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China's number three leader is expected to meet in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of an economic forum in Vladivostok on Wednesday, in what will be the most senior-level, face-to-face meeting between the two countries since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Li Zhanshu, a member of the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee and the country's top legislator, will meet Putin during the Eastern Economic Forum, Russian state news agency Tass reported.
Li is expected to attend the forum as part of a 10-day overseas tour with stops in Russia, South Korea, Mongolia and Nepal starting Wednesday, Chinese state media reported this week. That trip also makes Li the most senior Chinese official to leave the country since the start of the pandemic, which has seen China close borders and limit in-person diplomacy.
The expected meeting underlines the importance of the Russian relationship for China, even in the face of international blow back against Moscow after its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.
It also comes weeks before a critical five-yearly political meeting in Beijing, where Xi Jinping is expected to break with tradition and assume a third term in power, cementing his role as China's most powerful leader in decades.
Moscow and Beijing have emerged as closer partners in recent years as both face tensions with the West, with Xi and Putin declaring the two countries had a "no limit" partnership weeks before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Beijing has since refused to condemn the aggression, instead repeatedly laying blame for the conflict on NATO and the United States.
The two countries have signaled that their partnership remains strong, with China's Foreign Ministry saying last month that the two sides agreed to "deepen practical cooperation" during a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of a regional gathering in Phnom Penh.
Ahead of his expected visit to Russia, Li made similar comments during a meeting last week with Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Ivanovich Denisov in Beijing. There Li, who is also chairman of China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, stressed the two nations were "headed toward the right direction under the strategic guidance of the two leaders, with firm mutual support and constant political trust," according to Chinese state media.
It's unclear what Putin and Li will discuss during the expected meeting at the forum, which focuses on building investment ties between Russia's eastern region and global investors and where Putin will deliver an address Wednesday.
Their meeting comes on the heels of an announcement from Russian energy giant Gazprom on Tuesday, which said it had signed an agreement to start switching payments for gas supplies to China to yuan and rubles instead of dollars. China's energy imports from Russia have hit record highs for some products this year, as Western countries rolled out sanctions against Moscow and Chinese buyers swept up discounted fuel.
Other forum attendees expected to meet Putin include Chairman of Myanmar's State Administration Council and Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar Defense Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, according to Tass.
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More than 80% of people globally say their employer and their child's school or university should do more to address mental health and wellbeing
HOBOKEN, N.J., June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Great Resignation continues to disrupt the global economy, Pearson, the world's leading learning company, today released new public opinion research showing that people around the world are prioritizing mental health and wellbeing in career and education choices.
Notably, the Pearson Global Learner Survey, a poll of 5,000 people in five countries, found:
- 85% expect their employers to address the mental health and wellbeing of employees, with 32% saying their employers have not taken any action to address employees' mental health and wellbeing.
- Nearly all respondents believe accessible mental health services in school are critical, but there's a disconnect. Globally, 92% of parents think schools should provide free mental health services to students and staff, but only 26% of schools report these resources are available at their child's school.
When it comes to education on how to improve mental health, expectations of schools and universities are high, too.
- 61% of people globally believe children should be introduced to wellness and mental health awareness in primary or middle school.
- And 91% of parents agree schools should play a bigger role in training people to solve today's mental health issues.
"Work and school are the places where we spend the most time, outside our family life. Employees and families are demanding that employers and schools work harder to address the mental health crisis that has been exacerbated over the last two and a half years," said Morgan Champion, school counseling lead, Pearson Virtual Schools. "As Covid becomes endemic and we become accustomed to new ways of working and learning, organizations will need to incorporate wellness and wellbeing into their offerings in strategic and innovative ways to stay competitive and better serve their communities and constituents."
Among other findings of the survey:
With the tightest talent market in recent history, job seekers are prioritizing mental health resources as they reevaluate their current or potential new jobs.
- Around the world, 90% of people think more highly of employers that actively address employee mental health and wellbeing, and 86% say mental health and wellness benefits are an important part of their decision on whether to pursue a new job.
And mental health support is not just a forefront topic in the workplace; it's also important in schools. When making choices about their children's education, mental health services matter to parents.
- More than 90% of parents regard mental health and wellbeing services as important elements when considering higher education institutions for themselves or their children.
- And the same number are more inclined to consider colleges or universities who care about the mental health of their students.
The report also found that nearly 80% of respondents have specific and tangible requests of both corporations and educational institutions to help improve mental health: a set amount of mental health days off from work and school, free mental health services, and access to physical fitness activities and wellness resources, including helpline numbers, research, clinic locations, and online therapy options.
About the Global Learner Survey
This poll was conducted by Morning Consult from April 13 to April 18, 2022, among a total sample of 5,008 respondents between the ages of 16 to 70 years old in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, India, and China. The interviews were conducted online. Results are representative of the online population with a margin of error of plus and minus three percentage points.
Now in its fourth year, Pearson's Global Learner Survey is the leading poll of learners on education issues in the world, offering a deeper understanding of trends in education and providing key data to help further discussions on many important issues.
About Pearson
At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to add life to a lifetime of learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. That's why our c.20,000 Pearson employees are committed to creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are the world's leading learning company, serving customers in nearly 200 countries with digital content, assessments, qualifications, and data. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. Visit us pearsonplc.com.
Contact
Joe Wiggins, Joe.wiggins@pearson.com
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SOURCE Pearson | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/02/majority-people-expect-schools-employers-step-up-mental-health-matters-according-new-global-study-pearson/ | 2022-06-02T11:13:41Z |
New Generation Device, icoone roboderm®
Now Available At Equinox Hotels' Hudson Yards Location
NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Equinox Hotel New York unveils transformative new spa experiences delivering visibly toned skin through optimal lymphatic drainage. The new icoone roboderm® treatments, available for the first time at The Spa by Equinox in partnership with Skin Science Solutions, offer painless and non-invasive facial and body rejuvenation through innovative cellular technologies. At the forefront of luxury spa innovation, The Spa by Equinox has also developed pairings that blend the icoone tech sculpting offerings with Biologique Recherche manual sculpting treatments for optimal regeneration. These bespoke combinations debut today, as well.
"Industry-leading innovation is at the forefront of The Spa at Equinox Hotels. The thoughtful combination of our new technology-forward icoone roboderm® treatments alongside Biologique Recherche manual body treatments provides our guests with a new and specialized way to accelerate their regeneration and recovery," said Ara Patterson, Vice President of Food and Beverage and Spa Innovation at Equinox Hotels. "The Spa currently offers a variety of high-performance treatments spanning from facials and full body treatments to techno-therapies designed to enhance guests' health and performance and icoone roboderm® is the perfect compliment."
The Icoone Roboderm, which delivers non-invasive, customized body sculpting to help shape the silhouette, will be available in two treatment offerings:
Precision Body Sculpt – Achieve optimal outer and inner body excellence. This treatment sculpts the body, firms the skin, reduces the appearance of cellulite, relieves muscle pain, improves blood circulation, and optimizes lymphatic drainage restoring a harmonious body shape. Available in 60- or 90-minute sessions.
Power Lift for Face + Body – This treatment sculpts and contours the body to oxygenate and reinvigorate the face. The icoone stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, smoothing signs of aging, and restoring the elasticity and firmness of the tissues, making you look visibly younger. Available in 60- or 90-minute sessions.
In conjunction with the debut of the Icoone Roboderm® Treatment, The Spa by Equinox Hotels will also offer high-tech and high-touch pairings with Biologique Recherche, a manual treatment revered for its highly effective results for the body and face. Offerings include:
Silhouette Shaper – This stimulating, manual contouring body treatment combines lymphatic drainage, deep anti-cellulite massage and glove sculpting to shape and contour the body. Concentrated active ingredients that stimulate tissues and help break down adipose cells to skin look smooth and toned. The ultimate silhouette shaper. Available in 60- or 90-minute sessions.
Polish + Glow – Regenerate and hydrate your body with a combination of exfoliating active ingredients and massage techniques. This treatment is beneficial for dehydrated skin in need of a deep exfoliation and hydration. A combination of acids and mechanical exfoliation reveals smoother skin texture. The massaging application of hydrating cream replenishes moisture, leaving skin toned and glowing. Available in 60-minute sessions.
Exclusively at The Spa at Equinox Hotels, icoone roboderm® and Biologique Recherche come together through a high-tech and high-touch Accelerated Circuit. This experience is designed to enhance the silhouette in just three weeks. The weekly program includes two precision Body Sculpt icoone roboderm® tech treatments, combined with one Biologique Recherche Silhouette Shaper manual body sculpting treatment. Available in 60-minute sessions; three treatments per week, for three weeks.
"Skin Science Solutions is thrilled to have Equinox Hotels as a partner offering icoone robodermⓇ, treatments for their guests and locals. Equinox Hotels delivers a parallel brand alignment for the couture experience icoone delivers with its triad of lymphatic drainage, skin rejuvenation and silhouette remodeling benefits. The ability to use icoone roboderm® on any guest up to twice daily can transform any silhouette, even over a brief, weekend stay," explains Stan Kapica, President at Skin Science Solutions, the exclusive US distributor of icoone roboderm®.
Through microstimulation, icoone roboderm® technology offers a wide range of customizable and effective treatments for both the face and body. icoone roboderm® promotes skin tissue oxygenation, skin cell regeneration, and boosts the production of collagen and elastin, resulting in smoother, firmer, and more toned skin in only a few sessions.
icoone roboderm® treatments contribute to the production of new collagen and to the maintenance of tissue tone. It is non-invasive and painless, and can be used every day, even on the most delicate and damaged skin. It can also be used to treat sensitive areas, such as eyes, lips, chest, neckline, neck, inner arms, thighs, knees, and ankles.
To book a treatment, or for more information on spa offerings, please call 212-812-9200 or visit the website.
Elevate expectations at Equinox Hotel New York, a luxury lifestyle destination located in Manhattan's new west side, Hudson Yards. Featuring 212 guest rooms, five distinct suite types, a 27,000 square foot spa, a 60,000 square foot Equinox fitness club and an unrivaled address, the Equinox Hotel is an urban oasis that creates the perfect retreat to restore and regenerate. The ideal escape to restore balance both mentally and physically, Equinox Hotels promises an environment where guests can maximize their full potential so that they are at their peak throughout their stay and beyond. Hotel amenities include Electric Lemon, a sleek, expansive dining room and serene al fresco terrace overlooking the Hudson River, the Equinox Club includes an indoor saltwater lap pool, and expansive outdoor lounge pool with a wraparound terrace offering 360 views of Manhattan, a SoulCycle studio, an integrated high-performance spa, and private dining and event spaces. For reservations or more information, please call 212-812-9200, visit the website at equinox-hotels.com or follow us at @equinoxhotels.
Skin Science Solutions is the exclusive North American distributor for i-Tech and Pagani, two Italian manufacturers of non-invasive anti-aging/silhouette remodeling and lymphatic drainage devices. i-Tech is the manufacturer of the patented icoone roboderm. Through microstimulation, icoone technology offers customized and effective treatment of the face and body skin, while simultaneously draining, firming and remodeling the silhouette. The icoone range of products is available in two versions, with and without laser/LED. Skin Science Solutions provides world class training and aesthetic and technical support for its systems.
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SOURCE Skin Science Solutions | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/16/equinox-hotels-partners-with-skin-science-solutions-offer-innovative-premium-lymphatic-drainage-experience/ | 2022-08-16T14:07:42Z |
Honored for the second year in a row for their commitment to excellence and digital innovation.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantum Metric today announced that it has received a Google Cloud Retail 2021 Customer Award. Quantum Metric was recognized for the company's achievements with Google Cloud, demonstrating innovative thinking, technical excellence and transformation.
Building its customer-centric solution on BigQuery, Quantum Metric has been able to enable teams across every industry and business area to transform their digital experiences to better serve their customers. Through the company's ability to scale and differentiate with Google Cloud, Quantum Metric saw tremendous growth in 2021 including a 74% lift in ARR and 98% customer retention rate for Quantum Metric in 2021.
"Expectations for digital experiences change daily and it's critical that brands are able to extract customer needs from the noise, prioritize them into actionable steps, and implement improvements that matter in real-time," said Mario Ciabarra, CEO of Quantum Metric. "Success relies on the right organizational culture and the right technology. This is why we built our services using Google Cloud when we brought Quantum Metric to market, and why we later became a Google Cloud partner. We are honored to be recognized for a second year by Google Cloud and to have the opportunity to continue to grow our partnership in the years to come."
"The Google Cloud Customer Awards are an opportunity to recognize the most innovative, technically advanced, and transformative cloud deployments across industries, from around the globe, built on our platform," said Kirsten Kliphouse, President, Google Cloud Americas, Google Cloud. "I want to congratulate Quantum Metric on achieving this award and serving as an innovator for the industry."
For more information on the Google Cloud Customer Awards visit: cloud.google.com/awards
As the pioneer in Continuous Product Design, Quantum Metric helps organizations put customers at the heart of everything they do. The Quantum Metric platform empowers a customer-centric culture, using quantified empathy to align business and technical teams to effectively prioritize customers needs based on business impact. Today, Quantum Metric captures insights from 20 percent of the world's internet users, supporting nationally recognized brands in ecommerce and retail, travel, financial services and telecommunications. In January of 2021, Quantum Metric secured its place as the first tech unicorn of the year with an above $1 billion valuation and a $200 million Series B funding round. For more information about Quantum Metric, visit quantummetric.com.
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SOURCE Quantum Metric | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/quantum-metric-wins-google-cloud-retail-2021-customer-award/ | 2022-06-16T13:35:39Z |
Season’s 1st hurricane aims heavy hit at Mexico tourist zone
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Agatha, the season’s first, headed for a stretch of tourist beaches and fishing towns on Mexico’s southern Pacific coast Monday amid warnings of dangerous storm surge and flooding from heavy rains.
After forming on Sunday, Agatha quickly gained power, and it was predicted to make landfall as a powerful Category 3 hurricane Monday afternoon or evening, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
It was moving toward the area near Puerto Escondido and Puerto Angel in the southern state of Oaxaca — a region that includes the laid-back tourist resorts of Huatulco, Mazunte and Zipolite.
The hurricane center said Agatha could “bring an extremely dangerous storm surge and life-threatening winds.”
Late Sunday, Agatha had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 kph) — just 1 mph under the threshold for a Category 3, the hurricane center said. The storm’s center was about 140 miles (225 kilometers) southwest of Puerto Angel and heading to the northeast at 6 mph (9 kph).
A hurricane warning was in effect between the port of Salina Cruz and the Lagunas de Chacahua.
The civil defense office in Oaxaca said the hurricane’s outer bands were already hitting the coast Sunday. The office published photos of fishermen hauling their boats up on beaches to protect them from the storm.
Municipal authorities in Huatulco ordered “the absolute closure” of all the resort’s beaches and its famous “seven bays,” many of which are reachable only by boat. They also closed local schools and began setting up emergency storm shelters.
To the east in Zipolite, long known for its clothing-optional beach and bohemian vibe, personnel at the small Casa Kalmar hotel gathered up outdoor furniture and put up wooden storm shutters to prevent strong winds from blowing out glass windows and doors.
“The biggest worry here is the wind,” hotel manager Silvia Ranfagni said.
With only one guest — and plenty of cancellations due to the hurricane — Ranfagni planned to ride out Agatha at the property, which is three or four blocks from the beach.
“I’m going to shut myself in here with my animals,” she said, referring to her dog and cats.
The government’s Mexican Turtle Center — a former slaughterhouse turned conservation center in Mazunte — announced it was closed to visitors until further notice because of the hurricane.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm was expected to drop 10 to 16 inches (250 to 400 millimeters) of rain on parts of Oaxaca, with isolated maximums of 20 inches (500 millimeters), posing the threat of flash floods and mudslides. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national/2022/05/29/seasons-1st-hurricane-aims-heavy-hit-at-mexico-tourist-zone/ | 2022-05-30T05:28:45Z |
SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif., Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading national fire litigation firm Singleton Schreiber filed a lawsuit against PacifiCorp alleging the utility company is responsible for the McKinney Fire, which was ignited by its poorly maintained utility infrastructure.
The suit claims PacifiCorp is responsible for the deaths of the plaintiffs' loved ones, property damage (including cherished possessions), serious out-of-pocket expenses for those impacted by the fires, evacuation expenses, medical bills, loss of business income, and much more. All of this as the result of the utility's negligence.
The complaint was filed on behalf of hundreds of individuals who owned property and/or lived in and near Siskiyou County, California. Their homes, businesses, and, in some cases, lives were destroyed when the 60,000+ acre fire tore through the area and resulted in four deaths.
"To date, four people have lost their lives in a fire that was entirely avoidable," said Gerald Singleton, Managing Partner of Singleton Schreiber. "Every fire season, California is overrun by deaths, injuries, financial disasters, charred homes and ruined lives as a result of utilities such as PacifiCorp putting profits over safety. This is the second time in the last two years that PacifiCorp has started a fire that killed citizens of Siskiyou County."
According to the complaint, PacifiCorp, caused utility infrastructure contact creating sparks that ignited dry vegetation and debris. Severe thunderstorms slowed the fire's growth due to heavy rain but brought upon mudslides and triggered floods in parts of the burn scar. As it was PacifiCorp's responsibility to manage these utility lines, easements and other right of way issues, PacifiCorp is accused of completely failing in its obligation to maintain its equipment.
The resulting disaster caused damage to more than 100 homes, 11 buildings and has destroyed 185 structures catastrophically impacting the local community. The financial impact has not yet been reported but will likely be significant due to the scope of the blaze.
"The people who lived in the area in and around the McKinney Fire had their lives changed forever, PacifiCorp owes it to them to make this right," said attorney Christopher R. Rodriguez. "This lawsuit cannot bring back loved ones, but it can hold this utility accountable for its own failure to meet basic safety standards."
This case is Beverly U. Bridges v. PacifiCorp, Sacramento Superior Court.
With more than 100 employees and offices throughout the western United States, Gerald Singleton and his team have represented more than 12,000 victims of utility fires and has recovered approximately $2 billion in settlements and verdicts for its clients. The firm currently represents thousands of victims of the numerous fires in New Mexico, California, and Oregon. For more information, please visit https://singletonschreiber.com/california-fire-damage-attorneys/.
CONTACT: Joe Marchelewski, jmarchelewski@gmail.com
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SOURCE Singleton Schreiber | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/16/singleton-schreiber-lawsuit-filed-against-pacificorp-alleging-utility-company-responsible-mckinney-fire/ | 2022-08-16T23:58:36Z |
PITTSBURGH, May 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a protective mask with a tight seal around the mouth and nose to protect against airborne particulates or droplets," said an inventor, from Buena Park, Calif., "so I invented the STABLE MASK. My design would prevent gaps around the edge of the mask."
The invention provides an effective way to wear and keep a face mask in place. In doing so, it offers an alternative to traditional masks with ear loops. As a result, it prevents the mask from shifting or falling and it provides added protection and peace of mind. The invention features a simple and secure design that is easy to use so it is ideal for the general population. Additionally, it is producible in design variations.
The original design was submitted to the Orange County sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-OCC-1609, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/27/inventhelp-inventor-develops-effective-way-secure-face-mask-occ-1609/ | 2022-05-27T20:02:23Z |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — California recently approved a new law that will require all new cars sold in the state to have zero emissions.
Now, the states that follow California’s standards must decide if they too will implement that rule.
The move to make all new vehicles electric or hydrogen-powered in California will begin in 2035.
“California has been the state that’s been leading the charge on fighting climate change and for good reason because they’re facing a lot of the brunt of climate change,” said Trevor Higgins from the Center for American Progress.
Seventeen other states that follow California’s standards will have to decide whether to follow the standard or revert to federal emission rules.
“Some states have said we’ll adopt everything that California does, including Virginia,” Higgins said.
Virginia made their decision to follow California’s lead before Republican Governor Glenn Younkin took office, and Younkin vowed to fight the zero emissions rule.
Robert Glicksman, an environmental law professor at George Washington University, says for some states, opting out will be tough.
“It would take adoption by the state legislature and approval by the governor to opt-out,” he said.
Experts say federal emissions rules may eventually catch up to California’s laws, but it’s unlikely to happen by 2035.
Instead, the Biden administration is offering incentives to car manufacturers and consumers. Higgins says the incentives should cause a natural shift to electric vehicles.
“They’re fun to drive, they are affordable, they help the grid to be more resilient, they let you charge your own house if the grid will be able to fail,” he said. | https://cw33.com/news/washington-dc-bureau/will-other-states-implement-californias-electric-vehicle-rules/ | 2022-09-14T03:51:09Z |
DUBAI, UAE, July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global digital asset trading platform, XT.com, is thrilled to announce that it will list Land of Fantasy (LOF) Token with USDT trading pair in its Main Zone (Metaverse) on July 1, 2022, at 7: 00 (UTC).
The LOF token, also known as the LOF LAND TOKEN, is a utility token. LOF is used as the primary financial instrument to facilitate all transactions within the Land of Fantasy Token (LOF) ecosystem of crypto services. Moreover, the token can be traded. Being a tradable digital asset, the token can be used for goods and services.
Both LOF Token and XT.com global users are encouraged to start depositing their crypto holdings on June 30, 2022, at 7:00 (UTC) in preparation for trading. Above all, XT.com pledges to open LOF/USDT withdrawal for everyone on July 2, 2022, at 7:00 (UTC). This is one-of-a-kind innovation and the first time that the LOF token is being listed on XT.com.
When the listing goes live, users will be able to trade LOF/USDT at any time with unique anonymity and industry-level security and enjoy a cutting-edge experience on XT.com. The Land of Fantasy Token listing is also important for XT.com's ongoing token listing expansion in 2022, and beyond.
Mo Mukarram, Head of Marketing at XT.com, explained, "2022 is a year of token listing innovation for XT.com as we onboard the utility token, LOF, on our platform. Users can now seamlessly trade LOF/USDT on XT."
About Land of Fantasy Token (LOF)
LOF of LAND is a utility token within the Land of Fantasy ecosystem. The token has set up a system to create an Ecosystem that is as strong and complete as possible in order to be able to use it comprehensively. LOF LAND TOKEN is used as a medium for products and services in the Digital Creator and Entertainment group that started with the concept of reaching the most people from the popularity of tourism.
About XT.com
Established in 2018, XT.COM is the world's first social infused digital assets trading platform, headquartered in Dubai. It has multiple operation centers across the globe including Singapore and Seoul. With 3+ million registered users, over 300,000+ monthly active users, and 30+ million users in the ecosystem, XT.COM strives to cater to its large user base by providing a safe and easy trading experience. The platform currently supports 500+ high-quality currencies and 800+ trading pairs which are accessible to the entire global crypto market.
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SOURCE XT.com | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/01/users-can-trade-land-fantasy-lof-token-profitably-xtcom/ | 2022-07-01T08:45:33Z |
SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sera Prognostics Inc., The Pregnancy Company® (Nasdaq: SERA), focused on improving maternal and neonatal health by providing innovative pregnancy biomarker information to doctors and patients, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.
Recent Highlights:
- Executed on Sera's strategy of pursuing healthcare systems where administrative and clinical leadership are aligned on incorporating PreTRM testing efficiently as an add-on to comprehensive services provided to pregnant women.
- Contracted with several new self-insured employer plans to incorporate PreTRM testing as an advanced pregnancy benefit.
- Demonstrated improved performance of the PreTRM test over an expanded time window for collecting blood, now from 18-20 weeks, allowing physicians to more easily schedule patients for preterm risk evaluation.
- Showed a sensitivity of nearly 90% for spontaneous preterm delivery risk prediction and a very high negative predictive value of 99% in a patient whose PreTRM test is interpreted to be "Lower Risk".
- Streamlined operations to meet our commercial plans, expand adoption of the PreTRM® Test and enable the Company to extend its operations into 2026 without the need for additional financing.
"We see a sizeable opportunity to increase awareness of our PreTRM® Test and build adoption within a variety of health systems," said Gregory C. Critchfield, MD, MS, Chairman and CEO of Sera Prognostics. "As example of many such systems, we are making demonstrable progress in contracting with self-insured employers who become adopters because they see the immediate value in managing escalating healthcare costs and offering important benefits to attract and retain talented employees. We anticipate additional clinical and health economic publications that further illustrate the clinical utility and benefit of PreTRM® technology, supporting the achievement of our vision to improve the well-being of mothers and newborns and decreasing healthcare costs."
Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results
Second quarter 2022 revenue of $78,000 compared to $20,000 for the same period of 2021.
Total operating expenses were $11.8 million, up from $7.4 million for the second quarter of 2021.
Research and development expenses for the second quarter of 2022 were $3.3 million compared to $2.8 million for the second quarter of 2021 due primarily to increased laboratory operations and clinical study costs.
Selling, general and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2022 were $8.5 million, up from $4.6 million for the year-ago period due primarily to increased headcount as the company has scaled its commercial operations and general corporate infrastructure, as well as increased costs related to operating as a public company since our initial public offering in July 2021. Selling and marketing expenses decreased in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the first quarter of 2022 as we took steps to streamline our sales force and focus our commercial strategy in response to market dynamics.
Net loss for the second quarter of 2022 was $11.5 million compared to $6.3 million for the same quarter a year ago.
As of June 30, 2022, the Company had cash, cash equivalents, and available-for-sale securities of approximately $121 million.
Conference Call Information
Sera Prognostics will host a corresponding conference call and live webcast today to discuss second quarter 2022 operational highlights, financial results and key topics at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Individuals interested in listening to the conference call may do so by dialing the following:
US domestic callers: (866) 218-2405
International callers: (412) 902-6607
Webcast Registration Link: https://app.webinar.net/JMrRmxrD9Qj
Live audio of the webcast will be available online from the Investors page of the Company's website at www.seraprognostics.com. The webcast will be archived on the Investors page and will be available for one year.
About Sera Prognostics, Inc.
Sera Prognostics is a leading health diagnostics company dedicated to improving the lives of women and babies through precision pregnancy care. Sera's mission is to deliver early, pivotal information in pregnancy to physicians, enabling them to improve the health of their patients, resulting in reductions in the costs of healthcare delivery. Sera has a robust pipeline of innovative diagnostic tests focused on the early prediction of preterm birth risk and other complications of pregnancy. Sera's precision medicine PreTRM® Test reports to a physician the individualized risk of spontaneous premature delivery in a pregnancy, enabling earlier proactive interventions in women with higher risk. Sera Prognostics is located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
About Preterm Birth
Preterm birth is defined as any birth before 37 weeks' gestation and is the leading cause of illness and death in newborns. The 2021 March of Dimes Report Card shows that more than one in ten infants is born prematurely. Prematurity is associated with a significantly increased risk of major long-term medical complications, including learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, chronic respiratory illness, intellectual disability, seizures, and vision and hearing loss, and can generate significant costs throughout the lives of affected children. The annual health care costs to manage short- and long-term complications of prematurity in the United States were estimated to be approximately $25 billion for 2016.
About the PreTRM® Test
The PreTRM® test is the only broadly validated, commercially available blood-based biomarker test that provides an early, accurate and individualized risk prediction for spontaneous preterm birth in asymptomatic singleton pregnancies. The PreTRM® test measures and analyzes proteins in the blood that are highly predictive of preterm birth. The PreTRM® test permits physicians to identify, during the 19th or 20th week of pregnancy, which women are at increased risk for preterm birth, enabling more informed, personalized clinical decisions based on each woman's individual risk. The PreTRM® test is ordered by a medical professional.
Sera Prognostics, the Sera Prognostics logo, The Pregnancy Company, and PreTRM are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sera Prognostics, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to healthcare systems aligning on incorporating PreTRM testing as an add-on to comprehensive services provided to pregnant women; expanded adoption of the PreTRM® Test; the Company extending its operations into 2026 without the need for additional financing; demonstrable progress in contracting with self-insured employers; additional clinical and health economic publications that further illustrate the clinical utility and benefit of PreTRM® technology; the Company's strategy, future operations, prospects, plans, objectives of management; the Company's planned conference call and live webcast to discuss the quarter's operational highlights, financial results and key topics; availability of audio of the webcast online from the Investors page of the Company's website; and the company's strategic directives under the caption "About Sera Prognostics, Inc." These "forward-looking statements" are based on management's current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: net losses, cash generation, and the potential need to raise more capital; revenues from the PreTRM test representing substantially all Company revenues to date; the need for broad scientific and market acceptance of the PreTRM test; a concentrated number of material customers; our ability to introduce new products; potential competition; our proprietary biobank; critical suppliers; the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our operations, as well as the business or operations of third parties with whom we conduct business; estimates of total addressable market opportunity and forecasts of market growth; potential third-party payer coverage and reimbursement; new reimbursement methodologies applicable to the PreTRM test, including new CPT codes and payment rates for those codes; changes in FDA regulation of laboratory-developed tests; the intellectual property rights protecting our tests and market position; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Annual Reports on Form 10-K, or Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC from time to time. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and the Company undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.
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LONDON, June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, CleanCloud announces the launch of its new 'CleanCloud Payroll' product powered by the knowledge and expertise of a leading payroll service provider in the United States, Gusto.
This feature allows Laundromats and Dry Cleaners to run Payroll quickly and easily from CleanCloud. All relevant data including staff hours are pre-filled, allowing a business to complete a fully compliant Payroll with just a few clicks. Further, it will automate payment to employee bank accounts, and create all required tax forms and pay stubs.
By partnering with Gusto, businesses that use CleanCloud Payroll can be sure that they have access to the best in class functionality, regulatory compliance and reliability for managing their payroll.
Providing a fully embedded payroll solution eliminates the need to run and manage many different software solutions, reducing the chance of error and costly mistakes. With the addition of payroll functionality, CleanCloud's platform now provides Laundromats and Dry Cleaners with everything they need to run a successful business in one place.
"CleanCloud's thousands of customers will have the best of both worlds," said David Griffith-Jones, Co-Founder and CTO of CleanCloud. "We're combining our award-winning POS, pickup and delivery, and business management solution with Gusto's best in class payroll, expertise and knowledge all in one single, easy-to-use platform."
CleanCloud's customers will benefit from embedded functions traditionally requiring additional access to a payroll provider's portal:
- Automatically syncing employee hours directly to CleanCloud Payroll
- Paying employees directly from the CleanCloud platform with a few clicks
- Customers can configure their own payroll and employee information
- Automatic Tax calculations and filings, powered by Gusto
- Running detailed reports that give customers insights to better manage their business
U.S. Support: CleanCloud also provides direct support for payroll clients providing 24/7 US-based industry-specific support.
"By adding payroll to their established, turn-key solution for laundry businesses, CleanCloud will save customers time and effort when it comes to running payroll," said Somrat Niyogi, General Manager & Head of Business for Gusto Embedded "Bringing payroll into CleanCloud puts the tools needed for success at customers' fingertips. We're excited to partner with CleanCloud."
About CleanCloud
CleanClouds is the world's leading POS & business management software specialized for Laundromats and drycleaners founded in 2014 and servicing SMB and Enterprise businesses in more than 90 countries. CleanCloud provides employees with a modern, easy-to-use platform to manage every aspect of their laundry business, providing a turn-key 'business-in-a-box' solution for a low monthly fee with no long-term contracts. For more information, visit https://.cleancloudapp.com
About Gusto
Gusto is a modern, online people platform that helps businesses take care of their teams. In addition to full-service payroll, Gusto offers health insurance, 401(k)s, expert HR, employee self-onboarding, and team management tools. The company serves over 200,000 businesses in the United States and has offices in Denver, New York City, and San Francisco.
Logo- https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1844294/CleanCloud_Logo.jpg
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SOURCE CleanCloud | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/cleancloud-launches-payroll-first-industry/ | 2022-06-21T15:25:01Z |
NEW YORK, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of IonQ, Inc..
Shareholders who purchased shares of IONQ 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:
https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/ionq-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=29282&from=4
CLASS PERIOD: March 30, 2021 to May 2, 2022
ALLEGATIONS: The complaint alleges that during the class period, Defendants issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) IonQ had not yet developed a 32-qubit quantum computer; (2) the Company's 11-qubit quantum computer suffered from significant error rates, rendering it useless; (3) IonQ's quantum the computer is not sufficiently reliable, so it is not accessible despite being available through major cloud providers; (4) a significant portion of IonQ's revenue was derived from improper roundtripping transactions with related parties; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were the materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.
DEADLINE: August 1, 2022 Shareholders should not delay in registering for this class action. Register your information here: https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/ionq-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=29282&from=4
NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of IONQ 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 August 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
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SOURCE The Gross Law Firm | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-ionq-inc-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-august-1-2022-nyse-ionq/ | 2022-06-29T17:20:00Z |
5 ways to stay focused while learning online
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5 ways to stay focused while learning online
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many K-12 and college students alike have had to adjust to learning online. However, formal education doesn’t have a monopoly on virtual learning. There are many courses available for adults looking to expand their knowledge on subjects as varied as project management, statistics, climate resilience, and psychological first aid.
