivering value as we help clients navigate the complexities of the current market."
"Houston today is an international hub for increasingly large M&A deals and strategic acquisitions," said Mike Blankenship, Houston office managing partner. "Justin's talent for structuring intricate agreements for some of the largest corporations in the world will serve Winston well as we continue to attract clients in the energy sector."
In addition to the energy sector, Justin provides legal counsel to clients in the financial services industry as well as public and private companies, underwriters, and investors in the technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) sector.
"Winston is committed to bringing top-tier talent like Justin to increase our capabilities and help clients navigate a changing landscape," said Winston Chairman Tom Fitzgerald. "Any potential market downturn is expected to have a significant impact on the complexity and nature of corporate transactions."
Winston & Strawn LLP is an international law firm with 16 offices in North America, South America, Asia, and Europe. More information about the firm is available at www.winston.com.
Contact:
Michael Goodwin
mgoodwin@stantonprm.com
646-502-3595
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Winston & Strawn LLP | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/winston-amp-strawn-adds-justin-f-hoffman-corporate-partner-houston/ | 2022-08-01T16:04:58Z |
BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party said Monday it sees no need for changes to the German leader’s often-criticized approach to the war in Ukraine after an election in Germany’s most populous state brought a clear defeat for his center-left Social Democrats.
Germany’s main opposition party, the center-right Christian Democratic Union, took 35.7% of the vote to win Sunday’s election in North Rhine-Westphalia state, home to nearly 18 million people. It finished nine points ahead of Scholz’s Social Democrats, despite expectations of a closer race in what was long a center-left stronghold.
A combination of local and national factors appeared to have led to the result, which came with a feeble turnout of only 55.5%. The CDU’s national leader, Friedrich Merz, argued that foreign and security policy played a significant role and that was “decidedly negative” for Scholz’s party.
Scholz declared in February that the Russian invasion of Ukraine marked a “turning point” and announced a big increase in military spending. The German government broke with tradition to supply arms to Ukraine, but the chancellor faced criticism from the opposition and parts of his own coalition for initially hesitating to send heavy weapons and for sometimes appearing indecisive.
However, the Social Democrats’ co-leader, Lars Klingbeil, said Monday that “there is no need to change anything.”
He said he saw clear support during the campaign for the policy of “delivering weapons but also weighing things up, for not turning off the gas tap overnight so as not to endanger jobs in an industrial state like North Rhine-Westphalia.”
But he conceded that the party needed to do a better job of communicating what it is doing for ordinary voters.
“The government’s policy has made clear that we stand beside Ukraine without ifs or buts, but we allowed there to be too much talk about weapons deliveries and too little about rising living costs and too little about rising energy prices,” Klingbeil said.
Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Scholz “is firmly convinced that a level-headed, carefully considered course in Ukraine policy is a course that is important and is also supported by large parts of the population.” He stressed that Sunday’s vote was above all a regional election.
Of the other two parties in Scholz’s coalition government, the environmentalist Greens nearly tripled their score to 18.2% on Sunday, while the pro-business Free Democrats took only 5.9% — losing over half their support compared with five years ago. The CDU currently governs the state in a coalition with the Free Democrats, which lost its majority in the state legislature. | https://cw33.com/business/ap-business/scholzs-party-keeps-ukraine-policy-despite-state-vote-loss/ | 2022-05-16T14:23:51Z |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Desserts are a guilty pleasure of many throughout the world and especially in the great country that is the USA! Now, a restaurant chain is announcing the return of an outrageously delicious-looking dessert that has an extremely unique name: the Pizookie.
Yes we know it’s ridiculous sounding, but yet, so deliciously sounding at the same time. BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse says, “The ooey-gooey Peanut Butter S’mores Pizookie® is officially back and here to satisfy any sweet tooth.”
This dessert features a triple chocolate cookie with peanut butter, toasted marshmallows and vanilla bean ice cream. Senior VP of marketing Heidi Rogers said, “With many tweets, comments, phone calls, and reviews, our fans have spoken, and we wanted to deliver! We’re excited to bring back the beloved Peanut Butter S’mores Pizookie® to give our guests what they love!”
There are BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse locations all over Texas in the North, South, Central, East, West and along the Gulf Coast! | https://cw33.com/lifestyle/food-and-drink/popular-dessert-peanut-butter-smores-pizookie-returns-at-popular-sit-down-restaurant-with-several-texas-locations/ | 2022-08-10T21:04:31Z |
NEW YORK, June 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Playstudios, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYPS).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
This lawsuit is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than defendants who: (a) purchased, or otherwise acquired securities of Playstudios between June 22, 2021 and March 1, 2022, both dates inclusive, including, but not limited to, those who purchased or acquired Playstudios securities pursuant to the offering of the private investment in public equity; (b) held common stock of Acies as of May 25, 2021, and were eligible to vote at Acies' June 16, 2021 special meeting who exchanged their shares of Acies stock for shares of Playstudios stock pursuant to the merger of Acies and Old Playstudios; and/or (c) purchased or otherwise acquired Playstudios common stock pursuant to or traceable to Acies' documents issued in connection with the June 2021 merger.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until June 6, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Playstudios, Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Playstudios was having significant problems with its flagship game, Kingdom Boss; (ii) Playstudios would not be releasing Kingdom Boss as expected; and (iii) Playstudios had not revised its financial projections to account for the problems it had encountered with Kingdom Boss. As a result of defendants' wrongful conduct, Class members paid artificially inflated prices for their Playstudios securities and suffered substantial losses and damages.
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/2022/06/03/myps-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-playstudios-inc-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-june-6-2022/ | 2022-06-03T10:14:49Z |
NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Playstudios, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYPS) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws.
This lawsuit is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than defendants who: (a) purchased, or otherwise acquired securities of Playstudios between June 22, 2021 and March 1, 2022, both dates inclusive, including, but not limited to, those who purchased or acquired Playstudios securities pursuant to the offering of the private investment in public equity; (b) held common stock of Acies as of May 25, 2021, and were eligible to vote at Acies' June 16, 2021 special meeting who exchanged their shares of Acies stock for shares of Playstudios stock pursuant to the merger of Acies and Old Playstudios; and/or (c) purchased or otherwise acquired Playstudios common stock pursuant to or traceable to Acies' documents issued in connection with the June 2021 merger.
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: June 6, 2022
No obligation or cost to you.
Learn more about your recoverable losses in MYPS:
https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/playstudios-inc-loss-submission-form?id=28113&from=4
Playstudios, Inc. NEWS - MYPS NEWS
CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that Playstudios, Inc. made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Playstudios was having significant problems with its flagship game, Kingdom Boss; (ii) Playstudios would not be releasing Kingdom Boss as expected; and (iii) Playstudios had not revised its financial projections to account for the problems it had encountered with Kingdom Boss. As a result of defendants' wrongful conduct, Class members paid artificially inflated prices for their Playstudios securities and suffered substantial losses and damages.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in Playstudios, Inc. you have until June 6, 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 Playstudios, Inc. 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 MYPS lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/playstudios-inc-loss-submission-form?id=28113&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.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/07/myps-alert-klein-law-firm-announces-lead-plaintiff-deadline-june-6-2022-class-action-filed-behalf-playstudios-inc-shareholders/ | 2022-06-07T10:12:11Z |
IRVING, Texas, May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vistra Corp. (NYSE: VST) (the "Company" or "Vistra") announced today the pricing of a private offering (the "Offering") of $1.5 billion aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes, consisting of $400 million aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes due 2024 at a price to the public of 100% of their face value (the "2024 Notes") and $1.1 billion aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes due 2025 at a price to the public of 99.808% of their face value (the "2025 Notes and together with the 2024 Notes, the "Secured Notes") to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and to certain non-U.S. persons in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Secured Notes will be senior, secured obligations of Vistra Operations Company LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the "Issuer"). The 2024 Notes will bear interest at the rate of 4.875% per annum, and the 2025 Notes will bear interest at the rate of 5.125% per annum. The Secured Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by certain of the Issuer's current and future subsidiaries that also guarantee the Issuer's credit agreement. The Secured Notes will be secured by a first-priority security interest in the same collateral that is pledged for the benefit of the lenders under the Issuer's credit agreement, which consists of a substantial portion of the property, assets and rights owned by the Issuer and the subsidiary guarantors as well as the stock of the Issuer. The collateral securing the Secured Notes will be released if the Issuer's senior, unsecured long-term debt securities obtain an investment grade rating from two out of the three rating agencies, subject to reversion if such rating agencies withdraw the investment grade rating of the Issuer's senior, unsecured long-term debt securities or downgrade such rating below investment grade.
The Offering is expected to close on May 13, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions.
The Company intends to use the proceeds from the Offering, together with cash on hand, (i) to post collateral as may be required in connection with the Company's comprehensive hedging strategy, (ii) for general corporate purposes, and (iii) to pay fees and expenses related to the Offering. The Secured Notes will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described above, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.
About Vistra
Vistra (NYSE: VST) is a leading Fortune 275 integrated retail electricity and power generation company based in Irving, Texas, providing essential resources for customers, commerce, and communities. Vistra combines an innovative, customer-centric approach to retail with safe, reliable, diverse, and efficient power generation. The company brings its products and services to market in 20 states and the District of Columbia, including six of the seven competitive wholesale markets in the U.S. and markets in Canada, as well. Serving nearly 4.3 million residential, commercial, and industrial retail customers with electricity and natural gas, Vistra is one of the largest competitive electricity providers in the country and offers over 50 renewable energy plans. The company is also the largest competitive power generator in the U.S. with a capacity of approximately 39,000 megawatts powered by a diverse portfolio, including natural gas, nuclear, solar, and battery energy storage facilities. In addition, Vistra is a large purchaser of wind power. The company owns and operates the 400-MW/1,600-MWh battery energy storage system in Moss Landing, California, the largest of its kind in the world. Vistra is guided by four core principles: we do business the right way, we work as a team, we compete to win, and we care about our stakeholders, including our customers, our communities where we work and live, our employees, and our investors. Learn more about our environmental, social, and governance efforts and read the company's sustainability report at https://www.vistracorp.com/sustainability/.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The information presented herein includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the industry and markets in which Vistra Corp. ("Vistra") operates and beliefs of and assumptions made by Vistra's management, involve risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict and are not guarantees of future performance, that could significantly affect the financial results of Vistra. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that are presented herein, or in response to questions or otherwise, that address activities, events or developments that may occur in the future, including such matters as activities related to our financial or operational projections, the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, projected synergy, value lever and net debt targets, capital allocation, capital expenditures, liquidity, projected Adjusted EBITDA to free cash flow conversion rate, dividend policy, business strategy, competitive strengths, goals, future acquisitions or dispositions, development or operation of power generation assets, market and industry developments and the growth of our businesses and operations (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases, or the negative variations of those words or other comparable words of a future or forward-looking nature, including, but not limited to: "intends," "plans," "will likely," "unlikely," "believe," "confident", "expect," "seek," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "will," "shall," "should," "could," "may," "might," "predict," "project," "forecast," "target," "potential," "goal," "objective," "guidance" and "outlook"), are forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Although Vistra believes that in making any such forward-looking statement, Vistra's expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, any such forward-looking statement involves uncertainties and risks that could cause results to differ materially from those projected in or implied by any such forward-looking statement, including, but not limited to: (i) adverse changes in general economic or market conditions (including changes in interest rates) or changes in political conditions or federal or state laws and regulations; (ii) the ability of Vistra to execute upon its contemplated strategic, capital allocation, performance, and cost-saving initiatives and to successfully integrate acquired businesses; (iii) actions by credit ratings agencies; (iv) the severity, magnitude and duration of pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting effects on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows; (v) the severity, magnitude and duration of extreme weather events (including Winter Storm Uri), contingencies and uncertainties relating thereto, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, and the resulting effects on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows; and (vi) those additional risks and factors discussed in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Vistra from time to time, including the uncertainties and risks discussed in the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Statements" in Vistra's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and any subsequently filed quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.
Any forward-looking statement speaks only at the date on which it is made, and except as may be required by law, Vistra will not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all of them; nor can Vistra assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Vistra Corp. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/10/vistra-prices-private-offering-15-billion-senior-secured-notes/ | 2022-05-11T05:35:13Z |
Trained Object Detection Models Fine-Tuned to the InferX AI Accelerator Enable Customers to Get to Market Quickly and Easily with AI-Powered Vision Products
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Flex Logix® Technologies, Inc., supplier of fast and efficient edge AI inference accelerators, announced today the availability of EasyVision Platforms designed to help customers get to market quickly with edge computer vision products for a wide range of markets such as robotic vision, industrial, security, and retail analytics. EasyVision features the industry's most efficient edge AI accelerator, the InferX™, along with ready-to-use models that are trained to perform the most common object detection capabilities such as hard-hat detection, people counting, face mask detection and license plate recognition.
"There is an explosive demand today for edge vision solutions that bring AI capabilities to a wide range of products of services – yet many companies lack the expertise or data science know-how to develop and train models and then integrate them with existing AI accelerators," said Dana McCarty, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Flex Logix's Inference Products. "With EasyVision, we are essentially providing an AI/ML 'platform in a box' that has the AI model already trained and ready to integrate into an existing application and it's also been fine tuned to work with a hardware accelerator that is fast and accurate."
"Flex Logix's EasyVision solution provides a turnkey solution, converting our data to a trained and quantized model, that met our throughput and accuracy requirements," said Jack Duan, CTO and co-founder of Emerging Risk Analytics (ERA). "We are able to quickly build an AI inference solution with low-power-consumption requirement that avoids the GPU-caused thermal headaches we've been struggling with."
Flex Logix's EasyVision is available today as a complete solution that includes a server, accelerator card, and all the software needed to do the object detection. In the future, EasyVision will also be offered as standalone accelerator cards.
EasyVision has been fine tuned to work with the Flex Logix InferX X1 accelerator, the industry's most efficient AI inference chip for edge systems. Its price/performance is much better than existing edge inference solutions.
EasyVision platforms are based on Dell and HPE computing hardware and include a USB Camera for quick and easy trials and production deployments. A set of initial trained models including models for hardhat detection, people counting and others, are provided with the EasyVision platform. The AI vision model library will be continually refreshed over time in response to customer requirements.
For more information on EasyVision, please visit the EasyVision webpage at https://easyvision.ai
Flex Logix is a reconfigurable computing company providing AI inference and eFPGA solutions based on software, systems and silicon. Its InferX X1 is the industry's most-efficient AI edge inference accelerator that will bring AI to the masses in high-volume applications by providing much higher inference throughput per dollar and per watt. Flex Logix's eFPGA platform enables chips to flexibly handle changing protocols, standards, algorithms, and customer needs and to implement reconfigurable accelerators that speed key workloads 30-100x compared to general purpose processors. Flex Logix is headquartered in Mountain View, California and has offices in Austin, Texas and Vancouver, Canada. For more information, visit https://flex-logix.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Kelly Karr
Tanis Communications
kelly.karr@taniscomm.com
+408-718-9350
Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. Flex Logix is a registered trademark and InferX is a trademark of Flex Logix, Inc.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Flex Logix Technologies, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/06/flex-logix-launches-easyvision-turnkey-aiml-solution-with-ready-to-use-models-ai-acceleration-hardware/ | 2022-06-06T12:42:52Z |
Marketing veteran brings more than 20 years of expertise to the company
BOSTON, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BitSight, the Standard in Security Ratings, today announced it has appointed Catherine Harrell as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Catherine joins BitSight from Brightly, a SaaS provider of asset and maintenance management software, where she was CMO and a key member of the executive team that achieved significant revenue growth and profitability during her three-plus year tenure. Brightly has 800 employees serving around 12,000 customers, across the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia, and was recently acquired by Siemens Smart Infrastructure.
"Catherine brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and a proven track record of results, and will help shape the company as we continue our accelerated growth," said Stephen Harvey, CEO, BitSight. "BitSight is transforming how organizations measure and manage cyber risk and Catherine will play an integral part, strengthening and leading the marketing team to bring innovative new analytics and risk quantification capabilities to market. She will help us tell our story of the importance of transparency and data quality, so our customers can engage more confidently in the digital economy."