Some online courses provide professional certifications that can be helpful in the job market, especially in technical fields. Others pursue online classes in creative writing, the arts, or other subjects for the sheer joy of learning. Online learning can help people build new skills, support career growth, and introduce learners to new fields they may want to explore professionally from the comfort of their laptops.
While there are certainly benefits to online learning—like being able to take a course from anywhere in the world and learn from teachers in a different city or country—remote learning is not without its challenges. Online learning requires self-discipline to avoid the countless distractions on the internet and planned screen breaks to disconnect.
Tovuti compiled a list of five tips that both full-time and more casual students can implement into their daily routines to stay focused while learning online. Some tips apply to in-person learning as well, while others tackle the idiosyncrasies of a virtual-learning environment.
Read on to learn some helpful online learning tips to boost your productivity.
fizkes // Shutterstock
Develop a note-taking system that fits your learning style
Research suggests handwritten notes are actually better for learning and retaining information than typing notes. Some students even benefit from using a variety of colored pens or highlighters to visually break up the material. Another note-taking style that may appeal to the doodler or visual learner is to make drawings or diagrams to show relationships between concepts. If handwritten notes are not in your workflow, note-taking software such as Microsoft OneNote or Notion can help learners organize the material and even help them study. Virtual flashcards like Quizlet and Brainscape can also be useful for both revising notes and studying on the go.
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
Take care of your body—meditate, exercise, eat well, and get good sleep
It makes sense that a healthy body makes for a more alert mind that’s ready to learn. Unfortunately, in our fast-paced world, students often skip out on healthy eating and sleep hygiene. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults get seven or more hours of sleep per night. To get the most restful sleep, it’s best to put away electronics at least a half-hour before bed. Getting regular exercise is also important as it enhances memory and thinking skills. Something else to consider is mindfulness meditation, which improves cognition while reducing stress and even improves self-regulation over time.
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Set up a dedicated, distraction-free study environment
When taking online classes, it can be tempting to work from the couch with Netflix in the background or even from bed. However, creating a distraction-free space that’s used exclusively for studying helps your mind switch to “study mode.” By putting your other devices away, turning off the TV, and eliminating distracting background music, it’s possible to retain more information in less time. Other distractions like hunger, thirst, or tiredness can be avoided by ensuring your body’s needs are taken care of. Make sure your space has enough light, but avoid the distracting glare of sunshine through a bright window.
Pra Chid // Shutterstock
Create your own schedule for asynchronous courses
Some online courses have synchronous sessions where students meet virtually at a set time for a lecture, workshop, or discussion. Most online courses also have an asynchronous component where the learner can complete the coursework, reply to discussion threads, and submit assignments on their own schedule. It can be tempting to procrastinate, but creating a schedule can help prevent workloads from piling up and becoming overwhelming. Time management skills are correlated with lower levels of anxiety and better grades. Consistent scheduling also helps online learners stick to a routine and manage all areas of their lives.
fizkes // Shutterstock
Find opportunities to actively participate
Online classes make it easy to be anonymous and get by without much participation. However, students often learn more and find classes more enjoyable when they actively participate. Connecting with classmates can further learning and even forge networking opportunities down the road. Participating in discussions, asking questions, and actively listening to your teacher and other students will help you connect concepts to one another and understand the material more deeply. This sort of active participation in your online classes can also pay off down the line when you begin requesting letters of recommendation or professional references for a job.
This story originally appeared on Tovuti
and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. | https://localnews8.com/news/education/2022/04/06/5-ways-to-stay-focused-while-learning-online/ | 2022-04-06T18:07:13Z |
Published: Apr. 26, 2022 at 5:30 AM CDT|Updated: 34 minutes ago
Reports another record quarterly earnings performance
Announces a quarterly dividend of $135.3 million, or $8.11 per share
ST. LOUIS, April 26, 2022/PRNewswire/ -- Arch Resources, Inc. (NYSE: ARCH) today reported net income of $271.9 million, or $12.89 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2022, compared with a net loss of $6.0 million, or $0.40 per diluted share, in the prior-year period. Arch had adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, depletion, amortization, accretion on asset retirement obligations (ARO), and non-operating expenses ("adjusted EBITDA") 1 of $321.0 million in the first quarter of 2022, which included a $15.5 million non-cash mark-to-market loss associated with its coal-hedging activities. This compares to $30.9 million of adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter of 2021, which included a $0.5 million non-cash mark-to-market loss associated with its coal-hedging activities. Revenues totaled $867.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, versus $357.5 million in the prior-year quarter.
In the first quarter of 2022, Arch made significant progress on numerous strategic priorities and objectives:
Delivered record quarterly net income for the second straight quarter;
Achieved a record gross margin in its core metallurgical segment despite substantially lower than ratable shipment levels stemming from rail service disruptions;
Repaid $281.7 million of indebtedness, restoring the balance sheet to a net debt neutral position;
Reached $100 million, or nearly 80 percent of the targeted balance for its thermal mine reclamation fund, consistent with achieving fully funded status by Q3 2022; and
Announced a second quarter dividend of $135.3 million, or $8.11 per share, in connection with the recent relaunch of its capital return program.
"The Arch team executed at a high level during the first quarter, delivering record earnings despite significant rail-related challenges that constrained both coking and thermal coal shipments," said Paul A. Lang, Arch's CEO and president. "Based on this strong first quarter performance, and in accordance with our new capital return formula, the board has declared a quarterly dividend of $135.3 million, or $8.11 per share, equivalent to 50 percent of Arch's first quarter discretionary cash flow. We view this substantial dividend – the first under our relaunched capital return program – as powerful evidence of Arch's extraordinary cash-generating potential, which in turn sets the stage for further significant payments in coming quarters."
As previously announced, Arch plans to maintain at least $300 million of cash and cash equivalents on its balance sheet, which it believes is prudent given the cyclical nature of coking coal markets. Because of the steps Arch has taken year-to-date in 2022 to reduce debt and build out its thermal mine reclamation fund, a portion of the cash generated in the first quarter will be preserved on the balance sheet to maintain targeted liquidity levels. The board continues to evaluate the optimal use of the discretionary cash remaining after the quarterly dividend payment.
"The board views our robust, multi-faceted capital return program as an appropriate way to reward stockholders for their steadfast support as we executed our strategic pivot towards steel and metallurgical markets and as we completed the buildout of Leer South," Lang said. "We view the new capital return model as balanced, durable and well-aligned with stockholder interests and preferences, and expect our capital return program to drive significant value for our stockholders going forward."
Capital Allocation Model
In February 2022, Arch announced a new capital allocation model that includes the return to stockholders of 50 percent of the prior quarter's discretionary cash flow – defined as cash flow from operations minus capital expenditures and contributions to the thermal mine reclamation fund – via a variable quarterly cash dividend in conjunction with a fixed quarterly cash dividend.
Arch intends to retain the remaining 50 percent of the prior quarter's discretionary cash flow for use in share buybacks, the repurchase of potentially dilutive securities, special dividends, and/or capital preservation.
The second quarter dividend payment of $8.11 per share – which includes a fixed component of $0.25 per share and a variable component of $7.86 per share – is payable on June 15, 2022 to stockholders of record on May 31, 2022.
Arch has $222.6 million of authorization remaining under its existing share repurchase program.
Financial and Liquidity Update
Arch ended the first quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $318.7 million and total liquidity of $386.0 million.
During the quarter, Arch repaid $281.7 million of its outstanding indebtedness. With these repayments, Arch ended the quarter with just $322.8 million of debt and a near-equivalent amount of cash and cash equivalents.
"Our fortified and conservative balance sheet provides a strong financial foundation for our capital return program, while ensuring that we have the financial flexibility to manage through future market downturns," said Matthew C. Giljum, Arch's chief financial officer.
Strategic Plan for Legacy Thermal Assets
During the first quarter, Arch continued to deliver on its dual objectives of driving forward with an accelerated reclamation plan at its legacy thermal operations, while simultaneously harvesting cash from these assets. During the quarter, the legacy thermal segment delivered $100.5 million in segment-level adjusted EBITDA while expending just $4.0 million in capital. Over the past 22 quarters, Arch's thermal operations have contributed more than $1 billion in segment-level adjusted EBITDA, while expending just $114.0 million in capital.
Since the beginning of 2021, Arch has reduced the asset retirement obligation at its Powder River Basin operations by $39.4 million, or more than 20 percent – from $189.8 million at year-end 2020 to $150.4 million at March 31, 2022. Additionally, Arch has created and implemented a thermal mine reclamation fund that it is using to pre-fund and defease the long-term mine closure and reclamation obligations of its Powder River Basin operations. Arch contributed $20 million to this fund in the fourth quarter of 2021, another $20 million in the first quarter of 2022, and an incremental $60 million in April 2022, bringing the current balance of the fund to $100 million. The company is targeting a funding level of $130 million, in line with the asset retirement obligation at the Black Thunder mine, by July 2022.
"We are capitalizing on this period of historically strong thermal coal prices by pre-funding the long-term closure obligations of our legacy Powder River Basin operations," Giljum said. "In doing so, we are setting the stage for strong, continued cash generation from these assets even as we move forward with winding them down in a careful and responsible manner."
Operational Update
"During the first quarter, our core metallurgical segment executed effectively and well despite rail-related volume constraints, inflationary pressures and higher sales-sensitive costs," said John T. Drexler, Arch's chief operating officer. "As a result, we were able to capitalize on historically strong coking coal pricing and deliver a record gross margin."
During the first quarter, the metallurgical segment's realized price increased by nearly 30 percent on a sequential basis, reflecting continuing strength in global metallurgical coal markets. That increase – coupled with solid cost management – drove a nearly 50 percent improvement in cash margin per ton. During the quarter, the metallurgical segment only received around 60 percent of the trains it needed to move its coking coal output to market. As a result, Arch ended the quarter with nearly 1 million tons of coking coal in mine and port stockpiles. During the second quarter, Arch expects metallurgical sales volumes to increase by 50 percent on a sequential basis even with the ongoing rail challenges, and anticipates further improvements in shipment levels in the second half of 2022. "While rail service is improving, it remains well below the levels needed to support the full productive capacity of our mining operations," Drexler said. "That is particularly unfortunate given the urgent, global need for both natural resources and energy products as a result of the significant and ongoing trade flow disruptions."
The average sales realization for the thermal segment increased more than 20 percent sequentially, driving a greater than 50 percent increase in average cash margin per ton.
Market Update
Global metallurgical markets remain exceptionally well-supported at present, with Arch's primary product, High-Vol A coking coal, currently being assessed at $470 per metric ton on the U.S. East Coast. Global steel markets have proven relatively resilient as well, with steel prices in both Europe and North America trading at elevated levels and the outlook in Asia buttressed by the resumption of integrated steel capacity additions.
Arch views global supply constraints as a significant driver in buoyant coking coal markets. Even after a sustained period of high pricing, global coking coal supply continues to lag due to a combination of operational and logistical challenges along with years of under-investment. Similarly, the pipeline of new coking coal projects remains depressed. In addition, there continues to be significant uncertainty surrounding Russian metallurgical coal exports, which constitute roughly 15 percent of the seaborne market.
Strong thermal coal demand and pricing is also acting to support global coking coal markets. Thermal coal is currently trading at per-ton prices of $300 or more in both the Pacific and Atlantic basins, which is spurring the crossover of lower-quality coking coals into thermal markets.
Looking Ahead
"Even with persistent rail challenges, Arch is exceptionally well-positioned to capitalize on constructive global coking coal market dynamics as the year progresses," Lang said. "We anticipate a significant increase in our financial results in the second quarter given the highly favorable pricing environment along with the anticipated step-up in coking coal volumes, and we also expect continuing strength in the year's second half as shipment levels normalize and as we have the opportunity to monetize our high coking coal inventories. These improvements should serve to further support the value to stockholders of our new capital allocation model."
"With our world-class metallurgical asset base, premium High-Vol A product slate, industry-leading ESG performance, and top-tier marketing and logistics expertise, we expect to generate substantial, long-term value for our stockholders through our new capital return program, while continuing to position the company to benefit from sustained global economic development and the world's ongoing transition to a low-carbon economy."
Note: The company is unable to present a quantitative reconciliation of its forward-looking non-GAAP Segment cash cost per ton sold financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures without unreasonable efforts due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting and quantifying with reasonable accuracy significant items required for the reconciliation. The most directly comparable GAAP measure, GAAP cost of sales, is not accessible without unreasonable efforts on a forward-looking basis. The reconciling items include transportation costs, which are a component of GAAP cost of sales. Management is unable to predict without unreasonable efforts transportation costs due to uncertainty as to the end market and FOB point for uncommitted sales volumes and the final shipping point for export shipments. In addition, the impact of hedging activity related to commodity purchases that do not receive hedge accounting and idle and administrative costs that are not included in a reportable segment are additional reconciling items for Segment cash cost per ton sold. Management is unable to predict without unreasonable efforts the impact of hedging activity related to commodity purchases that do not receive hedge accounting due to fluctuations in commodity prices, which are difficult to forecast due to their inherent volatility. These amounts have historically varied and may continue to vary significantly from quarter to quarter and material changes to these items could have a significant effect on our future GAAP results. Idle and administrative costs that are not included in a reportable segment are expected to be between $10 million and $20 million in 2022.
Arch Resources is a premier producer of high-quality metallurgical products for the global steel industry. The company operates large, modern and highly efficient mines that consistently set the industry standard for both mine safety and environmental stewardship. Arch Resources from time to time utilizes its website – www.archrsc.com – as a channel of distribution for material company information. To learn more about us and our premium metallurgical products, go to www.archrsc.com.
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—that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "should," "could," "appears," "estimates," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "may," "plans," "predicts," "projects," "believes," "seeks," or "will." Actual results may vary significantly from those anticipated due to many factors, including: impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; changes in coal prices, which may be caused by numerous factors beyond our control, including changes in the domestic and foreign supply of and demand for coal and the domestic and foreign demand for steel and electricity; volatile economic and market conditions; operating risks beyond our control, including risks related to mining conditions, mining, processing and plant equipment failures or maintenance problems, weather and natural disasters, the unavailability of raw materials, equipment or other critical supplies, mining accidents, and other inherent risks of coal mining that are beyond our control; loss of availability, reliability and cost-effectiveness of transportation facilities and fluctuations in transportation costs; inflationary pressures and availability and price of mining and other industrial supplies; the effects of foreign and domestic trade policies, actions or disputes on the level of trade among the countries and regions in which we operate, the competitiveness of our exports, or our ability to export; competition, both within our industry and with producers of competing energy sources, including the effects from any current or future legislation or regulations designed to support, promote or mandate renewable energy sources; alternative steel production technologies that may reduce demand for our coal; the loss of key personnel or the failure to attract additional qualified personnel and the availability of skilled employees and other workforce factors; our ability to secure new coal supply arrangements or to renew existing coal supply arrangements; the loss of, or significant reduction in, purchases by our largest customers; disruptions in the supply of coal from third parties; risks related to our international growth; our relationships with, and other conditions affecting, our customers and our ability to collect payments from our customers; the availability and cost of surety bonds, including potential collateral requirements; additional demands for credit support by third parties and decisions by banks, surety bond providers, or other counterparties to reduce or eliminate their exposure to the coal industry; inaccuracies in our estimates of our coal reserves; defects in title or the loss of a leasehold interest; losses as a result of certain marketing and asset optimization strategies; cyber-attacks or other security breaches that disrupt our operations, or that result in the unauthorized release of proprietary, confidential or personally identifiable information; our ability to acquire or develop coal reserves in an economically feasible manner; our ability to comply with the restrictions imposed by our Term Loan Debt Facility and other financing arrangements; our ability to service our outstanding indebtedness and raise funds necessary to repurchase Convertible Notes for cash following a fundamental change or to pay any cash amounts due upon conversion; existing and future legislation and regulations affecting both our coal mining operations and our customers' coal usage; governmental policies and taxes, including those aimed at reducing emissions of elements such as mercury, sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter or greenhouse gases; increased pressure from political and regulatory authorities, along with environmental and climate change activist groups, and lending and investment policies adopted by financial institutions and insurance companies to address concerns about the environmental impacts of coal combustion; increased attention to environmental, social or governance matters; our ability to obtain and renew various permits necessary for our mining operations; risks related to regulatory agencies ordering certain of our mines to be temporarily or permanently closed under certain circumstances; risks related to extensive environmental regulations that impose significant costs on our mining operations, and could result in litigation or material liabilities; the accuracy of our estimates of reclamation and other mine closure obligations; the existence of hazardous substances or other environmental contamination on property owned or used by us; risks related to tax legislation and our ability to use net operating losses and certain tax credits; and our ability to pay base or variable dividends in accordance with our announced capital return program. All forward-looking statements in this press release, as well as all other written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this section and elsewhere in this press release. These factors are not necessarily all of the important factors that could affect us. These risks and uncertainties, as well as other risks of which we are not aware or which we currently do not believe to be material, may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements were made, and we do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by the federal securities laws. For a description of some of the risks and uncertainties that may affect our future results, you should see the risk factors described from time to time in the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
1 Adjusted EBITDA is defined and reconciled in the "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP measures" in this release.
The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/26/arch-resources-reports-first-quarter-2022-results/ | 2022-04-26T11:04:31Z |
Kansas man to spend 24+ years in prison for drug trafficking conviction
WICHITA, Kan. (WIBW) - A Kansas man will spend more than 24 years in prison after a Wichita court convicted him of federal drug trafficking crimes.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas says one man has been sentenced to 295 months - more than 24 years - in prison after his conviction for drug trafficking crimes.
Court documents indicate that in March 2022, a federal jury convicted Travis Vontress, 45, of Wichita, on the following charges:
- Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine
- Conspiracy to distribute heroin
- Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
- Maintaining a drug-involved premises
- Use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking crime x2
- Possession with intent to distribute cocaine
- Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
The Office noted that the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wichita Police department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Sedgwick Co. Sheriff’s Office, Barton Co. Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Postal Service, Sedgwick Co. Regional Forensic Science Center, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshall Service, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Nebraska State Patrol investigate the case.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/06/28/kansas-man-spend-24-years-prison-drug-trafficking-conviction/ | 2022-06-28T20:34:29Z |
Woman finds ‘soulmate’ kidney donor via TikTok
SAN DIEGO (KFMB) - A California woman found the person who could save her life on TikTok after she was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.
Rubi Duran decided to share her survival struggles after being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, stage 5, in a series of videos on TikTok. With tears in her eyes, she recounted the moment her doctor told her it would take almost a decade to find a match who would help replace one of her kidneys.
“I just was in shock mode. I just didn’t understand why it happened to me, if I have always been very healthy,” Duran said.
Duran was 23 when her entire life took a turn. She says at one point, her only focus was attending college, but that quickly changed after experiencing excruciating symptoms.
“Every time I would wake up, I would have…my face would be swollen and my undereyes particularly,” Duran said.
After being diagnosed, her doctor told her she would need to undergo dialysis treatment. That treatment only caused her even more discomfort and robbed her of a normal life.
Just when Duran started to lose all hope, her doctors gave her an idea that would change her life once again.
“So, one day, I posted my story on TikTok, and continued posting my story of my kidney journey,” Duran said.
As she posted her videos on TikTok, Sandra Leon reached out and offered to be her donor.
“I messaged her and asked her if she had found a donor. I would scroll through her comments. I saw that a lot of people were commenting, and I remember when I reached out to her, she told me she hadn’t found anybody. So, I let her know I was already in the process, and I would talk to my coordinator,” Leon said.
With the same blood type and a similarity in age, the two became a perfect match.
Duran gained not only a perfect kidney but a new sister in the life she never thought would be possible to enjoy again.
“I don’t know how to explain it. I know she is my soulmate,” Duran said of Leon.
Duran is now hoping to change careers and advocate for organ donors. Leon currently serves in the Army and hopes to become a firefighter.
Copyright 2022 KFMB via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/04/woman-finds-soulmate-kidney-donor-via-tiktok/ | 2022-05-04T18:31:27Z |
BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP) — As a kid in Vermont, Keegan Bradley always wondered what it would feel like to be Larry Bird or Carlton Fisk or Tom Brady, or any of those Boston sports greats whose posters plaster bedroom walls across New England.
On Saturday at the U.S. Open, Bradley got the full treatment.
A cascading chorus of “Kee-gan, Kee-gan, Kee-gan” greeted the local favorite as he strode up the 18th fairway at The Country Club. He was on the way to making par and wrapping up a round of 1-under 69 that left him at 2 under for the tournament, only two shots off the lead.
“Honestly, it was one of the most amazing moments of my entire life,” said Bradley, the 2011 PGA champion and a four-time winner on the PGA Tour. “I got to feel what it feels like to play in Fenway, to play in the Garden, to play in Gillette Stadium. I felt like a Boston player there.”
Still stinging from the Celtics’ loss in the NBA Finals, Boston fans were looking for something, anything, to get juiced about for a weekend that will no longer include Game 7. They got it in the form of a 36-year-old father of two whose aunt, Pat Bradley, is a six-time major champion and whose wife’s uncle is none other than the Hall of Fame Red Sox catcher, Fisk.
Playing in windy, cool conditions that turned The Country Club into a “beast,” in the words of co-leader Will Zalatoris, Bradley started slow. He made three bogeys over his first six holes.
But he played the final 11 holes in four under. The game-changer came on No. 9, where he hit his approach to 12 feet and made the putt to get the grandstands buzzing.
“I made the putt, and they went wild,” Bradley said. “It really gave me a jolt of energy. It put me on a path to, ‘All right, we no longer are trying to save this round. Let’s try to get ourselves into contention here,’ and I did that.”
This is a moment that’s been building for seven years for Bradley, ever since the USGA made the somewhat head-turning announcement that it was bringing the U.S. Open back to the Boston area.
“Well, I saw it was on the schedule, I was kind of, like, ’Wow, that’s a little surprising. I’m pumped for that,” Bradley said.
Earning a spot in the U.S. Open hadn’t been a problem for Bradley — until last year, which marked the first time in a decade he didn’t make the field. As this year’s tournament grew closer, he started getting a better sense of what it meant by the complete lack of discussion about the upcoming U.S. Open among his friends and family. He finally secured his spot last month.
“I thought it was strange,” he said. “Then, as soon as I qualified, everyone is texting, excited to come, and let’s get some tickets.”
He has a chance to further cement his spot among a significant stable of champion golfers from this area.
It’s a list that, of course, starts with Frances Ouimet, who lived across the street from The Country Club and helped put golf on the map in America with his upset win in the U.S. Open in 1913. There are Harriet and Margaret Curtis, whose last name is stamped on the cup that goes to the winner of the biennial women’s amateur matches pitting the U.S. against Britain and Ireland. Also, Keegan’s aunt. Pat Bradley won the U.S. Women’s Open in 1981.
Walking down the fairways Saturday, Bradley said he saw and heard friends, and aunts, and uncles calling out from the gallery. By the end of the day, everyone was family.
“The crowds, as usual here in Boston, I think are the best in the world,” he said.
It could get better.
A week that opened with him throwing out the first pitch at Fenway Park will close with him walking down that 18th fairway again, this time, quite possibly with a U.S. Open title in reach.
“It’s going to be intense, but I’ve had this weird sense of calm over me this week,” Bradley said. I don’t know if that will be here tomorrow or not, but I just have to try to just put one foot in front of the other and all the silly clichés we all say.”
___
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/kee-gan-bradley-feels-the-love-makes-a-run-at-the-us-open/ | 2022-06-19T19:26:37Z |
NEW YORK, July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- We all scream for (boozy) ice cream! The Empire State Building (ESB) announced today that Tipsy Scoop, a hand-crafted, liquor-infused ice cream and sorbet company, will serve spiked sweet treats on the 86th Floor Observatory every Wednesday through Sunday, Aug. 3 – Sept. 5 from 1-9 p.m.
"Our successful pop-up program has brought New York's authentic, local flavors to the heart of the city and provided a sweet surprise for our guests," said Jean-Yves Ghazi, president of the Empire State Building Observatory. "We are pleased to partner with Tipsy Scoop to turn the Empire State Building's 86th Floor Observatory into a temporary ice cream 'barlour' with a view this August."
Tipsy Scoop will sell three of its pre-packaged boozy flavors from the building's pop-up cart, which include dark chocolate whiskey salted caramel ice cream, mango margarita sorbet, and raspberry limoncello sorbet for $8. The cart will also offer an ESB-exclusive signature sundae that features pina colada plant-based ice cream – infused with rum and pineapple rum – topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, gummy bears, and NYC-themed candy for $12. Non-alcoholic flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and cherry will also be available for $4.50.
"We are so excited for our pop-up at the Empire State Building this August," said Melissa Tavss, Tipsy Scoop founder and CEO. "Our signature Empire State Building sundae is not only delicious, but also the perfect addition to your Observatory photos."
Guests are encouraged to enjoy their treats with the iconic view and tag photos with #PopUpTop for the chance to be featured on ESB social channels. More monthly pop-ups at the Empire State Building Observatory will be announced in the future.
Relevant hi-res imagery can be downloaded here. More information about the Empire State Building and tickets 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 Tipsy Scoop
Inspired by a family tradition six generations in the making, founder Melissa Tavss created Tipsy Scoop to bring together artisanal cocktails and the fond memories that come with ice cream, sundaes, and sweet treats. The result was a boozy brand that sweetens any adult celebration. Since 2013, Tipsy Scoop has rapidly made a name for itself with its on-trend boozy scoops and highly Instagrammable ice cream creations. For more information, visit www.tipsyscoop.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.
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SOURCE Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/29/empire-state-building-partners-with-tipsy-scoop-serve-artisanal-liquor-infused-ice-cream-observatory-guests/ | 2022-07-29T01:12:02Z |
Rock, Paper, Scissors, the First Series to Be Greenlit from Original 2019 Program, Makes Worldwide Short Debut at Annecy International Animation Film Festival
2.0 Program to be Overseen by Nickelodeon Executives Daniel Wineman and Chris Rose
Click HERE for art and HERE to embed a clip.
BURBANK, Calif., June 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon's Intergalactic Shorts Program 2.0 is opening its search for new and diverse creators from across the globe, focusing on new voices and nurturing their vision for original comedy-driven content with an eye toward representation. Today's announcement was made by Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation and Paramount Animation.
Originally launched in 2019, Rock, Paper, Scissors marks the first finalized short to be greenlit for series from the inaugural program. In the short, the iconic trio of Rock, Paper, and Scissors lovingly compete with one another in this buddy comedy about the joy and messiness of friendship. Six additional projects from 2019 are currently in production at Nickelodeon. Additional information will be available soon.
Nickelodeon will debut Rock, Paper, Scissors during a special Nickelodeon Animation presentation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on Thursday, June 16.
"We knew we were onto something special with creators Kyle Stegina and Josh Lehrman and their hilarious characters in Rock, Paper, Scissors, which we are so proud to bring to series," said Naito. "Finding and growing talent through the process of pitch to hit is what powers our Intergalactic Shorts Program, and we can't wait to get started finding the next great creator in animation through our program's just-launched second phase."
The original Rock, Paper, Scissors short and series are created, written, and executive produced by Kyle Stegina (Robot Chicken) and Josh Lehrman (Robot Chicken), with Conrad Vernon (Sausage Party) and Bob Boyle (The Fairly OddParents) serving as executive producers on the series.
Through the 2022 Program, Nickelodeon will accept ideas from a global pool of storytellers and creative visionaries including artists, writers, and directors. Shorts will run on Nickelodeon's platforms and are in the process of being developed into long-form animated series.
Shorts should feature one-of-a-kind, character-driven comedy and surprising storytelling, combining humor with action-adventure, mystery, sci-fi, and more. In line with Nickelodeon's mission to make the best, original humor-driven content for kids, these creator-driven shorts offer content that is appealing to all members of the family, featuring a co-viewing lens of preschool (K 2-5) and big kids (K 6-11).
Nickelodeon's Intergalactic Shorts Program launched in June 2019 and was overseen by Kari Kim, Vice President, Animation Development, Nickelodeon Animation, with Conrad Vernon serving as the program's executive producer and Paul Watling (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) as co-executive producer. Daniel Wineman, Vice President, Animation Development, Nickelodeon Animation and Chris Rose, Vice President, Production & Development, Kids & Family, Global will oversee the 2022 Intergalactic Shorts Program 2.0.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 43rd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon is a part of Paramount's (Nasdaq: PARA, PARAA) global portfolio of multimedia entertainment brands.
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SOURCE Nickelodeon | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/13/nickelodeon-launches-intergalactic-shorts-program-20-all-new-global-search-animation-talent/ | 2022-06-13T11:34:47Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- J.C. Flowers & Co. LLC ("J.C. Flowers" or "the Firm"), a leading private investment firm dedicated to investing globally in the financial services industry, announced today it has completed fundraising for its fifth private equity fund, J.C. Flowers V L.P. (together with parallel vehicles, "JCF V"), with more than $1.1 billion in commitments.
Limited partners in JCF V represent a diverse group of corporate pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, foundations and endowments, and family offices. JCF V received strong support from existing longtime investors as well as highly respected new investors, with institutional investors located across Asia, Europe, Middle East, and North and South America.
"We are grateful for the support from both our existing and new limited partners which allowed us to surpass our target, especially given the backdrop of uncertainty over the last two years," said Chris Flowers, CEO of J.C. Flowers. "Our firm has built a deep bench of talented executives with significant financial services expertise, which has made us uniquely qualified to identify interesting investments through changing market conditions. We look forward to continuing to source, evaluate and invest in financial services opportunities worldwide where we can add significant value."
J.C. Flowers targets investments across all sub-sectors of the financial services industry, including banks, insurance and reinsurance, specialty and consumer finance, asset management and financial technology and securities firms. The firm has deep experience navigating the complexities of the global regulatory landscape, and has been approved for various investments in financial services companies in 18 jurisdictions. Teams in New York and London drive value in the firm's portfolio companies through operational transformation and balance sheet optimization.
To date, approximately 40% of JCF V has been invested, including announced platform investments in Ariel Re, Inigo Insurance, iLendingDirect, Insigneo Financial Group, LMAX Group, Tricor Insurance and Solomon Wealth.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal adviser for the Fund.
J.C. Flowers is a leading private investment firm dedicated to investing globally in the financial services industry. Founded in 1998, the firm has approximately $5 billion of assets under management. J.C. Flowers has offices in New York and London with an approximately 20-person investment staff who have a combined 300+ years of experience. Over its history, J.C. Flowers has invested more than $17 billion of capital in 62 portfolio companies in 18 countries across a range of industry subsectors including banking, insurance and reinsurance, securities firms, specialty finance, and services and asset management. For more information, please visit www.jcfco.com.
Media Contact:
Jennifer Hurson
Lambert
845-507-0571
jhurson@lambert.com
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SOURCE J.C. Flowers & Co. LLC | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/jc-flowers-closes-fifth-private-equity-fund-with-more-than-11-billion-commitments/ | 2022-08-03T11:40:24Z |
Accelerating shift in consumer spending from goods to services indicates sustained strong activity in the middle market, though sentiment around business conditions is divided
CHICAGO, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The RSM US Middle Market Business Index (MMBI), presented by RSM US LLP ("RSM") in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, increased to 130.6 in the second quarter of this year from 126.3 in the previous quarter. Business conditions in the middle market remained robust, bolstered by solid demand and strong productivity-enhancing business investment, despite underlying inflationary pressures.
"The MMBI results show that overall business conditions in the middle market are picking up, indicative of the underlying strength of the economy," said Joe Brusuelas, RSM US LLP chief economist. "The most significant issue is whether the economy can absorb further inflation. Price stability is now the major policy objective in Washington, and the federal funds rate is likely to finish the year in restrictive terrain near 3%. Movement into restrictive terrain will result in a slowing of overall growth even as demand remains solid, which should provide some relief from the pricing pressures that dragged down the forward-looking components of this index."
Despite the risks to the economic outlook linked to inflation, supply chain disruptions and the energy price shock, RSM expects gross domestic product to expand by 2% for the year, a deceleration from last year's 5.7% growth.
Middle Market Activity Remains Solid, Though Sentiment is Split
Demonstrating sustained strong activity in the middle market, 44% of the surveyed executives said gross revenues had increased during the quarter and 41% reported net earnings had improved during that time. These figures are little changed from the first three months of 2022, though a smaller share of executives reported decreased sales and profit for the current quarter than they did during the first quarter. Three out of five executives (58%) said they expect gross revenues to improve during the next six months, and 56% expect net earnings to do the same.
The survey results show that middle market executives have divided views on whether the economy improved, remained the same or deteriorated in the current quarter, and RSM expects this sentiment to remain split until there is clear evidence of a return to price stability. Looking ahead, only 42% of executives said they expect the economy to improve over the next six months, which represents the smallest share of executives with an optimistic outlook on the economy since 2020.