Harrell brings two-plus decades of extensive experience in strategic marketing in the high-tech software industry, with the last 10 years being at the executive level. In her role as CMO, Harrell will drive strategy and execution across all of BitSight's marketing functions and teams. Catherine's proven ability to build and lead successful marketing teams that continuously deliver strong value for customers and business results will be extremely valuable for BitSight.
In her position at Brightly, Harrell led the company through its successful global rebranding, and expanded its marketing capabilities and impact to growth across multiple customer segments, industry verticals, and geographies. Prior to her role at Brightly, she was the EVP of Global Marketing at PrecisionLender, VP of Marketing at Citrix, and held multiple senior level marketing roles at Intuit.
"In these times, it is more critical than ever for companies across every industry to properly assess their cyber risk ─ BitSight is the industry leader, driving innovation through its objective cyber risk governance solutions," Harrell said. "I am incredibly excited to join this talented, customer-focused team of professionals who are dedicated to transforming the ways organizations around the globe monitor their security performance and manage cyber risk."
About BitSight
BitSight creates trust in the digital economy and transforms how organizations manage cyber risk. The BitSight Security Ratings Platform applies sophisticated algorithms, producing daily security ratings that range from 250 to 900, to help organizations manage their own security performance; mitigate third party risk; underwrite cyber insurance policies; conduct financial diligence; and assess aggregate risk. With the largest ecosystem of users and information, BitSight is the Standard in Security Ratings. For more information, please visit www.bitsight.com, read our blog or follow @BitSight on Twitter.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE BitSight | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/bitsight-appoints-catherine-harrell-chief-marketing-officer/ | 2022-08-15T14:27:00Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Enochian BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENOB).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/enochian-biosciences-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=30782&from=4
The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased Enochian between January 17, 2018 and June 27, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until September 26, 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, Enochian BioSciences, Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the Company's co-founder and inventor Serhat Gumrukcu was engaged in a variety of frauds; (2) Gumrukcu was not a licensed doctor anywhere in the world; (4) as a result of the foregoing, Gumrukcu's purported contributions to the Company lacked a reasonable basis; (5) as a result of the foregoing, the Company had overstated its commercial prospects; (6) Gumrukcu had improperly diverted approximately $20 million from Enochian to entities he owned; and (7) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.
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.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/12/enob-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-enochian-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-26-2022/ | 2022-08-12T10:07:23Z |
(The Hill) – Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), a one-time ally of Donald Trump who became one of his most ardent Republican critics, is projected to lose her primary on Tuesday after a longshot bid to survive defying the former president and his influence over GOP voters.
NBC News and CBS News both called the race shortly after 10 p.m. ET.
Cheney was soundly defeated by Harriet Hageman, an attorney and former Republican National Committee (RNC) member who was endorsed by Trump last year. Hageman will be the heavy favorite to succeed Cheney next year as the deep red state’s lone representative in the House.
Soon after the race was called, Cheney told supporters she had called Hageman to concede the race.
“Our republic relies upon the goodwill of all candidates for office to accept honorably the outcome of elections. And tonight, Harriet Hageman has received the most votes in this primary. She won,” Cheney said in a fiery speech.
Hageman’s victory on Tuesday was the final — and perhaps most significant — milestone in Trump’s effort to purge the House of the 10 Republicans who voted last year to impeach him for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Of those 10, four opted not to run for reelection this year, while four others — including Cheney — have lost renomination to Trump-backed challengers. Only two have survived primary challengers so far: Reps. David Valadao (R-Calif.) and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.).
Cheney’s primary loss is a particularly symbolic victory for Trump. After Cheney voted to impeach the former president last year, she emerged as a Republican bulwark against Trumpism, frequently criticizing Trump as an anti-democratic strongman with little, if any, regard for the U.S. Constitution.
That criticism landed her in hot water with her GOP colleagues and prompted them to remove her as the chair of the House Republican Conference.
The fallout didn’t stop there.
The RNC and Wyoming Republican Party voted last year to censure Cheney, and many of her fellow Republican members of Congress rallied around Hageman’s effort to oust her.
Cheney remained defiant. She was one of two Republicans tapped to serve on the House select committee charged with investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and was eventually elevated to the role of vice chair.
All the while she faced brutal headwinds in her primary as Trump took a particularly keen interest in the race. His team spent months interviewing potential Republican challengers to Cheney and the former president himself fielded meetings with some candidates before weighing in on Hageman’s behalf.
The result was a significantly narrower primary field that turned the race into a clear choice between a steadfast Trump ally and Cheney.
In her speech Tuesday night, Cheney made the case that she would have won her primary had she been willing to go along with Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election and his efforts to overturn the vote. Ultimately, she said, she couldn’t bring herself to do so.
“Two years ago, I won this primary with 73 percent of the vote. I could easily have done the same again,” she said. “The path was clear. But it would have required that I go along with President Trump’s lie about the 2020 election. It would have required that I ignore his ongoing efforts to unravel our democratic system and attack the foundations of our Republic. That was a path I could not and would not take.”
Cheney’s biting criticism of the former president was an unusual turn for the three-term Wyoming congresswoman, who endorsed Trump six years ago during his 2016 White House bid and maintained that support even as many Republicans distanced themselves from him following the release of a recording in which Trump was heard making vulgar remarks about women.
As a member of Congress, Cheney also voted in line with Trump’s positions nearly 93 percent of the time, according to the data website FiveThirtyEight.
But it was the aftermath of the 2020 presidential race and Trump’s claims that the election was rigged against him that pushed Cheney to a breaking point from which she would never return.
Even in the leadup to the Tuesday primary, as polling showed her trailing Hageman by wide margins, Cheney was unapologetic in her criticism of Trump. Earlier this month, her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, cut a campaign ad for her in which he railed against Trump as a “threat to our Republic.”
Liz Cheney also did little to rally conservatives to her cause. In the only debate of her primary contest, the Wyoming congresswoman used her closing statement to tell voters that if they disagreed with her brand of politics, they should cast their ballots for another candidate.
“I’m asking you to understand that I will never violate my Oath of Office,” Cheney said. “And if you’re looking for somebody who will, then you need to vote for somebody else on this stage.” | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/liz-cheney-defeated-in-wyoming-primary/ | 2022-08-17T03:26:51Z |
- On-demand consumption of soup ingredients up 187% yoy while gift boxes of tea leaves grew 369% year-on-year in Guangzhou.
- Hotpot ingredients sales saw surge of 86% yoy in Changsha.
- Children's Day boosted on-demand toy sales with 260% growth.
SHANGHAI, June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JDDJ, China's leading on-demand retail platform operated by Dada Group (NASDAQ: DADA), together with Shop Now, an on-demand retail business jointly launched by Dada Group and JD.com, released recently a guide about on-demand consumption.
Based on data on JDDJ and Shop Now from June 1 to 13 during this year's 618 Grand Promotion, the guide provides a panoramic view, as well as interesting details, of the on-demand consumption landscape in China.
On-demand retail can satisfy consumers' increasing needs for timeliness in terms of deliveries. Thus, the on-demand retail is by its nature an ideal way to cater to those who cook at home or want to eat and drink nicely without going out – for instance, in Guangzhou, a city famous for its gourmand culture, sales of soup ingredients were seen up 187% year-on-year while gift boxes of tea leaves grew 369% year-on-year, between June 1 and 13. The guide also shows black tea, flower and fruit tea, and oolong are the three favorites of Guangzhou citizens.
While in the south-western city Changsha, where the spicy hotpot is a passion of many, JDDJ and Shop Now are much welcomed by citizens as various raw ingredients and the hot red chilies – a must for the dish – are deliverable to home within only one hour after the orders are placed through the platforms. During this year's 618 Grand Promotion, sales of hotpot base ingredients increased by 86% on a year-on-year basis.
The on-demand retail has become an important stock-up channel for the consumers who like to keep their fridges full. JDDJ and Shop Now provide "one-stop" buying experience for consumers with a wide coverage of product categories – the guide shows beef steaks, chicken wings and pork ribs are the best sellers in the fresh food category, and durian is the champion in fruits, with a sales surge of 203% year-on-year.
This year's 618 Grand Promotion coincides with Children's Day and Dragon Boat Festival in China. More and more people rely on on-demand retail platforms to buy presents on the day of each festival instead of preparing days before.
According to data from JDDJ and Shop Now, on Children's Day, the sales of toys increased by more than 260% year-on-year and the sales of baby toys increased by more than 190% year-on-year; while during the Dragon Boat Festival, the sales of Zongzi (a glutinous rice ball wrapped with bamboo leaves) increased by more than 3 times and gift boxes of Zongzi increased by more than 9 times.
Compared to frequently consumed products such as fresh food and FMCG, consumer electronics sees increasing sales on JDDJ and Shop Now as consumers become keener on "buy now, use now". Data shows from June 1 to 13, the sales of mobile phones, digital products and gaming laptops increased by 201%, 186% and more than 318%, respectively, on a year-on-year basis.
Other categories, such as sports and medications, also recorded high sales performance on JDDJ and Shop Now during the Grand Promotion. Data shows the sales of women's sports T-shirts and sports pants on the platforms increased by more than 10 times year-on-year. In terms of medications, the guide shows delivery fulfillment remains highly efficient for medication orders on JDDJ and Shop Now – the fastest delivery of all medication orders took only 5 minutes.
View original content:
SOURCE DADA GROUP | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/17/jddj-jdcoms-shop-now-launch-618-grand-promotion-on-demand-consumption-guide-revealing-fun-trends/ | 2022-06-17T10:17:20Z |
Objective: to clinically validate efficacy of a new form of immunotherapy utilizing CAR-T cells to target multiple difficult-to-treat tumors
PARIS, June 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mnemo Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing transformational immunotherapies, today announced the kick-off of their participation in the prestigious Hospital-University Research in Health (RHU) program. Designed by France's National Research Agency, the RHU funding supports cutting-edge research and cross-institutional collaborations, bringing together academia, businesses, and hospitals to push the boundaries of what is possible in healthcare.
In December of 2021, 17 proposals were selected for the RHU funding. Among them, receiving close to 10 million euros, is the EpCART project. Under the leadership of Sebastian Amigorena, Ph.D., one of Mnemo's scientific co-founders and head of the Immune Responses and Cancer Team at Institut Curie, the EpCART project aims to clinically validate a novel approach to CAR-T immunotherapy.
"We are honored to be named a laureate for this prestigious initiative and work alongside our long-standing partners at Institut Curie, as well as the MEARY Cell and Gene Therapy Center at Saint-Louis Hospital, AP-HP," said Mnemo CEO, Robert LaCaze.
The EpCART project focuses on epigenetic reprogramming of CAR-T cells. Through the inactivation of SUV39H1, a key enzyme in the differentiation pathway of T cells, the memory phenotype of these cells can be greatly increased. This works to achieve long-lasting tumor control, addressing patient relapse.
"Current immuno-oncology therapies often suffer from immune-cell memory loss, causing therapies to become less active and persistent in their ability to attack cancer cells over time," said Dr. Amigorena. "The EpCART project mines insights into the memory of the immune system to overcome this challenge and produce a new class of CAR-T therapies with enhanced memory and persistence. We believe this will drive more durable responses for cancer patients."
Over the next five years, the EpCART project will seek to clinically validate this technology as an autologous therapy. Mnemo will work in collaboration with the other EpCART partners to conduct a Phase I-II clinical trial, investigating the activity of these innovative CAR-T therapies in a cohort of 35 patients with difficult-to-treat solid tumors.
The EpCART project will accelerate research on Mnemo's EnfiniT Discovery Engine, an integrated drug discovery tool combining key technologies to create lasting immune memory, identify novel cancer-specific targets, and more.
"Today is an exciting step in our journey to develop transformational immunotherapies with the aim of improving the body's ability to detect, fight, and overcome cancer," said Mnemo Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Alain Maiore. "We are truly honored to collaborate with such esteemed partners and look forward to the fruits of this initiative."
About Mnemo Therapeutics
Mnemo is developing transformational immunotherapies to improve the body's ability to fight and overcome cancer. Integral to Mnemo's approach is the EnfiniT Discovery Engine, composed of key technologies that work to identify novel cancer-specific antigens and enhance immune cells' memory and persistence. Mnemo will harness these technologies with multiple modalities across a range of oncology indications, engineering the future of immunotherapies to transform the lives of people with cancer. Mnemo is headquartered in Paris with an office in New York City, and it maintains state of the art laboratories in Paris, New York, and Princeton, New Jersey. The company leverages an international talent pool and global resources in its quest to create immunological cures.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Mnemo Therapeutics | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/13/mnemo-therapeutics-launches-rhu-project-collaboration-with-leading-european-research-partners-institut-curie-meary-cell-gene-therapy-center-ap-hp/ | 2022-06-13T05:15:37Z |
St. Louis County to consider raising rates for inmates
By Web staff
Click here for updates on this story
ST. LOUIS, Missouri (KMOV) — he St. Louis County council will be considering the request to raise the rate by four times for municipal jail inmates.
As of right now, justice services currently contracts with 50 municipalities to house municipal inmates at the jail at a rate of $30 per day. They are now asking for the rate to be increased to $120 per day. The rate has never had an increase since the jail opened over 20 years ago.
The department hired KPMG, an audit, tax and advisory service for a cost study. The study compared other Missouri counties of similar sizes. Both St. Charles and Jefferson counties have costs approaching $120 per day. The Director of Justice Services also said the increase would help with staffing challenges and high overtime costs.
The director has been asked to attend Tuesday’s meeting to answer questions about the request.
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/cnn-regional/2022/04/12/st-louis-county-to-consider-raising-rates-for-inmates/ | 2022-04-12T16:41:31Z |
Initial Order delivery of over $7 million and Domestic Violence Monitoring Program Go-Live is expected by October 1st, 2022
TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SuperCom (NASDAQ: SPCB), a global provider of secured solutions for the e-Government, IoT, and Cybersecurity sectors, is pleased to announce that, together with its local partner, it has executed the contract and launched the over $33 million project with Romania's Ministry of Interior, following the award announced on August 24th. The project will include the deployment of SuperCom's PureSecurity Electronic Monitoring (EM) Suite for Domestic Violence monitoring, GPS Tracking of offenders, and a home detention monitoring program.
SuperCom's PureSecurity Suite is a best-of-breed electronic monitoring and tracking platform with a comprehensive set of innovative features, including advanced anti-tamper mechanisms, multi-factor biometrics, the newest location technologies and sensors, practically limitless historic data, seamless 3rd party API integration, and an ultra-lightweight ankle-bracelet with proprietary energy efficiency algorithms.
This is Romania's first EM project, linking it with a long list of nations choosing SuperCom's EM solutions and further expanding SuperCom's footprint into an additional country in the EU. The nationwide program is expected to encompass all EM offender programs within the country, up to 15,000 enrollees simultaneously, and include a unique integration of multiple offender tracking sub-programs.
The awarded value of the contract based on the government's internal budgeting is over $33 million. The budget is based mainly on monitoring software, EM products, and complimentary services spread over four years, plus an additional three years of continued services. Initial Order delivery of over $7 million is expected by October 1st, 2022.
"We are excited with the execution of this contract; it further validates our strategy to scale up operations to accelerate growth and improve public safety in more nations worldwide. We look forward to supporting Romania's public safety efforts and bringing them the many benefits of SuperCom's proprietary EM technology. It is an honor to take part in this national initiative by building the necessary infrastructure and deploying Romania's first EM program," commented Ordan Trabelsi, President & CEO of SuperCom.
"This competitive tender process that just concluded is the first of several tenders for large-scale national European EM projects expected to be concluded in 2022 and 2023, with a total estimated value of over $200 million. With this meaningful win and contract execution, SuperCom is once again signaling, after more than 10 other recent national European EM project wins, the superiority of its value offering in the European EM space. We believe our growing reputation as a leading global EM solution provider will drive additional wins in the future," concluded Mr. Trabelsi.