"Middle market companies are experiencing the same challenges we are seeing across companies of all sizes and sectors in the economy. Inflation, lingering supply chain disruptions and labor shortages are keeping expectations dampened despite the middle market's improved outlook on revenue and earnings," said U.S. Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley. "While the Federal Reserve continues to address the demand side of the equation, Congress and the Biden administration need to focus on addressing the supply side. Getting people back to work, expanding legal immigration, increasing domestic energy production, lifting counterproductive tariffs, and increasing the housing supply are all critical for American families and businesses. Waiting longer to tackle these issues will only mean more uncertainty and less growth in the economy."
One of the more encouraging aspects of this quarter's results that demonstrates solid conditions in the middle market is the fact that 42% of respondents said they had increased capital expenditures and 51% expect to do so during next six months. Such investments will increase productivity and dampen inflationary pressures next year as that software, equipment and intellectual capital is put to work.
Inflation and Labor Challenges Continue
Inflation is the most significant factor shaping the near-term outlook as prices have grown faster than expected for longer than expected. An all-time high of 66% of survey participants reported passing along price increases downstream to clients in the past three months, and 75% said they expect to do so over the next six months.
Lingering supply chain issues and difficulties in finding labor have also contributed to mounting pricing pressures. Not surprisingly, 78% of respondents indicated they paid higher prices for inputs during the second quarter, while 74% expect to do so in the six months ahead.
Reaching another record high in the index's history, nearly two-thirds (62%) of executives reported raising employee compensation in the past three months. Sixty-one percent of executives also said they expect to increase hiring during the next six months, while 47% reported doing so during the second quarter.
The service-concentrated middle market stands to gain from the accelerating shift in consumer spending from goods to services, as wages are the primary inflationary pressure within service-providing industries. Service-sector inflation through April increased 5.4% on a year-ago basis, significantly lower than the goods-producing sector that is experiencing a rate of inflation well above the 8.3% implied by the Consumer Price Index.
Supply Chain Disruptions Persist in the Middle Market
A set of special questions in this quarter's MMBI explore how ongoing supply chain disruptions have affected the middle market and the marked differences between smaller middle market organizations and their larger middle market counterparts. Nearly half of the respondents said their organizations experienced significant negative effects due to unexpected changes or disruptions in supply from an upstream supplier during the previous 12 months.
A preview of the RSM US Middle Market Business Index Supply Chain Special Report is available here, and the full report will be available in July.
The survey data that informs this index reading was gathered between April 4 and April 25, 2022.
About the RSM US Middle Market Business Index
RSM US LLP and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have partnered to present the RSM US Middle Market Business Index (MMBI). It is based on research of middle market firms conducted by Harris Poll, which began in the first quarter of 2015. The survey is conducted four times a year, in the first month of each quarter: January, April, July and October. The survey panel consists of approximately 1,500 middle market executives and is designed to accurately reflect conditions in the middle market.
Built in collaboration with Moody's Analytics, the MMBI is borne out of the subset of questions in the survey that asks respondents to report the change in a variety of indicators. Respondents are asked a total of 20 questions patterned after those in other qualitative business surveys, such as those from the Institute of Supply Management and National Federation of Independent Businesses.
The 20 questions relate to changes in various measures of their business, such as revenues, profits, capital expenditures, hiring, employee compensation, prices paid, prices received and inventories. There are also questions that pertain to the economy and outlook, as well as to credit availability and borrowing. For 10 of the questions, respondents are asked to report the change from the previous quarter; for the other 10 they are asked to state the likely direction of these same indicators six months ahead.
The responses to each question are reported as diffusion indexes. The MMBI is a composite index computed as an equal weighted sum of the diffusion indexes for 10 survey questions plus 100 to keep the MMBI from becoming negative. A reading above 100 for the MMBI indicates that the middle market is generally expanding; below 100 indicates that it is generally contracting. The distance from 100 is indicative of the strength of the expansion or contraction.
About The U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business organization representing companies of all sizes across every sector of the economy. Members range from the small businesses and local chambers of commerce that line the Main Streets of America to leading industry associations and large corporations.
They all share one thing: They count on the U.S. Chamber to be their voice in Washington, across the country, and around the world. For more than 100 years, we have advocated for pro-business policies that help businesses create jobs and grow our economy.
About RSM US LLP
RSM's purpose is to deliver the power of being understood to our clients, colleagues and communities through world-class audit, tax and consulting services focused on middle market businesses. The clients we serve are the engine of global commerce and economic growth, and we are focused on developing leading professionals and services to meet their evolving needs in today's ever-changing business environment.
RSM US LLP is the U.S. member of RSM International, a global network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms with 51,000 people across 123 countries. For more information, visit rsmus.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and/or connect with us on LinkedIn.
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SOURCE RSM US LLP | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/06/rsm-us-middle-market-business-index-improves-despite-ongoing-pricing-pressures/ | 2022-06-06T14:17:46Z |
Teen killed after walking into path of semi-truck, troopers say
Published: Sep. 9, 2022 at 11:06 AM EDT|Updated: 24 minutes ago
DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) – A 16-year-old died Tuesday night after being hit by a semi-truck on a portion of Interstate 80, according to Iowa State Patrol.
Authorities said a semi-truck was heading westbound on I-80 and a car was stopped on the inside shoulder of the road.
The teen got out of the car and walked into the path of the truck and was killed, according to troopers.
The driver of the semi-truck was not hurt.
The crash remains under investigation.
Copyright 2022 KWQC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/09/09/teen-killed-after-walking-into-path-semi-truck-troopers-say/ | 2022-09-09T15:30:43Z |
Henderson County Sheriff’s Office unveils patrol car for Autism Awareness Month
By Stephanie Santostasi
Click here for updates on this story
HENDERSONVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office unveiled a new patrol car Friday morning, April 1 in an effort to recognize those in the county living with autism.
To kick off the month of April, which is Autism Awareness Month, the new car features the autism awareness logo.
“As a member of this community, a lifelong member of this community, and us in public service, this is what it’s all about — being able to connect with the people that we serve,” said Henderson County Sheriff Lowell Griffin.
Friday morning, families gathered outside the sheriff’s office as they watched the sheriff show off the vehicle’s new design.
Lettering throughout the vehicle was filled in with puzzle pieces often used as a symbol of autism awareness. The rear bumper reads, “Until all the pieces fit.”
It’s something Shannon Hood said brought her to tears.
“My son doesn’t have a disability. He has a different ability. So to shed light on that is an amazing thing,” said Hood. “I’m excited because just 50 years ago autism was so taboo. Even 20 years ago it was so taboo. And for people to recognize it now and understand it and to try to accept them for who they are as people, that’s amazing and I love it.”
Sheriff Griffin said the car will be on display outside the sheriff’s office the rest of Friday.
Starting Saturday, he said, it’ll be out on the road and will rotate between different squads and patrol officers for the rest of the month.
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/2022/04/01/henderson-county-sheriffs-office-unveils-patrol-car-for-autism-awareness-month/ | 2022-04-02T01:13:54Z |
WORCESTER, Mass., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- National multifamily real estate development leader Wood Partners today announced groundbreaking on its newest high-end residential community, Alta on the Row, marking the company's first development in Worcester, Massachusetts. Opening of the community is slated for December 2023 with pre-leasing officially starting in October 2023.
Located at 22 Mulberry Street, Alta on the Row will be positioned in the heart of Worcester's renowned "Restaurant Row," providing residents with a wide range of dining and entertainment opportunities, including Wormtown Brewery and Leo's Ristorante, directly adjacent to the property. Alta on the Row will also provide residents with quick access to some of the city's top employers including UMASS Memorial Health, Saint Vincent Hospital, Hanover Insurance Group, as well as top higher education institutions including UMASS Chan Medical School, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Holy Cross.
"Wood Partners is thrilled to break ground on Alta on the Row, our first luxury property in the thriving City of Worcester," said Jim Lambert, Managing Director. "Working with the City of Worcester on this project has been a truly collaborative process from the start, which makes us all the more excited to welcome new residents to the community next year and introduce them to Wood Partners' signature approach to sophisticated living."
At completion, Alta on the Row will offer 370 apartments comprised of one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans. Featuring sophisticated, modern design finishes, each of Alta on the Row's apartment homes will be fully outfitted with luxurious wood-style plank flooring, top-of-the-line stainless steel Samsung appliances, and quartz countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms to provide a cozy and welcoming place to call home. Additional high-end features include full-sized in-home washer and dryers, Schlage smart locks, shower and tub tile surrounds, and modern kitchen pendant lighting in select homes.
Throughout the property, residents can also indulge in Alta on the Row's best-in-class community amenities, including a rooftop lounge with unobstructed views of downtown Worcester, a resort-style pool with turf surround, multiple grilling stations and firepits, an outdoor "living room" connecting the two courtyards, and an on-site pet spa and dog park with covered dog wash stations. Inside, residents will also have access to a 24/7 state-of-the-art fitness area with cardio and strength equipment, a game lounge and golf simulator lounge, co-working spaces, and ample lounge seating adjacent to both of the courtyards, as well as the rooftop lounge and clubhouse.
Alta on the Row's prime location will be within walking distance of Union Station, enabling residents to easily reach Boston via the MBTA Commuter Rail. Closer to home, residents will have no shortage of great shopping and entertainment options with leading retail sites like Mercantile Center and Worcester Common, as well as the DCU Center and Polar Park just a few miles from the property.
About Wood Partners
Wood Partners is a national leader in the development, construction, and management of multifamily communities across the United States. The company has been involved in the acquisition and development of more than 90,000 multifamily homes with a combined capitalization of $17.5 billion. The company currently owns 70 properties across the United States representing more than 20,000 homes. Headquartered in Atlanta, Wood Partners has offices in 22 major markets across 15 states nationwide. The company also operates Wood Residential, an award-winning, full-service property management group that proudly operates both properties developed by Wood Partners and communities owned by third parties. For two years running, Wood Residential has ranked No. 1 nationally for online reputation in the J Turner ORA™ Power Rankings (Division III). For more information, visit woodpartners.com.
CONTACT: Nick Fischer, nick.fischer@bcw-global.com
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SOURCE Wood Partners | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/31/wood-partners-breaks-ground-companys-first-luxury-residential-community-worcester-mass-alta-row/ | 2022-05-31T16:50:06Z |
Pop superstar Gwen Stefani has been accused of appropriating Black culture following the release of the music video for her new song.
"Light My Fire," a collaboration with dancehall star Sean Paul and Jamaican singer Shenseea, sees "The Voice" coach sport dreadlocks and a green and yellow outfit that matches the Jamaican flag while singing to a rocksteady beat.
Stefani faced a barrage of criticism on social media after the song's premiere on Wednesday, with many commentators accusing her of intentionally appropriating the culture for her personal gain.
"Gwen Stefani is BACK with a cultural appropriation banger," tweeted one person.
Another agreed, writing: "Y'all. Mother Appropriation is BACK!!!! Where my 2000s No Doubt/Gwen hive at!!!?? ITS TIME!!!"
The No Doubt alum was also reminded of earlier claims that she appropriated other cultures to further her music career by copying Japanese street style, wearing a bindi in music videos, and styling her hair in Bantu knots.
However, some fans came to her defense, with one user writing pointing out that Sean Paul, who appeared with Stefani in the video, is himself Jamaican, adding that he "even praised Gwen for embracing the culture for years."
CNN has contacted Stefani's representatives for comment.
In 2006, comedian Margaret Cho branded Stefani's Harajuku Girls -- a troupe of Japanese and Japanese-American dancers she went around with at the time -- a "minstrel show."
Last year, the musician responded to accusations of cultural appropriation in an interview with Paper magazine, reiterating that she simply pays homage.
"If we didn't buy and sell and trade our cultures in, we wouldn't have so much beauty, you know?" she said at the time. "We learn from each other, we share from each other, we grow from each other. And all these rules are just dividing us more and more."
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BEIJING, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Waterdrop Inc. ("Waterdrop", the "Company" or "we") (NYSE: WDH), a leading technology platform dedicated to insurance and healthcare service with a positive social impact, recently opened its first agency outlet in Wuhan. It will provide local residents with a range of specialized insurance services, such as insurance customization, security risk assessment, policy consulting, and entrusted policy management.
At the end of 2020, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission ("CBIRC") released relevant policies, encouraging insurance practitioners to open outlets in urban communities, counties, and towns.
Over the past few years, Waterdrop Insurance Marketplace has kept exploring the new path that combines online and offline presence. In March 2022, Waterdrop kicked off the recruitment of independent insurance agents nationwide, with the aim to cultivate professional elites who are proficient in digital operations.
Aiming at our independent insurance agents, Waterdrop earlier launched exclusive rules with industry-leading income allocation methods, thereby improving our agent retention rate and providing customers with more professional and qualified services.
Besides, by delving into local communities, Waterdrop's agency outlets in community learn more about customer needs, improve customers' recognition of insurance products, including the product features, the processes for insurance application and claims settlement, as well as the meanings of health declaration and other relevant clauses, thereby assuring customers in purchases.
Li Jia, Waterdrop Vice President in Insurance, said, "the Wuhan agency outlet is one of the first pilot outlets set up by Waterdrop; after the sustainable operation capability is proven, Waterdrop will expand the model into more cities and communities."
Shen Peng, our Founder, Chairman and CEO, commented, "Waterdrop will build a highly-specialized and well-trained professional team, so as to provide clients with customized insurance services through efficient online and deep-going offline operations. The agency outlets in community will enhance the stability and professionalism of insurance practioners, raise the awareness of compliant operation, improve the industry's overall image, and facilitate the high-quality development of the industry."
About Waterdrop Inc.
Waterdrop Inc. (NYSE: WDH) is a leading technology platform dedicated to insurance and healthcare service with a positive social impact. Founded in 2016, with the comprehensive coverage of Waterdrop Insurance Marketplace and Waterdrop Medical Crowdfunding, Waterdrop aims to bring insurance and healthcare service to billions through technology. For more information, please visit www.waterdrop-inc.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "likely to," and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Waterdrop's beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Waterdrop's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Waterdrop does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
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SOURCE Waterdrop Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/waterdrop-insurance-marketplace-opens-its-first-agency-outlet-wuhan/ | 2022-08-17T15:25:13Z |
In celebration of the summer launch, the 90's entertainment legend joins forces with No Sugar king Brad Woodgate to unveil their newest flavor and hottest song of the summer
LOS ANGELES, June 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- No Sugar king, Brad Woodgate, the CEO and founder of the highly successful No Sugar Company is back at it again with a reimagined, natural energy, naturally caffeinated, plant-based energy drink company called Joyburst. They announced today their launch into the U.S. market with a new flavor created with music icon, Vanilla Ice. With all-natural and easy-to-read, straightforward ingredients, these drinks have no sugar, zero calories and are also keto verified and Gluten-free. The newest addition to the bright and bold flavor combination portfolio will be a Vanilla Ice flavor that will join Elderberry, Frosé, Grape, Lime, and Peach on the shelves of select Walmart and Costco locations.
Accentuating the vibes of summer, Joyburst CEO Brad Woodgate has teamed up with American rapper, Vanilla Ice to create the song of the summer, 'Joyburst', a nostalgic nod to the 90's with funky beats and sing-along lyrics. The song will be accompanied by a fun and playful video starring the duo. 'Joyburst" summer song is available on all music platforms including, Spotify, iTunes, and more.
"From the summer-inspired flavors to the vibrant can designs, we wanted to create something that was new and innovative yet still familiar". Says pop icon, Vanilla Ice." As headliner of the I Love the 90's Tour, I am excited for concert goers to hear the new Joyburst single and be able to sip the new Vanilla Ice flavor at the same time!". Joyburst will also release its alcoholic version Vanilla Ice Party Seltzer in select states across America.
Fresh off the heels of their successful LVI Super Bowl spot created by Consolidate Content, the 'better for you' and "natural energy, it's a thing" line of energy drinks will have U.S. consumers dancing through the aisles to purchase case after case beginning June 24th. No matter what Americans have planned for the summer, Joyburst is encouraging everyone to dip their toes into the water, turn up the music and get out there to unleash their inner cool this summer.
"For over a decade, we have been working on creating the perfect recipe – naturally derived green tea caffeine, infused with amazing flavors and refreshing carbonation, without using sugar," said No Sugar Co and Joyburst CEO, Brad Woodgate. "After finalizing our recipe, we launched our starting five flavors that are both delicious and energizing and we are enthusiastic to bring our newest Vanilla Ice flavor and this new wave of energy to America!"
Joyburst is created in Toronto, Canada and is a sister company of No Sugar Company, a brand dedicated to helping people live a healthier lifestyle. The signature energy drinks offer natural flavor options of Elderberry, Frosé, Grape, Lime, and Peach Mango and now, Vanilla Ice. Available in 355 mL 12-pack cans (MSRP: $24.99) to purchase on joyburst.com, Walmart and Costco.
No Sugar Company was launched in 2018 with the goal of helping people live a healthier lifestyle. After countless attempts to create the perfect no sugar snack, it landed on the taste and texture enjoyed today with a wide range of products, including No Sugar Keto bars and Keto Bombs, Keto Ice Cream Barz, etc. The latest product offering, Joyburst, has the company expanding into the beverage market with a line of natural energy drinks. No Sugar Company has quickly become one of the fastest-growing consumer packaged goods companies in North America and its products are now available in over 50 countries including Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia, and China. Learn more at: Thenosugarcompany.com
Brad Woodgate is a self-made Canadian serial entrepreneur who, over the last 22 years, has turned an initial thirty-thousand-dollar investment into over a billion dollars in sales. Having launched several successful companies in the health and wellness space, he has managed over 500 employees, launched over 700 products, and distributed to more than 75 countries. Over the years, Brad also helped many people and celebrities reach their wellness goals. In 2015, based on his own health concerns, Brad took a very strong interest in the effects of refined sugar on our health. This led to the establishment of the No Sugar Company in 2018, which has quickly disrupted the global food industry and is now one of the fastest-growing consumer packaged goods companies in North America. He is also the author of No Sugar In Me, a book about changing your lifestyle by eliminating refined sugars.
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SOURCE Joyburst | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/24/joyburst-good-you-energy-drink-launches-united-states-with-new-flavor-profile-by-music-icon-vanilla-ice/ | 2022-06-24T14:52:14Z |
Topeka City Council discusses South Topeka development
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Topeka City Councilmembers heard feedback on a way to spark development in South Topeka.
They held a public hearing on a proposed redevelopment district along S. Topeka Blvd. It would include the former White Lakes Mall property, the former Gordmans, the old Fox Theatre on Croix, and the Blind Tiger and Wild Horse Saloon.
The Greater Topeka Partnership says it could spark new business, like hotels and restaurants. One resident who spoke Tuesday night was concerned she may lose her home if it happens, but was reassured to hear that won’t happen.
“We aren’t going to lose our home,” she told 13 NEWS, “and that makes us very happy.”
“To be clear, if you wake up and your home happens to be in a redeveloping district, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything to you, unless you want to do something with your property,” GTP’s Curtis Sneden. “It’s not as though homes were going to be lost.”
The council did not make a decision Tuesday. They’ll consider the proposal at their October 1 meeting.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/09/14/topeka-city-council-discusses-south-topeka-development/ | 2022-09-14T03:36:17Z |
Just before killing 19 children and two teachers in a Texas elementary school Tuesday, the 18-year-old gunman allegedly texted a girl who lives in Germany about his intentions.
According to screenshots reviewed by CNN and an interview with the 15-year-old girl -- who said she had been in contact with the gunman for weeks -- Ramos complained about his grandmother being "on the phone with AT&T abojt (sic) my phone."
"It's annoying," he texted.
Six minutes later, he texted: "I just shot my grandma in her head." Seconds after that, he said, "Ima go shoot up a(n) elementary school rn (right now)."
The last message was sent at 6:21 p.m. Central European Time, which was 11:21 a.m. in Texas.
The girl, who lives in Frankfurt, said she began chatting with Ramos on a social media app on May 9. Ramos sent the girl selfie videos and discussed a plan to go visit her in Europe, according to videos and text messages.
The girl, whose mother gave permission for her to be interviewed, said she spoke to Ramos daily on FaceTime. She said she also communicated with him via a social livestreaming app called Yubo and played games with him on a gaming app named Plato. In their conversations, she said he asked about her life in Germany. "He looked happy and comfortable talking to me," the girl said.
The texts to the girl are similar to messages that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Ramos wrote on Facebook.
Those disturbing writings, Abbott said, came as the suspect indeed shot his grandmother, drove to nearby Robb Elementary School, forced his way inside adjoining classrooms and opened fire at a group of kids and faculty. Officers eventually forced their way into the barricaded room and a Border Patrol officer fatally shot him, Abbott said.
A spokesman for Meta, Facebook's parent company, said the gunman's messages were made in private one-to-one texts that were discovered after the shooting.
With 21 dead and 17 others injured, the attack was the deadliest school shooting in almost a decade and shook a nation still reeling from a mass shooting just 10 days ago.
Tuesday's massacre is the second-deadliest school shooting since 2012, when 26 children and adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and it was at least the 30th shooting at a K-12 school in 2022, according to a CNN tally.
Now, the city of Uvalde, about 90 miles west of San Antonio and just east of the US-Mexican border, finds itself on the long list of American communities devastated by mass shootings.
The gunman was a local high school dropout with no criminal history and no known mental health history, officials said. He had just turned 18 and legally bought two AR-15-style rifles and ammunition for his birthday.
So far, five 10-year-olds and a fourth-grade teacher have been named publicly by relatives as among the dead.
Parents waited late into Tuesday night at a civic center to learn whether their children had survived, some having given DNA to help authorities identify victims, they told CNN. Authorities have since identified all the victims, whose remains have been removed from the murder scene, and notified their families, Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Chris Olivarez said.
President Joe Biden in a national address Tuesday night recalled the Sandy Hook shooting, which happened when he was vice president.
"I had hoped when I became President I would not have to do this again," he said. "How many scores of little children who witnessed what happened -- see their friends die as if they're in a battlefield, for God's sake. They'll live with it the rest of their lives."
Sympathy also poured in from across the globe, including Pope Francis, who pushed for stronger gun control. Leaders of France, Germany and Spain shared condolences, too, along with the President of war-torn Ukraine, who called it "terrible to have victims of shooters in peaceful time."
How the shooting unfolded
The gunman, identified as Salvador Ramos by officials, shot his grandmother in the face before driving to Robb Elementary, a second through fourth grade school, to carry out the attack, Gov. Abbott said. The grandmother, who called 911, remains in a hospital.
Soon after that initial shooting, police got a 911 call about a vehicle that had crashed near the school and someone armed with a rifle heading inside, Olivarez told CNN in an interview Wednesday morning. The man was wearing a "tactical vest carrier with no ballistic panels," Olivarez said.
The shooter then got into the building, where he barricaded himself inside adjoining classrooms and opened fire on the children and two teachers, Olivarez said, calling the act "complete evil."
With the shooter barricaded inside, officers were at a disadvantage, he said.
"There was not sufficient manpower at that time, and their primary focus was to preserve any further loss of life," he told CNN. "They started breaking windows around the school and trying to rescue, evacuate children and teachers while that was going on."
A specialized tactical team of local and federal officers arrived, forced its way into the classroom and shot the gunman dead, Olivarez said. One officer on the team was wounded and expected to survive.
Authorities continue to investigate the shooting and events that led to it, Olivarez told CNN.
Community shattered by sudden tragedy
As the last day of school was drawing near, Robb Elementary students were celebrating with special themed dress days, including Tuesday's theme of "Footloose and Fancy." Students were encouraged to come dressed in nice outfits and show off their fun footwear, according to a post on the school's Facebook page.
But by Tuesday afternoon, shaken students were being bused to the civic center-turned-reunification site. As the evening stretched on, some parents began to learn their young children had not survived.
"We see people coming out just terrorized. They're crying one by one. They're being told that their child has passed on," state Sen. Roland Gutierrez told CNN on Tuesday night from the site.
As news of the shooting broke in Uvalde, Robb Elementary parents were told students were being taken to the SSGT Willie de Leon Civic Center, according to a post on the school district's Facebook page. The site quickly became the epicenter for families looking for their children, and scenes of devastation began to play out as victims were identified.
Parents were asked for DNA swabs to confirm their relationships to their children and instructed to wait an hour for an answer, at least four families told CNN.
A father, who had just learned his child was dead, fought tears as several of his cousins embraced him. A few yards away, a grandmother who had just driven from San Antonio said she would not stop praying for her 10-year-old granddaughter as they waited for the DNA results.
Inside, city workers handed out pizza, snacks and water to families. Some parents waited in silence, while others sobbed quietly as a group of children sat on the floor playing with teddy bears. A group of local pastors and chaplains arrived and offered their support to the families.
"It's a small town," said Lalo Diaz, a county justice of the peace. It's the kind of place where everyone knows each other, Diaz said, noting he knows the families of several victims.
In his civic role, Diaz coordinates processing of the deceased. Until now, he's only dealt at once with four people killed in a car crash, he said.
"When I have to sign 21 death certificates," Diaz said, "my heart will drop."
Robb Elementary includes second through fourth grades and had 535 students in the 2020-21 school year, state data shows. About 90% of students are Hispanic, according to the data. Uvalde County had a population of about 25,000 in the 2020 census.
Hours after the shooting, people in the neighborhood surrounding the school sat with their families outside their homes, some gathering with neighbors seeking to understand what occurred just blocks away.
Adela Martinez and her husband Paul Martinez, a former city council member, could sense the grief and sadness spreading through their town, they said.
"We are like a big family here. You can expect something like this (shooting) in big cities like New York but in Uvalde? If this happened here, now I believe it can happen anywhere," Adela Martinez said.
10-year-olds, teacher identified as victims
Five of the children and one teacher killed have been identified publicly by their families.
Ten-year-old Xavier Lopez's mother confirmed her son was killed and recalled her fourth grader's unforgettable smile. Xavier was days away from finishing elementary school and "couldn't wait" to attend middle school, his mother told the Washington Post.
Martinez had been at the school earlier Tuesday to cheer on Xavier during the honor roll ceremony, at which he got a certificate. She took a picture of her boy and told him she was proud of him and loved him, she said. Then, she hugged her "mama's boy" goodbye.
Elsewhere in the hours after the shooting, Angel Garza pleaded on Facebook for help finding his daughter, 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza.
He followed up early Wednesday morning: "She's been found. My little love is now flying high with the angels above."
"Please don't take a second for granted," Garza wrote. "Hug your family. Tell them you love them."
Jose Flores Jr., 10, was killed, as well, his father told CNN. The brother of two younger siblings, Jose loved baseball and video games and "was always full of energy," Jose Flores Sr. said.
And 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia was among the slain, his family told CNN. The fourth grader was "full of life" and "loved anything with wheels," his uncle Mitch Renfro told CNN.
Uziyah's grandfather remembered throwing the football with his grandson and teaching him pass patterns and plays, Manny Renfro recalled. He was the "sweetest little boy that I've ever known," the grandfather said in an interview with CNN affiliate KSAT.
Fourth-grade teacher Eva Mireles was also killed, her aunt, Lydia Martinez Delgado, told CNN.
Mireles had been an educator for 17 years and in her off time enjoyed running, hiking, biking and spending time with her family, according to her profile on the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District website.
What we know about the shooter
The shooter had one rifle when he entered the school, along with the tactical plate carrier and "numerous rounds of ammunition," Olivarez said Wednesday. The vest did not include ballistic panels that would function as body armor, he said.
Ramos had stopped regularly attending school at Uvalde High School, one of his former classmates told CNN. "He barely came to school," said the friend, who did not wish to be identified. Ramos had recently sent him a picture of an AR-15-style rifle, a backpack with rounds of ammunition and several magazines, the friend added.
"I was like, 'Bro, why do you have this?' and he was like, 'Don't worry about it,'" the friend said. "He proceeded to text me, 'I look very different now. You wouldn't recognize me.'"
The shooter also sent ominous Instagram messages to another user hours before the shooting, screenshots show.
Three days before the attack, an account linked to the shooter posted a photo of two rifles lying on a carpet in a story that tagged another Instagram account by name. The owner of the tagged account wrote in a story posted after the shooting that Ramos had tagged her and messaged her out of the blue.
The girl, who did not include her name on her account and has since made her account private, posted a series of screenshots of messages she said she exchanged with the shooter in the days before the massacre.
In one message that appeared to be sent the morning of the shooting, Ramos wrote "I'm about to" -- but didn't say what he would do. "I got a lil secret," he wrote in another message. "I wanna tell u."
In messages posted to her story before it went private, the girl said that she didn't live in Texas and didn't know Ramos.
Communities that have endured shootings express solidarity
The victims' loved ones and community members grieving the loss of 21 Uvalde residents join a growing number of Americans whose lives have been ravaged by mass shootings -- and school shootings in particular. It's a "club that no one wants to be a part of," said Erica Lafferty, whose mother, Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting.
So far, there have been more mass shootings than days in 2022 -- including the racist attack at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store a little over a week ago that left 10 dead. At least 213 mass shootings had been recorded this year as of Tuesday, the 144th day of the year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. CNN and the archive each define a mass shooting as one in which four or more people were injured or killed, not including the shooter.
Parents of children who died in the Sandy Hook Elementary and Parkland, Florida, school shootings expressed support for the Uvalde community and aired frustrations about the shared language of loss that gun violence has created for so many families.
Fred Guttenberg's daughter Jaime was one of 17 people killed in the 2018 shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
"I can't stop thinking about these families today who need to figure out how they're going to bury their children, who need to figure out how they are going to console their other children," he said. "And I can't stop thinking about this community that needs to figure out how they're all going to rally, how they're all going to take care of one another in this aftermath."
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated what the shooter was wearing based on information from authorities.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/uvalde-school-shooter-texted-a-teenaged-girl-ima-go-shoot-up-a-n-elementary-school/article_fe6642dc-da3d-5036-a196-63b9bf7a3605.html | 2022-05-25T22:04:20Z |
NYPD rolls out summer violence reduction plan day after unprecedented meeting with Mayor Adams
By CHRISTINA FAN
Click here for updates on this story
NEW YORK, New York (WCBS) — The NYPD has started rolling out its summer violence reduction plan to address gun violence and other crimes that are surging.
Starting Sunday, every borough will have at least one inspector working as a violence reduction coordinator who can quickly deploy cops and resources, CBS2’s Christina Fan reported.
The Bronx has two.
Forty precincts will get additional officers and modify shifts to start three hours earlier.
It all comes the day after Mayor Eric Adams held an unprecedented meeting at 1 Police Plaza with all 77 precinct commanders to address surging crime, among other issues.
The mayor asked for ideas and laid out his vision on how to stop the city’s rising tide of crime ahead of the summer.
“This was not about bringing them in, dressing them down. This was about lifting them up,” Adams said.
The number of shootings citywide continues to climb. As of April 28, there were 441 shooting victims — nearly nine percent more compared to the same time last year and up 85 percent compared to the same period in 2020.
Saturday night, a food delivery worker on a scooter was shot and killed in Queens.
“In order to start policing the city safely again, I heard across the board, it’s time to get back to the basics,” Adams said. “We also need every other agency in the city engaged.”
Adams said he was surprised to learn many officers do not know what’s expected of them. For example, Adams wants them to issue summonses for turnstile jumping, a crime he said often leads to more serious ones.
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/2022/05/01/nypd-rolls-out-summer-violence-reduction-plan-day-after-unprecedented-meeting-with-mayor-adams/ | 2022-05-02T02:20:56Z |
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a convenient shade device to protect users from the sun during an outdoor event like a barbecue," said an inventor, from Kings Mountain, N.C., "so I invented the CUSTOM SHADES. My design would provide optimum shade and protection."
The patent-pending invention protects an outdoor space against the sun and rain. In doing so, it offers an alternative to using a patio umbrella. It would also help to protect against wind, leaves and birds and it can be used for picnics, backyard parties, etc. The invention features a portable and versatile design that is easy to install and use so it is ideal for households. Additionally, it is producible in design variations and a prototype model is available upon request.
The original design was submitted to the Charlotte sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-CNC-814, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/05/inventhelp-inventor-develops-shade-device-outdoor-spaces-cnc-814/ | 2022-09-05T15:28:47Z |
CINCINNATI, June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Paycor HCM, Inc. (Nasdaq: PYCR) ("Paycor"), a leading provider of human capital management (HCM) software, today announced it has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2022 honor by Enquirer Media Top Workplaces. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner, Energage LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.
"During this very challenging time, Top Workplaces has proven to be a beacon of light for organizations, as well as a sign of resiliency and strong business performance," said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. "When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges and shape your path forward. Top Workplaces draw on real-time insights into what works best for their organization, so they can make informed decisions that have a positive impact on their people and their business."
Paycor's goal is to create an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome, valued, and respected. Over the past year, Paycor associates have helped to create a dynamic culture, while continuing to deliver exceptional results for our customers. At its core, Paycor is committed to developing a work environment where employees can be productive, grow in their careers, and achieve personal and professional success.
"Amid the adversity of the past two years, I have been so proud of our team's adaptability, as we consistently find new ways to connect, grow, and learn as an organization," said Raul Villar, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of Paycor. "Fostering an engaged, purpose-driven company culture has been a key component of Paycor's success over the past few years and being recognized as a Top Workplace in our hometown is a testament to our team's dedication to providing a culture where people love to work."
Paycor is consistently recognized for its exceptional company culture and dedication to its associates. Past recognitions include the 2022 Top Workplaces USA award and the Top Workplace 2021 award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Practices by Energage.
Learn more about the Enquirer Media Top Workplaces Awards and view the full list of the 2022 winners here.
About Paycor
Paycor creates Human Capital Management (HCM) software for leaders who want to make a difference. Our HCM platform modernizes every aspect of people management, from recruiting, onboarding and paying associates, to developing and retaining them. But what really sets us apart is our focus on business leaders. For over 30 years, we've been listening to and partnering with leaders, so we know what they need: HR technology that saves time, powerful analytics that provide actionable insights and personalized support. That's why more than 29,000 customers trust Paycor to help them solve problems and achieve their goals.
About Energage
Making the world a better place to work together.TM
Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 14 years of culture research and the results from 23 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com.
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SOURCE Paycor | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/09/enquirer-media-names-paycor-winner-greater-cincinnati-northern-kentucky-top-workplaces-2022-award/ | 2022-06-09T12:44:29Z |
VANCOUVER, BC, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wondershare rolled out Filmora 11.3 packed with features, enabling users to express themselves in an easy, efficient way. For both who are earning a living as a creator or just entering the creator economy, users can now simplify the workflow with ease by using the brand new version of Filmora.
In the ever-changing digital world, time is money - A research found that 2.5 quintillion bytes of data is created every day. The key to getting noticed on social media is creating content fast without losing quality. To empower creators to monetize their talents, especially music enthusiasts, podcasters and educators, Wondershare launched Filmora 11.3, the video editor for creators at every skill level. This new release has massive upgrades to audios, subtitles and colour spaces:
- Audio Visualizer: Filmora 11.3's audio visualizers allow users to drag audio files down to the timeline and edit while making sure the visuals from the vast library match its key, tempo and beat frequency. It is the perfect solution for music enthusiasts and podcasters who want to turn their audio stories into videos for a pleasant visual experience.
- Text to Speech: Want to keep the audience engaged yet don't feel like being on camera? With the help of AI, users can easily turn text into speech at their fingertips. There are 73 sounding voices in 18 languages for users to choose from.
- Speech to Text: Vloggers, educators and podcasters understand that converting voice to subtitles can be a hassle. Filmora 11.3 can help save time significantly by automatically generating transcripts in just one click.
- Support SRT Subtitle: The latest version of Filmora supports SRT files so users can import subtitles and even fine-tune or edit along with a caption track.
- Support HDR(Highly Dynamic Range): Encoded with a broader color range and higher contrast and brightness, HDR brings viewers a more vivid visual experience. Filmora 11.3 allows users to directly import and edit their own HDR images and videos. Users can also preview HDR content.
"Flimora is the first desktop video editor that realizes the utter convenience brought by audio visualizers, making it the perfect solution for music enthusiasts, educators and podcasters." said Wade Liu, Product Director of Wondershare Filmora. "Upgrades toward a simpler yet powerful direction come from individual video creators' insight, expressing not having enough time to edit."
With other professional features including speed ramping, motion tracking, instant mode and auto beat sync, Wondershare's flagship software is more than just a video editor - it makes editing experience more efficient and playful than ever. While collaborating with industry leaders such as Boris FX and New Blue in video visual effects to express better, Filmora enables users to grow collaboratively in the community.
Filmora 11.3 is available to download now at https://filmora.wondershare.com/. Subscription plans start at $49.99 per year. For all the latest Filmora news and updates, visit https://filmora.wondershare.com/video-editor/ or follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
About Wondershare
Founded in 2003, Wondershare is a global leader in software development and a pioneer in the field of digital creativity. Our technology is powerful, and the solutions we provide are simple and convenient. That's why we're trusted by millions of people in over 150 countries worldwide. We help our users pursue their passions so that, together, we can build a more creative world.
Media Contact
Shearer Wang
Wondershare
shearerw@wondershare.com
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SOURCE Wondershare | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/17/wondershare-filmora-113-helps-audio-creators-educators-create-hassle-free-videos/ | 2022-05-17T13:27:32Z |
Completed the 2021/2022 drill campaign with over 36,000 metres drilling.
Gran Bestia
- Long intercepts in seven ridge holes expected to add mineral resources, open in all directions
- C22-225: 0.76 g/t gold equivalent over 287 metres
- C22-214: 0.72 g/t gold equivalent over 126 metres
Cangrejos
- C22-226: 0.70 g/t gold equivalent over 222 metres – open to southwest and to depth
- C22-222: 1.23 g/t gold equivalent over 36 metres – open to east
VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Lumina Gold Corp. (TSXV: LUM) (OTCQX: LMGDF) (the "Company" or "Lumina") is pleased to announce results from twenty-five drill holes at its Cangrejos Project (the "Project") in Ecuador. Seventeen of the reported drill holes are from Cangrejos and eight are from Gran Bestia (see Table 1). During the 2021/2022 drill program, 107 drill holes have been completed, totalling 36,027 metres of resource definition and geotechnical drilling. The drill program is now complete, and all drill rigs have been demobilised from site. Results from two holes at Cangrejos and fifteen at Gran Bestia are pending; including geotechnical holes.
Marshall Koval, CEO, President and Director commented: "I would like to thank our geological team for completing a well executed large-scale program on time. The drilling campaign appears to have delivered exactly what we set out to do, infill the US$1,100 gold constrained pits that formed the basis of the 2020 PEA, while also completing step-out drilling that should enhance the resource size and overall attractiveness of the Project."
Work on the Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS"), expected to be completed in Q2 2023, is continuing. With the drilling now concluded, PFS resource estimation work has been initiated. The supporting geologic and structural models are near completion. Pit slope geotechnical testing and hydrogeologic characterization are also near completion for development of pit slope design recommendations. In addition, metallurgical testing of ~4,700 kgs of drill core is underway at Laboratorio Plenge in Lima. Ongoing field work includes site characterization for project infrastructure and baseline environmental studies.
Results from nine drill holes from the southwestern quadrant of Cangrejos are reported (C22-211, C22-213, C22-217, 22-221, C22-223, C22-224, C22-226, C22-230, and C22-231). Results from these holes are highlighted by hole C22-226 that intersected 221.6 metres from surface to the end of the hole grading 0.57 g/t gold and 0.08% copper, for 0.70 g/t Au Eq. This hole is open to the southwest and leaves the deposit open in this direction and to depth. Results from the other eight holes in this quadrant were typical of those returned from the edges of the deposit.
Results from eight drill holes from the remaining northern, central and southeastern parts of Cangrejos (C22-208, C22-210, C22-215, C22-216, C22-219, C22-222, C22-227 and C22-229), are also typical of the deposit limits. However, hole C22-222 contained 36 metres from 164m grading 1.14 g/t gold and 0.06% copper, for 1.23 g/t Au Eq. This interval is open to the east and corresponds to those higher-grade zones reported from other areas of the Cangrejos periphery.
Seven of the eight holes drilled at Gran Bestia were collared on the ridge crest and drilled down into the ridge to potentially add resources and lower the strip ratio, as this mostly previously uncategorized material formed the high wall of the Gran Bestia PEA pit. All of these holes returned long intervals above the previous mineral resource cut-off grade and are expected to add significantly to the Gran Bestia mineral resource estimate for use in the upcoming PFS. This drilling leaves mineralization in this area open in all directions, including to depth. Of particular note is hole C22-225, that intersected 287m grading 0.59 g/t gold with 0.12% copper for a gold equivalent of 0.76 g/t gold from 270 metres and remains open to depth, as well as six other reported intervals (see Table 1); and hole C22-214, that intersected 126m grading 0.62 g/t gold with 0.07% copper for a gold equivalent of 0.72 g/t gold from 144 metres down the hole, as well as two other reported intervals (see Table 1). The eighth hole, C22-207 at Gran Bestia was drilled at the southeastern limit of the pit towards the Cangrejos deposit and contained a 56-metre interval from 28m grading 1.11 g/t gold and 0.04% copper, for 1.18 g/t Au Eq, leaving the deposit open in this direction.
Table 1: Drill Results
All Lumina sample assay results have been independently monitored through a quality control / quality assurance ("QA/QC") program that includes the insertion of blind standards, blanks and pulp and reject duplicate samples. Logging and sampling are completed at Lumina's secure facility located at the Cangrejos Project. Drill core is sawn in half on site and half drill-core samples are securely transported to either Bureau Veritas Labs' (BV) or ALS Labs' ("ALS") sample preparation facilities in Quito, Ecuador. Sample pulps are sent to BV's or ALS' chemical labs in Lima, Peru for analysis. Gold content is determined by fire assay of a 30 gram charge with total copper content determined by four-acid digestion with ICP finish. Both labs are independent from Lumina.
Lumina is not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to herein.
Leo Hathaway, P.Geo., Senior Vice President of Lumina and the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects for the Cangrejos Project has reviewed, verified and approved the contents of this news release and has verified the data underlying the contents of this news release.
Lumina Gold Corp. (TSXV: LUM) is a Vancouver, Canada based precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on the Cangrejos Gold-Copper Project located in El Oro Province, southwest Ecuador. Cangrejos is being advanced to a Pre-Feasibility Study and is the largest primary gold deposit in Ecuador. Lumina has an experienced management team with a successful track record of advancing and monetizing exploration projects.
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Further details are available on the Company's website at https://luminagold.com/. To receive future news releases please sign up at https://luminagold.com/contact.
Signed: "Marshall Koval"
Marshall Koval, President & CEO, Director
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include but are not limited to statements or information with respect to potentially adding mineral resources and timing of the completion of a PFS study. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words such as "will" or "projected" or variations of those words or statements that certain actions, events or results "will", "could", "are proposed to", "are planned to", "are expected to" or "are anticipated to" be taken, occur or be achieved.
With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, the Company has made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions, the prices of gold and copper, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.
Although management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to: risks associated with the business of the Company; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; the supply and demand for labour and other project inputs; changes in commodity prices; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; risks relating to inaccurate geological and engineering assumptions (including with respect to the tonnage, grade and recoverability of reserves and resources); risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters); risks relating to adverse weather conditions; political risk and social unrest; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed with Canadian securities administrators. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
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SOURCE Lumina Gold Corp. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/lumina-gold-extends-mineralization-cangrejos-deposit-continues-expand-gran-bestia-ridge/ | 2022-08-17T11:27:29Z |
While Housing Inventory Remains Low, eLEND's Chattel Financing Allows Consumers to Enter the Factory-Built Home Market
PARSIPPANY, N.J., July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- eLEND, a consumer-facing division of American Financial Resources, Inc. (AFR) and a leading provider of home mortgage loans, is pleased to announce an expansion of its Manufactured Home Financing and Chattel Home-Only Financing program. Now available in 45 states nationwide*, the program aims to provide a financing opportunity for securing manufactured housing to traditional and first-time homebuyers searching for their dream homes. This program will still be offered under ManufacturedHome.loan, a secondary consumer-facing division of AFR specializing in manufactured home lending, and will now be able to reach so many more families.
Whether it's on private land or in a park, both eLEND and ManufacturedHome.loan can help prospective buyers obtain chattel financing for manufactured or mobile homes that are not permanently affixed to the land. Available programs may provide eligible borrowers an option for a 5% down payment and the opportunity to finance closing costs, with terms of up to 25 years for new construction and 23 years for existing homes.
"As housing inventory remains low, entering the factory-built home market is a great option to close on a brand new home," said Christopher Guerin, Executive Vice President of Origination and Business Development at eLEND's parent company, American Financial Resources. "Our mission remains to help the underserved, whether it be first-time homebuyers, veterans, or families without the budget for a hefty down payment. Without many new, budget-friendly houses on the market and with rates continuously increasing, our loan officers at eLEND and ManufacturedHome.loan are excited to offer Chattel Home-Only financing as another avenue for families to secure their dream home."
Buyers who enter the world of factory-built housing benefit from lower construction costs and accelerated timelines versus site-built homes as there are no weather-related delays or damages throughout the construction process. Factory-built homes also require multiple inspections throughout construction to ensure structural stability. With floorplan variations and amenities that look and feel like site-built homes, buyers are even able to personalize these properties the same way as any on-site new build.
The program adds to eLEND's existing land & home, or real property, financing options, which include a suite of FHA loans, VA loans, USDA loans and Conventional Loans. With an always-expanding list of products introduced based on market demand including Non-QM, VA Renovation, Down Payment-Assistance Program, One-Time Close Construction and more, eLEND has a program for everyone, cementing the company's commitment to always find the best option to serve their customers.
For additional information about eLEND's latest Chattel Home-Only Financing expansion, schedule a call with a trusted eLEND loan officer today. For more information about eLEND and its current product offerings overall, please visit www.eLEND.com.
*For available states, please contact an eLEND representative.
eLEND is one of American Financial Resources, Inc.'s Consumer Direct Divisions, offering first-time homebuyers and existing homeowners affordable mortgage options. From 30 year fixed rate mortgage programs to adjustable rate mortgages and from zero down payment options to loans for refinancing an investment property, eLEND offers mortgages for many types of property and financial situations. eLEND utilizes the latest technology to deliver educational resources to customers to simplify the mortgage process and provide consistent and dedicated service with a personal touch. Lender NMLS 2826 at www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. For more information, visit www.eLEND.com.
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SOURCE eLEND | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/28/elend-expands-manufactured-home-only-financing-program/ | 2022-07-28T13:00:49Z |
NCSA to Expand Role as Official Recruiting Services Partner, Support All USYS Events
Including Olympic Development Program, National League, Elite 64
CHICAGO, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NCSA College Recruiting, the world's largest college recruiting platform, has renewed its partnership with US Youth Soccer (USYS), the largest youth sport organization in America and the leader in youth soccer.
NCSA will continue to provide educational tools and resources to US Youth Soccer members with the goal of assisting families in navigating the college recruiting process.
Athletes ages 13 and over will have the option to create a free NCSA profile when registering for US Youth Soccer events and gain access to NCSA's extensive recruiting network of over 4,500 collegiate men's and women's soccer coaches across the U.S.
As part of the renewed partnership, NCSA will provide additional recruiting education to athletes and parents including seminars at US Youth Soccer events, as well as free online webinars on how to navigate the college recruiting process.
"One of the toughest challenges for any aspiring college athlete is to successfully navigate the recruiting process," said US Youth Soccer Chief Executive Officer Skip Gilbert. "We are thrilled to be continuing our partnership with NCSA College Recruiting and helping to support the aspirational goals of USYS players from every state association."
US Youth Soccer will also integrate NCSA's recruiting software, Coach Packet, and team recruiting platform, Team Edition, into all regional and national events including its Olympic Development Program (ODP), National League, and newly-established Elite 64 performance tier competition, which encompasses more than 15 of USYS' annual events.
Coach Packet provides easy access to the latest rosters, player data, schedules, and custom evaluation metrics by taking the historic bundles of paper handouts at recruiting events and complementing them with a dedicated universal iOS app. By using Coach Packet on their mobile devices, college coaches and scouts who attend US Youth Soccer events will have an easier, more efficient way of recruiting and evaluating players.
Team Edition allows coaches to track and help guide team's college recruitment processes with easy-to-use software by providing athletes exposure to NCSA's network of college coaches.
"Since we first partnered with US Youth Soccer in 2018, NCSA has helped hundreds of USYS athletes find success in recruiting and continue their sport at the next level," said NCSA President Lisa Strasman. "We look forward to continuing to work with USYS and finding new ways of integrating our tools and products into its events to better serve their members on their recruiting journey."
In addition to US Youth Soccer, ten national governing bodies have named NCSA their official recruiting partner: USA Hockey, USA Baseball, USA Softball, US Lacrosse, USA Field Hockey, USA Track and Field, USA Volleyball, USA Wrestling, USA Water Polo, and USA Triathlon.
Founded in 2000, NCSA offers recruiting advice and college coach connections to help student-athletes find their best college fit.
NCSA College Recruiting is the world's largest college recruiting platform connecting tens of thousands of student-athletes to more than 35,000 college coaches across 37 sports each year.
NCSA is part of IMG Academy, the leader in athletic-academic education and development for high school student-athletes.
Learn more about NCSA at www.ncsasports.org.
US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sport organization in the country, is on a mission to provide world-class support, resources, and leadership, helping every member fulfill their goals on and off the field of play. US Youth Soccer registers nearly 2.5 million players annually. Through its programming, resources and leadership, US Youth Soccer is advancing the game for its 54 Member State Associations, 10,000 clubs and leagues and nearly 1 million administrators, coaches, and volunteers. US Youth Soccer connects families and communities to the power of sports and its shared love of soccer. US Youth Soccer provides a path for every player, offering programs that provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game.
CONTACT: Lauren Pulte
(248) 885-2607
lpulte@ncsasports.org
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SOURCE NCSA College Recruiting | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/ncsa-college-recruiting-renews-partnership-with-us-youth-soccer/ | 2022-08-23T16:48:53Z |
NYSE American: UEC
More than 38% of eligible UEX securities have already been tendered, as of this press release, with an overwhelming 93.7% voting in favour of the UEC transaction.
UEC offer of C$0.49 per UEX share is financially superior to the Acquisition Proposal submitted by Denison.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSE American: UEC) (the "Company" or "UEC") announces that, further to its news release of July 28, 2022, it has advised UEX Corporation ("UEX") that it is submitting a superior offer to the acquisition proposal made by Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison") on July 28, 2022 (the "Denison Proposal") for all of the issued and outstanding shares of UEX ("UEX Shares").
Under the terms of UEC's revised offer (the "Revised UEC Offer"), each holder of UEX Shares will now receive 0.0890 of one common share of UEC (a "UEC Share") for each UEX Share held, implying consideration of approximately C$0.49 per UEX Share based on the closing price of UEX Shares and UEC Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the NYSE American Exchange, respectively, and the spot exchange rate as of August 5, 2022. The Revised UEC Offer also increases the break fee by 7%, which is an increase proportional to the percentage increase in the offered exchange ratio under the Revised UEC Offer.
Amir Adnani, President and CEO, stated: "After careful analysis and consideration, we firmly believe the Revised UEC Offer represents a value-creating opportunity for UEC and UEX shareholders. We remain disciplined with respect to pursuing accretive growth and the Revised UEC Offer strikes a balance of a modest increase in the exchange ratio while doubling UEC's uranium resources1 at only a 14.2% dilution to our outstanding shares. This transaction highlights UEC's sector leading strategy as the fastest growing, pure play, 100% unhedged uranium company and will create the largest, diversified North American focused uranium company. Finally, a true testament to the win-win industrial logic of the transaction is the overwhelming positive support for our deal, as evidenced with over 38% of eligible UEX securities tendered with over 93.7% voted in favor, and the positive share price performance for UEC. With an offer that is superior to the Denison Proposal in all respects, we look forward to completing this transaction following the UEX shareholder vote next week."
If the board of directors of UEX (the "UEX Board") accepts the Revised UEC Offer, UEC expects that the special meeting of UEX securityholders to approve UEC's acquisition of the UEX Shares based on the Revised UEC Offer will continue to be held as currently scheduled on Tuesday August 9, 2022, with an anticipated closing date (subject to court approval and the satisfaction or waiver of closing conditions customary for a transaction of this nature) by mid-August.
The Revised UEC Offer is superior to the Denison Proposal in all respects:
- Superior Financial Consideration. The Revised UEC Offer values UEX at C$0.49 per UEX Share, a 7% improvement over the original exchange ratio and higher financial consideration than the Denison Proposal based on closing prices of the shares and the spot exchange rate as at August 5, 2022. The Revised UEC Offer reflects a premium of 72% over the unaffected UEX Share price on June 10, 2022 (being the last trading day prior to the announcement of UEC's proposed acquisition of UEX).
- Stronger Deal Certainty. As part of its Revised UEC Offer submission to the UEX Board, UEC has provided UEX with a simple amending agreement to the original arrangement agreement dated June 13, 2022, as amended June 23, 2022, among UEX, UEC and UEC 2022 Acquisition Corp. (the "Arrangement Agreement") to reflect the Revised UEC Offer. By its own admission, Denison has characterized its proposal as "non-binding" and "remains subject to the entering into of a definitive agreement"2. Upon acceptance of the Revised UEC Offer by UEX, UEC will be firmly bound to complete the Revised UEC Offer as soon as practicable.
- Quicker Path to Completion. UEX securityholders are scheduled to vote on UEC's proposed acquisition of the UEX Shares based on the Revised UEC Offer on Tuesday August 9, 2022, with closing of the transaction (subject to court approval and the satisfaction or waiver of closing conditions customary for a transaction of this nature) anticipated within days of the UEX securityholder vote. UEC understands that more than 38% of eligible UEX securities have already tendered, as of this press release, with an overwhelming 93.7% voting in favour of the UEC transaction.
- Denison Proposal is Financially Inferior, Uncertain and Remains Subject to the Negotiation of a Definitive Agreement. The Denison Proposal remains subject to, among other things, the negotiation of a definitive agreement, the preparation of an information circular providing disclosure on the proposed transaction, court and regulatory approvals, and the calling of a new securityholders meeting to approve the transaction. As such, a closing of any deal with Denison is likely to take UEX shareholders well into Q4 2022.
- Larger Trading Liquidity. UEC benefits from a strong institutional and retail following which has resulted in trading liquidity that is more than 50%3 greater than that of Denison. UEX shareholders, upon exchange of their UEX Shares for UEC Shares based on the Revised UEC Offer, will have a deeper pool to value and trade their securities.
- UEC Maintains its Strong Balance Sheet With Over $180 million of Cash and Liquid Assets, with No Debt.
- The Opportunity to Create the Largest Diversified North American Focused Uranium Company. UEX shareholders have an opportunity to be part of UEC's fully permitted, production-ready assets in the U.S., which is the largest market in the world for uranium demand. UEC offers superior scale, as exhibited by its larger capital markets presence, and a path for immediate re-rating potential following a rapid timeline to closing of the transaction.
It is the view of UEC, based on advice provided by its financial and legal advisors, that the superior proposal notice delivered by UEX to UEC on July 28, 2022 was deficient in several respects. These deficiencies have been communicated to UEX over the past few days, and have not, in our view, been rectified. While we have elected to increase the consideration offered in our proposed transaction, in making the Revised UEC Offer we advised UEX we were reserving all rights to require UEX to comply with the right to match provisions in the Arrangement Agreement, including, among other things, that the right to match period has not yet commenced.
The Revised UEC Offer expires at 7:00 p.m. (Vancouver time) on the date of this press release, coinciding with the termination of the right to match period under the Arrangement Agreement. Upon a determination by the UEX Board that the Revised UEC Offer is at least equivalent to the Denison Proposal, UEX is required to enter into an amending agreement to the Arrangement Agreement to reflect the Revised UEC Offer.
Uranium Energy Corp is America's leading, fastest growing, uranium mining company listed on the NYSE American. UEC is a pure play uranium company and is advancing the next generation of low-cost, environmentally friendly In-Situ Recovery (ISR) mining uranium projects. The Company has two production ready ISR hub and spoke platforms in South Texas and Wyoming, anchored by fully licensed and operational processing capacity at the Hobson and Irigaray plants. UEC also has seven U.S. ISR uranium projects with all of their major permits in place. Additionally, the Company has other diversified holdings of uranium assets, including: (1) one of the largest physical uranium portfolios of U.S. warehoused U3O8; (2) a major equity stake in the only royalty company in the sector, Uranium Royalty Corp.; and (3) a pipeline of resource-stage uranium projects in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Paraguay. The Company's operations are managed by professionals with a recognized profile for excellence in their industry, a profile based on many decades of hands-on experience in the key facets of uranium exploration, development and mining.
Twitter: @UraniumEnergy
Stock Exchange Information:
NYSE American: UEC
Frankfurt Stock Exchange Symbol: U6Z
WKN: AØJDRR
ISN: US916896103
Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes "forward-looking statements" as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian laws. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any other statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans, "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, market and other conditions, the actual results of exploration activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation or realization of mineral resources, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry including, without limitation, those associated with the environment, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release. Certain matters discussed in this news release and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the Federal securities laws. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Many of these factors are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and that could impact the Company and the statements contained in this news release can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities.
______________________________________________________________
1 Subject to the completion of technical report summaries by UEC following closing of the proposed acquisition of UEX.
2 Denison press release dated July 29, 2022.
3 Based on average daily traded volume over the last 12 months.
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SOURCE Uranium Energy Corp | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/05/uranium-energy-corp-confirms-intention-acquire-uex-corporation/ | 2022-08-05T22:54:01Z |
TrueCar Releases Analysis of August Industry Sales
Published: Aug. 30, 2022 at 8:00 AM CDT|Updated: 25 minutes ago
New vehicle incentives rise for second consecutive month
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE), the easiest, most efficient and transparent online destination for buying and selling new and used vehicles, expects total new vehicle industry sales to reach 1,152,846 units in August 2022, up 9% from a year ago and slightly up from July 2022, when adjusted for the same number of selling days. This month's seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) for total light vehicle industry sales is an estimated 13 million, down 14% from August 2021. Excluding fleet sales, TrueCar expects U.S. retail deliveries of new cars and light trucks to be 1,015,575 units, up 6% from a year ago and up about 3% from July 2022.
"August is shaping up to confirm our early predictions that the industry may be turning the corner," said Zack Krelle, Industry Analyst at TrueCar. "We're seeing consecutive month over month increases for incentives, while average transaction prices are softening. Inventory is also slowly growing, and sales are improving slightly."
"This month we're seeing Hyundai and Kia doing well, which I believe is in part due to the freshness of their lineups, with greater design changes than other OEMs," said Justin Colon, Vice President of OEM Solutions at TrueCar.
Additional August Industry Insights (from TrueCar):
Total sales for August 2022 are expected to be up 9% from a year ago and slightly up from July 2022 when adjusted for the same number of selling days.
Fleet sales for August 2022 are expected to be up 40% from a year ago and down 12% from July 2022 when adjusted for the same number of selling days.
Incentive spend is down 52% from last year but up 9% from July 2022.
Average transaction price for new vehicles is projected to be up 10% from a year ago and slightly down from July 2022.
Total SAAR is expected to be down 14% from a year ago at 13 million units.
Used vehicle sales for August 2022 are expected to reach 3 million, down 17% from a year ago and up 4% from July 2022.
The average interest rate on new vehicles is 5.7% compared to July 2022 at 5.6% and the average interest rate on used vehicles is 8.7%.
The average loan term on a new vehicle for August 2022 is about 70 months and the average loan term on a used vehicle is about 71 months.
(Note: This industry insight is based solely on TrueCar, Inc.'s analysis of domestic industry sales trends and conditions and is not a projection of TrueCar, Inc.'s operations.)
About TrueCar TrueCar is a leading automotive digital marketplace that lets auto buyers and sellers connect to our nationwide network of Certified Dealers. With access to an expansive inventory provided by our Certified Dealers, we are building the industry's most personalized and efficient auto shopping experience as we seek to bring more of the process online. Consumers who visit our marketplace will find a suite of vehicle discovery tools, price ratings and market context on new, used and Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. When they are ready, shoppers in TrueCar's marketplace can connect with a Certified Dealer in our network, who shares our belief that truth, transparency and fairness are the foundation of a great auto shopping experience. As part of our marketplace, TrueCar powers auto-buying programs for over 250 leading brands, including AARP, Sam's Club, Navy Federal Credit Union and American Express.
The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/truecar-releases-analysis-august-industry-sales/ | 2022-08-30T13:26:54Z |
Iconic Defensive Award Presented to Nine Division I Collegiate Softball Athletes in Partnership with the National Fastpitch Coaches Association
ST. LOUIS, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. revealed the nine recipients of the newly-created Rawlings Gold Glove Award for collegiate softball today in a joint press conference with the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). The historic announcement took place during the NCAA Women's College World Series currently being held in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Recognized as the best defensive players at their respective positions, this year's class of honorees includes two players from NCAA Regional participant Missouri, one player each from Florida and Northwestern, who both advanced to this week's Women's College World Series (WCWS), and one player from last season's WCWS runner-up, Florida State.
"Today is such a special and important day for all softball athletes, including the incredibly deserving winners of the very first Rawlings Gold Glove Award for collegiate softball," said Julie Tobyansen, Softball Sport Marketing Manager for Rawlings. "Rawlings is honored to partner with the NFCA to grow the sport of softball by recognizing and rewarding defensive excellence at the collegiate level."
Recipients of the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, presented by the NFCA, were selected by the NFCA Division I All-American Committee during the All-American selection meeting held May 29-30, 2022. The selection committee utilized advanced fielding analytics, fielding statistics, strength of schedule and compilations of video to closely examine finalists and select the winners at every defensive position. Any student-athlete that competed in the current championship year whose head coach is a member in good standing with the NFCA was eligible for consideration for this prestigious accolade.
"We are thrilled to partner with Rawlings, one of the most reputable and first-class companies in softball, to announce the inaugural Division I collegiate softball Rawlings Gold Glove recipients," NFCA Executive Director Carol Bruggeman said. "This award values, celebrates, and rewards defense. Having the NFCA be associated with the distinguished Rawlings Gold Glove award is one of our highest achievements. The most talented student-athletes at their respective positions are now recognized and honored with the most coveted defensive award … the Rawlings Gold Glove."
Courtney Wallace, pitcher, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (1.000 fielding %, 57 chances, 0 errors)
Jordyn Rudd, catcher, Northwestern University (1.000 fielding %, 445 chances, 0 errors)
Victoria Sebastian, first base, Villanova University (1.000 fielding %, 366 chances, 0 errors)
Hannah Adams, second base, University of Florida (1.000 fielding %, 161 chances, 0 errors)
Sydney Sherrill, third base, Florida State University (.975 fielding %, 201 chances, 5 errors)
Jenna Laird, shortstop, University of Missouri, Columbia (.975 fielding %, 163 chances, 4 errors)
Casidy Chaumont, left field, University of Missouri, Columbia (1.000 fielding %, 86 chances 0 errors)
Ciara Briggs, center field, Louisiana State University (1.000 fielding %, 89 chances, 0 errors)
Kristina Burkhardt, right field, University of Michigan (1.000 fielding % 87 chances 0 errors)
Established in 1887, Rawlings is an innovative leading global brand and manufacturer of premium baseball and softball equipment, including gloves, balls, and protective headwear. Rawlings' unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings. Rawlings is the Official Baseball, Helmet, Face Guard and Glove of Major League Baseball, the Official Baseball of Minor League Baseball and the Official Baseball and Softball of the NCAA and the NAIA. The company is headquartered in St. Louis. For more information, please visit www.Rawlings.com.
Established in 1983, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches from all competitive levels of play, including collegiate, high school, travel ball, youth, professional, and international coaches along with umpires, companies and fans of fastpitch softball. Growing from 40 members in 1983 to nearly 6,000 today, the NFCA boasts members from all 50 states and several international countries. The national office's home base is in Louisville, Ky. For more information, please visit nfca.org.
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SOURCE Rawlings | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/recipients-inaugural-rawlings-gold-glove-award-collegiate-softball-announced/ | 2022-06-01T23:00:49Z |
A New Benefits Technology Platform to Enable Employers to Maintain a Competitive Benefits Offering
CHICAGO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hub International Limited (HUB), a leading full-service global insurance broker and financial services firm, announced today the launch of HUB Benefits SmartView. Benefits SmartView gives employers richer insights to optimize and customize their benefits programs. The platform provides benchmarking across several key categories of employee benefits and risk control and creates contextualization of where a program could be improved, enabling an employer to enhance their competitive offering.
"HUB's investments in benefits technologies and data analytics platforms are more important now than ever before," said Jeff Faber, Chief Strategy Officer, HUB Employee Benefits. "HUB Benefits SmartView improves the client experience, provides more actionable guidance and delivers a more robust benefits planning solution by helping employers understand their current programs and the need to rapidly adapt and evolve them to attract and retain talent. It goes beyond traditional benchmarking, and guides clients on the strategies that their industry peers are planning and executing now and in the future."