This contract execution follows the award announced on August 24th, which was won through a formal bid process, with over 8 international companies participating in the bidding process. The process included several rounds of negotiations and several demonstrations and system tests by the contracting authority.
About SuperCom
Since 1988, SuperCom has been a global provider of traditional and digital identity solutions, providing advanced safety, identification, and security solutions to governments and organizations, both private and public, throughout the world. Through its proprietary e-Government platforms and innovative solutions for traditional and biometrics enrollment, personalization, issuance and border control services, SuperCom has inspired governments and national agencies to design and issue secure Multi-ID documents and robust digital identity solutions to its citizens and visitors. SuperCom offers a unique all-in-one field-proven RFID & mobile technology and product suite, accompanied by advanced complementary services for various industries including healthcare and homecare, security and safety, community public safety, law enforcement, electronic monitoring, livestock monitoring, and building and access automation. For more information, please visit SuperCom's website, www.supercom.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements preceded or followed by or that otherwise include the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "projects", "estimates", "plans", and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as "will", "should", "would", "may" and "could" are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical or current facts. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the statements made. Examples of these statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding business and economic trends, the anticipated effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on travel and physical locations, the levels of consumer, business and economic confidence generally, the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak and severity of such outbreak, the pace of recovery following the COVID-19 outbreak, status of contractual awards and related commitments and contingencies, the effect on our supply chain, our ability to implement cost containment and business recovery strategies and resulting anticipated impact of such outbreak on our business, financial condition and results of operations, the adverse effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on our business or the market price of our ordinary shares, and other risks and uncertainties described in the forward looking statements and in the section captioned "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on April 4, 2022, our reports on Form 6-K filed from time to time with the SEC and our other filings with the SEC. Except as required by law, we not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release.
SuperCom Investor Relations:
Kirin Smith
PCG Advisory
ksmith@pcgadvisory.com
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1717536/SuperCom_Logo.jpg
View original content:
SOURCE SuperCom Ltd. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/12/supercom-launches-33-million-national-electronic-monitoring-project-romania/ | 2022-09-12T13:43:51Z |
Ex-prosecutor: US judge planned to renege on Polanski deal
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A Los Angeles judge privately told lawyers he would renege on a plea deal and imprison Roman Polanski for having sex with a teenage girl in 1977, a former prosecutor testified, setting the stage for the renowned director to flee the U.S. as a fugitive.
A previously sealed transcript obtained late Sunday by The Associated Press late Sunday of testimony by retired Deputy District Attorney Roger Gunson supports Polanski’s claim that he fled on the eve of sentencing in 1978 because he didn’t think he was getting a fair deal.
Gunson said during closed-door testimony in 2010 that he wasn’t surprised Polanski fled after the judge had broken several promises made to his defense lawyer.
“The judge had promised him on two occasions ... something that he reneged on,” Gunson said. “So it wasn’t surprising to me that, when he was told he was going to be sent off to state prison ... that he could not or would not trust the judge.”
Defense lawyer Harland Braun said Friday — in expectation of the transcript’s release — that the development would renew his effort to have Polanski sentenced in absentia, which would end his status as a fugitive from justice.
Braun has unsuccessfully tried that before with prosecutors asserting and judges agreeing that Polanski needs to show up in Los Angeles Superior Court to resolve the matter.
Release of the transcript, which was ordered by a California appeals court Wednesday after Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón dropped longstanding objections his predecessors made to its release, may support Polanski’s claims that he was going to be railroaded by a corrupt judge.
The legal saga has played on both sides of the Atlantic as a recurring scene over four decades of a life marred by tragedy and also triumph.
As a child, Polanski escaped the Krakow Ghetto during the Holocaust. His wife, Sharon Tate, was among the seven people murdered in 1969 by followers of Charles Manson.
Polanski, 88, who was nominated for Oscars for 1974′s “Chinatown” and 1979′s “Tess,” won the best director statuette for “The Pianist” in 2003. But he wasn’t able to accept it because he faces arrest in the U.S.
France, Switzerland and Poland rejected bids to extradite him back to the United States and he continues to be feted in Europe, winning praise and working with major actors. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, however, expelled him from its membership in 2018 after the “MeToo” movement spurred a reckoning about sexual misconduct.
Polanski’s 13-year-old victim testified before a grand jury that during a photo shoot at Jack Nicholson’s house in March 1977 when the actor wasn’t home, Polanski gave her champagne and part of a sedative, then forced her to have sex. The girl said she didn’t fight him because she was afraid of him but her mother later called police.
When the girl refused to testify in court, Polanski pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor in exchange for prosecutors dropping drug, rape and sodomy charges.
Polanski has argued that there was judicial misconduct in his case. In 2010, a Los Angeles court took sealed testimony from Gunson about his recollections of promises made to the director by the judge in 1977.
Polanski’s lawyers, who were in the room during Gunson’s testimony but couldn’t use it in court, have long sought to unseal that transcript to help their case.
Judge Laurence Rittenband, now deceased, had been swayed by publicity in the case and changed his mind several times about the punishment Polanski should face, Braun said.
After a report by probation officials that Polanski should serve no time behind bars, Rittenband sent the director for a further 90-day evaluation in state prison.
After 42 days of evaluation in prison, Polanski was released with a recommendation he only serve probation, Braun said.
But the judge then privately told lawyers he had to be tougher because of criticism in the news media. He said he would send Polanski to prison for a longer term but would then get him released within 120 days, which was possible under sentencing rules.
“Roman says, ‘How can I trust the judge that’s lied twice?’ So he takes off to Europe,” Braun said.
Gunson acknowledged during his testimony that the judge had discretion to sentence Polanski to any term because there had been no agreed-upon sentence. But he felt Rittenband had broken promises to Polanski.
The victim, Samantha Geimer, has long advocated that the case be dismissed or that Polanski be sentenced in absentia. She went so far as as to travel from her home in Hawaii to Los Angeles five years ago to urge a judge to end “a 40-year sentence which has been imposed on the victim of a crime as well as the perpetrator.”
“I implore you to consider taking action to finally bring this matter to a close as an act of mercy to myself and my family,” Geimer said.
The Associated Press does not typically name victims of sex abuse, but Geimer went public years ago and wrote a memoir titled “The Girl: A Life in the Shadow of Roman Polanski.” The cover features a photo shot by Polanski.
Polanski agreed to pay Geimer over $600,000 to settle a lawsuit in 1993.
Geimer, who has pressed for investigation of judicial misconduct, asked that the transcript be unsealed and in a letter last month and urged the DA’s office to take a fresh look at the case.
Prosecutors have consistently objected to releasing the material but relented earlier this week to honor Geimer’s wishes and be transparent with the public.
“This case has been described by the courts as ‘one of the longest-running sagas in California criminal justice history,’” Gascón said in a statement. “For years, this office has fought the release of information that the victim and public have a right to know.”
However, the DA did not indicate that Polanski would be able to avoid a court appearance. The press release said Polanski remains a fugitive and should surrender to the court for sentencing.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/07/18/ex-prosecutor-us-judge-planned-renege-polanski-deal/ | 2022-07-18T09:51:11Z |
NEW YORK, May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of Riskified Ltd..
Shareholders who purchased shares of RSKD during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointment. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.
CONTACT US HERE:
CLASS PERIOD: This lawsuit is on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased Riskified Class A ordinary shares in or traceable to the Company's July 2021 initial public offering.
ALLEGATIONS: The complaint alleges that during the class period, Defendants issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) as Riskified expanded its user base, the quality of Riskified's machine learning platform had deteriorated (rather than improved as represented in documents issued in connection with the July 2021 initial public offering), because of, among other things, inaccuracies in the algorithms associated with onboarding new merchants and entering new geographies and industries; (ii) Riskified had expanded its customer base into industries with relatively high rates of fraud – including partnerships with cryptocurrency and remittance business – in which Riskified had limited experience and that this expansion has negatively impacted the effectiveness of Riskified's machine learning platform; (iii) as a result, Riskified was suffering from materially higher chargebacks and cost of revenue and depressed gross profits and gross profit margins during its third fiscal quarter of 2021; and (iv) thus, the representations in documents issued in connection with the July 2021 initial public offering regarding Riskified's historical financial and operational metrics and purported market opportunities did not accurately reflect the actual business, operations, and financial results and trajectory of Riskified prior to and at the time of the July 2021 initial public offering, and were materially false and misleading, and lacked a factual basis.
DEADLINE: July 1, 2022 Shareholders should not delay in registering for this class action. Register your information here: https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/riskified-ltd-loss-submission-form/?id=27349&from=4
NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of RSKD during the timeframe listed above, you will be enrolled in a portfolio monitoring software to provide you with status updates throughout the lifecycle of the case. The deadline to seek to be a lead plaintiff is July 1, 2022. There is no cost or obligation to you to participate in this case.
WHY GROSS LAW FIRM? The Gross Law Firm is nationally recognized class action law firm, and our mission is to protect the rights of all investors who have suffered as a result of deceit, fraud, and illegal business practices. The Gross Law Firm is committed to ensuring that companies adhere to responsible business practices and engage in good corporate citizenship. The firm seeks recovery on behalf of investors who incurred losses when false and/or misleading statements or the omission of material information by a company lead to artificial inflation of the company's stock. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
The Gross Law Firm
15 West 38th Street, 12th floor
New York, NY, 10018
Email: dg@securitiesclasslaw.com
Phone: (646) 453-8903
View original content:
SOURCE The Gross Law Firm | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-riskified-ltd-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-july-1-2022-nyse-rskd/ | 2022-05-18T11:04:04Z |
With its dimmable lighting, sound-dampening technology and sleek design, Cove represents a new way to work in 2022.
ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leon Speakers announced today the launch of Cove, a revolutionary new desktop accessory that addresses today's increased conferencing and screen-time demands.
For 25 years, Leon has built a reputation for developing innovative ways of integrating audio and technology—attracting renowned clients like Slack Technologies and design-conscious actor Adrian Grenier.
"Blending design with technology is what we do," said Leon founder and president Noah Kaplan. "So when we started seeing post-pandemic work environment changes, we felt like we could use our industry expertise and experiences as creators ourselves to take a new approach to the term 'audiovisual.'"
Cove's top-of-the-line features allow users to improve focus and privacy while reducing eye strain. Sound-dampening recycled antimicrobial TURF felt reduces ambient noise even in a crowded room, while diffuse remote-adjustable natural LED backlighting by American Lighting creates an ultra-flattering glow.
Leon is partnering with Logitech and Shure to offer a variety of professional conference-ready Cove bundles at a great value to early backers.
As an established company, Leon is making its first foray into crowdfunding by launching Cove on the Indiegogo platform. This new endeavor is a way to expand outside the audiovisual industry and build organic widespread interest. Live ordering is expected to begin July 18.
Leon is guaranteeing fulfillment of the following several steeply discounted bundles:
- Workspace Studio Package - limited early access discount of $395. Includes Cove, available in Almond, Black or Slate Gray finish. (Valued at $695)
- Content Creator Package - $695. Includes: Cove, Logitech Streamcam and Shure MV7 microphone with tripod. (Valued at $1,150)
- Home Base Package - $495. Includes Cove and Logitech Brio. (Valued at $895)
Each package comes with an added bonus: a branded Leon notebook and t-shirt, valued at $45.
For more Cove information and updates visit the Indiegogo pre-launch site.
About Leon Speakers
For 25 years, Leon has been a leader in merging design with technology, creating innovative products that serve both the Residential and Commercial markets. Learn more.
Media Contacts
Company Contact:
Carolyn Ceccoli
Sales & Marketing Director at Leon Speakers
(734) 926-4092
cceccoli@leonspeakers.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Leon Speakers | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/06/leon-speakers-unveils-brand-new-desktop-innovation-that-will-help-you-look-sound-feel-your-best-work-home-or-anywhere-between/ | 2022-07-06T15:03:49Z |
French first-division clubs lost $678 million last season.
PARIS (AP) — The French soccer league’s financial watchdog says first-division clubs lost 645 million euros ($678 million) during the coronvirus-hit 2020-21 season. The DNCG says 17 of the 20 teams in Ligue 1 lost money. Match revenues took a huge hit as games were held without fans from October onward and with only 5,000 allowed before that. The deficit was 140 percent higher than the total of 269 million euros ($283 million) lost during the 2019-20 campaign. That season was called off with 10 matches left as the pandemic hit. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/05/05/french-first-division-clubs-lost-678-million-last-season/ | 2022-05-05T18:18:24Z |
SEATTLE, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vida Agency, (TVA) and Converge Media announced today a strategic partnership to align core company competencies to better serve the diverse communities across the Northwest. The Vida Agency, founded by Amalia Martino, is a woman and minority-owned, multicultural communications company renowned for their deep fluency in the nuances of cultural competence and work with diverse and traditionally underserved communities. Converge Media is the trusted resource for culturally compassionate, community news and entertainment tailored for Black and urban Northwest audiences.
Both companies center all their work in the pursuit of racial and social equity for underrepresented communities and help bridge the gaps between industries and communities to ensure that every voice is heard. As part of the collaboration, The Vida Agency will help support Converge Media's advertising and sponsorship programs enabling the Converge team to focus on content creation and expansion. Converge Media currently produces more than 15 shows with coverage spanning local news, arts and culture, current events and trends, pop culture, politics and policy, LGBTQ+, sports, lifestyle and travel, music and more.
"Inclusive marketing is no longer optional. It is a key driver of business success," says Amalia Martino, Founder and President of The Vida Agency. "The brands able to have success in cultivating strong and authentic connections with diverse audiences will be those who commit the time, research, dollars, and learnings necessary to create culturally appropriate programs and campaigns," adds Martino. "Together with Converge, we stand ready to help companies across the country connect with an engaged multicultural audience in Seattle and beyond through Converge Media's extensive range of innovative marketing and advertising placement opportunities."
"It is important that Converge Media partners with agencies and organizations that clearly represent our core values around community," says Omari Salisbury, Founder and CEO, Converge Media. "With The Vida Agency we have a partner that brings a lot of heart to the streets and muscle to the boardroom to ensure that any brands interested in aligning with Converge Media understand our mission and values."
The Vida Agency and Converge Media have worked together for several years, originally collaborating on the Be Ready Be Hydrated public awareness and counter marketing campaign, when they formed a community-based coalition of organization and youth who were part of the priority population to develop a multicultural counter-marketing campaign that spoke to the community. Currently, the Converge and TVA teams are working together on Build the Beach for Us by Us, to raise awareness about construction career and subcontractor opportunities generated by the Rainier Beach High School rebuild for the students, alumni, and WMBE businesses in the Rainier Valley.
Converge Media is a leading producer of culturally relevant content in Seattle and across the Pacific Northwest. Converge Media's flagship programs offer news and entertainment tailored to the Pacific Northwest's Black and urban audiences. Monday through Friday, Trae Holiday and Omari Salisbury get you up to speed with street-level coverage of the day's most relevant news, featuring conversations with elected officials, community leaders, local creatives, and more. Built from a combination of short and long form content as well as commentary by trusted voices from the Black community, the segments are praised by citizens, government officials, community leaders, and local business owners. https://www.whereweconverge.com/
The Vida Agency (TVA) is a full-service communications company specializing in the development and execution of award-winning brand campaigns for market segments such as health, transportation, retail, consumer, public policy, and education. TVA services span research, strategy, creative execution, and reporting in support of public agencies and private corporations to collaboratively reach diverse audiences for greater cultural impact. TVA's creative campaigns set the standard for equitable communications that authentically connect clients with audiences, resulting in widespread annual industry recognition. TVA's recent awards include a Northwest Regional Emmy for Community Health Plan of Washington's "Tu eres el centro/You are the center" campaign and multiple Communicator Awards for the Be Ready. Be Hydrated campaign. To learn more, please visit. https://thevidaagency.com/. The Vida Agency is proud to be a women-and minority-owned business. State WMBE: M5F0025227 Federal DBE: D5F0025227
Media Contact:
Janine Worthington
Director Strategic Communications and
Media Relations
The Vida Agency (TVA)
janine@thevidaagency.com
(206) 354-9093
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Vida Agency (TVA) | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/award-winning-northwest-marketing-media-companies-vida-agency-tva-converge-media-form-strategic-partnership/ | 2022-06-01T11:15:04Z |
Concerned residents in Bradenton signing petition to keep Manatee Central Library from closing or relocating
BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - The push continues to save the Manatee County Central Library in downtown Bradenton from disappearing or relocating. It currently sits on a prime waterfront location.