As employers continue to view benefits as a critical incentive to attract and retain talent, HUB Benefits SmartView analyzes what a client offers their employees today and plans in the future, benchmarking these initiatives and their impact against their peers. HUB Benefits SmartView gives employers insights into their past strategies and the ability to author strategic roadmaps that examine:
- employer cost reduction,
- productivity & safety,
- career & growth,
- culture & connection,
- health & energy,
- money and security,
- communication & engagement, and
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, HUB International Limited is a leading full-service global insurance broker and financial services firm providing risk management, insurance, employee benefits, retirement and wealth management products and services. With more than 14,000 employees in offices located throughout North America, HUB's vast network of specialists brings clarity to a changing world with tailored solutions and unrelenting advocacy, so clients are ready for tomorrow. For more information, please visit www.hubinternational.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Marni Gordon
Phone: 312-279-4601
Marni.gordon@hubinternational.com
Jessica Wiltse
Phone: 312-596-7573
jessica.wiltse@hubinternational.com
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SOURCE Hub International Limited | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/14/hub-international-announces-hub-benefits-smartview/ | 2022-07-14T13:05:00Z |
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) – Coors Light’s latest ad starring Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes features a creative way to promote the adult beverage, despite league rules against it.
In the new ad, Mahomes debuts a new item: The Coors Light, a flashlight with Coors Light branding, but no beverage inside.
“It’s a flashlight, not a beer,” the narrator says in the ad, which Mahomes shared on Twitter.
The ad shows Mahomes pull the flashlight out of the fridge and handle it like a beverage.
“Nothing beats the sturdy feeling of The Coors Light in your hand. The Coors Light is 100% flashlight and 0% adult beverage. It’s perfect for camping trips or those warm summer nights spent with great friends,” the announcer continues.
The ad ends with the 2018 NFL MVP opening the flashlight to the sound of a can opening, turning the flashlight over and pouring out the batteries.
The NFL’s current regulations prohibit players from directly endorsing alcoholic beverages, but the policy was relaxed in 2019, according to a leaked email obtained by Mark Burns from the Morning Consult.
Morning Consult added that the following limitations would apply, citing sources familiar with the then-new guidelines.
- Companies could only use active players
- The ads cannot imply the players are endorsing the product
- The creative materials must use only licensed Associated Press action shots of players in uniform
Mahomes’ involvement solely features him with the flashlight, which also has the logo of his “15 and the Mahomies” foundation on the side. Proceeds from the $15 flashlight will benefit the foundation.
It’s no secret that Mahomes has a sponsorship with Coors Light, as his likeness has been featured in several ads. He also served personalized bottles of the beer, which featured his and his wife Brittany’s faces, during their wedding weekend. And during a charity golf match in June, when he teamed up with Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen to face Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady, he name-dropped Coors, calling it his “swing juice” to help him perform on the course.
Coors Light was also a sponsor for his charity golf tournament every summer, and for his involvement with the HBCU Legacy Bowl. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/patrick-mahomes-stars-in-coors-light-commercial-sidesteps-nfl-beer-rule-using-loophole/ | 2022-07-15T18:36:51Z |
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Corbin Burnes continued his recent mastery of the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing the Milwaukee Brewers to overtake their division rivals for first place in the NL Central.
Burnes pitched seven dominant innings and Tyrone Taylor hit a two-run homer in the Brewers’ 2-0 victory over the Cardinals on Monday night. The Brewers and Cardinals were tied for the division lead as they began this four-game series.
“I try not to make any game bigger than it is,” Burnes said. “It’s still mid-to-end of June, playing baseball. We’ve still got a lot of games left. If you start making one game bigger than the other, you start putting extra pressure on yourself and start trying to do too much.”
The Brewers have followed an eight-game skid by winning six of eight.
Burnes (5-4) struck out 10 and allowed just two hits and two walks as he delivered an ace-caliber performance to help a staff that’s at far less than full strength with Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta and Aaron Ashby on the injured list.
“I thought Corbin was as good as we’ve seen him this year,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.
The NL Cy Young Award winner’s performance was remarkably similar to his May 29 outing in an 8-0 victory at St. Louis.
In two starts against the Cardinals this season, Burnes has struck out 21 in 14 scoreless innings while allowing four hits and three walks. He posted a 1.64 ERA in 22 innings against the Cardinals last season.
The only two hits he allowed Monday came from Juan Yepez, who had a two-out double in the second inning and a two-out single in the seventh.
“His stuff’s electric,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “We know it is.”
Devin Williams retired the side in order in the eighth and Josh Hader worked the ninth for his 20th save in 21 opportunities. Hader had been reinstated earlier in the day after being with his family last week while his wife gave birth to their son, Lucas Alexander.
The Cardinals finished with three hits.
Brendan Donovan beat out an infield single to start the ninth but was thrown out attempting to reach second on a pitch that got away. Donovan was tagged on the heel by Brewers second baseman Luis Urías before sliding into the base.
“That (tag) saved the game right there,” Brewers catcher Omar Narváez said.
Hader then retired Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.
“It’s just a matter of knowing who you have behind you — Goldy and Nolan,” Marmol said of Donovan’s decision. “If you’re hitting seventh there and it’s a one-run ballgame, be aggressive. That’s something he’ll learn from. He’ll be fine.”
Burnes needed to be on top of his game to outduel St. Louis’ Miles Mikolas, who had come one strike away from a no-hitter last Tuesday before allowing a double to Cal Mitchell with two outs in the ninth inning of a 9-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The game was scoreless with each team having only one hit before the Brewers broke through in the bottom of the fifth.
After Keston Hiura singled with one out, Taylor hit a 2-2 sinker from Mikolas over the center-field wall. Taylor’s seventh homer of the season traveled an estimated 416 feet.
Mikolas (5-5) lasted 6 1/3 innings and allowed those two runs plus four hits while striking out three and walking two.
“It’s kind of whoever blinks first or (you) kind of know going out that it might be a one-swing ballgame,” Mikolas said. “They put a good swing on the ball, and that was it.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: OF Tyler O’Neill went on the injured list after straining his left hamstring while running the bases on a ninth-inning double Sunday in a 6-4 loss at Boston. “Something kind of grabbed on me a little bit rounding first base,” O’Neill said. The Cardinals recalled OF Lars Nootbaar from Triple-A Memphis. … General manager Michael Girsch indicated that Jordan Hicks will be preparing for a relief role during the right-hander’s rehabilitation assignment. Hicks entered the season with 112 career appearances — all in relief — but has started in seven of his nine outings this season and is 1-4 with a 5.02 ERA.
Brewers: Ashby went on the injured list retroactive to Friday with left forearm inflammation. Ashby had been scheduled to start Tuesday’s game. Ashby said before Monday’s game that he was struggling to throw his slider during his bullpen session Sunday. … Woodruff is scheduled to make a rehabilitation appearance Thursday for the Brewers’ Single-A affiliate in Appleton, Wisconsin. Woodruff went on the injured list three weeks ago with an ankle injury but has since been dealing with Raynaud’s syndrome, which causes decreased blood flow to the fingers.
UP NEXT
The series continues Tuesday as RHP Jack Flaherty (0-0, 6.00 ERA) starts for the Cardinals and RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (0-0, 7.71) makes his Brewers debut.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/burnes-brewers-blank-cards-2-0-move-alone-atop-nl-central/ | 2022-06-22T02:56:18Z |
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- ‘We are a service-based organization': Myers explains city diversity proposal as some protest | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_3c78e024-0aa7-11ed-b5e9-6b689dc0797f.html | 2022-07-23T19:53:32Z |
Theom is the data bodyguard to prevent breaches in the cloud
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Theom today announced that it closed an oversubscribed $16.4 million seed funding round to expand its cloud data security solution. Ridge Ventures led the round along with M12, Microsoft's Venture Fund. Theom is pioneering a new method of securing data in the cloud and SaaS data stores by ensuring that protection always follows the asset, adapting the security as environments change.
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global cloud storage market is projected to grow from $83.41 billion in 2022 to $376.37 billion by 2029. Until now, cloud data breaches have remained an unsolved problem because existing security controls are blind to the data they are attempting to protect. This lack of visibility results in security gaps and the inability to prioritize the thousands of security alerts that are generated. Theom brings a new approach to data security that identifies high-value assets, analyzes and prioritizes risks to the assets, and ensures security controls follow the data wherever it is moved, stored, copied or transacted.
"It's very clear that we are seeing an exponential increase in data being moved to the cloud," said Yousuf Khan, partner, Ridge Ventures. "Securing this data has become a top priority and many organizations have very little idea of where their sensitive data is being stored in their cloud environments. They don't have a clear picture of what the risks are to that data and which to prioritize. The Theom solution solves these challenges today."
Theom enables organizations to gain intelligence about the risks to high-value data and ensure existing security controls are properly armed to prevent data breaches by:
- Providing security intelligence for data at rest and in motion: Theom allows customers to gain an inventory of all data inside cloud and SaaS stores, APIs and message queues. It identifies high-value data including personal identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), trade secrets, financial information and custom data entities.
- Prioritizing cloud security risks based on potential for exposure of sensitive data: Theom automatically understands the content and criticality of data assets, including the financial value of data. It prioritizes risks to data based on the impact on the business, including risks arising from over-provisioned and atypical accesses. Theom enables enterprises to enforce least privilege access to data inside cloud stores.
- Preventing data breaches with controls that follow the data: With Theom, data security, assurance, and compliance controls follow the data. Risks are quickly mitigated with guided remediations. Theom monitors the data with guardrails that are kept up to date with industry best practices and threat intelligence on recent breaches and cloud ransomware.
"For industries like financial services, healthcare and other sectors, Theom is a transformational data security solution companies are looking for," said Mony Hassid, managing director, M12. "Theom solves a fundamental challenge to data protection in the cloud. Theom's compute runs inside the customer's cloud, enabling customers to bring security to their data wherever it may be, and works with existing security controls to deliver the strongest protection against breaches – all accomplished with no data leaving the customer's jurisdiction."
Theom's leadership team has a proven track record of successfully building and bringing to the market planet-scale data, cloud and security products at Cisco, Google, Yahoo, Zscaler and IBM, with a demonstrated ability to execute on vision. By understanding both data and access identities, Theom pinpoints the biggest risks to high-value data and prioritizes remediation more effectively. Theom integrates with identity access management (IAM), infrastructure controls, security information and event management (SIEM), security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR), and ticketing systems to increase the return-on-investment of the overall security program.
"Theom's approach to cloud data security takes inspiration from how the Secret Service protects high-value assets– the president and VIPs," said Navindra Yadav, CEO and co-founder, Theom. "Theom ensures controls follow the data like a bodyguard – just like the Secret Service bodyguards do – by identifying high-value assets, assessing risks continuously, ensuring that protection always follows, and adapting the security as environments change."
Theom is an innovative data security company that is the bodyguard for data in the cloud. It identifies high-value data, prioritizes risks to data based on the impact on the business, and ensures security controls always follow the data whether it is stored, moved, copied or transacted. Theom addresses Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) and Data Detection and Response (DDR) markets. Additional information is available at www.theom.ai
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SOURCE Theom | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/13/theom-raises-16-million-seed-round-change-future-cloud-data-security/ | 2022-09-13T13:10:44Z |
GUADALAJARA, Mexico, July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Betterware de Mexico S.A.P.I. de C.V. (NASDAQ: BWMX), ("Betterware" or the "Company"), announced today its consolidated financial results for the second quarter fiscal year 2022. The figures presented in this report are expressed in nominal Mexican Pesos (Ps.) unless otherwise noted, presented and approved by the Board of Directors, prepared in accordance with IFRS, and may include minor differences due to rounding. The Company will host a conference call at 9:00 am (Eastern Time) on July 29, 2022, to discuss its results for the second quarter of 2022.
Key Highlights of Q2 2022
- Betterware is positioned to continue its history of growth in the future and maintain its hallmarks of high profitability, strong balance sheet and cash flow generation.
- JAFRA acquisition contributes to the Group's revenue growth, profitability and cashflow generation.
- Company introduces guidance inclusive of the acquisition of JAFRA, noting that due to a tougher external environment than anticipated, it expects 2022 net revenues and EBITDA for Betterware de Mexico to be lower than its previous guidance. A revised consolidated guidance for the year, including JAFRA, is released.
Luis G. Campos, Executive Chairman of the Board, stated, "The completion of the acquisition of Jafra on April 7th is instrumental to our future growth plans, as we are now a multi-channel group with unique brands in different product segments, targeting similar consumer profiles and distribution channels in Mexico and the U.S. We are excited about our growth prospects as a group and are confident on our talented team´s ability and defined action plans to capitalize on the opportunities that lie ahead, even in uncertain periods.
The first half of 2022 has presented relevant challenges, with a tougher than expected external environment and increased uncertainty, which negatively impacted our consumers and our associates and distributors. In this context, we continued to advance our key priorities. We stabilized Betterware´s associate and distributor base at approximately 880 thousand and 44 thousand respectively for the last eight weeks, while showing signs of recovery in the last two weeks and maintaining the activity levels, resulting in average weekly sales of more than double of our pre-pandemic comparable period, and we capitalized on opportunities to expand our reach with the successful completion of the JAFRA acquisition. We are confident that this stabilization period, after the extraordinary growth experienced since the pandemic began, is setting the base for future revenue and EBITDA growth in the years to come.
We maintain our focus on our long-term growth opportunities which will allow us to maximize value for all Betterware's stakeholders in the long term."
Luis G. Campos
Executive Chairman of the Board
JAFRA Acquisition
On April 7, 2022, the Company announced the successful completion of the acquisition of 100% of JAFRA's operations in Mexico and the United States, along with JAFRA´s trademark rights worldwide.
JAFRA, a leading company in the beauty and personal care products industry, is a strong and well positioned international brand with access to millions of households in Mexico and in the U.S. through its direct selling business model.
The acquisition provides a unique opportunity for us to enter an attractive and complementary new industry for Betterware, with estimated annual revenues in Mexico and the U.S. of approximately US$100 billion, with the proven experience of JAFRA´s management team.
The transaction, which is expected to be highly accretive for Betterware since its first year adding approximately Ps. 550M to EBITDA in 2022*, was funded primarily by debt, on a debt-free, cash-free basis with a purchase price of US$246M, an attractive valuation even without considering any of the identified cost synergies of between US$10M and US$15M per year.
We are confident in our ability to accelerate JAFRA´s profitable growth by leveraging our scale and infrastructure, by replicating Betterware´s three strategic pillars into JAFRA´s day to day operations.
Consolidated Group
The incorporation of JAFRA allows us to create a multi-channel group with unique brands in different product segments, targeting similar consumer profiles and distribution channels in Mexico and the U.S.
JAFRA and Betterware share the key features that will allow us for continued success going forward:
- Asset-light business models with low CAPEX requirements
- High profitability and high free cash flow generation
- Flexibility to promptly adapt to different market conditions and consumption trends.
Our action plans for each company, described below, have been defined to regain growth and successfully expand our business towards additional international markets, such as the United States in the case of Betterware, and Colombia and Peru in future years in the case of the consolidated group.
All of this will be possible thanks to JAFRA´s and Betterware´s outstanding and experienced management teams, which will remain focused on their respective business, operating as independent companies, supported by the new corporate structure announced in February 2022, which will be overseeing both companies.
Q2 2022 Operating Metrics and Consolidated Results
- Net Revenues
Net revenues for Q2 2022 increased 25% to Ps. 3,242.9M from Ps. 2,594.5M in Q2 2021, mainly explained the inclusion of JAFRA´s net revenues since the acquisition was completed on April 7th, 2022.
Betterware's net revenues reflect the following three factors:
- Back to normal consumption: Shifts in consumption of product categories
- Back to normal activities: Effects of spring vacation, Labor Day, Mother´s Day and Teacher´s Day, which have always temporarily affected sales
- Inflation: impact in the consumers´ disposable income
These three factors resulted in higher-than-average weekly churn rates in our associates and distributors base in Betterware. For the period, on average we had 44.4 thousand distributors, 32% lower than in Q2 2021, and 908.0 thousand associates, 25% lower than in Q2 2021.
These factors also impacted performance in JAFRA, where on average we had 22.4 thousand leaders, 7% lower than in Q2 2021, and 409.7 thousand consultants, 10% lower than in Q2 2021.
- Gross Margin
Gross margin expanded 1,230 bps to 69.1% in Q2 2022 from 56.8% in Q2 2021, mainly due to the incorporation of JAFRA´s operations to our business, reflecting its higher gross margin profile.
Betterware´s Gross margin expanded 41 bps to 57.2% in Q2 2022 from 56.8% in Q2 2021, due to the increase in our product prices of 12% previously announced, efficient cost management and the stabilization of supply chains, which allowed us to offset cost pressures and discounted sales to reduce inventory levels for the quarter.
- EBITDA
For the second quarter of 2022, consolidated EBITDA decreased 20% Year-on-Year to Ps. 595.3M, compared to Ps. 746.0M in Q2 2021, of which Betterware represented Ps. 383.3M of consolidated EBITDA and JAFRA, in turn, Ps. 212.1M.
For Betterware, EBITDA decreased due to the lower revenue and operating leverage relative to the prior year period, as SG&A expenses represented 34.9% of net revenues for Q2 2022, compared to 28.8% of Q2 2021.
Consolidated EBITDA margin contracted 1,039 bps to 18.4% in Q2 2022 compared to 28.8% in Q2 2021, reflecting the incorporation of Jafra into the results, which historically has had a lower EBITDA margin than Betterware, which opens the opportunity for us to improve JAFRA´s cost structure and increase margins in the future.
During the quarter, we cut fixed costs in Betterware to adjust to the new level of revenues going forward which led us to incur in one-time expenses of approximately Ps. 15M related to the restructuring of our workforce, which should positively reflect on EBITDA margins in the future.
- Net Income
For the second quarter of 2022, consolidated Net Income decreased 45% Year-on-Year to Ps. 252.0M, compared to Ps. 460.9M in 1H 2021, which only considers JAFRA results since the acquisition was completed on April 7th, 2022.
Adjusted consolidated Net Income, which excludes non-cash income of Ps. 28.3M related to the unrealized gain in mark-to-market valuation of financial derivative instruments, which do not affect the Company´s cash flows or operating income, decreased 48%. Adjusted Earnings per Share were Ps. 5.99.
1H 2022 Operating Metrics and Consolidated Results
- Net Revenues
Net revenues for 1H 2022 decreased 7% to Ps. 5,112.1M from Ps. 5,496.1M in 1H 2021, which only considers JAFRA´s results since the acquisition was completed.
The lower level of consolidated net revenue resulted mainly from the effects of the return to normality and high inflation rates previously described in the Q2 2022 Results section, deriving in a lower average distributor and associates' base in Betterware and lower level of consultants and leaders in JAFRA.
- Gross Margin
Consolidated gross margin expanded 991 bps to 67.1% in 1H 2022 from 57.1% in Q1 2021, mostly explained by the inclusion of JAFRA´s operations to the business during the second quarter, reflecting its higher gross margin profile.
Betterware´s gross margin expanded 348 bps, mainly driven by the product price increase of 12% announced at the beginning of the year, efficient cost management and planning for freight expenses.
- EBITDA
For the first half of 2022, consolidated EBITDA decreased 32% Year-on-Year to Ps. 1,143.1M, compared to Ps. 1,669.6M in 1H 2021, which only considers JAFRA´s results since the acquisition was completed. Betterware represented approximately 81% of consolidated EBITDA for the period.
Consolidated EBITDA margin contracted 802 bps to 22.4% in 1H 2022 compared to 30.4% in 1H 2021, reflecting JAFRAs inclusion to the results.
For Betterware, EBITDA margin contracted 356 bps to 26.8% in 1H 2022 compared to 30.4% in 1H 2021, reflecting the extremely tough comparison base, a lower operating leverage in line with the current level of sales, and higher operating expenses due to surging inflation.
- Net Income
For the first half of 2022, consolidated Net Income decreased 53% Year-on-Year to Ps. 519.3M, compared to Ps. 1,099.4M in 1H 2021, which only considers JAFRA´s results since the acquisition was completed.
Adjusted consolidated Net Income, which excludes non-cash expense of Ps. 71.1M related to the unrealized loss in mark-to-market valuation of financial derivative instruments, which do not affect the Company´s cash flows or operating income, decreased 37%, explained by a lower EBITDA and higher interest expense due to the acquisition of JAFRA. Adjusted Earnings per Share were Ps. 15.82.
Strong Balance Sheet
As of the end of Q2 2022, the Company's financial position remains strong, reflecting the main attributes of our differentiated business model, namely high cash flow generation and asset light business model.
The mainly debt funded acquisition of JAFRA, which resulted in a cash outflow of Ps. 574M from our balance sheet, increased our leverage ratio to 2.2x Net Debt to EBITDA in Q2 2022, considering Betterware´s last twelve months EBITDA and JAFRA´s 1H 2022 Annualized Adjusted EBITDA. While our position remains strong and conservative, we are confident that Betterware´s and JAFRA´s high cash flow generation nature will allow us to gradually deleverage going forward.
As of Q2 2022, our Balance Sheet includes approximately Ps. 482M in additional inventory proactively acquired at the beginning of the year in response to supply chain disruptions and to a lesser extent the ending inventory also reflects lower-than-expected sales. As we expect the global supply chain situation to normalize, our inventory levels are expected to be gradually reduced during Q3 2022 and going forward, which will improve our cash conversion cycle, without impacting our gross margins.
Outlined Action Plan
- Betterware
From the start of the second half of 2021 to date, Betterware and the home solutions market experienced a downturn due to the return to normality, following the extraordinary growth during the COVID period, namely from Q1 2020 to Q1 2021, which resulted in a 211% growth in our average weekly gross revenues and a 183% growth in our average associate and distributor base.
The effects of the return to normality have been amplified by a softer-than-expected economic environment and a weaker consumer spending, which has been impacted by the highest inflation rate in Mexico since 2001, which has decreased spending on discretionary products. In fact, according to the market study we entrusted to one of the most prestigious companies in its field in Mexico, the market size for household products temporarily expanded from approximately Ps. 82 billion in 2019 to approximately Ps. 134 billion in 2020, and in 2021 it normalized back to its pre-pandemic level. In turn, we managed to expand our average weekly gross revenues from Ps. 119M in Q2 2019 to Ps. 240M weekly gross revenues in 2Q 2022, representing a 26% CAGR. This resulted in an increase in market share to 7.7% in 2021, up from 5.0% in 2020, due to our successful business model.
During this uncertain and unusual period, we have remained focused on maintaining profitability while taking internal action to stabilize and improve our business trend. During the first quarter of 2022 we recovered our profitability levels thanks to the flexibility and resiliency of our business model, while during the second quarter, we stabilized our network of associates and distributors, maintaining our base at approximately 880 thousand and 44 thousand respectively, for the last eight weeks of the quarter and showing signs of recovery in the last two. While the churn rates for associates and distributors for the quarter remained at higher than usual weekly rates, at 3.6% and 2.1% respectively, we have seen this trending back to normal levels during the last eight weeks of the period, which has us optimistic that our network will start to experience growth prior to year-end and continuing going forward. It is important to mention that we have experienced an associate growth month-to-date in July 2022, being the first month since February 2021 that we grow our salesforce.
In this market downturn, both associates and distributors have remained active, with weekly rates of 28.2% and 78.3% respectively for the quarter, resulting in average weekly sales today more than double of our pre-pandemic comparable period (Q2 2019), expanding our market share to 7.7% and our household penetration to 29%, attaining a stronger brand positioning and market dominance. This proves the resiliency of our business model, where we´ve been able to retain Associates and Distributors, despite a normalization in demand.
The home solutions market pre-pandemic secular trends remain valid and stronger than ever. To seize the opportunity that these trends bring and return to growth, we are deploying several initiatives based on our three strategic pillars:
- Grow the core: reinforce our position in core categories (e.g. Home Organization, Space Optimization, and Cooking, and Commuting Solutions, which lost share in our sales during the downturn and are ready to regain relevance).
- Expand our portfolio into promising Concepts, such as: Bedding, Home Entertainment, Kids, Pets, Tabletop, and Drinkware. Additionally, we are developing an innovative "cleaning products" line, which could disrupt the market, and increase the frequency of purchase from our customers. More to come soon.
- Upgrading our e-commerce website, which should increase our penetration, attracting customers we don´t reach with our traditional model. It is important to stand out that (1) we will keep a model in which our Associates and Distributors are benefited from these customers, and (2) since our launch in December 2020, we´ve learned many details that we are adapting to make this platform successful in the medium term.
- The recent rollout of our new Betterware Plus app should yield more retention and activity, as our Associates and Distributors enjoy the new and improved benefits of this new platform.
- Undergoing a process of evaluation of data analysis capabilities at JAFRA and Betterware, to replicate best practices in both companies.
As mentioned before, we have two main avenues for organic growth: expanding household penetration and increasing share of wallet.
Our household penetration in Mexico expanded from 24% in 2020 to 29% in 2021, according to the latest market study concluded in March 2022. Relevant opportunities to further expand our household penetration and reach our target 40% include:
- Refocused rewards program to incentivize associate and distributor growth and reactivation.
- Hybrid model between personal contact and technology. Relaunched person-to-person companion program, which allows distributors to support their associates in developing their business leveraging on technological tools.
- Revamping of the physical and digital catalogues. Enabled first dual strategy through QR codes on the physical catalogue, strengthening our digital catalogue design.
- Social selling and social influencing. Currently working on this front, the progress will be shared in the coming quarters.
As for increasing our share of wallet, the results of the market study referred above, clearly identify the existing market size opportunity in various categories and concepts we participate in. With this new knowledge, we are ready to ride the curve back to growth as the Home and Life Solutions market stabilizes:
- Innovation. Continue increasing market penetration in core categories as we mentioned above.
- Expand to new categories, as we also mentioned above in the Product Innovation pillar.
- Pricing Strategy. Revised pricing strategy will focus on delivering great value packages to fuel consumer´s desire to buy as disposable income remains pressured. Furthermore, we are adjusting prices to reflect the recent decline in container costs, which will further incentive consumers to purchase our products.
In terms of our international expansion plans to support our long-term growth:
- We started our initial assessment and are in the process of finding the right team to lead the expansion of Betterware to the United States with the aim of starting operations in Q4 2023.
- For the longer term, we target further international expansion to South America, namely Colombia and Peru, between 2025 and 2026.
- JAFRA
Having completed the acquisition of JAFRA in 2022, we are focused on reaccelerating its growth to high single-digit or low double-digit in the near term beginning in 2023, as well as improving its profitability and cash flow generation. We are confident we can achieve our objectives by replicating Betterware´s three strategic pillars into JAFRA´s day to day operations, and we have been intensively working to set up the conditions to achieve our growth and profitability objectives:
- Product Innovation: implementing our best practices to achieve a successful and enhanced innovation pipeline in JAFRA´s product line.
- Technology: focusing our digital efforts through a comprehensive strategy to provide a better experience for consumers.
- Business Intelligence: replicating Betterware´s big data capabilities to improve JAFRA´s understanding of the market and accelerate its market penetration.
- Finance: As for efficiencies and synergies, for 2023 are expected to be in the range of Ps. 200M and Ps. 300M million. These include:
For the rest of 2022 and going forward, we will continue the integration process and the evaluation of efficiency and growth opportunities.
Growth Expectations for 2022
Given our consolidated results for the first half of the year, we expect our consolidated net revenues to be in the range of Ps. 12,800M and Ps. 14,200M, and our consolidated EBITDA to be in the range of Ps. 2,400 and Ps. 2,700M, which include JAFRA's full year 2022 results. Our full year expectations per company, including JAFRA´s full year results, are as follows:
In the longer term, we are fully confident of our growth opportunities in the years to come.
For Betterware, we remain confident we will reach our target of 40% household penetration in Mexico, as well as expand our geographic reach, starting with expansion to the United States, which we have already started the initial evaluation process, and expect to start operations by Q4 2023.
And for JAFRA, we are confident that based on our three strategic pillars of product innovation, technology and business intelligence, and executing on the efficiency strategies we have already identified, we will reignite its revenue growth while improving its EBITDA margins in the short and long term.
Dividend
The prevailing macroeconomic outlook is characterized by low growth, high inflation and increasing interest rates for the coming months and, furthermore, supply chain disruptions remain at present and can potentially prevail in the future. In this context, we remain focused on Jafra's efficient integration and consolidation in the short-term.
Based on the above and considering the revenue decline year-to-date, our Board of Directors has proposed to adjust the dividend payment to Ps. 200M for the quarter, a sustainable level even in this uncertain environment, prioritizing company's financial strength after the temporary cash reduction in our balance sheet due to the initial cash investment of Ps. 574M related to the acquisition of Jafra, as well as other investments aimed at unleashing JAFRA's full potential and enhancing its value through investments in venues like Business Intelligence and further IT capabilities, coupled with severance payments due to workforce restructuring, a temporary increase in inventories aimed at preserving an adequate service level to our customers, and anticipating higher interest payments due to rising interest rates.
The dividend is subject to approval at the Ordinary General Shareholders' Meeting of August 19th, 2022.
In the longer term, we remain fully confident in our ability to generate strong cash flows and continue to return value to our shareholders through constant and growing dividend payments as our businesses continue to grow. As the situation stabilizes and our strategies begin to show results in JAFRA, the board will analyze the long-term sustainable dividend policy.
Share Repurchase Program
During the second quarter, we paused the execution of our share repurchase program due to the completion of the JAFRA acquisition. We will continue to conservatively analyze the appropriate execution of the repurchase program, as we remain focused on maximizing long-term shareholder´s value while maintaining a strong balance sheet.
Use of Non-IFRS Financial Measures
This announcement includes certain references to EBITDA, EBITDA Margin, Net Debt:
EBITDA: defined as profit for the year adding back the depreciation of property, plant and equipment and right of use assets, amortization of intangible assets, financing cost, net and total income taxes
EBITDA Margin: is calculated by dividing EBITDA by net revenues
EBITDA and EBITDA Margin are not measures recognized under IFRS and should not be considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, consolidated net income for the year as determined in accordance with IFRS or as indicators of our operating performance from continuing operations. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this information and should note that these measures as calculated by the Company, may differ materially from similarly titled measures reported by other companies.
Betterware believes that these non-IFRS financial measures are useful to investors because (i) Betterware uses these measures to analyze its financial results internally and believes they represent a measure of operating profitability and (ii) these measures will serve investors to understand and evaluate Betterware's EBITDA and provide more tools for their analysis as it makes Betterware's results comparable to industry peers that also prepare these measures.
About Betterware de México, S.A.P.I. de C.V.
Founded in 1995, Betterware de Mexico is the leading direct-to-consumer company in Mexico focused on creating innovative products that solve specific needs regarding organization, practicality, space saving and hygiene within the household. Betterware's wide product portfolio includes home organization, kitchen, commuting, laundry and cleaning, as well as other categories that include products and solutions for every corner of the household.
The Company has a differentiated two-tier network of distributors and associates that sell their products through twelve catalogues per year. All products are designed by the Company and under the Betterware brand name through its different sources of product innovation. The Company's state-of-the-art infrastructure allows it to safely and timely deliver its products to every part of the country, backed by the strategic location of its national distribution center. Today, the Company distributes its products in Mexico and Guatemala, and has plans of additional international expansion.
Supported by its asset light business model and its three strategic pillars of Product Innovation, Business Intelligence and Technology, Betterware has been able to achieve sustainable double-digit growth rates by successfully expanding its household penetration and share of wallet.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain statements that are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as "believe," "may," "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "should", "would", "plan", "predict", "potential", "seem", "seek," "future," "outlook", and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. The reader should understand that the results obtained may differ from the projections contained in this document and that many factors could cause our actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward looking statements. For this reason, the Company assumes no responsibility for any indirect factors or elements beyond its control that might occur inside Mexico or abroad and which might affect the outcome of these projections and encourages you to review the 'Cautionary Statement' and the 'Risk Factor' sections of our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 and any of the Company's other applicable filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for additional information concerning factors that could cause those differences
The Company undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Further information on risks and uncertainties that may affect the Company's operations and financial performance, and the forward statements contained herein, is available in the Company's filings with the SEC. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.
Q2 2022 Conference Call
Management will hold a conference call with investors on July 29, 2022 at 8:00 am Central Standard Time (CST)/ 9:00am Eastern Time (EST). For anyone who wishes to join live, the dial-in information is:
Toll Free: 1-877-451-6152
Toll/International: 1-201-389-0879
Conference ID: 13731394
If you wish to listen to the replay of the conference call, please see instructions below:
Toll Free: 1-844-512-2921
Toll/International: 1-412-317-6671
Replay Pin Number: 13731394
* JAFRA´s 2022 estimated EBITDA after the closing of the acquisition, which excludes adjusted EBITDA of Ps. 158.4M pertaining to January 1st to April 6th,2022.
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SOURCE Betterware de México, S.A.B. de C.V. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/28/betterware-reports-second-quarter-fiscal-year-2022-results/ | 2022-07-28T21:46:52Z |
HOUSTON (KIAH) — Goodbye, summer. Hello, (meteorological) fall!
The autumnal equinox, which marks the beginning of astronomical fall, isn’t scheduled to arrive until Sept. 22. But for weather and climate record-keeping purposes, the seasons are neatly divided into “meteorological” seasons of three months each — and “meteorological fall” consists of September, October and November.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center believes that most of the U.S. is likely to experience warmer-than-normal temperatures over the course of September, October and November.
The map below shows nearly the entire country in shades or orange, indicating NOAA’s forecast for a warm fall. The darker shades of orange around Colorado and the Northeast mean those states are the most likely to see hotter-than-average temperatures.
The rain outlook isn’t quite as clear, but favors a drier-than-normal season for a large swath of the country. Only Washington state and Florida are looking wetter than usual, while Colorado, Utah, southern Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky all have especially high chances of a dry meteorological fall.
Some of the most populated areas, along the coasts, for example, fall in the “equal chances” category. This doesn’t mean these areas will see near-normal precipitation, but rather that these areas have an equal chance of above-normal, below-normal or near-normal precipitation. Essentially, there is no clear indicator to make a confident forecast one way or another.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center weighs several factors into their long-range outlooks. One of those is the ongoing La Niña pattern. La Niña means the sea surface temperatures of the Pacific Ocean near the equator are cooler than normal, which impacts global weather patterns in a specific way.
The warm temperatures and potentially dry skies are an ongoing drought concern, a NOAA spokesperson told Nexstar earlier this month. La Niña lasting through the fall and winter would likely mean making a very bad drought even worse for the band of states from California to Texas, which are seeing the worst drought conditions.
The outlook for September, specifically, indicates that temperatures in a large area of the West are leaning toward warmer-than-normal. But there’s also a large area (mainly in the Southeast) in the vague “equal chances” range.
September’s precipitation outlook is even more tricky. Again, a large area falls in the “equal chances” forecast zone. Of course, in September, the wild card for the Gulf Coast states is the arrival of a tropical system. As of Wednesday, a named storm is not expected to make landfall within the next five days.
La Niña, which often has an impact on hurricane season in the Atlantic, runs through November. La Niña years typically correspond with busy and especially destructive hurricane seasons, and this year NOAA expects somewhere between three and five “major” hurricanes to form. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/noaa-releases-fall-outlook-predicting-warm-and-dry-weather-for-many/ | 2022-08-31T18:47:43Z |
Southeastern Grocers Inc. is launching a community donation program benefiting the American Red Cross to raise funds in preparation for peak hurricane season.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Southeastern Grocers Inc., the parent company and home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is launching a community donation program benefiting the American Red Cross to raise funds in preparation for peak hurricane season.
Customers can help equip the nonprofit by donating $1, $5 or simply rounding up their grocery bill while shopping at their local Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores through Sept. 27.
According to the National Hurricane Center, mid-August to mid-October is considered the most active months of hurricane season with the peak approaching on Sept. 10. Every dollar donated through SEG’s community donation program will help support Red Cross Disaster Relief, which provides essential aid to those affected by disasters across the country, including food, shelter, relief supplies, emotional support, recovery planning and other assistance.
“As a grocer serving five coastal states in the Southeast, our communities have weathered many storms and we know first-hand the devastation that hurricanes leave in their wake," Raymond Rhee, the chief people officer for Southeastern Grocers, said in a news release. "Storm recovery takes a village, and a big part of that village is the Red Cross.
"It’s vital we ensure our relief organizations are well-equipped when disaster strikes because it can mean the difference between life and death. Every dollar donated at our registers will go toward American Red Cross Disaster Relief to support communities in their greatest times of need.”
SEG has a long-standing partnership with the Red Cross, a national nonprofit whose mission is preventing and alleviating human suffering in the face of emergencies through the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Last year, SEG, together with the SEG Gives Foundation and generous customers, donated more than $815,000 to aid and support disaster relief efforts.
Donations to Red Cross Disaster Relief enable the organization to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie customers can conveniently donate in their local stores through Sept. 27 to support communities and the nonprofit’s mission.
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WORKING WITH NON-PROFIT PHIT AMERICA
WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Billie Jean King joins PHIT America to help kids all over the nation improve their physical and mental health by implementing new school physical activity programs using the Billie Jean King Eye Coach Brain Training system (BJK-BTS).
"American school aged children ranked last in children's physical health in a recent UNICEF study," King said. "Now, PHIT America and the Eye Coach Brain Training System are a viable solution to combat this challenge. The program is also shown to improve academic performance in helping kids focus and do better in the classroom."
PHIT America is on a mission to get fifty million kids active through its school program, AMPED. This incentivized running/walking program incorporates BJK-BTS, which develops focus and ball-striking skills. Kids are motivated to learn important basic physical skills that help them throughout life including their ability to find success in sports, notably tennis. For youth, tennis is especially beneficial in promoting social skills, sportsmanship and physical fitness.
PHIT America's AMPED program with BJK-BTS is part of a three-step pathway, including PLAY TENNIS and USTA's NET GENERATION that evolve to play opportunities in community-based programs.
This approach provides a natural collaboration with the United States Tennis Association, a supporter of PHIT America, as the organization is also very involved with the pathway. Craig Morris, Chief Executive, Community Tennis for the USTA, adds, "The USTA and PHIT have a like-minded focus to create active opportunities for children around the country. Working together, we will get kids moving, keep them healthy and get more of them playing the great sport of tennis."
Jim Baugh, Founder of PHIT America, says we have a perfect partnership. "Billie has made a major investment in our kids and schools with her Eye Coach Brain Training system in conjunction with the USTA's focus on getting more kids playing a lifetime, healthy sport. Together, we are creating PHIT Kids, who are healthier, smarter, and happier. We have already helped over 1300 schools and 740,000 children and now we can help millions of kids with this partnership."
The team is meeting with major companies and foundations to expand their impact in helping America's children. "We need others to step up," says King. "Fifty million kids need our help. We have the solution, and we can make a major and immediate difference."
Interested companies, foundations or individuals should visit PHITAmerica.org or contact Jim Baugh at Jim@PHITAmerica.org.
PHIT America is a non-profit organization, established in 2013, leading a national 'Movement' to greatly improve the physical and mental health of 50 million children in the USA, with a plan to beat the Inactivity Pandemic. All data and research sources can be found at IP.PHITAmerica.org. PHIT America is led by Sports Industry and Tennis Industry Hall of Fame Inductee, and former President of Wilson Sporting Goods, Jim Baugh.
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SOURCE PHIT America Foundation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/04/billie-jean-king-joins-crusade-childrens-health-education/ | 2022-08-04T17:48:16Z |
CALGARY, AB, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Decibel Cannabis Company Inc. (the "Company" or "Decibel") (TSXV: DB) (OTCQB: DBCCF), announces that the Company has determined to postpone its annual general meeting (the "Meeting") of holders of common shares (the "Shareholders") of the Company that was scheduled to be held at 2:00 p.m. (Calgary time) on Thursday, September 1, 2022.
The Company is postponing the Meeting in an effort to encourage greater Shareholder participation at the Meeting. To date, the Company has received proxies from just under one-third of the Shareholders with an unusual number of withheld votes compared to prior annual general meetings of the Company. The board of directors of the Company (the "Board") has decided that it is in the best interest of the Company and its Shareholders to postpone the Meeting to allow for a broader level of participation by Shareholders to ensure good corporate governance and to give the Board time to hear any concerns that any Shareholder may have. The new Meeting date will be announced at a later date.
About Decibel
Decibel is uncompromising in the process and craftsmanship needed to deliver the highest quality cannabis products and retail experiences. Decibel has three operating production houses along with its wholly owned retail business, Prairie Records. The Qwest Estate in Creston, BC is a licensed and operating 26,000 square foot cultivation space which produces the widely championed, rare cultivar-focused brands Qwest and Qwest Reserve, which are sold in six provinces across Canada. Thunderchild Cultivation, is a licensed and operating 80,000 square foot indoor cultivation facility in Battleford, SK. The Plant, Decibel's extraction facility, in Calgary, AB has 15,000 square feet of Health Canada licensed extraction and product development space. This production house will fuel the growth of our brands Qwest, Qwest Reserve, Blendcraft, and General Admission, into new and innovative product formats like concentrates, vapes, edibles and beyond.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
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SOURCE Decibel Cannabis Company Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/decibel-announces-postponement-annual-meeting-shareholders/ | 2022-09-01T04:34:00Z |
Duncan Robinson made eight 3-pointers for Miami. Jonas Valanciunas grabbed 25 rebounds for New Orleans. Anthony Edwards scored 36 points for Minnesota in his playoff debut. Phoenix’s Chris Paul became the oldest player in postseason history with a 30-point, 10-assist game.
Game 1s brought greatness out of some.
Game 2s will give others a bounce-back chance.
A trio of Game 2s are on Tuesday’s NBA schedule — Atlanta at Miami, Minnesota at Memphis and New Orleans at Phoenix. The top-seeded Heat in the East and top-seeded Suns in the West both opened the postseason quests with double-digit home wins, while the seventh-seeded Timberwolves struck first on the Grizzlies’ home floor.
Atlanta’s Trae Young was held to a career-worst-tying 1-for-12 shooting and a season-low eight points by a swarming Miami defense on Sunday. Memphis’ Ja Morant scored 32 points, but missed 10 of his last 13 shots from the floor against Minnesota on Saturday. And New Orleans’ CJ McCollum scored 25 points, keeping his team in it much of the way Sunday, though started 2 for 12 and finished 9 for 25.
“I didn’t push tempo enough. … Playing against the No. 1 seed, you’ve got to make shots and got to be able to score with them,” McCollum said.
The Pelicans and Hawks were both playing a third game in a span of five days Sunday, each doing so in three different cities. They had play-in games at home on Wednesday, then traveled for another one Friday — Atlanta to Cleveland, New Orleans to Los Angeles to face the Clippers — then had to get back on planes for Game 1s in Miami and Phoenix.
Monday will be a day to get settled, and it stands to reason that Tuesday will be smoother for both.
“We cannot be an excuse team,” Atlanta’s Danilo Gallinari said. “We have to be ready to play.”
Adjustments will be made, as always, between Game 1 and Game 2. The Hawks must find ways to get Young to his spots. The Pelicans can’t let Paul shoot 12 for 16 again. The Timberwolves know they’ll get Memphis’ best shot, since the Grizzlies clearly can’t afford to go down 0-2 at home.
Veterans know Game 1s are never worth making snap judgments over, because series narratives can and often do change in Game 2s.
“You never get too high, never get too low,” Miami guard Kyle Lowry said. “I’ve lost a bunch of Game 1s and won the series. I’ve won a couple Game 1s and lost the series. You’ve got to be able to stay even-keeled, no matter what.”
Tuesday’s games:
HAWKS AT HEAT
Miami leads 1-0. Game 2, 7:30 p.m. EDT, TNT.
— NEED TO KNOW: Young was held below 15 points on five previous occasions this season. In the game immediately following those contests, he averaged 30.8 points on 54% from the field and 98% from the foul line. He will be super-aggressive on Tuesday.
— KEEP AN EYE ON: The Heat won by 24 and got only 12 points, combined, from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. The Heat didn’t need them to score much, not with Robinson scoring 27 off the bench, but it’s also tough to expect both Adebayo and Herro to remain quiet in Game 2.
— INJURY WATCH: Hawks C Clint Capela (knee hyperextension) expected to remain out.
— PRESSURE IS ON: Miami. The Heat can’t give Atlanta momentum to go home with. The Hawks, including the play-in, have gone 28-14 at home this season and that — statistically improbable as it may seem — includes a 10-game losing streak. The Hawks lost every home game they played from Nov. 27 through Jan. 15, but are 20-3 in their building since. That’s the best home record in the NBA over that span.
TIMBERWOLVES AT GRIZZLIES
Minnesota leads 1-0. Game 2, 8:30 p.m. EDT, NBA TV.
— NEED TO KNOW: The Timberwolves led the NBA in 3-pointers made during the regular season and showed that prowess in Game 1, outscoring Memphis 48-21 from beyond the arc. What should further concern the Grizzlies is that they allowed 130 points on a night where D’Angelo Russell shot just 2 for 11.
— KEEP AN EYE ON: Morant. Memphis’ best player was 5 for 5 in the first quarter of Game 1, 3 for 13 from the field the rest of the way. He attempted 20 free throws, which speaks to his aggressiveness, but the Grizzlies can’t have Morant making three baskets over 36 minutes and expect success.
— INJURY WATCH: Nothing of great significance. Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns was limping a bit in the final minutes of Saturday’s win after turning one of his ankles, but finished the game.
— PRESSURE IS ON: Memphis. Completely, totally on Memphis. If the Grizzlies watched Minnesota’s play-in game (and they obviously did), they would be aware of the atmosphere that awaits them when this series shifts back to Minneapolis later this week. A 2-0 deficit will prove very tough to overcome. Tuesday is absolutely huge to the Grizzlies’ hopes.
PELICANS AT SUNS
Phoenix leads 1-0. Game 2, 10 p.m. EDT, TNT.
— NEED TO KNOW: All five Suns-Pelicans games have been decided by double figures this season, Phoenix now going 4-1 in those matchups. Paul, a couple of weeks shy of his 37th birthday, was a maestro in Game 1.
— KEEP AN EYE ON: Even though Phoenix won Game 1, a 55-35 rebounding deficit will need to be addressed in Game 2.
— INJURY WATCH: New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram seemed to be laboring through some ankle issues in the second half of Game 1.
— PRESSURE IS ON: Phoenix. New Orleans shouldn’t feel any pressure in this series, even if elimination looms. The previous team to make the playoffs with a 36-46 record or worse was the Boston Celtics in 2004. The Pelicans are playing with house money the rest of the way and the Suns probably would be wise to not give them more reasons to believe.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/for-some-game-2s-in-nba-playoffs-provide-bounce-back-chance/ | 2022-04-19T10:59:27Z |
Dog badly injured after defending woman from mountain lion attack, owner says
Published: May. 18, 2022 at 2:47 PM EDT|Updated: 20 minutes ago
BIG BAR, Calif. (AP) - A woman attacked by a mountain lion in Northern California says her dog jumped to her defense and was badly wounded in protecting her.
Erin Wilson said her Belgian Malinois named Eva is a hero for grappling with the cougar on Monday near the Trinity River during a walk.
Wilson was scratched when the animal lunged, but Eva jumped in and was grabbed by the head and dragged.
The dog owner said the cougar wouldn’t let go even when she attacked it with rocks, sticks and her fists.
Wilson and another woman finally managed to drive it off, but authorities say Eva is in guarded condition.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/05/18/dog-badly-injured-after-defending-woman-mountain-lion-attack-owner-says/ | 2022-05-18T19:08:21Z |
HANGZHOU, China, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hikvision has reported its financial results for the first half year of 2022. During the reporting period, the company generated a revenue of RMB 37.26 billion, up 9.90% year over year (YoY). Net profits attributable to shareholders of the listed company were RMB 5.76 billion, reflecting a YoY decrease of 11.14%.
In the first half of 2022, Hikvision achieved a revenue of RMB 11.71 billion in overseas markets, with a YoY growth of 23.72%.
With continued external uncertainties, Hikvision has maintained steady development, leveraging advantages in R&D innovation, flexible manufacturing capabilities, a global marketing & sales network, and quality of service. The company will remain focused on creating more value for customers with innovative AIoT technologies, products, and solutions.
For the full first half 2022 financial report, please click here.
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SOURCE Hikvision Digital Technology | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/hikvision-reports-first-half-2022-financial-results/ | 2022-08-19T11:35:31Z |
AAG's National Adult Children Survey Shows Concerns Over Senior Parents' Finances
IRVINE, Calif., July 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Current economic conditions have many seniors struggling to afford their later years, and new data from American Advisors Group (AAG) shows that their hardship is causing stress among their older aged children. To learn exactly how American adult children are feeling about their parents' financial state, AAG, a national leader in home equity solutions for seniors, conducted the Adult Children Survey with over 1,500 participants ages 40-55 who have senior parents.
"Older Americans are feeling the effects of inflation, and their children are worried that their parents aren't going to have enough money to sustain their retirement years," said AAG Chief Marketing Officer Martin Lenoir. "With the current economic environment, it's no surprise that the majority of adult children are now in favor of their parents tapping into their home equity. For many seniors, their home is their most valuable asset and now may be the time to start utilizing it."
The Data Shows Adult Children Are Worried About their Senior Parents Financially:
- The majority of adult children are concerned that inflation is hurting their parents' situation. 62% of adult children say they are worried about the impact that inflation is having on their parents' finances.
- Half of adult children believe their parents will need to move into their home at some point. 50% of adult children say they plan for their parents to move into their house in their later years.
- Over a third of adult children are worried their parents' financial issues will fall on them. 35% of adult children say they are worried their parents will become a financial burden to them at some point.
- Nearly half of adult children are already concerned about their parents' financial situation. 43% of adult children said they are worried about their parents' financial status.
- Half of adult children do not know how much debt their parents have amassed. 50% of adult children said they are not aware of how much debt their parents currently have.
- Most adult children believe that their parents' home equity could be a financial solution. 60% of adult children said they are in favor of their parents using their home equity to fund their later years.
- Over three-fourths of parents have never spoken to their children about using their home equity. 76% of adult children said they have never discussed utilizing their home equity to fund their retirement years.
To read the full results of AAG's Adult Children Survey, visit the link below:
https://www.aag.com/adult-children-survey/
While Americans search for ways to increase their cash flow, senior housing wealth reached a historic high at a record $10 trillion, according to the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association. Through a federally insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) loan, more commonly known as a reverse mortgage, seniors aged 62 and older can access their home equity, eliminate their monthly mortgage payments, and remain in their home long term. Seniors who use a reverse mortgage loan to remain in their home long term are required to continue paying their taxes and insurance, maintain the home, and comply with all terms of the loan.
AAG's Adult Children Survey was conducted on May 12, 2022, and included 1,510 participants. Responses include numerous formats, including yes-and-no answers, ranking preferences, and multiple-choice replies. The survey was conducted on a digital platform so participants from all regions of the United States could answer from the safety of their homes. All participants were selected randomly with age and parental homeownership being the only qualifying factors.
About AAG
AAG is dedicated to helping older Americans find new ways to fund a better retirement through the responsible use of home equity. As the nation's leader in reverse mortgage lending, AAG offers a suite of home equity solutions — including Home Equity Conversion Mortgages, traditional and proprietary mortgages, that are designed to give seniors a better financial outcome in retirement. AAG is a proud member of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA). To learn more about AAG and reverse mortgage loans, please visit the company's website at www.aag.com.
American Advisors Group, NMLS ID: 9392, 18200 Von Karman Ave., Suite 300, Irvine, CA 92612.
Contact:
Ryan Whittington
Rwhittington@aag.com
(657) 236-5220
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SOURCE American Advisors Group (AAG) | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/20/over-60-adult-children-say-inflation-is-hurting-their-senior-parents-according-aag-survey/ | 2022-07-20T15:36:48Z |
To Participate in Public Tender of Macau Gaming Concession
Full Confidence in Macau Future Development
HONG KONG, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MGM China Holdings Limited ("MGM China" or the "Company"; SEHK Stock Code: 2282) today announced selected unaudited financial data of the Company and its subsidiaries (the "Group") for the second quarter and the first half of 2022.
Macau and Greater China are under the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. We saw customer demand pick up during the Chinese New Year. However, the COVID-19 resurgence first in mainland China started at end-March followed by local outbreak in Macau at end-June, led to safeguard measures as well as enhanced travel and border controls that severely constrained Macau visitation.
Macau total visitor arrivals and the total visitation from mainland China both decreased by 12% for the first six months in 2022 from a year ago.
For the first half of 2022, Macau gross gaming revenue (GGR) was down by 46% from the same period last year. Headline GGR in the second quarter hit the lowest level since the border opened, down 67% year-on-year and 52% quarter-to-quarter MOP8.5 billion or MOP93 million per day, representing 12% of 19Q4 pre-COVID level.
- During the first half of the year, MGM China recorded total revenue of approximately HK$3.2 billion, compared to HK$4.7 billion same period a year ago. The Group recorded negative adjusted EBITDA of approximately HK$337 million, compared to adjusted EBITDA of approximately HK$200 million previously. Overall occupancy rate was 37.6%, compared to 61.5% same period last year.
- For the second quarter, MGM China posted revenue of HK$1.1 billion (22Q1: HK$2.1 billion). The Group recorded negative adjusted property EBITDA of HK$382 million, compared to adjusted EBTIDA of HK$46 million in the first quarter.
- MGM China maintained market share of 13.6% for the first half of the year, up from 11.4% a year ago. Second-quarter market share rose to 14.3% from 13.3% in first quarter with our strength in premium mass business. Our daily GGR in second quarter was 18% of 19Q4 pre-pandemic levels, compared to 12% market levels. Our team is working to control costs while positioning our properties to capture opportunities in premium mass business as demand returns in the longer term.
- The Group maintained a healthy financial position. As of June 30, 2022, the Group had total liquidity of approximately HK$10.7 billion, comprised of cash and cash equivalent and undrawn revolver.
The COVID-19 pandemic continued to have significant impacts on Macau and our business during the reporting period. This is an unprecedented global public health crisis and we place high importance on the health and safety of our employees, guests and all Macau citizens as the fight against this pandemic continues.
During the reporting period, Macau has made significant progress over the amendment of gaming law and set preparation for the retendering of gaming concession.
The Macau Government had extended in June the six concession and sub-concession contracts for six months up to December 31, 2022. Earlier in January, the Government announced a bill to amend the gaming law, as a necessary precedent step to the retendering. In June, the new gaming law was approved by the Macau Legislative Assembly and published in the Official Gazette.
On July 1, the Macau Chief Executive approved Administrative Regulation 28/2022 which sets up the rules for the retendering of the Macau gaming concessions, covering details of the bidding for gaming concessions, the qualifications of bidding companies and the criteria for granting. On July 28, the Chief Executive Dispatch was published, announced the opening of the public tender.
The Group intends to submit a bid for a gaming concession and believes we are in position to satisfy the relevant requirements set out by the Macau Government relating to the tender for a gaming concession.
Kenneth Feng, President, Strategic & Chief Financial Officer of MGM China said: "We have full confidence in the future development of the Macau. We are ready and will actively participate in the public tender of Macau gaming concession. MGM will continue to unswervingly support the Macau Government to promote economic diversification, helping Macau further consolidate its position as a World Center of Tourism and Leisure as well as scale new heights for its economic development."
About MGM China Holdings Limited
MGM China Holdings Limited (HKEx: 2282) is a leading developer, owner and operator of gaming and lodging resorts in the Greater China region. We are the holding company of MGM Grand Paradise, SA which holds one of the six gaming concessions/sub-concessions to run casino games in Macau. MGM Grand Paradise, SA owns and operates MGM MACAU, the award-winning premium integrated resort located on the Macau Peninsula and MGM COTAI, a contemporary luxury integrated resort in Cotai, which opened in early 2018 and more than doubles our presence in Macau.
MGM China is majority owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.
For further enquiries, please contact:
MGM China Holdings Limited
Sidney Luk - Vice President of Investor Relations
Tel: (853) 8802 1886 / (852) 2587 8632
Email: sidneyluk@mgmchinaholdings.com
Website: www.mgmchinaholdings.com
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SOURCE MGM China | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/mgm-china-reports-2022-first-half-results/ | 2022-08-03T23:32:39Z |
Judge: Kevin Spacey must pay $30M to ‘House of Cards’ makers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge on Thursday ruled that Kevin Spacey and his production companies must pay the makers of “House of Cards” nearly $31 million because of losses brought on by his 2017 firing for the sexual harassment of crew members.
The ruling from Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana gives the force of law to the $30.9 award in favor of MRC and other companies that produced the Netflix series by a private arbitrator who heard the case against Spacey.
Recana wrote that Spacey and his attorneys “fail to demonstrate that this is even a close case” and “do not demonstrate that the damages award was so utterly irrational that it amounts to an arbitrary remaking of the parties’ contracts.”
“We are pleased with the court’s ruling,” MRC attorney Michael Kump said in an email to The Associated Press.
Spacey has denied the allegations through his attorneys and his spokesperson, who did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
The arbitrator found that Spacey violated his contract’s demands for professional behavior by “engaging certain conduct in connection with several crew members in each of the five seasons that he starred in and executive produced House of Cards,” according to a filing from Kump requesting the approval.
As a result, MRC had to fire Spacey, halt production of the show’s sixth season, rewrite it to remove Spacey’s central character, and shorten it from 13 to eight episodes to meet deadlines, resulting in tens of millions in losses, according to court documents.
Spacey’s attorneys argued in their own filings that the decision to exclude him from the show’s sixth season came before the internal investigation that led the crew members to come forward, and thus was not part of a contract breach. They argued that the actor’s actions were not a substantial factor in the show’s losses.
The ruling from the private arbitrator came after a legal fight of more than three years and an eight-day evidentiary hearing that was kept secret from the public, along with the rest of the dispute, until a panel of three more private arbitrators rejected Spacey’s appeal and upheld the decision in November.
The 63-year-old Oscar winner’s career came to an abrupt halt late in 2017 as the #MeToo movement gained momentum and allegations against him emerged from several places.
Spacey was fired or removed from projects, most notably “House of Cards,” the Netflix political thriller where for five seasons he played lead character Frank Underwood, a power-hungry congressman who becomes president.
Last month, Spacey pleaded not guilty in London to charges of sexually assaulting three men a decade or more ago, when he was director of the Old Vic theater there. His lawyer said he “strenuously denies” the allegations. He is set to face trial next year.
Another criminal case brought against him, an indecent assault and battery charge stemming from the alleged groping of an 18-year-old man at a Nantucket resort, was dismissed by Massachusetts prosecutors in 2019.
Spacey also faces lawsuits from other men, including actor Anthony Rapp.
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/05/judge-kevin-spacey-must-pay-30m-house-cards-makers/ | 2022-08-05T00:59:53Z |
ALBANY – The dog days of summer are here, even if it isn’t officially summer yet, with high temperatures and humidity creating dangerous conditions as the heat index sizzles.
The heat wave is expected to last into the weekend, the National Weather Service office in Tallahassee said in a Wednesday advisory.
“Temperatures in the upper 90s (with isolated locations potentially hitting 100) combined with muggy conditions will lead to widespread heat indices around 110°F across the area,” the agency said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the city of Albany and the Dougherty County Health Department had no plans to open cooling stations in the city.
“I don’t know if that will change,” Krista Monk, public information officer for the city of Albany, said. “If it does, that will probably be the health department or EMA (Dougherty County Emergency Management Agency).”
As usual, the best advice for dealing with the heat is to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and avoiding strenuous activities during the hottest part of the day. Other tips include wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and making use of fans to help cool off through evaporation.
The Sowega Council on Aging has an annual program for providing window air conditioners to needy residents, but at the moment that fund is tapped out, agency Executive Director Izzie Sadler said.
“We always do have a summer campaign going on so we can buy window units,” she said. “We usually end up getting enough money for 15 to 20 units.
“This year (however) we put a lot of money and fundraising and grants into ramps. This year we did a lot of ramps.”
Individuals can contribute to the fund to keep seniors cool at sowegacoa.org by making a donation and designating the money for air conditioning or “AC” on the form, or by mail at Post Office Box 88, Albany, Ga. 31702.
Recipients for air conditioners must meet income guidelines, and the small units are helpful for them to put in the room where senior citizens spend the most time or the bedroom, Sadler said.
“We give the same advice: Seniors need to stay out of the heat during the worst part of the day and do outdoor activities in the morning,” she said.
Seniors who have medical conditions or are taking medications should check with a doctor to determine whether those could affect the ability to deal with hot weather, she said. For those whose homes lack adequate cooling, finding a place to spend the hot part of the day is another alternative.
“Your local mall is a great thing,” Sadler said. “I know they have senior mall walks that they do so people can exercise indoors. If people are members of the YMCA or whatever, they can go there to get out of the heat.” | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/heat-wave-brings-dangerous-conditions-to-albany-area/article_fd756e56-ece2-11ec-86d6-e355b91cb998.html | 2022-06-15T21:18:40Z |
FOSTER CITY, Calif., Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Qualys, Inc. (NASDAQ: QLYS), a pioneer and leading provider of disruptive cloud-based IT, security and compliance solutions, today announced that management will participate in a fireside chat and host one-on-one meetings with interested investors at the following conference:
- Citi's 2022 Global Technology Conference. Sumedh Thakar, president and CEO, and Joo Mi Kim, CFO, will host one-on-one meetings and participate in a fireside chat on Thursday, September 8, 2022 at 7:30 a.m. ET.
At the time of the fireside chat, a live webcast will be accessible from the investor relations page of the Qualys website at https://investor.qualys.com/events-presentations. Following the event, a replay will be made available at the same location.
About Qualys
Qualys, Inc. (NASDAQ: QLYS) is a pioneer and leading provider of disruptive cloud-based Security, Compliance and IT solutions with more than 10,000 subscription customers worldwide, including a majority of the Forbes Global 100 and Fortune 100. Qualys helps organizations streamline and automate their security and compliance solutions onto a single platform for greater agility, better business outcomes, and substantial cost savings.
The Qualys Cloud Platform leverages a single agent to continuously deliver critical security intelligence while enabling enterprises to automate the full spectrum of vulnerability detection, compliance, and protection for IT systems, workloads and web applications across on premises, endpoints, servers, public and private clouds, containers, and mobile devices. Founded in 1999 as one of the first SaaS security companies, Qualys has strategic partnerships and seamlessly integrates its vulnerability management capabilities into security offerings from cloud service providers, including Amazon Web Services, the Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure, along with a number of leading managed service providers and global consulting organizations. For more information, please visit www.qualys.com.
Qualys, Qualys VMDR® and the Qualys logo are proprietary trademarks of Qualys, Inc. All other products or names may be trademarks of their respective companies.
Investor Contact
Blair King
Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Development (650) 801-6299
ir@qualys.com
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SOURCE Qualys, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/qualys-speak-upcoming-investor-conference/ | 2022-08-09T13:47:48Z |
Three Florida Department of Corrections officers have been arrested in the alleged beating death in February of an inmate at a prison south of Miami, authorities said.
Ronald Connor, 24, Christopher Rolon, 29, and Kirk Walton, 34, were arrested Thursday by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the agency said. They were booked on second-degree murder, conspiracy, aggravated abuse and other charges, online records from the Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation show.
All were denied bond on the murder charge, records show. Walton's attorney, David Donet Jr., declined to comment Friday; it's not clear if the others have attorneys. A fourth correction officer is still at large, the state law enforcement agency stated in a news release.
Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, whose office will prosecute the case, is expected to release more information about it Friday afternoon.
The case comes as use of force by law enforcement nationwide is under scrutiny following other in-custody deaths.
The incident that led to Thursday's arrests unfolded on the morning of February 14, when the inmate was scheduled to be transferred from the Dade Correctional Institution to another facility, the agency said. Before being taken from his cell in the mental health unit, he reportedly threw urine on an officer.
Corrections officers then put him in handcuffs and took him from his cell, the agency said. After that, "even though he was in handcuffs and compliant with officer commands, agents say the officers began to beat him," it said.
"The inmate was beaten so badly he had to be carried to the transport van," the agency said, adding he was placed in a secure compartment alone.
En route to the other facility, the van stopped in Ocala, Florida, and the prisoner was found dead, lying on a bench inside the van, said the agency, which did not disclose the inmate's name.
His cause of death was a punctured lung that led to internal bleeding, a medical examiner ruled, adding the man had injuries to his face and torso consistent with being beaten, the agency stated.
"Staff misconduct, abuse or criminal behavior have no place in Florida's correctional system," Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. "Individuals who are sentenced to incarceration by our criminal courts have lost their freedom but not their basic rights. Inmates should not be subject to forms of 'back alley' justice which are actions in violation of Florida law."
The staff involved in the case failed, "and as an agency we will not stand for this," Florida Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon said in a statement.
His department "is committed to providing a safe and professional environment for inmates and offenders," Dixon said. "All inmates, regardless of their crimes have a right to serve their time free from victimization and abuse."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/3-florida-corrections-officers-are-charged-in-the-alleged-beating-death-of-an-inmate/article_ee97d0d8-0293-55ab-a16c-a877a70b6c6d.html | 2022-04-29T18:23:17Z |
Pete Arredondo, the Uvalde school district police chief who officials last week identified as the incident commander during the Robb Elementary school shooting, was sworn in as a city council member on Tuesday.
"Out of respect for the families who buried their children today, and who are planning to bury their children in the next few days, no ceremony was held," Mayor Don McLaughlin said in a statement.
Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the attack last Tuesday. Arredondo was identified by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) as the person who decided not to breach the school classroom where the shooter had holed up and instead stand back and wait for reinforcements.
Though DPS Director Steven McCraw did not identify Arredondo by name, he said the chief made the "wrong decision" not to engage with the gunman sooner.
The mayor originally said Monday that the special city council meeting "will not take place as scheduled, adding "our focus on Tuesday is on our families who lost loved ones."
Although there was no formal ceremony, McLaughlin said that members of the council came to City Hall "at their convenience" during the day to be sworn in, adding that Arredondo did appear in person to receive the oath and sign paperwork.