“This property is valuable property to the community because it’s right on the Riverwalk, it’s one of the few places that anyone can come to enjoy the Riverwalk and enjoy the library,” said Donna Mathias with Bradenton Concerned Citizens.
There has been talk in the past about rezoning and possibly redeveloping the property. Before Manatee County can do anything with this property, it would have to be rezoned through the city of Bradenton.
“I think it’ll probably come back up next year, but at this point in time I want to hear more from the public,” said Bill Sanders, Councilman for the city of Bradenton. “I think we need to have more public meetings, either the county or the city or both, as to what we really want to see downtown.”
One woman tells ABC7 she met her husband in a library and spends a lot of time there as well.
“No, we need to keep what we have here, we need a place to go,” Susan Gwynneth Vance, a library supporter.
More than 6200 people have signed a petition to keep this library right where it is.
“If people can get behind keeping it here, it would be awesome,” said Robert Clemmons, a Bradenton resident. “We have a petition we’ve got going, a website, Facebook group. Just join the cause and help us save the place.”
Kevin Van Ostenbridge, Chair of the Manatee County Commission says at the moment there aren’t any plans to sell the county’s seven libraries.
For more information on the petition, you can click on this link https://bradentonconcernedcitizens.com/.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/09/01/concerned-residents-bradenton-signing-petition-keep-manatee-central-library-closing-or-relocating/ | 2022-09-01T02:46:00Z |
TIFTON — Trucks and tractors of all shapes and sizes will rev their engines and roar down the track Thursday-Saturday at the AET Truck and Tractor Pull, sponsored by the Agricultural Engineering Technology Club at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
The event is open to all students, faculty, staff, and the public. Gates open at 6 p.m. each night.
During the event, trucks and tractors pull a weighted sled down a dirt track. The weight moves toward the front of the sled as the vehicle pulls it down the track, making it more difficult to pull. Trucks and tractors are divided into weight classes. ABAC has two pulling tractors, Altered Allis and Cracker Jack.
On April 7, ABAC students and the community can participate in the amateur night that begins at 7 p.m. Admission fee will be $5 per person. Children 5 and under get in free. Participants can enter their vehicles in the event for a cost of $5 per pull.
On April 8-9, the Southern Pullers Association will provide the show featuring professional pullers. Admission will be $15 for adults; $10 for children 6-10 years of age; $10 for students with an ABAC ID, and free for children 5 and under. Trackside parking will be $50 and includes one admission ticket.
For more information on the AET Truck and Tractor Pull, interested persons can contact AET club advisors Ray Lundy at rlundy@abac.edu or Todd Hicks at thicks@abac.edu.
Scenes from Augusta National Golf Club on Monday, April 4 and Tuesday, April, 5, 2022 as the Masters golf tournament approaches this week. 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/annual-truck-and-tractor-pull-set-at-abraham-baldwin-agricultural-college/article_e07ee820-b35a-11ec-96aa-2f88a66014c3.html | 2022-04-05T15:28:30Z |
LAS VEGAS, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Resorts World Las Vegas unveiled its Las Vegas Convention Center Loop passenger station, providing direct underground access to the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) in an enjoyable, efficient and environmentally friendly way in minutes in all-electric Teslas. Resorts World Las Vegas is now also poised to connect to the expanded Vegas Loop system when development efforts move forward on the proposed innovative transportation system.
*** Visual Assets can be found here ***
The LVCC Loop is an innovative, all-electric, zero-emissions, underground public transportation system in which passengers are transported directly to their destination with no stops along the way. The Resorts World Las Vegas passenger station will be the first of over 55 stops anticipated to form the Vegas Loop, which aims to eventually transport thousands of passengers per hour throughout the resort corridor. The Vegas Loop will be constructed in phases that include the Resorts World Las Vegas passenger station, the LVCC Loop and future service extensions along the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas.
"Today marks a monumental moment not only for our resort, but for Las Vegas," said Scott Sibella, president of Resorts World Las Vegas. "Our passenger station will make a visit to our resort from the Las Vegas Convention Center easier than ever, and eventually connect us to key destinations throughout the city. Resorts World Las Vegas strives to transform the way people experience Las Vegas, and this offering does just that. We are proud to partner with The Boring Company on what we believe to be the future of travel."
"In addition to offering our convention customers direct access to Resorts World's world-class hospitality and entertainment, this milestone is an important step in the development of a game-changing transportation solution in Las Vegas," said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA.)
Resorts World Las Vegas provides some of the city's most advanced technology features, such as cashless gaming, digital check-in, breathtaking LED technology and more. The partnership with The Boring Company further illustrates the resort's intention to integrate innovative technology throughout the entire guest experience.
Hours of operation for the Resorts World Las Vegas Passenger Station will vary based upon the LVCC events and convention calendar.
ABOUT RESORTS WORLD LAS VEGAS
Resorts World Las Vegas was developed by Genting Berhad, a publicly traded Malaysian corporation registered with the Nevada Gaming Commission. The company has affiliated operations in the Americas, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the Bahamas. In partnership with Hilton, Resorts World Las Vegas integrates three of Hilton's premium brands into its resort campus, including Las Vegas Hilton, the resort's full-service brand; Conrad Las Vegas, Hilton's lifestyle luxury brand; and LXR, Hilton's network of independent luxury properties, which operates as Crockfords Las Vegas, Genting's internationally renowned ultra-luxury brand. Resorts World Las Vegas features 3,506 guest rooms and suites, an innovative, next-generation gaming floor, world-class food and beverage options, a 5,000-capacity theatre, distinct nightlife venues, a curated retail collection of designer and boutique shops and more. The integrated resort weaves time-honored traditions of the international Resorts World brand into the fabric of Las Vegas, introducing a bold, fresh take on hospitality to the city with stunning design, progressive technology and world-class guest service. Resorts World Las Vegas is Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED™ with Forbes Travel Guide, a verification that ensures the resort has appropriate health safety procedures in place. For more information, visit rwlasvegas.com or find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
Media Contact: Emily Kjesbo, emilyk@abmc-us.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Resorts World Las Vegas | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/resorts-world-las-vegas-boring-company-officially-open-propertys-passenger-station-providing-direct-access-las-vegas-convention-center/ | 2022-06-30T21:44:31Z |
Inclusion in 2022 "America's Best Credit Unions in Each State" Based on Criteria Focused on Customer Satisfaction
VANCOUVER, Wash., July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iQ Credit Union (iQ), a member-owned, modern-day financial institution based in the Pacific Northwest, today announced that it was named to the Forbes 2022 list of "America's Best Credit Unions in Each State" as the top credit union in the state of Washington. This marks the third year in a row that iQ has appeared on this list and the second year it has taken the top spot.
The recognition focuses on excellence in customer satisfaction and was determined based on an independent survey of more than 26,000 people across the country conducted by market research firm Statista. Banks and credit unions were rated based on areas including overall recommendations and satisfaction, trust, terms and conditions, branch services, digital services, customer service and financial advice. Only 3.4% of credit unions nationwide made the list.
"We are always looking for ways to better serve our members and to provide the services they need," iQ President/CEO Eric Petracca said. "The fact that we are at the top of the list for the second year in a row is a testament to the great work our employees do every day."
iQ offers members personalized service and easy access, with 15 area branches, online and mobile banking, and more than 30,000 ATMs and 5,600 shared branches nationwide. The credit union is committed to providing financial education, including events and online classes for children and adults, financial workshops for area businesses and student-run campus branches in seven local high schools.
In addition, iQ regularly gives back to the local community through initiatives such as literacy grants for teachers, scholarships for area students and iQ for Kids, the credit union's nonprofit foundation that raises money for local charities. In the past few months, the credit union launched a three-year grant program for local nonprofits and awarded college scholarships to five Vancouver-area students.
"Giving back to the community is the backbone of our mission at iQ," Petracca said. "In addition to our financial services and support, we will always have a focus on contributing to local causes that are important to our employees and members."
ABOUT iQ CREDIT UNION
iQ Credit Union is a full-service financial institution serving the Pacific Northwest since 1940. With more than 97,000 members in Washington and Oregon, the credit union is known for its deep commitment to financial education and community engagement — and for its signature red and black buffalo plaid colors. iQ helps WAnderers and explORers reach their financial goals by offering honest and friendly advice at any of its 15 branches. More information is available at iQCU.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE iQ Credit Union | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/07/iq-credit-union-recognized-by-forbes-no-1-credit-union-washington-second-year-row/ | 2022-07-07T13:55:53Z |
Project aims to reduce shoreline erosion, enhance water quality and habitat, and increase the city's resiliency by restoring Sugarloaf Island with living shorelines and other natural shoreline stabilization techniques.
MOREHEAD CITY, N.C., July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, aquatic restoration specialists Sea & Shoreline, the North Carolina Coastal Federation, and the Town of Morehead City, NC announced a partnership to increase the resiliency of downtown Morehead City, NC by protecting nearby Sugarloaf Island from continual shoreline erosion. The project team is working with Quible & Associates and local experts to identify and design the best shoreline stabilization methods for the island that balance shoreline protection, public uses, and natural resource conservation. One of the methods being considered is a hybrid approach utilizing offshore wave attenuation devices (WADs) to reduce erosion, seagrass plantings to stabilize the sediment and create essential fish habitat, and a living shoreline to build salt marsh and upland vegetation. The $2 million project is being funded by the NC state legislature. Construction is expected to begin later this year.
Sugarloaf Island is a vital destination for many local residents, tourists, and wildlife. Currently, the seaward shoreline of the Island is eroding, leaving uprooted trees and vegetation behind. In addition, wave exposure and swift currents are eroding the shoreline, sweeping nutrient-rich sediment into the water column, degrading water quality, and filling in navigational channels.
The restoration techniques will not impede normal vessel traffic because they will be installed in areas too shallow for boats to navigate safely at high speeds. Wave attenuation structures will be staggered so that fishing can occur in and around the structures.
The project is expected to:
- Stop erosion and increase the shoreline
- Increase fish habitat and fishing opportunities
- Enhance the coastal resilience of Morehead City
- Increase ecotourism opportunities
- Enhance seagrass and water quality
- Stop tree loss
- Stop shorebird habitat loss
- Increase carbon sequestration
According to Brian Henry, Director of Sea & Shoreline's North and South Carolina offices, "We are excited to partner with not only the Federation and the City on this project, but also other local companies to restore our beloved island."
"This is a wonderful opportunity to protect and restore Sugarloaf Island so that it continues to provide important recreation, fish habitat, and storm protection values," says Todd Miller, Executive Director of the North Carolina Coastal Federation. "The Federation supports and appreciates the financial support provided by the North Carolina General Assembly to Morehead City to allow this project to move forward in preventing this island from washing away."
According to Morehead City Mayor Jerry Jones, "Protecting and restoring our island has been a priority for this City for years and now, thanks to the State Legislature, we finally have the funding to make it happen. We're looking forward to working closely with the professionals from Sea & Shoreline and the North Carolina Coastal Federation to see this project come to fruition."
The Federation has contracted with Sea & Shoreline to construct the project. Sea & Shoreline has completed over 150 aquatic restoration projects including offshore breakwaters, living shorelines, and seagrass restorations.
Sea & Shoreline, LLC is a Florida-based aquatic restoration firm that restores fresh and saltwater habitats to healthy and self-sustaining ecosystems. Services include seagrass restorations, oyster, coral and artificial reefs, dredging, living shorelines, vegetated retaining walls, shoreline stabilizations, and wave attenuation. For more information, please visit seaandshoreline.com, or follow us on social media LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
The North Carolina Coastal Federation is a member-supported 501(c)3 that focuses on protecting and restoring the North Carolina coast. Since 1982, the Federation has been in the field restoring miles of coastline; training and educating students, adults and communities to take actions that result in cleaner coastal waters and advocating for an accessible, healthy, productive coast. Created to give a united voice to the need for long-term coastal management, the Federation remains a collaborative, grassroots organization at its heart and brings together traditional and nontraditional organizations, government agencies and businesses in order to achieve what is best for the North Carolina coast and to leave a legacy of clean water for future generations. The Federation has 16,000 supporters and reaches almost 300,000 people directly each year. For more information, please visit nccoast.org, or follow us on social media LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Photo by Fairley Cessna of Cessna Drone Services, courtesy of Randy Boyd of Atlantic Reefmaker.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Sea & Shoreline, LLC | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/27/sea-amp-shoreline-north-carolina-coastal-federation-town-morehead-city-partner-restore-sugarloaf-island-morehead-city-nc/ | 2022-07-27T10:42:47Z |
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has tied a Florida-based ice cream company to a multistate listeria outbreak.
The CDC believes Big Olaf Creamery, a brand of ice cream only sold in Florida, may be to blame. Of the 17 people interviewed by the CDC, 14 reported eating ice cream before experiencing symptoms.
Six of those 14 people, according to the CDC, mentioned Big Olaf Creamery by name, or a location known to serve that specific brand of ice cream.
Nearly two dozen people from 10 states have been sickened, according to the CDC, with the bulk of them being reported in Florida. Other cases were reported in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
The first cases were reported back in January, but have continued through June, when two more people became sick.
In total, 23 people were sickened, and all but one were hospitalized. One person died, and one of the sickened pregnant patients (of which there were five) lost their fetus, according to the CDC.
The CDC said Big Olaf Creamery is contacting all known retail locations and businesses to recommend against selling their ice cream until further notice. Anyone who purchased Big Olaf Creamery ice cream is urged to throw it away.
Big Olaf Creamery said in a statement that while the company is cooperating with the ongoing investigation, “it is only speculation” that their ice cream is the culprit.
“Our brand has not been confirmed to be linked to these cases,” the statement reads. “Nothing has been proven.”
Listeria is one of the most dangerous forms of food poisoning. Symptoms usually start one to four weeks after eating contaminated food, but can start as soon as the same day. Those symptoms include fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea, among others.
While it can be treated with antibiotics, listeria is especially dangerous to pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/cdc-deadly-listeria-outbreak-spanning-10-states-linked-to-ice-cream/ | 2022-07-05T17:48:52Z |
Which tablet accessory for kids is best?
For education or entertainment, parents have been integrating more technology into the lives of their kids. Tablets in particular have become a major tool for kids to learn and play from the convenience of wherever they are. As a result, there are several different accessories that have been designed specifically for kids to use with their tablets. Depending on the interests of the kid, there are several different options for any shopper to choose from. However, knowing what exactly to look for will make a major difference.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY TABLET ACCESSORIES FOR KIDS
Compatibility of the accessory with brand of tablet
Several tablet accessories are built to specifically work with one brand of tablet, so ensuring that the design is either universally compatible, or at least compatible, with the currently owned device will make an obvious difference.
How the kid uses the tablet
Perhaps the most important factor is knowing what sort of activities or games the kid likes to do on the tablet will help you to choose an accessory. For kids who like to draw, there are several different drawing-specific accessories to choose from. For kids who like racing games, there are cases and accessories that are designed to improve that experience as well.
Wireless connectivity and battery life
If the accessory is wirelessly connected such as a stylus, knowing if it connects with the tablet is important. Additionally, wirelessly connected accessories will also have a battery life, which can range dramatically depending on the quality and type of device it is.
Color and design
For kids in particular, finding accessories that have fun colors or designs will be an important part of the decision-making process. Most kids’ tablet accessories will have several different options, with many others having designs that feature cartoon characters or other recognizable faces from kids’ TV and movies.
HOW MUCH YOU CAN EXPECT TO SPEND ON TABLET ACCESSORIES FOR KIDS
There are kids’ tablet accessories available in basically every price range, with a case or small stylus costing only a few dollars, while certain attachments or connected items can cost hundreds. Depending on the budget, there will be options for every shopper.
WHAT ARE THE Best tablet accessories for kids?
Top tablet accessory for kids
What you need to know: This is a fun and easy-to-use stylus designed to look like a classic yellow pencil.
What you’ll love: The stylus is universally compatible and works on any touch surface without requiring a battery. The thicker design is easier to grip for younger kids, so they won’t drop it.
What you should consider: The lack of wireless connectivity reduces precision and does not disable touch from a hand if it is resting on the tablet.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top tablet accessory for kids for the money
CozyPhones Over The Ear Headband Headphones
What you need to know: These are cute and comfortable headphones that fit like a headband for easy stability.
What you’ll love: The headphones have limited volume levels to protect kids from ear damage. The headband also comes in several different designs to work with the preferences of any kid.
What you should consider: The headphone jack will not be compatible with an iPad without an additional dongle.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Kid-Proof Case for Fire 7 Tablet
What you need to know: This is an incredibly durable tablet case that comes in several different colors for added variety.
What you’ll love: The tablet case comes with an adjustable stand that works to both angle the tablet, as well as stand it fully upright. The thick outer shell will protect from heavy impact and the elevated sides will protect the screen as well.
What you should consider: The tablet case is only compatible with Amazon Fire tablets, making it a less versatile option.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
ipega-PG-9083S wireless Mobile Controller
What you need to know: This is a great accessory for older kids who like to use their tablets for gaming.
What you’ll love: The mobile controller works for several different sizes of devices with the attachment feature being adjustable. All of the keys and buttons can be customized to the programmed settings of the user.
What you should consider: The mobile controller is only compatible with Android devices.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: This is a multi-function travel tray that can hold several toys, snacks and art supplies, as well as a tablet.
What you’ll love: The tablet holder in the middle of the tray is universal and will fit several different tablets and mobile devices. The tray will also connect easily around most different car seats with a simple strap.
What you should consider: Some users have reported that it is clunky to carry around when travelling.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Cuddly Reader Tablet Stand and Book Holder
What you need to know: This is a cute and sturdy tablet holder that is made out of soft, plush materials.
What you’ll love: The tablet holder has side pockets to hold a stylus or other additional accessories. The plush exterior comes in several different designs and characters for fun customization.
What you should consider: For tablets with thicker cases, the ledge that holds up the device may not be long enough to comfortably hold it.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
FANGOR Universal Tablet Holder for Kids in Back Seats
What you need to know: This is a great tablet holder for the back seat of a car to allow kids to watch videos while in the car.
What you’ll love: The tablet holder is universal and will work with any device, regardless of brand. The anti-slip strap will ensure that the tablet stays in place even when on a bumpy road.
What you should consider: Some users report that the velcro attachment will not hold after extended use.
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.
Tom Price 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/tablets-accessories-br/best-tablet-accessory-for-kids/ | 2022-06-06T08:49:48Z |
UpNest's platform allows people to compare agents and select the one that's best for their situation; acquisition advances Realtor.com®'s seller strategy
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Move, Inc., the operator of Realtor.com®, one of the most visited real estate sites in the U.S., announced today it has acquired San Mateo, Calif.-based UpNest. UpNest operates a marketplace that connects home sellers with highly qualified local agents who compete for their business. Move, Inc. is a subsidiary of News Corp.
More than 5 million homes are sold each year, according to 2018-2022 data from the National Association of Realtors®, and 9 out of 10 sellers use an agent to assist them in the transaction (NAR 2021 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers).
Realtor.com® already connects many of these home sellers with agents who can help them through the ReadyConnect Concierge℠ referral network. The UpNest acquisition will help Realtor.com® further expand its services and support for home sellers and the agents and brokers who can help them succeed.
"Our open marketplace approach is all about empowering people with choices. While some of our competitors try to funnel buyers, sellers and real estate professionals into a specific set of services in a closed system, Realtor.com helps homeowners choose how they want to find and connect with an agent, and agents and brokers can decide which methods work best for them," said Realtor.com® CEO David Doctorow. "UpNest has a proven track record of successfully connecting homeowners looking to sell with the right agent for them, and we believe that its innovative model complements our existing ReadyConnect Concierge℠ program."
Consumers who submit leads through UpNest's marketplace receive proposals from three to five agents within 12 hours. Those consumers can then decide to contact and interview any of those agents and select the agent they believe can best support them. Since launch, approximately 1 million agent proposals have been submitted on UpNest's marketplace, representing reputable brokerages such as Keller Williams, Re/Max, Compass, and many more.
Sellers who prefer to be connected directly with an agent in Realtor.com®'s ReadyConnect Concierge℠ network can do so directly from the "List your home with an agent" link on the Sell tab on the Realtor.com® landing page. ReadyConnect Concierge℠ applies a proven process to screen and convert online leads, and 7 out of 10 of Realtor.com®'s concierge customers have said the program was critical or important to their business. More than 190,000 agents and 20,000 brokers in all 50 states participate in ReadyConnect Concierge℠.
Realtor.com® also connects sellers with agents through Seller's Marketplace. Nearly a dozen companies in the Seller's Marketplace offer selling options that allow homeowners to sell their homes to an iBuyer; buy now, sell later; sell now, move later; or access equity. Visitors can compare the selling options available in their area, including listing their home on the open market with an agent.
"Realtor.com has been growing momentum among seller audiences with products like Seller's Marketplace and MyHome," said Doctorow. "The addition of UpNest to our stable of seller-focused offerings is a key element of our strategy to deliver the best experience and value to home sellers as well as our agent and broker customers."
"UpNest has helped hundreds of thousands of people sell their homes with the help of top agents over the past eight years," said UpNest Founder and CEO Simon Ru. "We're excited to join the Realtor.com® family. Realtor.com®'s audience reach and strong customer base will help us connect even more sellers with the agents who can best help them."
Simon Ru and the company's 50+ person team will join Move, Inc. Terms of the acquisition were not made public.
About Realtor.com®
Realtor.com® makes buying, selling, renting and living in homes easier and more rewarding for everyone. Realtor.com® pioneered the world of digital real estate more than 25 years ago, and today through its website and mobile apps offers a marketplace where people can learn about their options, trust in the transparency of information provided to them, and get services and resources that are personalized to their needs. Using proprietary data science and machine learning technology, Realtor.com® pairs buyers and sellers with local agents in their market, helping take the guesswork out of buying and selling a home. For professionals, Realtor.com® is a trusted provider of consumer connections and branding solutions that help them succeed in today's on-demand world. Realtor.com® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. For more information, visit Realtor.com®.
About Move, Inc.
Move, Inc., a subsidiary of News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV], operates a family of websites and mobile experiences for consumers and professionals, including Realtor.com®. Move licenses the Realtor.com URL from the National Association of REALTORS®. Move also offers software products and services to help real estate professionals serve their clients and grow their business, including ListHub™, the nation's leading listings syndicator and centralized intelligence platform for the real estate industry.
About UpNest
Launched in 2013, UpNest (www.upnest.com) is a real estate agent marketplace that matches home buyers and sellers with top local agents who compete for their business. Buyers and sellers receive personalized quotes offering competitive listing commissions, buyer refunds (when applicable), and services. UpNest was ranked on INC 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies and on Deloitte Tech 500.
Media Contact
Stephanie Singer
Stephanie.Singer@move.com
View original content:
SOURCE Realtor.com | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/realtorcom-acquires-upnest/ | 2022-06-08T17:44:26Z |
TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Travis County employees on the lower end of the payroll system will soon see a substantial pay bump, with commissioners approving a minimum wage hike to $20 an hour for fiscal year 2022-23.
Currently, Travis County has a minimum wage of $15 an hour, translating to a minimum net salary of $31,200. The $20 hourly minimum wage, set to go into effect Oct. 1, will translate to a base salary of $41,600 annually.
County leaders also approved a 5% across-the-board increase for county employees in FY23. For any minimum wage earners, the 5% increase will apply to their current salaries, and officials will then close the gap needed to bring their hourly wage up to $20.
Officials also greenlit a cost of living adjustment for retirees in FY23. The 3% adjustment will translate to nearly $3.4 million in general fund costs, per county documents. The last time the county implemented a cost of living adjustment was in 2019.
Other cost adjustments noted included increasing the entry level salaries for corrections officers, law enforcement deputies and other public safety personnel. For corrections officer, the entry level salary will increase to $50,000 in FY23, up 6.7% over the FY22 salary.
For deputies, their minimum salary will rise to $63,000, a 14.1% increase over FY22. With senior deputies or senior corrections officers, they will also see a 5% salary increase, officials noted.
Officials have said this will help Travis County become a competitive employer and attract more prospective employees. Commissioners noted substantial vacancy rates in core county departments, adding these salary readjustments could ease those burdens.
For example, two difficult-to-fill positions — a level one juvenile detention officer and a road maintenance worker — have current minimum salaries of $34,609 and $32,345, respectively. These are highly sought after positions due to high vacancy rates in these respective areas.
With the now-approved FY23 minimum wage, a level one juvenile detention officer and a road maintenance worker would now earn $45,457 and $44,133 annually.
Overall, the costs of all compensation increases amounts to nearly $48.2 million for FY23. Of that $48.2 million, nearly $13.4 million will account for the $20 minimum wage increase and 5% across-the-board employee raise.
Travis County will adopt its tax rate Sept. 20, and its budget on Sept. 27. The FY23 budget year begins Oct. 1. | https://cw33.com/news/texas/travis-county-bumps-minimum-wage-to-20-an-hour/ | 2022-08-31T18:48:01Z |
LEUVEN, Belgium and CHICAGO, June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- icometrix announced today that DocPanel has selected the icobrain portfolio to strengthen its AI imaging capability and transform the market for people with traumatic brain injury.
The new collaboration has been announced during the official economic mission of the Belgian Government in the United States of America, lead by Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium. It is the largest Belgian mission ever to the United States. Special attention in the program goes to the Health, Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, and Artificial Intelligence sector; all sectors for which icometrix will further explore new opportunities.
Users of the DocPanel marketplace will now have access to icometrix's AI software, offering volumetric quantifications of brain MR, including diffusion tensor MRI (or DTI), and CT for people with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), different forms of dementia, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis.
"DocPanel's partnership with icometrix is groundbreaking," said Philip Templeton, MD FACR, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of DocPanel. "Participating customers will now have access to a platform with tools for neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, dementia, epilepsy and TBI. icobrain, allows DocPanel to provide a larger solution to imaging centers, law offices, and hospital clients who need high quality reporting for traumatic brain injury cases."
DocPanel's unique, on-demand diagnostic imaging marketplace serves over 175 healthcare providers across the United States. In addition, DocPanel provides second opinions for patients in over 50 countries around the world. DocPanel's selected icometrix as their strategic partner for TBI and DTI reporting, and beyond.
"With icobrain, we help radiologists and their referring physicians to make more informed decisions for patients with neurological disorders. DocPanel will bring icobrain to more specialized radiologists in the United States, which will undoubtedly lead to a higher level of diagnosis and follow-up on neurological disorders." says Dirk Smeets PhD, VP Clinical Applications, "It is great to be able to provide a full clinical package with our CT and MRI products for better patient care."
"The availability of the icometrix portfolio of AI software for neuroimaging is a tremendous boost for me in clinical practice." said Dr. Alyssa Watanabe, DocPanel Radiologist. "The quantitative analytics add value to my reports and enhance my job satisfaction in providing quality interpretations."
icometrix offers AI solutions to obtain clinically meaningful data from MR and CT scans. Its icobrain portfolio incorporates brain volumetrics for patients with neurological conditions in clinical practice. Today, icometrix is internationally active in over 100 clinical practices and works with healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies on the evaluation of drug trials for neurological diseases.
info@icometrix.com
https://icometrix.com/
Press Kit: https://tinyurl.com/y8y3jtqa
Kolonel Begaultlaan 1b/12
Leuven, Belgium
DocPanel is the world's first on-demand, pay-as-you-go, contract-free service offering radiological reads, second opinions, educational consults, and diagnoses from high-caliber, subspecialty radiologists coming from prestigious academic hospitals in the United States.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE icometrix | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/icometrix-announces-docpanel-introduce-icobrain-portfolio/ | 2022-06-08T17:42:34Z |
Continued investment in best-in-class security, revenue recognition, payments and financial ecosystem integrations further extend market leadership position
DENVER, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BillingPlatform, the revenue management solution for today's innovative business models, announced its latest platform and product innovations, including hosted payment pages as well as new and updated connectors to Salesforce, NetSuite, OneSource, Avalara and other enterprise systems. BillingPlatform continues to invest and extend the capabilities of its product portfolio to accelerate the quote-to-cash process and simplify revenue recognition for enterprises looking to optimize their billing and revenue management processes.
BillingPlatform's latest product innovations include:
- Configure & Sell: The BillingPlatform CPQ product has been enhanced with greater rating precision, simplified quotation editing, the ability to generate renewals and additional flexibility when saving and sending quotes to customers. With a unified solution for billing and CPQ, these enhancements help to streamline the quoting process, allowing users to quickly and easily generate accurate customer quotations and streamline overall revenue management processes.
- Bill & Invoice: Key enhancements include the ability to redact the audit history via API to comply with GDPR and other consumer privacy laws, localization updates, improved revenue leakage detection and enhanced approval processing to speed financial close.
- Pay & Collect: Customers can now embed a payment page hosted by BillingPlatform to capture credit card and direct debit payments via the Adyen payment gateway enabling e-commerce billing. This embeddable page also manages subscribers' stored payment methods, helping customers significantly lower their PCI compliance burden. In addition, BillingPlatform has added support for the Stax payment gateway.
- Recognize & Report: Customers now have more flexibility with configuring formulas in transaction classification rules, grouping revenue contracts and viewing summary details of a contract's total revenue value including total revenue recognition to date, current balance sheet impact and start/end dates. These enhancements empower enterprise financial teams with more detailed information at-a-glance.
- Nurture & Grow: BillingPlatform has added more controls and tools that alert customers when a modification to the platform has been made and detail the impact of the change while maintaining performance and usability. In addition, BillingPlatform has enhanced several partner connectors including Salesforce, NetSuite, OneSource, Avalara and ATOS.
The platform enhancements complement BillingPlatform's recent expansion through its global ecosystem of services and solutions partners as well as key customer wins with CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc. and Neptune Technology Group.
"Compared to even just a year ago, we continue to win much larger deals over longer terms that include multiple of our CPQ, billing, revenue recognition, collections and portal products and services, underscoring our market momentum with global enterprises," said Dennis Wall, BillingPlatform's CEO. "Each quarter, our platform improvements are a result of what our customers need to better manage their billing and revenue management tasks and the entire quote-to-cash cycle."
These platform enhancements come on the heels of recent company news, most notably the announcement that MGI Research positioned BillingPlatform's Automated Revenue Management solution as a Market Leader based on an independent analysis of its product, management, strategy, finances and channels. Additionally, the company released its yearly Trends in Finance survey and was recognized as a silver award winner in the Best in Biz Awards Enterprise Product of the Year - Financial Software category and a fast-growing company on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500™.
About BillingPlatform, Corp.
BillingPlatform's agile revenue management platform gives innovative enterprises the freedom to effectively monetize and deliver products and services that result in growth and competitive differentiation. Our industry-leading, cloud-based platform adapts to every unique business model and pricing structure. With global customers across multiple industries, including communications, transportation, manufacturing, banking, technology, energy, media and software, BillingPlatform processes billions of transactions and dollars every year, enabling enterprises to grow revenue, reduce costs and improve overall customer experience. To learn more, visit billingplatform.com.
Press Contact:
Abigail Souza
BillingPlatform
billingplatform@threeringsinc.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE BillingPlatform | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/billingplatform-unveils-new-product-innovations-partner-connectors/ | 2022-06-29T13:33:10Z |
Pocatello hosts annual Running with the Big Dogs
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - It was barking with excitement at Ross Park for the 25th-annual Running with the Big Dogs.
The event is an annual fundraiser led by the Friends of the Pocatello Animal Shelter.