Arredondo was elected to the council earlier this month. In his Monday statement, the mayor said Arredondo was "duly elected" and that there is "nothing in the City Charter, Election Code, or Texas Constitution that prohibits him from taking the oath of office. To our knowledge, we are currently not aware of any investigation of Mr. Arredondo."
No response to follow-up interview request
The law enforcement response -- and the chief's decision not to confront the shooter -- has come under fire as new details of the tragedy emerge, including that terrified students called 911 from inside the class begging for help while officers stood in the hallway.
On Sunday, the Justice Department announced it will conduct a review of the law enforcement response to the shooting at the mayor's request.
Meanwhile, the DPS said Tuesday that Arredondo has not responded to a request for a follow-up interview with the Texas Rangers, who are investigating the massacre.
The school's police department and the Uvalde police department are "still cooperating," but there has not been a recent response from Arredondo to a request for another interview with investigators, DPS spokesperson Travis Considine told CNN.
Arredondo has not responded to multiple requests from CNN for comment.
He has not spoken about the shooting publicly since two brief press statements on the day of the attack, in which he said the gunman was dead but provided little information on the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation and taking no questions.
On Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that he wants a full accounting of what happened but added that he has no say in whether the school district's police chief should be fired.
"As far as his employment status is concerned, that's something that is beyond my control and I have no knowledge about," the governor said, adding, "Every act of all of those officials will be known and identified and explained to the public."
Arredondo has nearly three decades of law enforcement experience, according to the school district.
A board of trustees for the district approved Arredondo to head the department in 2020. The district's superintendent, Hal Harrell, said in a Facebook post at the time the board was "confident with our selection and impressed with his experience, knowledge, and community involvement."
Arredondo previously served as a captain at a school district police department in Laredo, Texas, and in multiple roles at the Uvalde Police Department.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/uvalde-school-district-police-chief-sworn-in-as-city-council-member-a-week-after-mass/article_60089def-1d73-5b2d-bc9e-5ebe804763aa.html | 2022-06-01T03:16:57Z |
TAIPEI, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At IFA 2022, MSI introduces its latest products, tailor-made for gamers, creators, and professionals, to the world. From gaming laptops, desktops, and components, to business monitors, industrial computers, and automotive and commercial solutions, MSI is revealing the most powerful, capable new products, covering every need and every aspect of technology.
- Exhibition Date: Sep 2nd – Sep 6th, 2022
- Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM
- Location: Stand 102, Hall 11.2 @ Messe Berlin, Germany
"IFA 2022 is one of the world's most important consumer electronics trade shows. After years of virtual and distanced living, MSI is especially well-prepared to support all industries and professions with our innovations and solutions, to help them adapt to new ways of working, living and entertaining," said Sam Chern, MSI Marketing Vice President.
MSI Prestige 16 and Prestige 16 EVO Business & Productivity Laptop
MSI has updated its Prestige series lineup with the Prestige 16 and Prestige 16 EVO. Both are available in Urban Silver and equipped with Intel® 12th Gen Core™ i7 Processors. The MSI Prestige 16 delivers GPU performance from the NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti, and is the first Prestige laptop with a 16:10 ratio mini-LED panel. With the MSI True Color Technology, it reaches the high dynamic range (HDR) 1000 standard, which significantly expands the range of two important factors – contrast ratio and color accuracy. For business users who want a responsive, long-lasting laptop, Prestige 16 EVO is Intel® EVO™ Platform Certified. Prestige 16 EVO also exclusively supports Tobii Aware smart sensor technology.
MSI Raider GE67HX Gaming Laptop
MSI Raider GE67HX is the first laptop in the world to bring a revolutionary high refresh rate OLED display to the market – 240Hz with better than 0.2 ms response time, super-wide DCI-P3 100% color gamut and super-high 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. These specs translate into the most immersive gameplay for gamers. Now gamers can experience the MSI Raider GE67HX's 16-core Intel® HX processor, promising up to 150W MTP (Maximum Turbo Power) of processing power. Gamers can enjoy the combined 220W power of CPU and GPU, thanks to the exclusive OverBoost technology.
MSI Titan GT77 Gaming Laptop
The Titan is back! The MSI Laptop flagship: Incorporating a luxury experience, innovative technology and extreme performance, the Titan GT77 is the peak of gaming. It features the latest high-performing processors – up to the 12th Gen. Intel® Core™ i9-12900HX – and NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 Series Graphics, the luxury aesthetics of the Mystic Light bar, and a mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Ultra Low Switches. The Titan GT77 highlights top of the line performance and design. With the GT77, the MSI Titan series is reborn.
MSI GeForce RTX™ 30 SUPRIM Series Graphics Card
The MSI SUPRIM Series, a new graphics card design, turns a prestigious concept into reality. This card is amped up with robust power stages for durability, efficiently cooled with the TRI FROZR 2S cooling system, and delivers a modern aesthetic that reflects a high-performance lifestyle. This masterpiece continues MSI's legacy of powering immersive gaming adventures and the creation of demanding content.
MSI RadiX AXE6600 WiFi 6E Tri-Band Gaming Router
Meet the MSI RadiX AXE6600 WiFi 6E Tri-Band Gaming Router to boost your gaming connection to the next generation! This gaming router provides 3 wireless connectivity bands, including 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and the latest 6GHz, with a total speed up to 6600Mbps. And it exclusively features MSI AI QoS that automatically prioritizes network traffic, giving gamers extreme low latency and a superb gaming experience. In addition, MSI reveals its AX1800 WiFi USB Adapter to provide an instant upgrade to WiFi 6 for your PCs or laptops.
MSI VIGOR GK71 SONIC Gaming Keyboard
MSI VIGOR GK71 SONIC is built for competitive players, designed to provide seamless and instantaneous responses with 35gf operating force and a smooth, linear feel on every keystroke. MSI ClearCaps feature a unique transparent dual-layer design that allows light through for per-key RGB illumination. The smart media features put easy media control at your fingertips.
MSI CLUTCH GM31 Series Gaming Mouse
MSI CLUTCH GM31 LIGHTWEIGHT WIRELESS mouse and its wired version share the same compact, ergonomic design and are constructed from lightweight materials to stay within an impressive 73g weight limit. Moreover, the CLUTCH GM31 LIGHTWEIGHT WIRELESS mouse is packed with low latency wireless technology, including a charging dock and various features that provide performance boosts to your gameplay.
MSI IMMERSE GH40 ENC Gaming Headset
MSI IMMERSE GH40 ENC is MSI's first gaming headset to feature an environmental noise canceling (ENC) algorithm. ENC helps keep communication crisp and clear in any environment. Get your game on anywhere, with an immersive virtual 7.1 spatial audio experience from 40mm neodymium drivers in a foldable and durable lightweight package.
MSI Optix MPG321UR-QD Gaming Monitor
With a fast response time, MSI Optix MPG321UR-QD supports 144hz at 4K resolution. The latest HDMI 2.1 and Quantum Dot technology and IPS panel deliver images with more detail and a wider color range than traditional monitors. This is also the first MSI monitor with the unique KVM 3.0, allowing OSD settings and features like Optix Scope and Smart Crosshair to be adjusted with a console controller.
MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 Power Supply
MSI's world-first ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0-ready Platinum power supplies support next-gen high performance graphics cards and processors, and withstand 2x total power excursion and 3x GPU power excursion. The native 16-pin (12VHPWR) connector, paired with the included 16-pin connector, supports the latest graphics cards, without adapter cables.
MSI MEG X670E ACE Gaming Motherboard
The MEG X670E ACE furnishes premium aesthetics with its black finish and gold embellishments. Developed to unlock the full gaming potential of the AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors, the MEG X670E ACE is an outstanding E-ATX motherboard for extreme settings and overclocking components at the highest level.
MSI Modern MD272QPWDE Business Monitor
MSI's Modern MD272 Series monitor won the Computex 2022 Best Choice Award. The Modern MD272 Series monitor is built with Less Blue Light PRO and Anti-flicker technology, plus USB Type C 65W Power Delivery. To increase productivity, KVM switches are supported, and the exclusive MSI Productivity Intelligence (P.I.) app provides the smartest, most efficient tools for users. This ergonomic monitor with a 4-way adjustable stand allows you to work even more efficiently.
MSI Smart Coffee Machine HMI
This smart coffee machine's large built-in HMI interface lets customers create customized latte art just by uploading pictures or taking photos. Customers can order in just a few steps with the help of the user-friendly UI and e-payment technology. The system can also analyze sales data, manage inventory, and advertise products.
MSI 3.5" SBC MS-98M3 powered by 11th Gen. Intel® IoTG Tiger Lake-UP3 Core™ Processor
The MS-98M3 single board computer provides the industry with more reliability, higher durability and lower power consumption. This system is deal for energy-saving and carbon-emission-reducing applications in edge high-performance computing. It is actively deployed in multiple application fields such as MSI's AMR-AI-PJ-UVGI Robot, verified by Texcell/France to effectively inactivate the SARS-COV-2 virus within seconds under research conditions.
See you in Berlin!
MSI looks forward to seeing friends and partners from the media and industry at IFA 2022. Expert staff will be on hand to answer your questions and demonstrate a huge range of new products and technologies. No matter what your interest, from business to gaming, from productivity to the home, MSI will be excited to show you the latest technology, unique innovations, and products that will change your world. See you in Berlin from September 2nd, 2022!
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Media Contact:
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SOURCE MSI | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/msi-presents-its-brand-new-lineup-amazing-innovations-ifa-2022/ | 2022-08-31T08:47:46Z |
Ask the Rational Investor: Finding defensive value stocks
The first quarter of 2022 has been off to a wild start with the Federal Reserve now starting to address rising inflation and the Russian conflict in Ukraine.
Growth stocks with expensive valuations reacted to current events with fast price drops, correcting, in many cases, irrational valuations. Many of these companies had recently undergone initial public offerings with little revenue and no profit.
Over the last several years, defensive companies with long histories of profit and sales growth, and conservative balance sheets, have lagged their growth peers. This trend likely has ended, as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is widely expected to increase interest rates by at least 1.50% over the next 12 months.
Low-risk bonds will start offering a more attractive return and will compete with stocks for investment allocations. This trend is likely in the early phases and could easily last five to 10 years, or more.
What worked in the past is gradually shifting to more defensive, low-valuation companies less sensitive to rising interest rates; a focus on investments with stable and growing dividends, and balance sheets that can weather a recession.
Home Depot fits this description with a dividend yield of around 2.40% or $6.60 per share for the fiscal year 2022. Stock analysts expect Home Depot to grow its dividend to $9.60 per share by 2027, which seems reasonable considering the company’s profitability, stable sales growth, and defensive competitive position relative to e-commerce.
Another company highlighted in February 2021’s Ask the Rational Investor is United Parcel Service, led by Carol Tome, formerly the CFO of Home Depot. Since becoming CEO in June 2020, UPS has improved financial performance and capital stewardship. We think improved profitability will continue over the next several years. Dividends along the way will provide a nice return of around 2.8% currently or $5.99 per share for 2022 and are expected to rise to $7.74 per share by 2026.
“Don’t fight the fed” may be more true in today’s world than it has been for many years in the past!
Sources: Company reports, Factset
Beese Fulmer Private Wealth Management was founded in 1980 and is one of Stark County’s oldest and largest investment management firms. The company serves high-net-worth individuals, families, and non-profits, and has been ranked as one of the largest money managers in Northeast Ohio. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/lifestyle/2022/04/03/ask-rational-investor-finding-defensive-value-stocks/7207355001/ | 2022-04-03T18:03:12Z |
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A cathartic return of music and culture to New Orleans’ chief music festival after three years ended its first weekend with the Red Hot Chili Peppers honoring the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins by closing out the show for his band.
Hawkins died March 25 and the Foo Fighters bowed out of their slot at Jazz Fest, the first time New Orleans has held the massive festival since COVID-19 cancelled it in 2020 and 2021.
Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith’s bass drum Sunday had a hawk silhouette like the one tattooed on Hawkins’ arm. Taylor was written across it, The Times-Picayune / The New Orleans Advocatereported.
And at the end of the 90-minute set, Smith took center stage as Hawkins’ widow and members of the Foo Fighters stood just off stage.
“We love the Foo Fighters and we love our brother Taylor Hawkins. It’s meant a lot to us to be able to play for them,” said Smith who then led the crowd in chanting ‘We love you Taylor!’”
The vibe of the 2022 Jazz Festechoed the 2006 festival, held eight months after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. The 2020 and 2021 festivals were canceled by an entirely different storm — COVID-19.
The two-weekend event draws tens of thousands to the city’s Fair Grounds Race Course, where as many as 80 musical acts perform daily on more than a dozen stages, complemented by art and craft exhibits and an array of booths featuring foods from Louisiana and beyond.
Jazz Fest attracts well known acts like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Who and Lionel Richie but it might be best known for showcasing a dizzying array of Louisiana musical talent, styles and genres — jazz, blues, Cajun, Zydeco and more.
Masks were a rare sight at the festival, most of which takes place outdoors. It is taking place as COVID-19 cases are at a lower point than they’ve been in months and two-thirds of the U.S. population is vaccinated. | https://cw33.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/chili-peppers-honor-foo-fighters-drummer-at-jazz-fest/ | 2022-05-03T11:04:40Z |
CHICAGO, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Van Lines, one of the world's largest moving companies, has identified the top five cities to which Maryland residents are moving recently. Every year, Allied Van Lines produces a Migration Map report based on their data to show relocation rates across the United States. These recent reports have shown that Maryland's population has faced a decline in recent years. Many of these Maryland residents are relocating to states with larger populations, more job opportunities, and more affordable living costs. As an expert in relocation, Allied Van Lines has used their data and research to compile a list of the top five cities where Maryland residents are relocating. Allied Van Lines' Migration Map data was also used to examine why Maryland residents are choosing to move out of state.
The top five relocation cities for Maryland residents that were named by Allied Van Lines are as follows:
- Sarasota, Florida
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Los Angeles, California
- Tampa, Florida
- West Palm Beach, Florida
The article shared by Allied Van Lines explores the qualities of each new destination city that could be potential reasons as to why Maryland residents are choosing to relocate to these particular locations. Typically, when people move to a new state, it is because they are in search of a better quality of life. When relocating, people consider elements like crime rates, quality and availability of health care, quality of education, well-being, and commuter index. The statistics from the Migration Map data show that many of these people are moving to states with lower living costs, unemployment rates, and income taxes. Additionally, Maryland residents who choose to leave seem to migrate to states with warmer weather.
"Maryland is a beautiful state with a lot to offer, but in recent years, they have seen a population decline due to people relocating to states with lower income taxes and better work opportunities," stated Steve McKenna, Vice President and General Manager, Allied Van Lines. "Lots of these people are in search of a higher quality of living, along with nicer weather year-round and lower cost of living. These factors are leading to Maryland seeing a gradual population decline throughout recent years."
Allied Van Lines has been named a leader in providing relocation services to corporations, consumers, government agencies, and non-profit organizations worldwide, with over 400 agent locations in North America. The moving company has been voted as America's Most Recommended Moving Company by Women's Choice Awards for five consecutive years and is an established global brand of SIRVA, Inc. As one of the leaders in the moving van industry, Allied Van Lines has the data and research tools required to analyze relocation patterns in the United States. The company's recently released article, "Where are Maryland Residents Moving To?" can be viewed by visiting https://www.allied.com/migration-map/2021/maryland.
For more information about Allied Van Lines, go to www.allied.com.
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SOURCE Allied Van Lines | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/allied-van-lines-identifies-top-five-cities-where-maryland-residents-are-moving/ | 2022-07-21T12:49:56Z |
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) – The Family and supporters of Melissa Lucio gathered for another rally outside the Cameron County Courthouse Monday, pleading for a re-investigation.
Lucio‘s execution is set for April 27.
“Please don’t execute my mother, don’t execute our mother,” said John Lucio, Melissa Lucio’s son. ” We already lost my sister, we don’t need to lose our mother.”
John Lucio has been traveling across Texas calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to stop his mother’s execution. Despite time running out John tells ValleyCentral he still is keeping in touch with his mother to tell her about the support she has been getting across the nation.
“When I visited with her she was in disbelief, she couldn’t believe it,” John said. ” She would repeatedly tell me to stop lying to her and I’ve told her ‘mom I’m being serious, it’s real, Kim Kardashian is advocating for you.”
Lucio’s family says there is new evidence shown in the documentary The State of Texas vs. Melissa, that can overturn her conviction. But Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz said in a statement back in February that he would be upholding the decision the jury made in 2008.
But Lucio’s supporters say Melissa’s case is shining a new light on a bigger issue, involving public corruption.
“You know Armando Villalobos was the one that was taking the case back then and now he is in a halfway house,” said Dulce Garza. “He was under arrest for bribery and fraud. If Melissa had the money to give to him Would she be on the spot? Would we be here right now?”
As time runs out, the Lucio family has also been getting bi-partisan support from Texas State Lawmakers encouraging them to be hopeful. But John Lucio is also preparing for the worst.
“Jeff Leach did tell me don’t plan for funeral arraignments,” John said. ” He said don’t speak with your mother about burying her. I’ve taken his word I made that promise but I guess I’ll be ready if it happens.”
The Texas State of Representatives will be holding a bipartisan hearing with the Criminal Justice Reform Committee on Tuesday, April 12 on the death penalty. Lucio’s family and DA Luis Saenz have been invited to attend.
ValleyCentral also reach out to Luis Saenz for an updated statement on Lucio’s case, but his office says Saenz will not be commenting at this time. | https://cw33.com/news/melissa-lucio-supporters-plea-for-re-investigation-as-execution-date-draws-near/ | 2022-04-12T14:28:09Z |
ISELIN, N.J., Sept. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hexaware Technologies, a fast-growing Global IT Consulting and Digital Solutions provider, today announced that it has achieved the Guidewire PartnerConnect specialization: Technical Upgrades.
Hexaware Technologies is a Guidewire PartnerConnect Consulting partner at the Advantage level and works with Guidewire in North America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.
Hexaware delivers state-of-the-art solutions to boost the digital capabilities of insurers and is a top choice for successful implementation with its customer-centric approach and domain expertise. The company offers quick, accurate, accessible, and reliable services at all touchpoints, exceeding user expectations. Hexaware always strives to provide tailor-made implementation and comprehensive management solutions for the Guidewire platform with its tools and technologies.
Specializations are both regionally and globally based and require partners to demonstrate skills, knowledge, and competency in a particular Guidewire product or solution area. The achievement of specializations enables insurers to have more clarity and insight into which partners have proven capabilities in a region. In addition, partners with specializations can better promote their capabilities across Guidewire products and solutions.
Molly Black, Senior Director, Partner Programs and Enablement, Global Alliances, Guidewire Software, says, "Congratulations to Hexaware on their most recent Technical Upgrades specialization within our PartnerConnect Consulting program. We're thrilled to recognize Hexaware for their expertise in Guidewire products and solutions and for continuing to provide successful implementations for our shared customers."
Milan Bhatt, Corporate Vice President, Healthcare & Insurance, Hexaware, said, "Hexaware believes in the 'Automation First Approach', and we have invested heavily in tools and technology to accelerate Guidewire upgrades. Hexaware is committed to helping customers take full advantage of the Guidewire platform for enhanced operational efficiencies. We already have multiple customer testimonials from Europe. Achieving the Guidewire Technical Upgrades specialization will be an important step in helping insurers around the world leverage our tools and services to bring down the upgrade-related cost significantly."
Please find more information about Guidewire specializations on the Guidewire website here.
About Hexaware
Hexaware is a global IT, BPS and consulting services company empowering businesses worldwide to realize digital transformation at scale and speed.
Learn more about Hexaware at http://www.hexaware.com. Take an immersive 360° virtual tour of our campuses worldwide at https://www.hexawareimmersive.com
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SOURCE Hexaware Technologies Ltd. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/06/hexaware-achieves-guidewire-partnerconnect-program-specialization/ | 2022-09-06T12:58:13Z |
Authentication standard drives email ecosystem closer to a universal "no auth, no entry" philosophy
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Apple has joined the growing list of email technology companies implementing Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI), a broad industry effort to enable email inboxes like Apple Mail to display brand logos beside authenticated email, securely, at scale and in a standardized manner.
BIMI provides a secure, uniform framework enabling email inboxes globally to display sender-designated logos for authenticated messages. It also includes protections to prevent senders from being fraudulently impersonated by criminals. For instance, a bank could use BIMI to display its logo next to authenticated messages sent from its domain, giving the bank control over which images are displayed across multiple email clients, and providing brand exposure as well as protection against spoofing.
The AuthIndicators Working Group (bimigroup.org), which is developing the BIMI standard, is a vendor-neutral committee of companies working to create a richer, more trustworthy inbox experience for all email users by increasing the use of authentication to reduce email fraud.
The Working Group applauds Apple for implementing BIMI in its iOS 16 and macOS Ventura releases this fall. Members of the working group include Google, Fastmail, MailChimp, Proofpoint, Twilio, Validity, Valimail and Yahoo.
Apple's commitment to BIMI will enhance the email experience for its estimated 850 million email users — 58.4% of desktop client market share. BIMI-enabled logos will only be displayed when both the email and the logo are properly authenticated. Specifically, the email must be authenticated through the Domain-based Message Authentication, Receiving & Conformance (DMARC) standard, with enforcement set to quarantine or reject. The logo also must be validated through aVerified Mark Certificate (VMC), to prove the authenticity & ownership of the logo for use by the sending domain.
With 90% of cyberattacks starting from email, the AuthIndicators Working Group advocates for brands to protect themselves. Despite this number, many brands have failed to implement DMARC, or the underlying authentication standards DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) and Sender Policy Framework (SPF), leaving their domains unprotected from unauthorized use and their customers and employees vulnerable to phishing.
BIMI offers companies a measurable boost while protecting their brand, employees and consumers from harmful phishing attacks. Email providers, including Yahoo Mail, have seen a 10% increase in engagement when inboxes include verified brand logos next to email messages, giving digital marketers a powerful incentive for adoption.
"Once DMARC has been enforced, BIMI is an important next step to build consumer experience and trust in email," said Seth Blank, chair of the AuthIndicators Working Group and Valimail's Chief Technology Officer. "As an industry-wide effort to advance security through broader adoption of strong email authentication, BIMI gives brands a tangible benefit by giving them control of the logo associated with their messages, driving new impressions and a better experience for their customers."
"Email is the most powerful brand to consumer medium in the world," said Marcel Becker, Senior Director of Product Management at Yahoo. "BIMI has been largely impactful, increasing open and engagement rates, for the brands that rely on Yahoo Mail to reach their audience. Apple's participation will be huge for the user experience of consumers and brands big and small."
For companies seeking to experience the full power of BIMI and learn more about project participation, please visit bimigroup.org.
About the AuthIndicators Working Group:
The AuthIndicators Working Group (bimigroup.org), which is developing the BIMI standard, is a vendor-neutral committee of companies working to create a richer, more trustworthy inbox experience for all email users worldwide through increasing the use of authentication to reduce email fraud.
MEDIA CONTACT:
AuthIndicators Working Group
Seth Blank, Chair
seth@valimail.com
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SOURCE Valimail | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/12/bimi-rolling-out-all-apple-inboxes-fall-2022/ | 2022-09-12T18:19:03Z |
SURPRISE GATOR: Charlotte County officials warn residents to check in their pool before diving in
Published: May. 17, 2022 at 12:02 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
ENGLEWOOD, Fla. (WWSB) - A Deep Crest family got a rude awakening after hearing splashing noises in the early morning hours.
They investigated and went out on to the lanai...only to find a large alligator going for a dip in their pool. The 10-foot-11-inch gator weighed over 550 pounds had torn through a screen to go for a swim.
Charlotte County officials say it’s always good to check your pool before taking a dip. If you see a gator that could cause harm to any pets or you, contact animal control.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/05/17/surprise-gator-charlotte-county-officials-warn-residents-check-their-pool-before-diving/ | 2022-05-17T17:12:37Z |
LANCASTER, Pa., April 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Burnham Holdings, Inc. (OTC-Pink: BURCA), the parent company of multiple subsidiaries that are leading domestic manufacturers of boilers, and related HVAC products and accessories (including furnaces, radiators, and air conditioning systems) for residential, commercial and industrial applications, announced the results of the stockholder voting from today's Annual Meeting and declared common and preferred stock dividends.
The annual meeting of Burnham Holdings, Inc. was held today in Lancaster, PA, beginning at 11:30 a.m., with stockholders voting favorably on two proposals described as follows:
- The election of Christopher E. Pruitt, J. David W. Reeves, and Donald A. Stern as directors for three-year terms ending in 2025; and
- The appointment of Baker Tilly US, LLP, or other auditing firm as the Board may select, as independent auditors for the 2022 year.
At its meeting on April 25, 2022, the Burnham Holdings, Inc. Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly common stock dividend of $0.22 per share payable June 14, 2022, with a record date of June 7, 2022; and a semi-annual preferred stock dividend of $1.50 per share payable June 14, 2022, with a record date of June 7, 2022.
Earlier today, Burnham Holdings, Inc. announced the financial results of the first quarter, which ended April 3, 2022 (please see our press release issued earlier today for details).
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SOURCE Burnham Holdings, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/25/burnham-holdings-inc-declares-dividend-announces-results-annual-meeting-stockholders-vote/ | 2022-04-26T00:22:41Z |
Covid-19 is still disproportionately affecting Black and brown communities, doctors warn
By Jacqueline Howard, CNN
As Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to decline across the United States, health leaders warn that the crisis is not over — especially in the Black community.
A new report details the disproportionate impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on Black Americans and calls for “the most precise data” on race and ethnicity to address this health inequity.
The two-year report was released by the Black Coalition Against Covid-19 last week, ahead of Friday’s first anniversary of the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declaring racism “a serious public health threat.”
That declaration gave “legitimacy” to conversations that have been taking place across all sectors of health care for some time, said Dr. Reed Tuckson, co-founder of the coalition.
The statement also shows that the CDC understands structural racism to be a “fundamental root cause of so much of the health disparities in America,” Tuckson said. “This is not a political issue. It is a human health and survival issue.”
The new report not only serves as a reminder that the Covid-19 pandemic is not over — particularly for the Black community — it is a “call to action” to address problems that existed long before the pandemic, Tuckson added.
“Now that we go back and look at all that has happened to us and all that we’ve learned, it is now time to focus everybody’s attention on going back and fighting the old fight,” he said.
The striking racial disparities in Covid-19 outcomes seen over the past two years were not a result of the disease itself, but rather the pandemic “illuminated inequities that have existed for generations and revealed for all of America a known, but often unaddressed, epidemic impacting public health: racism,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement on April 8, 2021.
“Racism is not just the discrimination against one group based on the color of their skin or their race or ethnicity, but the structural barriers that impact racial and ethnic groups differently to influence where a person lives, where they work, where their children play, and where they worship and gather in community,” Walensky said. “These social determinants of health have life-long negative effects on the mental and physical health of individuals in communities of color.”
Since the start of the pandemic, the risk of dying from Covid-19 has been nearly twice as high for Black and Hispanic people in the United States than for White people, data from the CDC shows. Black and Hispanic people also faced a higher risk of coronavirus infection and were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized.
Even as Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths trend down in the United States, Black Americans recently experienced the “highest rate of hospitalization” for any racial and ethnic group since the inception of the pandemic, according to the new report.
During the week ending January 8, the hospitalization rate for Black Americans was 64 per 100,000 people, the report notes. That is double the overall weekly rate of hospitalizations for all races during the same time frame and nearly triple the rate of hospitalizations for White people at any point during the pandemic, according to a CNN analysis of CDC data.
“This was the highest weekly rate of any race and ethnicity at any point during the pandemic,” according to the report.
While Covid-19 hospitalizations have since fallen among all racial and ethnic groups and are now at their lowest point on record, CDC data from mid-March shows that weekly hospitalization rates were still highest among Black people and Native Americans in the US.
The report also references significant disparities in how the pandemic has affected children. One in 310 Black children lost a parent or caregiver between April 2020 and June 2021, compared with 1 in 738 White children.
The report mentions that “racial and ethnic disparities” are expected to persist as people continue to have long-term Covid-19 symptoms.
The report’s authors are physicians and public health experts including Tuckson and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, who chaired President Biden’s Covid-19 Health Equity Task Force. They wrote that “the severity of COVID-19 among Black Americans was the predictable result of structural and societal realities, not differences in genetic predisposition.”
Now, Black health leaders call for more precise data on such racial disparities and how they affect public health.
“If we are going to effectively address health equity among Black Americans, having access to the most precise data is vital,” the report’s authors wrote.
As of this week, the CDC website tracking Covid-19 data says the agency “is working with states to provide more information on race/ethnicity for reported cases.” Currently, race and ethnicity data are available from the CDC for only 65% of total cases and 84% of deaths.
“This report draws attention to the continued disproportionate burden experienced by members of the Black community and will help guide advocacy and policy efforts to address these inequities—both during the current pandemic and beyond,” Nunez-Smith wrote in the report’s forward. She notes that she was commissioned by the Black Coalition Against Covid to produce the report.
“Given generations of systemic disinvestment in the health of Black communities in the United States, the starkly disproportionate rates of COVID-19 illness and death are not surprising,” Nunez-Smith wrote. “This report situates alarming pandemic-related disparities within these deeper societal inequities, and provides guidance to move towards sustained change.”
While the trajectory of the pandemic remains uncertain, Tuckson made clear the need to continue to spotlight the health of Black America amid Covid-19 and beyond.
“If we don’t do it, somebody else is going to have to do it,” he said. “We have a lot of work ahead of us and a lot of problems that have gotten so much worse.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Deidre McPhillips contributed to this report. | https://localnews8.com/health/cnn-health/2022/04/08/covid-19-is-still-disproportionately-affecting-black-and-brown-communities-doctors-warn/ | 2022-04-08T12:34:06Z |
Acquisition adds significant expertise in multilingual capability and global reach
MUNICH, July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- yoummday GmbH, the technology platform that matches independent entrepreneurs with companies needing customer service talent, has acquired Prague-based ICON Communication Centres s.r.o. (ICON), a multilingual business process outsourcer (BPO), from ESPIRA Investments s.r.o. (ESPIRA) and ICON's executive management team. The purchase of ICON is yoummday's first acquisition in its invigorated growth strategy since receiving a €30M funding round from Armira Growth and Project A in February 2022. yoummday's purchase of ICON accelerates the company's international expansion as it seeks to disrupt traditional BPO and contact centre models.
yoummday offers a work@home operating system (w@h OS) which empowers independent entrepreneurs with the ability to choose when and where they work across a variety of customer experience functions for a brand they desire. As a result, companies of all sizes in any sector can take advantage of an engaged and scalable workforce contributing a wide range of skills and languages to the yoummday talent pool.
"The acquisition of ICON furnishes the opportunity to strengthen our growth strategy, which is predicated on integrating traditional BPO operators into our own proprietary marketplace platform. We look forward to working with the ICON team and weaving their unique capabilities into the yoummday brand", emphasized Dr. Klaus Harisch, CEO and Founder of yoummday.
yoummday customers can select from over 6,000 qualified entrepreneurs when building their workforce and may decide upon either a self-managed or yoummday-managed deployment of services. Within its platform, yoummday takes care of quality assurance, the onboarding of new independent entrepreneurs, and additional training.
Acquisition adds significant expertise in multilingual capability and global reach
ICON has provided international companies with outsourced customer operations functions since 2003. It brings significant benefits and expertise to yoummday with respect to native-level multilingual capability, global reach, and B2B customer experiences. Following yoummday's proven success within the EU, its penetration into both the US and UK markets is now expedited thanks to ICON's existing operations.
ICON was co-founded by CEO Helen Hickin after identifying Prague as an ideal nearshore location due to its geography, advantageous price point, and the depth of multilingual talent available. It is capable of providing complex customer interactions in 30 languages and counts several of the world's most well-known travel, telecommunication, and education technology companies within its client portfolio.
"We identified a gap in the market and opened the first outsourced BPO in Prague. Twenty years later, the BPO sector has changed significantly; through innovative technology, yoummday has found an exciting new way for companies to outsource operations with greater flexibility. It's the right time for ICON's next evolution and yoummday is perfectly positioned to ensure ICON's clients continue to benefit from innovative delivery solutions", states Helen Hickin, CEO, ICON Communication Centres.
ICON's C-Team will continue to operate alongside yoummday, and the ICON brand will remain in operation for the foreseeable future. yoummday purchased 100% of ICON from CEE Communications s.r.o. of which CEE-based private equity firm ESPIRA, is the majority shareholder. ESPIRA and ICON's executive management team acquired ICON in 2019 in a transaction that aligned with the private equity firm's diversity-oriented investment focus.