"We do adoption subsidizations," said Kassy Holzheimer. "We pay for surgeries and dental procedures for animals that need that in order to become adoptable. We also help other organizations that are like-minded and need funds."
For the dogs and the dog owners, it gives them a chance to socialize and have some fun in the sun.
"It's fun to just get him around other dogs," said Houston Armstrong. "He doesn't like to run with me during a normal day. He'll only run in situations like this where he can be competitive and run and try and catch other dogs."
"I don't think we've ever had so many dogs around us," said Fallon Deatherage-Bradley. "So, it's just a good experience first for me to see all the dogs, because they're cute, and Stella loves to play with them and meet new friends and interact."
By coming out to support the cause, the Pocatello community is helping out our local animals one paw at a time.
“It's an amazing opportunity for everyone involved, and we just love being able to help out and see the turnout and use those funds for a really, really good purpose,” Holzheimer said. | https://localnews8.com/news/2022/04/24/pocatello-hosts-annual-running-with-the-big-dogs/ | 2022-04-24T20:10:11Z |
Konza United Way Restaurant Week is coming to MHK June 10th - 19th
MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) - Twenty Manhattan-area restaurants have partnered with the Konza United Way for the 2nd annual Restaurant Week fundraiser from June 10th through the 19th.
To join in on the fun, you can get a restaurant week passport for just a $5 donation, with the passport you’ll get access to specials and secret menu items at participating restaurants.
This year two different restaurants have been added: Varsity Donuts and JP’s Sports Grill.
Fill up the passport with stickers from as many restaurants as you can from as many restaurants as you can, each sticker gets you an entry into the drawing for a prize package donated by Manhattan area businesses.
The Konza United Way helps support agencies and programs in six Northeast Kansas counties.
“All of the proceeds come back to support our communities’ greatest needs, so it’s a win-win, support the community, support our restaurants and give back to the community.” Konza United Way Chief Executive Officer, Tara Claussen says.
“I wanted to do something for the community. I wanted to be part of the community. A lot of people think that we’re just with the University, for the students, faculty and staff, but I wanted to be able to get out there with the community.” JP’s Sport Grill General Manager Brett Engleman says.
JP’s Sports Grill General Manager, Brett Engleman says they will have their fan-favorite salmon on the menu for passport holders during restaurant week.
Konza United Way Restaurant Week passports can be picked up at the United Way office, the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce or purchase online and pick up at a partner restaurant.
A list of participating restaurants can be found here.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/06/03/konza-united-way-restaurant-week-is-coming-mhk-june-10th-19th/ | 2022-06-03T22:58:41Z |
- ARDS-003 is a novel therapeutic for acute systemic inflammation and prevention of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
- ARDS-003 may offer steroid-sparing opportunities.
- ARDS-003 has demonstrated antiviral properties.
- ARDS-003 developed as an oral formulation for an immediate release administration.
OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. ("Tetra" or the "Company") (TSX: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) (FRA: JAM1), a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and development announced today new positive preclinical results from live SARS-CoV-2 virus infection studies as well as a septic lung model, carried out by independent researchers.
These studies explored the potential of ARDS-003 to increase survival metrics following SARS-CoV-2 infection in the humanized ACE2 mouse model. Secondary outcomes evaluated ARDS-003 against an antiviral drug, a clinical standard of care therapeutic used for patients with COVID, in SARS-CoV-2 infected animals. Results indicate that compared to placebo, ARDS-003 dose dependently reduced signs of morbidity and mortality, including respiratory distress. ARDS-003 also outperformed the antiviral drug in reducing multiple proinflammatory mediators (i.e., cytokines) involved in hyperinflammation and immune system dysfunction following viral infection.
Using a recent septic lung model, the administration of ARDS-003 produced a significant reduction of systemic cytokine/chemokine release. In addition, lung histology was improved, peripheral immune hyper activation was reduced, and there was an improvement in capillary perfusion in lung tissue compared to controls. An additional study evaluated in vitro viral infectivity and demonstrated dose dependent inhibition of viral replication.
Guy Chamberland, CEO and CRO at Tetra commented "ARDS-003 is a clinical stage asset that has a huge potential as it is focused on developing novel treatments for unmet medical needs, such as lung inflammation, viral encephalitis, and brain inflammation conditions."
Further to the ARDS-003 injection formulation, Tetra's research team has developed an oral formulation using its proprietary technology for an immediate release administration that can be administered for longer term care in an outpatient setting. ARDS-003 has the potential to reduce the cytokine storm associated with CAR T immunotherapy complications and has been shown to have synergistic antiviral effects in several viral in vivo infection models.
Dr. Chamberland further commented "ARDS-003, for example, could be used as an adjunct to Paxlovid or other antivirals to help reduce the morbidities associated with prolonged infection by SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses. In the case of COVID, the treatment period with ARDS-003 could be extended to continue to improve clinical outcome and prevent the rebound effect observed in immunocompromised patients receiving existing antivirals."
ARDS-003 is a novel First in Human (FIH) drug product containing the active pharmaceutical agent, Onternabez, a potent and selective full agonist of the type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2R), an important immunomodulatory target. ARDS-003 is positioned to modulate acute systemic inflammation and prevent Sepsis, ARDS, and organ damage - ARDS represents the severe end of lung dysfunction resulting from systemic inflammation secondary to infectious or non-infectious clinical insult (McIntosh, 2020). While the clinical profile of ARDS arising from viral (COVID) or bacterial Sepsis can vary, hyperinflammation involving a dysfunctional immune response is a common mediator of lung damage. Tetra's preclinical studies have demonstrated that ARDS-003 decreases this hyperinflammatory response and slows disease progression.
Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSX: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) (FRA: JAM1) is a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and development with a FDA and a Health Canada cleared clinical program aimed at bringing novel prescription drugs and treatments to patients and their healthcare providers. Their evidence-based scientific approach has enabled them to develop a pipeline of cannabinoid-based drug products for a range of medical conditions, including pain, inflammation, and oncology. With patients at the core of what they do, Tetra Bio-Pharma is focused on providing rigorous scientific validation and safety data required for inclusion into the existing biopharma industry by regulators, physicians and insurance companies.
For more information visit: www.tetrabiopharma.com
Neither the TSX Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-looking statements
Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the inability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Company's business plan; competition; regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, the success of the Company's research and development strategies, including the success of this product or any other product, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion and uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the timing of clinical trials, the timing and outcomes of regulatory or intellectual property decisions and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/10/tetra-bio-pharma-announces-positive-preclinical-results-ards-003-novel-therapeutic-sepsis-viral-infections/ | 2022-08-10T11:48:12Z |
OTCQX: SHWZ
NEO: SHWZ
Record Quarterly Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA
Revenue Increases 44% to $44.3 Million Compared to $30.7 Million in Q2 2021
Adjusted EBITDA of $15 Million, 33.9% of Revenue
Revised Guidance Driven by Short-Term, Challenging Colorado Market Conditions
Q4 2022 Projected Revenue Annualized Run Rate: $175 Million - $200 Million
Q4 2022 Projected Adjusted EBITDA Annualized Run Rate: $60 Million - $72 Million
Conference Call & Webcast Scheduled for Today – 5:00 pm EDT
DENVER, Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Schwazze, (OTCQX: SHWZ) (NEO: SHWZ) ("Schwazze" or the "Company"), today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022 ("Q2 2022").
Q2 2022 Financial Summary:
- Revenues of $44.3 million increased 44% compared to $30.7 million in second quarter ended June 30, 2021 ("Q2 2021")
- Retail sales were $38.1 million up 77% when compared to Q2 2021
- Gross Margin of $25.2 million was up 69% compared to $14.9 million in Q2 2021, this quarter was affected by $0.2M in purchase accounting
- Net Income was $33.8 million compared to a Net Income of $4.4 million for the same period last year
- Adjusted EBITDA of $15 million was 33.9% of revenue, compared to $10 million for the same period last year
- Colorado two year stacked IDs for Q2 2022 compared to Q2 2021 and Q2 2020 for same store sales(1) were 1.8% and one year IDs(1) were (12.7%) comparing Q2 2022 to Q2 2021
- New Mexico two year stacked IDs for Q2 2022 compared to Q2 2021 and Q2 2020 for same store sales(1) were 41.0% and one year IDs(1) were 30.4% comparing Q2 2022 to Q2 2021
Accomplishments
Since December 2021, Schwazze has closed acquisitions adding 15 cannabis dispensaries, 10 in New Mexico and five in Colorado as well as four cultivation facilities in New Mexico and one in Colorado and one manufacturing asset in New Mexico.
- Closed Acquisition of Urban Health & Wellness Assets
- Listed Common Stock on the NEO Exchange
- Closed Acquisition of Brow 2 LLC Assets
- Closed Acquisition of Emerald Fields
- Added President of New Mexico Division
- Closed New Mexico Acquisition, Becoming a Regionally Focused MSO
- Added to Key Senior Leadership Team
- Closed Acquisition of Drift Assets
Justin Dye, Chairman and CEO of Schwazze stated, "Similar to the rest of the country, the cannabis industry in Colorado is also experiencing a slowdown in growth compared to the last couple of years. Schwazze, however, is demonstrating that our regional strategy, built on a customer first approach, developing significant scale, building brands and leveraging data analytics and technology is not only sound but gaining momentum as demonstrated by revenue and unit sales growth, customer loyalty and by once again outpacing the legacy market growth by approximately 12%. We believe this model will travel well to other states as we find attractive opportunities. Despite share price weakness driven by broader market influences, we remain bullish on our business and have conviction that as Schwazze continues to deliver superior operating results that our shareholders will be rewarded."
Justin continued, "As we look to the future, we expect continued growth in Colorado and New Mexico through both organic and inorganic means. Our operations continue to mature and gain momentum, and we firmly believe that we are winning in our markets. Our team will continue to focus on growing profitably and generating cash flow from operations. When positive federal legislation is passed, Schwazze will be well-positioned as a market leader to take advantage of banking services and institutional investment."
Q2 2022 Revenue
Revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2022, totaled $44.3 million, including (i) retail sales of $38.1 million (ii) wholesale sales of $6.1 million and (iii) other operating revenues of $43,750, compared to revenues of $30.7 million, including (i) retail sales of $21.5 million, (ii) wholesale of $9.2 million, and (iii) other operating revenues of $16,844 during the three months ended June 30, 2021, representing an increase of $13.5 million or 44%. This increase was due to increased sale of our products as well as execution of our growth through acquisition initiatives. In the second quarter of 2022, the Company acquired one additional retail dispensary, which generated additional retail revenue. Additionally, recreational marijuana sales became legal in New Mexico in April 2022, which increased sales volume and revenues in New Mexico. Wholesale revenues in Colorado decreased due to increased cultivation capacity in the state resulting in an over-supply of wholesale cannabis materials.
Cost of goods and services for the three months ended June 30, 2022, totaled $19.1 million compared to cost of services of $15.8 million during the three months ended June 30, 2021, representing an increase of $3.3 million or 21%. The increase in cost of goods is driven by the increase in revenue, however not at the same rate. In the quarter, the Company experienced a reduction in costs driven by vertical integration and third-party price negotiations.
Gross profit increased to $25.2 million for Q2 2022 compared to $14.9 million during the same period in 2021. Gross profit margin increased as a percentage of revenue from 48.5% to 56.8%, and net of purchase accounting, the gross margin increased to 57.4%. This positive result, net of purchase accounting continues to reflect our consolidated purchasing approach, the implementation of our retail playbook, and vertical product sales in New Mexico.
Operating expenses for the three months ended June 30, 2022, totaled $16.1 million, compared to operating expenses of $10.5 million during the three months ended June 30, 2021, representing an increase of $5.6 million or 54%. This increase is due to increased selling, general and administrative expenses, professional service fees, salaries, benefits, and related employment costs driven by growth from acquisitions.
Other income for the three months ended June 30, 2022, totaled $29.2 million compared to $0.2 million during the three months ended June 30, 2021, representing an increase in income of $29 million or 18,435%. The increase in other income is due to the revaluation of the derivative liability related to the Investor Notes, offset by higher interest payments.
The Company generated net income for the three months ended June 30, 2022, of $33.8 million, compared to net income of $4.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2021.
Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 2022 was $15 million representing 33.9% of revenue, compared to $10 million and 32.6% of revenue for the same period last year. This is derived from Operating Income and adjusting one-time expenses, merger and acquisition and capital raising costs, non-cash related compensation costs, and depreciation and amortization. See the financial table for Adjusted EBITDA below adjustment for details.
For six months ending June 30, 2022, the Company used cash for operations of ($8.0) million compared to generating cash of $1.4 million for the same period in 2021. The Company has cash and cash equivalents of $33.9 million at the end of Q2 2022.
Nancy Huber, CFO for Schwazze commented, "During Q2 we focused on completing integration of our acquisitions and made sure that we used our resources effectively. We are focused on reducing operating and SG&A expenses and judiciously investing growth capital to ensure adequate liquidity and profitability despite difficult market conditions in Colorado, which we believe to be transitory and temporary. Our balance sheet remains strong, and we have ample liquidity. We are focused on delivering positive cash flow net of acquisition costs for the year while driving organic growth and making smart acquisitions."
2022 Guidance
The Company has revised its guidance for a fourth-quarter 2022 (Q4 2022) annualized run rate, which excludes transactions that are announced but not closed. Q4 2022 revenue annualized run rate is projected to be $175 million to $200 million, and the Q4 2022 adjusted EBITDA annualized run rate is projected to be from $60 million to $72 million.
Adjusted EBITDA represents income (loss) from operations, as reported, before tax, adjusted to exclude non-recurring items, other non-cash items, including stock-based compensation expense, depreciation, and amortization, and further adjusted to remove acquisition and capital raise related costs, and other one-time expenses, such as severance, retention, and employee relocation. The Company uses adjusted EBITDA as it believes it better explains the results of its core business. The Company has not reconciled guidance for adjusted EBITDA to the corresponding GAAP financial measure because it cannot provide guidance for the various reconciling items. The Company is unable to provide guidance for these reconciling items because it cannot determine their probable significance, as certain items are outside of its control and cannot be reasonably predicted. Accordingly, a reconciliation to the corresponding GAAP financial measure is not available without unreasonable effort.
Webcast – August 11, 2022 – 5:00 PM EDT
Investors and stakeholders may participate in the conference call by dialing 416 764 8650 or by dialing North American toll free 1-888-664-6383 or listen to the webcast from the Company's website at https://ir.schwazze.com The webcast will be available on the Company's website and on replay until August 18, 2022, and may be accessed by dialing 1-888-390-0541 / # 575833
Following their prepared remarks, Chief Executive Officer, Justin Dye and Chief Financial Officer, Nancy Huber will answer investor questions. Investors may submit questions in advance or during the conference call itself through the weblink: https://app.webinar.net/lwXbZbBZmKN This weblink has been posted to the Company's website and will be archived on the website. All Company SEC filings can also be accessed on the Company website at https://ir.schwazze.com/sec-filings
About Schwazze
Schwazze (OTCQX: SHWZ, NEO: SHWZ) is building a premier vertically integrated regional cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico and will continue to take its operating system to other states where it can develop a differentiated regional leadership position. Schwazze is the parent company of a portfolio of leading cannabis businesses and brands spanning seed to sale. The Company is committed to unlocking the full potential of the cannabis plant to improve the human condition. Schwazze is anchored by a high-performance culture that combines customer-centric thinking and data science to test, measure, and drive decisions and outcomes. The Company's leadership team has deep expertise in retailing, wholesaling, and building consumer brands at Fortune 500 companies as well as in the cannabis sector. Schwazze is passionate about making a difference in our communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and doing our part to incorporate climate-conscious practices. Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. was Schwazze's former operating trade name. The corporate entity continues to be named Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. Schwazze derives its name from the pruning technique of a cannabis plant to enhance plant structure and promote healthy growth.
Forward-Looking Statements
Such forward-looking statements may be preceded by the words "plan," "will," "may," "continue," "anticipate," "become," "build," "develop," "expect," "believe," "poised," "project," "approximate," "could," "potential," or similar expressions as they relate to Schwazze. Forward-looking statements include the guidance provided regarding the Company's Q4 2022 performance and annual capital spending. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control and cannot be predicted or quantified. Consequently, actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own or in collaboration with third parties; (ii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iv) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; (v) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates; (vi) our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy in Colorado and New Mexico and outside the states, (vii) our ability to identify and consummate future acquisitions that meet our criteria, (viii) our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and realize synergies therefrom, (ix) the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, (x) the timing and extent of governmental stimulus programs, (xi) the uncertainty in the application of federal, state and local laws to our business, and any changes in such laws, and (xii) our ability to achieve the target metrics, including our annualized revenue and EBIDTA run rates set out in our Q4 2022 guidance. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.
MEDICINE MAN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
For the Three Months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021
Expressed in U.S. Dollars
See accompanying notes to the financial statements
MEDICINE MAN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
CONSOLDIATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (UNAUDITED)
For the Three Months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021
Expressed in U.S. Dollars
See accompanying notes to the financial statements
MEDICINE MAN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)
For the Three Months ended June 30, 2022, and 2021
Expressed in U.S. Dollars
See accompanying notes to the financial statements
MEDICINE MAN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation
Non-GAAP measurement
(UNAUDITED)
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Schwazze | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/11/schwazze-announces-second-quarter-results/ | 2022-08-11T21:33:59Z |
NEW YORK, June 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Natera, Inc. ("Natera") (NASDAQ: NTRA) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors. This lawsuit is on behalf of a class of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Natera common stock between February 26, 2020, and April 19, 2022, inclusive.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Natera, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/natera-inc-loss-submission-form?prid=28377&wire=4
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Natera includes allegations that the Company made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the Company's non-invasive prenatal test, Panorama, was not reliable and resulted in high rates of false positives; (2) the Company's screening test for kidney transplant failure, Prospera, did not have superior precision compared to competing tests; (3) as a result of defendants' false and misleading claims about Natera's technology, the Company was exposed to substantial legal and regulatory risks; (4) Natera relied upon deceptive sales and billing practices to drive its revenue growth; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' statements about the company's business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis.
Aggrieved Natera investors only have until June 27, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/13/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-natera-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-june-27-2022/ | 2022-06-13T11:13:46Z |
In rare contact, US offers Russia deal for Griner, Whelan
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. In a sharp reversal of previous policy, Blinken also said he expects to speak with his Kremlin counterpart for the first time since before Russia invaded Ukraine.
The statement marked the first time the U.S. government has publicly revealed any concrete action it has taken to secure the release of Griner, who was arrested on drug-related charges at a Moscow airport in February and testified Wednesday at her trial.
Blinken did not offer details on the proposed deal, which was offered weeks ago, though it is unclear if it will be enough for Russia to release the Americans. But the public acknowledgment of the offer at a time when the U.S. has otherwise shunned Russia, reflects the mounting pressure on the administration over Griner and Whelan and its determination to get them home.
Blinken said Washington would like a response from Moscow. Russia has for years expressed interest in the release of Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer once labeled the “Merchant of Death” who was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2012 on charges that he schemed to illegally sell millions of dollars in weapons.
Blinken said he had requested a call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. U.S. officials said the desire for an answer on the prisoner offer was the primary, but not only, reason that the U.S. on Wednesday requested the call with Lavrov.
Should the call take place, it would be the first conversation that Blinken and Lavrov have held since Feb. 15, about a week before Russia invaded Ukraine. Blinken said he would also be speaking to Lavrov about the importance of Russia complying with a UN-brokered deal to free multiple tons of Ukrainian grain from storage and warning him about the dangers of possible Russian attempts to annex portions of eastern and southern Ukraine.
Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison on espionage charges. He and his family have vigorously asserted his innocence. The U.S. government has denounced the charges as false. He and his family have vigorously asserted his innocence. The U.S. government has denounced the charges as false.
Griner, in Russian custody for the last month, acknowledged in court this month that she had vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage when she arrived in Moscow in February but contends she had no criminal intent and packed the cartridges inadvertently.
At her trial Wednesday, Griner said she did not know how the cannabis oil ended up in her bag but explained she had a doctor’s recommendation for it and had packed in haste. She said she was pulled aside at the airport after inspectors found the cartridges, but that a language interpreter translated only a fraction of what was said during her questioning and that officials instructed her to sign documents without providing an explanation.
Griner faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of transporting drugs.
The U.S. government has long resisted prisoner swaps out of concern that it could encourage additional hostage-taking and promote false equivalency between a wrongfully detained American and a foreign national regarded as justly convicted. But an earlier deal in April, in which Marine veteran Trevor Reed was traded for jailed Russian pilot, Konstantin Yaroshenko, appeared to open the door to similar resolutions in the future and the Biden administration has been hounded with political pressure to bring home Griner and other Americans designated as unjustly detained.
There was no indication that Blinken and Lavrov had communicated to secure Reed’s release. Their last publicly recognized contact was Feb. 22, when Blinken wrote to Lavrov to cancel a meeting they had planned as a last-ditch effort to avert the Russian invasion, saying Moscow had shown no interest in serious diplomacy on the matter. The State Department said later that Russia’s diplomacy was “Kabuki Theater” — all show and no substance.
The two last met in person in Geneva in January to discuss what was then Russia’s massive military build-up along Ukraine’s border and Russian demands for NATO to reduce its presence in eastern Europe and permanently deny Ukraine membership. The U.S. rejected the Russian demands.
Blinken and Lavrov avoided each other earlier this month at the next time they were in the same place at the same time: at a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 20 nations in Bali, Indonesia.
The two men will next be in the same city at the same time next week in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where they will both be attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum. It was not immediately clear if the phone call ahead of that meeting, set for Aug. 4-5, would presage an in-person discussion.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/07/27/rare-contact-us-offers-russia-deal-griner-whelan/ | 2022-07-27T20:02:55Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bluerock Total Income+ Real Estate Fund ("TI+," tickers: TIPRX, TIPPX, TIPWX, TIPLX, TIPMX) has paid a third quarter distribution of $0.5001 per share, or 1.31% for the quarter, based on the share price of $38.10 (A-shares) for shareholders of record as of September 15, 2022. This distribution amount represents an annualized rate of 5.25%* based on the current share price, marking the Fund's 39th consecutive quarterly distribution. Since inception in 2012 at $25.00 per share, TIPRX has paid nearly $15 per share in total distributions to its shareholders. In addition to these quarterly distributions, TIPRX NAV has grown over 52% from $25 to $38.10 per share (as of 9.15.2022) and has generated a 9.58% annualized return since inception, with positive returns in each and every calendar year since inception. Due to this growth, shareholders who purchased at inception NAV of $25/share will receive a distribution amount at an annual rate of approximately 8.0% based on their original investment amount.
"While persistent inflation and rising interest rates have created turbulence and steep declines in the stock and bond markets in 2022, TI+ has continued to provide a consistent 5.25% annual distribution rate* and has generated over 425 basis points (4.25%) of annual appreciation over and above the distributions since inception, with almost no drawdown this year," said Jeffrey Schwaber, CEO of Bluerock Capital Markets. "In fact, while the leading stock and bond indexes have dropped 17% and 12% respectively, TI+ is up nearly 16% year to date," added Schwaber. (YTD 2022 through 9.15.22, TIPRX, no load S&P 500, Bloomberg Aggregate Bond Index)1
Since inception, TI+ has delivered on its stated objectives, including current income and capital appreciation as well as low correlation and low volatility relative to the broader markets.
Net assets under management for TI+ are approximately $7.2 billion as of September 15, 2022, making TI+ the largest real estate interval fund in the industry as measuring by net assets. TI+ currently maintains positions in 32 private equity and 4 private debt real estate investments, with underlying assets valued at approximately $363 billion (holdings are subject to change at any time and should not be considered investment advice).2
TI+ A Share Fund Net Performance
The performance data quoted here represents past performance. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted above. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. For performance information current to the most recent month end, please call toll-free 1-888-459-1059. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
The total annual fund operating expense ratio, gross of any fee waivers or expense reimbursements, is 2.09% for Class A, 2.81% for Class C, 1.83% for Class I, 2.32% for Class L, and 2.58% for Class M. The Fund's investment advisor has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or absorb expenses of the fund, at least until January 31, 2023 for Class A, C, I, L and M shares, to ensure that the net annual fund operating expenses will not exceed 1.95% for Class A, 2.70% for Class C and 1.70% for Class I, 2.20% for Class L and 2.45% for Class M, per annum of the Fund's average daily net assets attributable to Class A, Class C, Class I, Class L, and Class M shares, respectively, subject to possible recoupment from the Fund in future years. Please review the Fund's Prospectus for more detail on the expense waiver. A fund's performance, especially for very short periods of time, should not be the sole factor in making your investment decisions. Fund performance and distributions are presented net of fees.
About Bluerock Total Income+ Real Estate Fund
The Bluerock Total Income+ Real Estate Fund is a closed-end interval fund that invests the majority of its assets in institutional private equity real estate securities that are generally available only to institutional investors capable of meeting the multi-million dollar minimum investment criteria. As of Q2 2022, the value of the underlying real estate held by the securities in which the Fund is invested is approximately $363 billion, including investments managed by Ares, Blackstone, Morgan Stanley, Principal, Prudential, Clarion Partners, Invesco and RREEF, among others. The minimum investment in the Fund is $2,500 ($1,000 for retirement plans) for Class A, C, and L shares.
For copies of TI+ public company filings, please visit the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov or the Company's website at www.bluerockfunds.com.
The Bluerock Total Income+ Real Estate Fund offers individual investors access to a portfolio of institutional real estate securities managed by top-ranked fund managers. The Fund seeks to provide a comprehensive real estate holding designed to provide a combination of current income, capital preservation, long-term capital appreciation and enhanced portfolio diversification with low to moderate volatility and low correlation to the broader equity and fixed income markets. The Fund utilizes an exclusive partnership with Mercer Investment Management, Inc., the world's leading advisor to endowments, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and family offices globally, with over 3,300 clients worldwide, and over $17.3 trillion in assets under advisement.
Investing in the Bluerock Total Income+ Real Estate Fund involves risks, including the loss of principal. The Fund intends to make investments in multiple real estate securities that may subject the Fund to additional fees and expenses, including management and performance fees, which could negatively affect returns and could expose the Fund to additional risk, including lack of control, as further described in the prospectus.
* The Fund's distribution policy is to make quarterly distributions to shareholders. The level of quarterly distributions (including any return of capital) is not fixed and this distribution policy is subject to change. Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Fund is net profit. All or a portion of the distributions consist of a return of capital based on the character of the distributions received from the underlying holdings, primarily Real Estate Investment Trusts. The final determination of the source and tax characteristics of all distributions will be made after the end of each year. Shareholders should note that return of capital will reduce the tax basis of their shares and potentially increase the taxable gain, if any, upon disposition of their shares. There is no assurance that the Company will continue to declare distributions or that they will continue at these rates. There can be no assurance that any investment will be effective in achieving the Fund's investment objectives, delivering positive returns or avoiding losses.
Limited liquidity is provided to shareholders only through the Fund's quarterly repurchase offers for no less than 5% of the Fund's shares outstanding at net asset value. There is no guarantee that shareholders will be able to sell all of the shares they desire in a quarterly repurchase offer. Quarterly repurchases by the Fund of its shares typically will be funded from available cash or sales of portfolio securities. The sale of securities to fund repurchases could reduce the market price of those securities, which in turn would reduce the Fund's net asset value.
Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Bluerock Total Income+ Real Estate Fund. This and other important information about the Fund is contained in the prospectus, which can be obtained online at bluerockfunds.com. The prospectus should be read carefully before investing.
The Bluerock Total Income+ Real Estate Fund is distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc (ALPS). Bluerock Fund Advisor, LLC is not affiliated with ALPS.
Definitions:
S&P 500: An index of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity and industry grouping, among other factors. The S&P 500 is designed to be a leading indicator of U.S. equities and is meant to reflect the risk/return characteristics of the large cap universe (Investopedia). Risks include the dynamic fluctuations of the market and possible loss of principal.
The Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index: measures the performance of the U.S. investment grade bond market. The index invests in a wide spectrum of public, investment-grade, taxable, fixed income securities in the United States – including government, corporate, and international dollar-denominated bonds, as well as mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, all with maturities of more than 1 year. Risks include rising interest rates, credit quality of the issuers and general economic conditions.
Nasdaq Composite: market capitalization-weighted index of over 3,000 common equities listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. The Index's composition is over 50% technology, with consumer services, consumer goods, and financials the next most prominent industries.
MSCI US REIT Index (Public REITs): A free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index comprised of equity REITs that are included in the MSCI US Investable Market 2500 Index, with the exception of specialty equity REITs that do not generate a majority of their revenue and income from real estate rental and leasing operations. The index represents approximately 85% of the US REIT universe (www.msci.com). Returns shown are for informational purposes and do not reflect those of the Fund. You cannot invest directly in an index and unmanaged indices do not reflect fees, expenses or sales charges. Risks include rising interest rates or other economic factors that may negatively affect the value of the underlying real estate.
Smart Investment Solutions™
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Bluerock Total Income+ Real Estate Fund | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/16/bluerock-total-income-real-estate-fund-announces-39th-consecutive-quarterly-distribution-525-annualized-rate/ | 2022-09-17T13:41:40Z |
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that Clawfoot Supply, LLC, of Erlanger, Kentucky, has agreed to pay a $6 million civil penalty. The settlement resolves CPSC's charges that Clawfoot Supply failed to immediately report to CPSC, as required by law, that its Wall-Mounted Teak Folding Shower Seats contained a defect that could create a substantial product hazard and created an unreasonable risk of serious injury to consumers.
Between 2011 and 2018, Clawfoot Supply received multiple reports of corrosion and breakage with the shower seat, including reports of consumers who were injured when the shower seat failed while they were sitting on it. Despite possessing this information, Clawfoot Supply did not immediately report to the Commission. Clawfoot Supply first filed a report with the Commission concerning the shower seats in July 2018.
Clawfoot Supply recalled the Wall-Mounted Shower Seats on December 4, 2018. More information on how consumers can participate in the recall is available in the recall news release.
The settlement agreement requires Clawfoot Supply to maintain a compliance program and a system of internal controls and procedures designed to ensure compliance with the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). Clawfoot Supply has also agreed to file, for a period of three years, annual reports regarding the compliance program and system of internal controls.
By a 5-0 vote, the Commission provisionally accepted the settlement agreement, subject to public comment.
CPSC Chair & Commissioner Statements:
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
For lifesaving information:
- Visit CPSC.gov.
- Sign up to receive our e-mail alerts.
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC.
- Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
- Call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
- Contact a media specialist.
Release Number: 22-223
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/clawfoot-supply-agrees-pay-6-million-civil-penalty-failure-immediately-report-shower-seats-posing-fall-laceration-hazards/ | 2022-09-15T18:12:09Z |
ST. CLOUD, Fla., July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The start of the school year is quickly approaching and Wild Florida is excited to partner with the Education Foundation of Osceola County to collect school supplies for local students. From August 1 through August 13, Osceola, Orange, Brevard, Polk and Seminole residents who donate new pencils, headphones, highlighters and other needed school supplies will receive free lettuce to feed the giraffes at Wild Florida.
More than 70% of teachers in Osceola County have reported that their students do not have the materials they need to fully participate in the classroom. A student not having adequate supplies can lead to a disinterest in learning and a decrease in academic success. Because of this, each year, the Education Foundation of Osceola County hosts a school supply drive to help raise donations for the materials teachers need for their classrooms.
"Engaging with and investing in our community is crucial to our sustainability," states Sam Haught, "By partnering up with the Education Foundation of Osceola, we're able to support the families in our community to make sure our students have everything they need to excel in school from day one."
If you're planning to donate and wondering what to bring, the most requested items are loose-leaf paper, pencils, earbuds, highlighters and expo markers. For a full list of items students are in need of, please visit the Education Foundation of Osceola County's website at: https://www.foundationosceola.org/
The Education Foundation is the product of a partnership between the Osceola County business community and the Osceola School District. The foundation is a non-profit organization that has a mission to support the efforts of educators and the lives of students in the community. Wild Florida Airboats, Gator Park & Drive-thru Safari, opened on Lake Cypress in 2010, with a focus on educating individuals on Central Florida's natural resources. Florida residents can experience Wild Florida's Drive-thru Safari for $22 per adult and $17 per child. Admission to the Gator Park is included for any guest who purchases an airboat tour, visits the Drive-thru Safari, or experiences an animal encounter. Learn more about Wild Florida's offerings at WildFL.com.
Contact: Sam Haught, Co-owner at Wild Florida
sam@WildFL.com
407-957-3135
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Wild Florida | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/26/wild-florida-offers-free-giraffe-feed-exchange-school-supplies-donations/ | 2022-07-26T17:56:18Z |
Acquisition helps Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands and retailers individually optimize pricing and promotions to deliver savings for customers while maximizing ROI for their businesses
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, today announced it has acquired Eversight, an AI-powered pricing and promotions platform for CPG brands and retailers. Since its founding in 2013, Eversight has brought CPG brands and retailers technologies tailor-made for the grocery industry, enabling brands and retailers to unlock optimal promotions and pricing that propel their business and create more compelling savings opportunities for customers.
Through Eversight's AI-powered, experimentation-based platform, CPG brands and retailers can continuously test customized pricing and promotions directly with their individual customers, at scale. This automates processes that have traditionally been highly manual and time-consuming and lets brands and retailers engage in shopper-centric optimization. With the company's technology for CPG brands, Eversight surfaces real-time, custom insights into the promotions that best resonate with customers and impact their buying decisions. For retail partners, Eversight lets them use their physical and digital storefronts to run ongoing individualized micro price point experiments at-scale.
Bringing together Eversight's deep expertise in pricing and promotions with Instacart's scale, partnerships, and machine learning technology provides an opportunity to transform pricing strategies and promotions for Instacart's partners. CPG brands and retailers will have access to new individualized and customized pricing tools and dynamic insights via Instacart that connect the dots between online and offline behavior to improve sales and growth, along with customers' experiences, no matter how they choose to shop. This creates a flywheel effect in which goods are priced at the sweet spot that drives more sales and growth for CPGs and retailers – all while unlocking even better promotions and pricing for customers.
"Giving everyone access to the food they love is core to Instacart's mission, and when it comes to grocery shopping, we know that every dollar matters. With higher inflation and the average cost of groceries up, we're taking even more steps to make food and daily essentials more affordable," said Fidji Simo, CEO of Instacart. "By combining Eversight's leading pricing and promotions capabilities with Instacart's world-class teams and technology, we're positioned to deliver even more value to our brand and retail partners, while also creating more opportunities for customers to maximize their savings both in-store and online."
"We founded Eversight to help brands and retailers be more agile and consumer-centric with their pricing and promotions decisions. This is particularly critical in today's high inflation environment, with rapidly changing shopping behavior," said David Moran, Co-founder and Chairman of Eversight. "By joining Instacart, this technology can be scaled across online and offline pricing to help make buying groceries more affordable for everyone while also driving more value for CPGs and retailers. We're excited about our future together, as we build towards becoming one of the most strategic, valued technology platforms for our partners."
Eversight's approach can provide nuanced insights that help retailers and CPG brands quickly achieve their objectives, while delivering a meaningful impact for customers. For example, a CPG brand partner was looking to improve an in-store promotion's performance and wanted to make it more effective, but was concerned about the risks that come with trialing new offers in-store. With the help of Eversight, the brand was able to quickly make adjustments to the promotion, resulting in 10% incremental unit sales growth. The CPG replaced more than 100 weeks of the old promotion with the new offer. In another instance, a retail partner wanted to improve their customer pricing perceptions without sacrificing their business performance. In just five weeks of price experimentation, Eversight helped identify new price points that resonated with customers across 30 categories, leading to a 6% margin lift.
"Now more than ever, it's critical that we're delivering the right promotions to the right consumers. Eversight's real-world, real-time insights help us find the price point or promotion that resonates with our consumers and leads to a purchase," said Lynn Hemans, VP Consumer Intelligence & Analytics for The Hershey Company. "The capabilities that Eversight and Instacart can bring to market together have the potential to be a significant improvement in how CPG brands learn, test, and measure campaigns across the grocery industry."
"As a grocer serving 112 communities, we take our responsibility to provide affordable, fresh foods seriously, especially at a time when we know our customers are aiming to stretch their food dollars. Eversight's pricing insights position us to meet our customers' needs while creating value for our business," said Tom Henry, Chief Data Officer & Deputy Chief Information Officer for Schnucks. "We're excited for Eversight to join Instacart, another one of our long-standing, trusted technology partners. We're confident that by combining their efforts, they will enhance their capabilities, which will help us better engage our customers, grow our business, and nourish people's lives."
Eversight's CPG offerings will be part of the Instacart Ads product and technology suite, which provides CPG brand partners with highly-effective, measurable advertising opportunities and insights capabilities. For retailers, Eversight's retail technology will be part of the Instacart Platform, a suite of enterprise-grade solutions that enhance and digitize grocery retail to create an omnichannel experience for customers. Specifically, Eversight will be available to retailers through Carrot Insights, Instacart's data dashboard that tracks key performance and operational metrics for retailers to help optimize operations, provide more connected online and in-store shopping experiences, and make informed business decisions.
In addition to helping retailers and CPG brands independently surface the best pricing and promotions to their customers, Instacart offers a number of products and features designed to ensure grocery delivery and pickup are more affordable and accessible to everyone. This includes providing access to a variety of value and club retailers, fulfillment options like pickup and "No Rush" next-day delivery, payment options including EBT SNAP, as well as easy ways to discover promotions, coupons and discounts from the Instacart App Deals Tab. Instacart also recently introduced new benefits through its Instacart+ membership, including 5% cash back on pickup orders, and the new Instacart Chase card, which provides a 5% statement credit on all Instacart purchases.
Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, works with grocers and retailers to transform how people shop. The company partners with more than 900 national, regional, and local retail brands to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 75,000 stores across more than 13,000 cities in North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Instacart makes it possible for millions of busy people and families to get the groceries they need from the retailers they love, and for more than 600,000 Instacart shoppers to earn by picking, packing and delivering orders for customers on their own flexible schedule. The Instacart Platform offers retailers a suite of enterprise-grade technology products and services to power their e-commerce experiences, fulfill orders, digitize brick-and-mortar stores, provide advertising services, and glean insights. With Instacart Ads, thousands of CPG brands – from category leaders to emerging brands – partner with the company to connect directly with consumers online, right at the point of purchase. For more information, visit www.instacart.com/company, and to start shopping, visit www.instacart.com. For anyone interested in becoming an Instacart shopper, visit https://shoppers.instacart.com/.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Instacart | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/instacart-makes-it-easier-customers-save-groceries-with-acquisition-eversight/ | 2022-09-01T18:41:50Z |
Report details impressive progress across the company's environmental impact,
operational excellence, employees, community and partnerships,
as well as governance and stakeholder engagement
HILLIARD, Ohio, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) (NYSE: WMS), a leading manufacturer of innovative stormwater solutions and the largest plastic recycler in North America, today released its annual sustainability report, detailing progress made in its commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards across its 2022 fiscal year. Sustainability and resiliency are at the core of the ADS business, and FY2022 ESG highlights include: 600 million pounds of plastic recycled, 13% reduction in fuel consumption, $2 million in charitable contributions and a 22% decrease in energy intensity.
"Our commitment to sustainability and resiliency is one of our most important business practices," said Scott Barbour, ADS President and CEO. "As we like to say at ADS, our reason is water. Our goals are to preserve and protect that resource and to continue to grow in a sustainable way while serving the communities in which we do business. Our 10-year goals are at the heart of that work, and I am pleased to share our progress and accomplishments in this year's sustainability report."
ADS, which had approximately $2.8 billion in net sales for FY2022, is committed to developing innovative solutions that protect our Earth's most precious resource, water, while keeping hundreds of millions of pounds of plastic out of landfills each year. With more than 12 billion feet of ADS pipe installed around the world, the company's long history of bringing innovative solutions and industry-leading technologies to market has transformed the stormwater management industry over the years.
ADS Environmental Impact
ADS recognizes climate change to be one of the most critical global challenges facing our environment, local communities and global economies today, and is doing its part by implementing sustainable environmental practices and manufacturing products to protect the world's water. In FY2022 ADS:
- Recycled 600 million pounds of plastic to become North America's largest plastic recycling company
- Prevented the release of 770 million pounds of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions
- Derived nearly 61% of pipe product revenue from re-manufactured products
- Decreased GHG emissions intensity by 31% and reduced energy intensity by 22%
- Reduced fuel consumption 13% and increased fleet miles per gallon by 3%
- Committed to set near-term company-wide emission reductions in line with climate science with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
- Installed StormTech® retention/detention chambers that infiltrate 2.7 billion gallons of stormwater runoff
- Treated 1.3 million gallons of water per minute during storm events with ADS Barracuda water quality units
ADS Employees, Community & Partnerships
ADS is dedicated to its employees, the communities in which its employees live, work and play and forming lasting partnerships with likeminded organizations that will help build a more resilient and sustainable future. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are at the heart of the company's values and play an important part of its success and growth strategy. Fiscal 2022 was a year of successes across all these areas. In FY2022, ADS:
- Donated $2 million to charitable organizations
- Continued its work through the ADS Foundation, that aligns with the company's sustainability priorities, water, recycling and community
- 55% of director-level hires and promotions were diverse candidates
- Developed or expanded DEI communication, educational and training programs
- Established a Board of Directors Sustainability Committee for governance and oversight of ADS sustainability activities
- Expanded partnerships with local and national organizations dedicated to causes that align with ADS's core values, including The Recycling Partnership, The Ohio State University Sustainability Institute, Habitat for Humanity and RAPID5, a central Ohio organization devoted to connecting residents through natural resources
This innovative progress is part of ADS' 10-year goals which are focused on the REASON in our tagline "our reason is water". The 10-year goals, released in January 2022, address areas that are not only most material to ADS business, but also where the business can make the greatest impact and are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
To learn more about ADS' commitment to sustainability, and the FY2022 Sustainability Report, please visit the company's sustainability site at: https://sustainability.ads-pipe.com/.
About the Company
Advanced Drainage Systems is a leading manufacturer of innovative stormwater and onsite septic wastewater solutions that manages the world's most precious resource: water. ADS provides superior drainage solutions for use in a wide variety of markets and applications including commercial, residential, infrastructure and agriculture. ADS delivers tremendous service to its customers with the industry's largest company-owned fleet, an expansive sales team, and a vast manufacturing network of approximately 70 manufacturing plants and 38 distribution centers. ADS is the largest plastic recycling company in North America, ensuring over half a billion pounds of plastic is kept out of landfills every year. Founded in 1966, ADS' water management solutions are designed to last for decades. To learn more, visit the Company's website at www.adspipe.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/advanced-drainage-systems-releases-fiscal-year-2022-sustainability-report/ | 2022-08-01T11:40:54Z |
MISSION, Kan. — A school system in suburban Kansas City is eliminating over 100 jobs, including kindergarten aides and library clerks. Oakland, California, is closing seven schools. Other districts around the country are merging classrooms, selling buildings and leaving teaching positions unfilled in order to close budget gaps.
Public school systems are beginning to feel the pinch from enrollment losses tied to the coronavirus pandemic.
Money for schools is driven partly by student headcounts, and emergency provisions in many states allowed schools to maintain funding at pre-pandemic levels. But like the billions of dollars of federal relief money that have helped schools weather the crisis, those measures were not meant to last forever.
In Olathe, Kansas, where the school system is cutting 140 jobs, Deputy Superintendent John Hutchison said the extra federal money merely put off the inevitable.
Now it is trimming millions of dollars from its budgets because enrollment, having peaked at more than 30,000 students in fall 2019, fell by around 900 in the first full school year of the pandemic. Less than 100 of those students have returned.
“Where did those kids go?” Hutchison asked during a recent public meeting. “Where are they? They didn’t come back this year. That’s what’s laying on that additional reduction in our funding.”
Families opting for homeschooling, private schools and other options sent enrollment down sharply in the first full school year of the pandemic, and generally it has been slow to recover.
In Houston, the largest district in Texas, enrollment tumbled by more than 22,000 to around 183,000 in fall 2021 and only about half of those students have returned. The district was shielded from making cuts in the first two years of the pandemic by what are known as “hold harmless” provisions, but those protections are expected to end. Superintendent Millard House has asked departments to cut $60 million from next year’s budget.
Among other states that took steps to protect school budgets, Delaware provided $9.3 million in one-time funding in the fiscal year that ended in summer 2021 to school districts and charter schools to prevent layoffs over enrollment declines, and North Carolina lawmakers decided to allow schools to use pre-pandemic attendance levels.
More districts will be making cuts in coming years, said Alex Spurrier, an associate partner at Bellwether Education Partners, a think tank. The last of the federal aid must be spent by 2024.
“Once the federal funding dries up, it will put a lot more districts in a lot more difficult position if they’re kind of kicking the can down the road of making the adjustments that they’ll need if they are going to be serving smaller student populations in the years to come,” he said.
Some districts have struggled to explain the need for cuts. Albuquerque Public Schools announced this spring that it anticipates a budget shortfall of about $25 million.
“That might sound crazy,” the district wrote in a blog post, acknowledging the influx of federal aid. But it explained that enrollment declines have accelerated amid the pandemic, with the student population falling to 73,000 from 85,000 in just six years. The district hasn’t released a cost-cutting plan but legislative analysts say it will require layoffs and school closures.
Amid the upheaval, some states have gained students. Florida was among the leaders, according to the data-tracking site Burbio. And some districts’ headcounts benefited from new families, including some who moved to less costly areas as work went virtual.
In California, which announced this month that enrollment had fallen by an additional 110,283 students, Oakland’s planned school closures are leading to protests. The ACLU filed a complaint this month alleging that they disproportionately affect Black students and families.
Further complicating the situation is a tight labor market and demands for teacher and staff raises.
In Minneapolis Public Schools, where a nearly three-week long teacher strike ended with a new contract, the district said it needed to make $27.1 million in budget cuts in the upcoming school year to pay for it. Federal relief money helped cover the $53.5 million price tag for the more lucrative contract for teachers and support staff for the current school year. Since the pandemic began, the district also has lost more than 4,000 students, along with the state funding they generate.
School officials in the city of Lawrence — home to the main University of Kansas campus — are creating multi-grade level elementary classrooms, which will allow the district to get by with fewer teachers. It is part of an effort to close a budget shortfall brought on by declining enrollment and to free up money for raises.
“You can’t cut close to $7 million and not change how you do business,” Lawrence Superintendent Anthony Lewis acknowledged at a meeting this month.
In Iowa, the Des Moines district canceled a conference, sold a building and isn’t replacing some retiring teachers as it cuts $9.4 million in spending for the upcoming school year. The cuts were needed partially because the district’s enrollment has fallen by 1,600 students since the pandemic began.
The district, which is the state’s largest with 31,000 students, anticipates that it will need to make even deeper cuts next year.
“I think it’s fair to say, the federal aid helped offset some of the financial challenges,” said Phil Roeder, a spokesman for the district. “It did help to get us through what’s been a historically bad moment in history. But it was a temporary, stopgap, not a long-term solution for school districts.” | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/article_208f215a-c8d2-11ec-8f6f-4f597c914c80.html | 2022-05-01T06:22:14Z |
Special Report: Crimson and Blue on the Bayou
Published: Apr. 1, 2022 at 10:15 PM CDT|Updated: 2 hours ago
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball tips off Saturday against Villanova in the national semi-final game.
13 Sports recaps the Jayhawks’ journey to the Final Four in this special report.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/04/02/special-report-crimson-blue-bayou/ | 2022-04-02T05:33:44Z |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.