Emilia Mamajova, ESPIRA's Co-Founding Partner, stated, "Our goal together with the management team was to develop ICON on the international arena as a successful independent provider of high value-added services - and over the past three years Helen and her team have succeeded in reaching this objective. We congratulate them and wish the team continued success in their partnership with yoummday."
yoummday's acquisition of ICON Communication Centres was concluded on the 20th of July 2022, and all parties have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction.
About yoummday
yoummday.com has developed a work@home operating system (w@h OS) which allows it to leverage its 360° customer service platform. yoummday stands for 'you made my day'. The Munich-based company was founded in 2016 by telegate and GoYellow founder Dr. Klaus Harisch and his sons Pablo and Lion. On the yoummday platform, over 6,000 qualified customer service talents from 65 nations working remotely from home are matched with client companies in need of professional customer service. yoummday employs more than 250 people in Munich, Halle, Berlin, and Sofia.
About ICON Communication Centres
ICON is an agile contact centre based in Central Europe that recruits and manages multilingual teams specializing in sales, account management, and customer support services for B2B and B2C companies across various sectors. Companies wanting to scale or test new markets leverage ICON's award-winning knowledge of CX solutions and customer journeys to grow their market presence cost-effectively.
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SOURCE yoummday GmbH | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/27/yoummday-specialist-workhome-solutions-acquires-icon-communication-centres-expand-its-bpo-marketplace-platform/ | 2022-07-27T14:11:06Z |
Police find guns stashed ‘behind candy bars’ at gas stations in Atlanta
ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46/Gray News) - Police in Atlanta reported at least seven separate incidences in 2022 where officers have recovered guns stashed inside gas stations and convenience stores.
“We often get consent to go inside and we remove guns from behind candy bars, in the cooler – areas where it’s been stashed to protect a drug trade that is operating out of there,” said Interim Police Chief Darin Schierbaum.
Schierbaum highlighted the recoveries as part of a quarterly report to the City Council’s Public Safety committee.
“Because a drug trade in your district is a ticking time bomb for violence and that is where we’re recovering those,” he said.
According to Schierbaum, Atlanta officers recovered more than 1,200 guns in 2022 – an increase of 11% compared to 2021.
A spokesperson for the Atlanta Police Department said these recoveries in gas stations are a part of proactive sweeps by K9 patrols.
Oftentimes members of the public will call the police, alerting them of potentially criminal activity happening at a gas station or convenience store, according to a department spokesperson.
Upon arrival, the suspected criminals have typically dispersed, but police have repeatedly recovered firearms and drugs left behind.
Schierbaum said that four of Atlanta’s 83 homicides this year occurred at gas stations; 76 of the 83 homicides were by the use of a firearm.
He said that compared to the first quarter of 2022, homicides decreased by 11% in the second quarter.
In addressing safety at gas stations, two local leaders have proposed new initiatives calling for enhanced security cameras at gas stations.
DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and Atlanta City Councilmember Keisha Sean Waites, proposed legislation to address the violent and property crimes happening at gas stations.
“Anyone applying for a permit for a gas station in the city of Atlanta would be required to have cameras at their facility and store that data for 90 days,” Waites said, who will formally introduce her legislation before Atlanta’s Public Safety committee next week.
She said this legislation will not impact current gas stations.
“That footage would be able to aid and assist should we have any situation where we have property crimes or vandalism or burglaries,” she said.
Cochran-Johnson said Tuesday that her initiative must still be approved by the Board of Commissioners before it goes into action.
Copyright 2022 WGCL via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/07/13/police-find-guns-stashed-behind-candy-bars-gas-stations-atlanta/ | 2022-07-13T22:43:38Z |
Neumeyer's extensive corporate finance and governance experience will bring unique shareholder perspective to the Board
SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantum Corporation (Nasdaq: QMCO) (Quantum or the Company) announced today that Mr. Christopher D. Neumeyer has joined its Board of Directors.
Mr. Neumeyer joins Quantum's Board as the Company increases its focus on executing strategic initiatives designed to accelerate EBITDA growth. His addition to the Board underscores Quantum's commitment to deliver improved financial performance and shareholder value. Mr. Neumeyer has served as a non-voting Board observer since 2016.
"We're very pleased to officially integrate Chris's experience into our Board," said Jamie Lerner, Chairman and CEO of Quantum. "We have already benefitted from Chris's insights and feedback for the last several years in his role as an observer. We believe he will continue to bring valuable shareholder perspectives to our Board oversight and decision-making processes, and improve our efforts to integrate shareholder voices into our business."
"I am excited to join Quantum's Board. I look forward to working closely with the other directors and the Quantum leadership team to unlock the value that I don't believe the current stock price reflects," commented Mr. Neumeyer.
Mr. Neumeyer is an Executive Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO). Funds managed by PIMCO are currently some of Quantum's largest investors, beneficially owning, in the aggregate, 16,773,611 shares and warrants, or 15.4% of the Company's issued and outstanding common stock (assuming the exercise of the warrants held by such funds) as of August 1, 2022. Since joining PIMCO in in 2010, Mr. Neumeyer has held multiple roles and is currently responsible for identifying, originating, and structuring corporate investments across the capital structure in a variety of industries for various PIMCO-managed investment funds.
Prior to his tenure at PIMCO, Mr. Neumeyer held various positions at The Blackstone Group and worked in the investment banking division of Credit Suisse First Boston.
Investor Relations Contacts:
Shelton Group
Leanne Sievers | Brett Perry
P: 949-224-3874 | 214-272-0070
E: sheltonir@sheltongroup.com
Forward-Looking Information
Statements in this press release that are not historical in nature constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act"). These forward-looking statements are largely based on our current expectations and estimates about future events and financial trends affecting our business. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the anticipated use of proceeds from the Rights Offering, the increasing demand for our storage solutions and the anticipated benefits of a stronger balance sheet.
These forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of terms and phrases such as "anticipates", "believes", "can", "could", "estimates", "expects", "forecasts", "intends", "may", "plans", "projects", "targets", "will", and similar expressions or variations or the negative of these terms and similar phrases. Additionally, statements concerning future matters and other statements regarding matters that are not historical are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements related to the anticipated benefits and impact of Mr. Neumeyer joining the Board and serving as a director. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements relate to future events or our future performance and are subject to business, economic, and other risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the following: risks related to the need to address the many challenges facing our business; the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, including potential disruptions to our supply chain, employees, operations, sales and overall market conditions; the competitive pressures we face; risks associated with executing our strategy; the distribution of our products and the delivery of our services effectively; the development and transition of new products and services and the enhancement of existing products and services to meet customer needs and respond to emerging technological trends; our stock price performance and general stock market volatility; the impact of political and economic instability and geopolitical tensions, including outbreak of hostilities, wars, or other acts of aggression, such as the current conflict in Ukraine, terrorism and political unrest, boycotts, curtailment of trade, government sanctions and other business restrictions; the outcome of any claims and disputes; and other risks that are described herein, including but not limited to the items discussed in "Risk Factors" in our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on June 8, 2022 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 4, 2022. We do not intend to update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law or regulation.
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SOURCE Quantum Corp. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/quantum-announces-appointment-corporate-finance-veteran-christopher-neumeyer-board-directors/ | 2022-08-22T21:52:41Z |
SEATTLE, May 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CTI BioPharma Corp. (Nasdaq: CTIC) today announced a poster presentation from the Company's pacritinib program at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, being held in Chicago and virtually, June 3-7, 2022.
"These data reinforce pacritinib's role as a safe, differentiated JAK inhibitor. Our risk-adjusted analysis demonstrates that the safety profile of pacritinib 200 mg twice a day is comparable to best available therapy, including ruxolitinib, and that pacritinib 200 mg twice daily could be a full-dose therapeutic option for patients with myelofibrosis, including those who experience severe thrombocytopenia," said Adam Craig, President and Chief Executive Officer of CTI BioPharma. "Earlier this year, VONJOTM (pacritinib) at 200 mg orally twice daily received accelerated FDA approval, becoming the first approved therapy that specifically addresses the needs of patients with cytopenic myelofibrosis. The NCCN® Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms also recently included VONJO as a recommended first- and second-line treatment. With a successful beginning to our commercial launch, these data reinforce VONJO's value as a new standard of care for cytopenic myelofibrosis patients with platelet counts <50 × 109/L who have been waiting for new treatment options."
Presentation materials will be available at ctibiopharma.com.
Risk-adjusted safety analysis of pacritinib in patients with myelofibrosis (ASCO Poster #7058)
Pacritinib is a novel JAK2/IRAK1 inhibitor that has shown significant activity in patients with myelofibrosis, including those with platelet counts <50 × 109/L. This safety analysis focuses on toxicities of interest for patients treated with pacritinib 200 mg twice daily (BID) and best available therapy (BAT), including ruxolitinib, on the Phase 3 PERSIST-2 and Phase 2 PAC203 studies. Because the average treatment duration was longer for patients on pacritinib 200 mg BID on PERSIST-2 and PAC203 compared to BAT on PERSIST-2, this analysis presents adverse events rates in these patients corrected for duration of exposure.
This risk-adjusted analysis demonstrates that the safety profile of pacritinib 200 mg BID is comparable to BAT. In particular, rates of bleeding were not elevated on pacritinib 200 mg BID compared to BAT, both overall and in patients with PLT <50 x 109/L. Rates of fatal events, thrombosis, major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and non-melanoma skin cancer were higher on ruxolitinib than pacritinib. These results indicate that pacritinb 200 mg BID may represent a full-dose therapeutic option for patients with myelofibrosis, including those with thrombocytopenia.
The details of the poster presentation are as follows:
Abstract Title: Risk-adjusted safety analysis of pacritinib (PAC) in patients (pts) with myelofibrosis (MF)
Abstract Number: 7058
Session Name: Hematologic Malignancies—Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndromes, and Allotransplant
Session Date: Saturday, June 4, 2022
Presentation Time: 8:00 – 11:00 a.m. CDT (11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET)
Presenter: Dr. Naveen Pemmaraju
About VONJO (pacritinib)
Pacritinib is an oral kinase inhibitor with activity against wild type Janus Associated Kinase 2 (JAK2), mutant JAK2V617F form and FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), which contribute to signaling of a number of cytokines and growth factors that are important for hematopoiesis and immune function. Myelofibrosis is often associated with dysregulated JAK2 signaling. Pacritinib has higher inhibitory activity for JAK2 over other family members, JAK3 and TYK2. At clinically relevant concentrations, pacritinib does not inhibit JAK1. Pacritinib exhibits inhibitory activity against additional cellular kinases (such as CSF1R and IRAK1), the clinical relevance of which is unknown.
VONJO is indicated for the treatment of adults with intermediate or high-risk primary or secondary (post-polycythemia vera or post-essential thrombocythemia) myelofibrosis with a platelet count below 50 × 109/L. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on spleen volume reduction. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial(s).
Important VONJO Safety Information
Hemorrhage:
Serious (11%) and fatal (2%) hemorrhages have occurred in VONJO-treated patients with platelet counts <100 × 109/L. Serious (13%) and fatal (2%) hemorrhages have occurred in VONJO-treated patients with platelet counts <50 × 109/L. Grade ≥3 bleeding events (defined as requiring transfusion or invasive intervention) occurred in 15% of patients treated with VONJO compared to 7% of patients treated on the control arm. Due to hemorrhage, VONJO dose-reductions, dose interruptions, or permanent discontinuations occurred in 3%, 3%, and 5% of patients, respectively.
Avoid use of VONJO in patients with active bleeding and hold VONJO 7 days prior to any planned surgical or invasive procedures. Assess platelet counts periodically, as clinically indicated. Manage hemorrhage using treatment interruption and medical intervention.
Diarrhea:
VONJO causes diarrhea in approximately 48% of patients compared to 15% of patients treated on the control arm. The median time to resolution in VONJO-treated patients was 2 weeks. The incidence of reported diarrhea decreased over time with 41% of patients reporting diarrhea in the first 8 weeks of treatment, 15% in Weeks 8 through 16, and 8% in Weeks 16 through 24. Diarrhea resulted in treatment interruption in 3% of VONJO-treated patients. None of the VONJO-treated patients reported diarrhea that resulted in treatment discontinuation. Serious diarrhea adverse reactions occurred in 2% of patients treated with VONJO compared to no such adverse reactions in patients in the control arm.
Control pre-existing diarrhea before starting VONJO treatment. Manage diarrhea with antidiarrheal medications, fluid replacement, and dose-modification. Treat diarrhea with anti–diarrheal medications promptly at the first onset of symptoms. Interrupt or reduce VONJO dose in patients with significant diarrhea despite optimal supportive care.
Thrombocytopenia:
VONJO can cause worsening thrombocytopenia. VONJO dosing was reduced due to worsening thrombocytopenia in 2% of patients with pre–existing moderate to severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count <100 × 109/L). VONJO dosing was reduced due to worsening thrombocytopenia in 2% of patients with pre–existing severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count <50 × 109/L).
Monitor platelet count prior to VONJO treatment and as clinically indicated during treatment. Interrupt VONJO in patients with clinically significant worsening of thrombocytopenia that lasts for more than 7 days. Restart VONJO at 50% of the last given dose once the toxicity has resolved. If toxicity recurs hold VONJO. Restart VONJO at 50% of the last given dose once the toxicity has resolved.
Prolonged QT interval:
VONJO can cause prolongation of the QTc interval. QTc prolongation of >500 msec was higher in VONJO-treated patients than in patients in the control arm (1.4% vs 1%). QTc increase from baseline by 60 msec or higher was greater in VONJO-treated patients than in control arm patients (1.9% vs 1%). Adverse reactions of QTc prolongation were reported for 3.8% of VONJO-treated patients and 2% of control arm patients. No cases of torsades de pointes were reported.
Avoid use of VONJO in patients with a baseline QTc of >480 msec. Avoid use of drugs with significant potential for QTc prolongation in combination with VONJO. Correct hypokalemia prior to and during VONJO treatment. Manage QTc prolongation using VONJO interruption and electrolyte management.
Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE):
Another Janus associated kinase (JAK)-inhibitor has increased the risk of MACE, including cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke (compared to those treated with TNF blockers) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a condition for which VONJO is not indicated.
Consider the benefits and risks for the individual patient prior to initiating or continuing therapy with VONJO particularly in patients who are current or past smokers and patients with other cardiovascular risk factors. Patients should be informed about the symptoms of serious cardiovascular events and the steps to take if they occur.
Thrombosis:
Another JAK-inhibitor has increased the risk of thrombosis, including deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and arterial thrombosis (compared to those treated with TNF blockers) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a condition for which VONJO is not indicated.
Patients with symptoms of thrombosis should be promptly evaluated and treated appropriately.
Secondary Malignancies:
Another JAK-inhibitor has increased the risk of lymphoma and other malignancies excluding non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) (compared to those treated with TNF blockers) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a condition for which VONJO is not indicated. Patients who are current or past smokers are at additional increased risk.
Consider the benefits and risks for the individual patient prior to initiating or continuing therapy with VONJO, particularly in patients with a known malignancy (other than a successfully treated NMSC), patients who develop a malignancy, and patients who are current or past smokers.
Risk of Infection:
Another JAK-inhibitor has increased the risk of serious infections (compared to best available therapy) in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms. Serious bacterial, mycobacterial, fungal and viral infections may occur in patients treated with VONJO. Delay starting therapy with VONJO until active serious infections have resolved. Observe patients receiving VONJO for signs and symptoms of infection and manage promptly. Use active surveillance and prophylactic antibiotics according to clinical guidelines.
Interactions with CYP3A4 Inhibitors or Inducers:
Co-administration of VONJO with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors or inducers is contraindicated. Avoid concomitant use of VONJO with moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors or inducers.
Drug interruptions due to an adverse reaction occurred in 27% patients who received VONJO 200 mg twice daily compared to 10% of patients treated with BAT. Dosage reductions due to an adverse reaction occurred in 12% of patients who received VONJO 200 mg twice daily compared to 7% of patients treated with BAT. Permanent discontinuation due to an adverse reaction occurred in 15% of patients receiving VONJO 200 mg twice daily compared to 12% of patients treated with BAT.
Please visit http://www.ctibiopharma.com/vonjo_prescribing_information for full Prescribing Information and the Medication Guide.
About Myelofibrosis
Myelofibrosis is bone marrow cancer that results in formation of fibrous scar tissue and can lead to thrombocytopenia and anemia, weakness, fatigue and an enlarged spleen and liver. Within the United States, there are approximately 21,000 patients with myelofibrosis, 7,000 of which have severe thrombocytopenia (defined as blood platelet counts of less than 50 x109/L). Severe thrombocytopenia is associated with poor survival and high symptom burden and can occur as a result of disease progression or from drug toxicity with other JAK2 inhibitors, such as JAKAFI and INREBIC.
About CTI BioPharma Corp.
We are a commercial biopharmaceutical company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of novel targeted therapies for blood-related cancers that offer a unique benefit to patients and their healthcare providers. CTI has one FDA-approved product VONJOTM (pacritinib), a JAK2 and IRAK1, that spares JAK1. VONJO is approved for the treatment of adults with intermediate or high-risk primary or secondary (post-polycythemia vera or post-essential thrombocythemia) myelofibrosis with a platelet count below 50 × 109/L. CTI is conducting the Phase 3 PACIFICA study of VONJO in patients with myelofibrosis and severe thrombocytopenia as a post-marketing requirement.
VONJOTM is a trademark of CTI BioPharma Corp.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements included in this press release that are not historical in nature are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, events or developments to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to those risks more fully discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. "CTI BioPharma" and the CTI BioPharma logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of CTI BioPharma Corp. in various jurisdictions. All other trademarks belong to their respective owner.
CTI BioPharma Investor Contacts:
Argot Partners
+212-600-1902
cti@argotpartners.com
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SOURCE CTI BioPharma Corp. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/26/cti-biopharma-presents-pivotal-data-pacritinib-program-2022-american-society-clinical-oncology-annual-meeting/ | 2022-05-27T00:04:19Z |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — David A. Arnold, a comedian who was a producer of the “Fuller House” reboot and the creator and showrunner of Nickelodeon’s “That Girl Lay Lay,” has died. He was 54.
Arnold’s family said in a statement Thursday that the doctors “ruled the cause of death due to natural causes.” His family said he died peacefully on Wednesday in his home.
“It is with great sadness that we confirm the untimely passing of our husband, father, brother and friend, David A. Arnold,” the statement read. “Please keep our family in prayer and respect our privacy at this time as we are all shocked and devastated by this loss.”
Arnold was a stand-up comedian who gained appeal through his perspective about fatherhood. He headlined two Netflix comedy specials “Fat Ballerina” in 2019 and the Kevin Hart-produced “It Ain’t for the Weak,” which debuted in July. He was also featured in the Netflix is a Joke comedy festival in late April.
Arnold was three shows into his four-month comedy tour called “Pace Ya Self.”
He also wrote episodes for “Meet the Browns,” “The Ricky Smiley Show” and “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.” | https://cw33.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-david-a-arnold-comedian-of-netflix-specials-dies-at-54/ | 2022-09-09T00:52:41Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Weber Inc. ("Weber") (NYSE: WEBR) 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 persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Weber Class A common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and prospectus issued in connection with the Company's August 2021 initial public offering.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Weber, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Weber includes allegations that the Company made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Weber was reasonably likely to implement price increases; (2) as a result, consumer demand for Weber's products was reasonably likely to decrease; (3) due to the resulting inventory buildup, Weber was reasonably likely to run promotions to "enhance retail sell through"; (4) the foregoing would adversely impact Weber's financial results; 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.
DEADLINE: September 27, 2022
Aggrieved Weber investors only have until September 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
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SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/29/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-weber-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-27-2022/ | 2022-08-29T10:44:11Z |
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Iscoe Law Firm, one of Florida's leading personal injury attorney teams, says that walking is a way of life for both residents and visitors in Florida. Yet, not enough has been done to protect pedestrians' safety while they are on foot for vacations, school, church, and work. In fact, a recent report reveals that the metro area of Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach-Miami was 13th among the United States' most dangerous metropolitan areas for pedestrians between 2010 and 2019.
"According to the report by Smart Growth America, an organization focused on pedestrian safety, there were 1,675 pedestrian fatalities during this time period (the last for which data is available) or 2.8 deaths per 100,000 residents in South Florida alone," said Gary T. Iscoe, Esq. Founding Partner of Iscoe Law Firm. "Florida had 5,893 pedestrian deaths during the same decade."
Suppose you were recently injured in a pedestrian accident. In that case, you need to know that you have legal rights, including the right to compensation for your injuries. Secure your rights by speaking with an experienced Palm Beach County pedestrian accident lawyer as soon as possible after learning about your injuries.
Being hit by a car while walking can be one of the most traumatic experiences someone might ever face. Unfortunately, with so many pedestrians on Florida roads, these accidents happen more and more every day. Understanding how they happen can help prevent them and help determine who is liable when one occurs. These accidents involve:
About Iscoe Law
- Distracted Driving
- Impaired Driving
- Recklessness
- Inclement Weather
- Nighttime
- Road Construction
- Vehicles Turning Left
Since 1991, Gary T. Iscoe, a Trial Lawyer, has been dedicated to holding the powerful accountable for taking advantage of the powerless. From representing clients in severe injury cases, wrongful death cases, class actions, and other lawsuits including medical malpractice, and product liability. Gary and his team understand Florida's complex personal injury laws.
Iscoe Law fights hard for the injured and holds auto insurers like State Farm, Allstate, Progressive, GEICO, Liberty Mutual accountable for the pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages suffered by its clients.
Iscoe Law offers a free initial consultation at one's home, office, hotel, or hospital. For more information or schedule a free consultation, call 800-800-6500 or visit www.iscoelaw.com
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SOURCE Iscoe Law | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/iscoe-law-wants-protections-pedestrian-safety/ | 2022-08-30T12:53:47Z |
Olli Salumeria expands its high-protein grab-and-go snack line with a new Pepperoni Mozzarella offering launching in August
Company's largest-ever integrated marketing campaign will position Snack Packs as perfect for busy fall routines
OCEANSIDE, Calif., Aug. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the fastest-growing names in Italian-style salami is expanding its popular snack pack line with a new pairing that combines two of its most-requested, on-trend deli flavors for the very first time: pepperoni and mozzarella.
Oceanside, Calif.-based Olli Salumeria has set a late-summer launch date for its Olli® Pepperoni Mozzarella Snack Pack, the latest offering in its line of high-protein grab-and-go mini meals, This newest snack pack, combining sliced, slow-cured Olli Pepperoni and Mozzarella cheese with La Panzanella crackers, joins four other Olli Snack Pack salami/cheese pairings including Genoa/Fontina, Sopressata/Cheddar, Calabrese/Asiago and Prosciutto/Mozzarella.
Olli's Pepperoni Mozzarella Snack Pack will be available at supermarkets nationwide and select specialty retailers in August 2022, for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $3.99.
Launched in 2018, Olli® Snack Packs leverage the current charcuterie craze with single-serving, gluten-free and keto-friendly snack packs featuring premium, slow-cured salami, cheese and crackers on-the-go.
Made with simple, natural ingredients that are hormone- and antibiotic-free, and slow-cured according to multi-generational Italian family recipes, Olli Snack Packs offer a convenient snack option with 13 grams of protein that deliver the on-trend flavors of charcuterie in a single-serving, two-ounce portion.
"As part of our ongoing mission to bring the distinctive flavors of our slow-cured salami to consumers in the U.S., we're always looking for new pairings and other ways to reach foodies, busy families and those looking for an authentic Italian experience," said Olli Salumeria President Oliviero Colmignoli. "Olli Snack Packs combine our famous salami with high-quality pairings to create an easy, flavorful and satiating mini meal for anyone on the go. The only thing missing is the charcuterie board."
"With our latest Olli Snack Pack, we're pairing two of the most beloved, most classic charcuterie flavors – pepperoni and mozzarella – for the first time and in way that reminds everyone of Olli's 170-year legacy in Italian salami," Colmignoli said.
Led by Colmignoli, the grandson of cured-meat legend Ferruccio Fiorucci, Olli Salumeria is driven to introducing Americans to the sweeter, less acidic taste of salami slow-cured in the Italian method. From state-of-the-art processing facilities, Olli Salumeria combines genuine old-world family recipes, curing techniques and quality ingredients with a commitment to becoming the first 100% preservative-free Italian salami producer in America.
Charcuterie became increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, as consumers sought exciting, premium foods at home. Online searches about charcuterie grew nearly 300% through 2021, with continued interest in the post-pandemic period.
Olli Snack Packs can be found nationally at Walmart and on Amazon, at select Publix, and Albertsons locations, and at an increasing number of regional supermarkets and specialty retailers across the country.
For more information on the Olli story, curing technique and products, visit www.olli.com or follow Olli Salumeria Americana on Facebook and Instagram.
Olli Salumeria is a U.S.-based salumeria (Italian for "delicatessen") that faithfully carries on fourth generations of the salami-making traditions of one of Italy's most famous salami families. Named after Oliviero Colmignoli, the grandson of cured-meat legend Ferruccio Fiorucci. who produced his first salami in 1850, Olli is driven to introducing Americans to the sweeter, less acidic taste of salami slow-cured in the Italian method. The company offers a growing line of snack packs, antipasto, pre-sliced trays, individual sticks and bulk, charcuterie-worthy salami chubs to preferred retailers, discriminating foodies, natural snack lovers and those simply wanting an authentic taste of Italy.
From state-of-the-art processing facilities in Oceanside, Calif., which Oliviero and his team selected for its Mediterranean climate, Olli combines genuine Italian recipes, curing techniques and quality with a commitment to being the first 100% preservative free Italian salami producer in America.
Olli can be found nationally at Walmart and on Amazon, at select Publix and Albertsons locations and at regional supermarkets and specialty retailers across the country. To find an Olli retailer near you, go to www.olli.com/locate-products.
For more information on the Olli story, curing technique and products, visit www.olli.com or follow Olli Salumeria Americana on Facebook and Instagram.
Collin Whitley or Bob Ochsner
Rocket Launch PR for Olli Salumeria
(949) 233-0984
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SOURCE Olli Salumeria | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/26/us-salami-maker-adds-on-trend-new-flavor-combination-its-charcuterie-snack-packs/ | 2022-08-26T18:30:45Z |
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — For a very brief moment, Cameron Young was tied for the lead on the 18th hole on the final day of the British Open with only three other players still out on the course.
He never stood much of a chance.
Young finished in second place on the Old Course in the 150th British Open after driving the green and sinking a 17-foot eagle putt on the par-4 18th. That put him at 19-under 269 for the tournament. Playing partner Cameron Smith was also at 19 under, but the Australian still had a 2-foot birdie putt to get to 20 under.
“Cameron was not going to miss that,” said Young, who shot a 7-under 65 on Sunday and lost to Smith by one stroke.
The eagle moved Young one shot ahead of Rory McIlroy, who missed a birdie putt on the 18th a few minutes later. But it wasn’t enough to catch Smith, who shot a 64 in the final round to win the claret jug and match the major championship record to par with his winning score.
“It probably hurts a little worse to come up one shot short. If you lose by eight you don’t really care,” said Young, a 25-year-old American who is from New York. “I would have signed up for 65 this morning. And to watch Cameron shoot what he did, it was pretty amazing.”
Young was at or near the top of leaderboard on all four days at St. Andrews. He opened with an 8-under 64 on Thursday to take the early lead, added a 69 in the second round and a 71 on Saturday.
Heading out for the final round on Sunday, he and Smith were tied for third, four strokes behind McIlroy and Viktor Hovland.
Two bogeys on the front nine — on the first and ninth holes — set him back, but seven total birdies before the eagle on the last kept him in contention to win his first major.
The bogey on 9 was a surprise considering Young had birdied that hole in all three previous rounds this week.
“I think I tried a little hard to get it to the green knowing that right is totally fine. I was just trying to hit one really hard and turning right to left and I just overdid it,” Young said. “Probably just maybe not the best decision I made. And not the best shot I hit today. Just one of those times.”
Young was playing at his first British Open. He has never made the cut at the Masters or the U.S. Open, but he did get some valuable major tournament experience at this year’s PGA Championship. He finished in a tie for third after a double bogey on the 16th at Southern Hills.
“At this point — not as much as some of those other guys — but I’ve at least been around the lead a lot this year,” Young said. “In the PGA Tour in a major, so it’s not the first time I’ve been in that situation.
“And the more I put myself there, I think I said at the PGA one of these times I’ll shoot 5 under on the back (nine) and that will be enough. And today I did. And it wasn’t. So I guess one of these times I’ll shoot 6 on the back on Sunday and that will be enough.”
Trying to get to that 5-under number on the back nine Sunday meant going all out on one last drive.
With the Old Course playing hard and fast all week, many of the par 4s have been drivable. Young knew he needed an eagle on the final hole to pressure Smith so he teed it up and went all out.
“I don’t know what that hole played to this week, but I’d imagine probably more than half of the people were making birdie. The way Cameron Smith chips and putts, I didn’t really think he would make a 4,” Young said. “So, yes, I kind of was just trying to get it there and trying to give myself some kind of look, because obviously you never know.”
___
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/young-eagles-18th-but-settles-for-2nd-place-at-british-open/ | 2022-07-18T18:26:00Z |
LIMA, Perú, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Petróleos del Perú – Petroperú S.A. (the "Company") today announced that it had received, as of 5:00 p.m. New York City time on May 31, 2022 (the "Expiration Time"), consents ("Consents") from holders of (i) U.S.$ 958,553,000, or 95.86%, of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of its 4.750% Notes Due 2032 (the "2032 Notes") and (ii) U.S.$ 1,750,014,000, or 87.50%, of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of its 5.625% Notes Due 2047 (the "2047 Notes" and, collectively with the 2032 Notes, the "Notes" and each a "Series") to certain proposed amendments to the indentures governing the Notes (the "Indentures" and each, an "Indenture"), set forth in the Consent Solicitation Statement dated as of May 23, 2022 (the "Consent Solicitation Statement").
Prior to the date hereof, the Company obtained the consent of the lenders under that certain facility agreement among the Company, as borrower, certain lenders, and Deutsche Bank, S.A.E., as administrative agent, guaranteed by Compañía Española de Seguros de Crédito a la Exportación, S.A., Compañía de Seguros y Reaseguros, S.M.E., the Spanish Export Credit Agency CESCE (such guaranteed facility agreement, the "CESCE Facility Agreement"), to extend the timeframe within which the Company must deliver the audited consolidated financial statements for the 2021 fiscal year under the CESCE Facility Agreement to September 30, 2022. The amendment to the CESCE Facility Agreement became effective on May 30, 2022. The effectiveness of that amendment was one of the conditions set forth in the Consent Solicitation Statement (the "CESCE Amendment Condition").
As a result of the receipt of the requisite consents under the Indentures governing the Notes as described above, the satisfaction of the CESCE Amendment Condition and the other general conditions set forth in the Consent Solicitation Statement, the Company expects that, on June 1, 2022, it will (A) enter into a supplemental indenture to each Indenture (i) extending the timeframe within which the Company must deliver its audited financial statements for the 2021 fiscal year pursuant to the Indentures until September 30, 2022 and (ii) providing that failure by the Company to deliver its audited financial statements for the 2021 fiscal year by the new applicable deadline would constitute an Event of Default and not be subject to a cure period; and (B) pay to each Holder who has validly delivered its Consent on or prior to the Expiration Time (and who has not revoked its Consent prior to the revocation deadline), the consent fee, as described in the Consent Solicitation Statement.
Citigroup Global Markets Inc., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., and Santander Investment Securities Inc. are acting as Solicitation Agents for the Consent Solicitation. The Tabulation and Information Agent is Global Bondholder Services Corporation.
Requests for documentation should be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation at (855) 654-2014. Questions regarding the Consent Solicitation should be directed to the Solicitation Agents at (212) 723-6106 (for Citigroup), +1 (888) HSBC-4LM (for HSBC), or +1 (212) 940-1442 (for Santander).
This press release is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell securities.
None of the Company, the Solicitation Agents, the Tabulation and Information Agent has made any recommendation as to whether holders should have consented or refrained from consenting to the proposed amendments to the Indentures.
About Petroperú:
Petróleos del Perú – Petroperú S.A. established in 1981 as a Public Limited Company pursuant with Legislative Decree No 43 (founded in 1969), Petroperú is the largest hydrocarbon corporate entity in Peru in terms of total sales and the largest enterprise of the Peruvian sovereign (100% owned by Peru). It is also Peru's second largest refiner in terms of refining volume capacity and forms a critical part of the country's energy infrastructure and economy. It has the largest distribution network for crude oil and refined products in the country, and it is the sole provider of refined products to certain areas of Peru. It is also the owner and operator of Peru's main oil pipeline, the "Norperuano Pipeline," which connects the crude oil production fields in the northern rainforest of Peru with its facilities in the Port of Bayovar near its Talara Refinery. Its business is comprised primarily of midstream and downstream petroleum activities, including the refining and blending of crude and intermediate hydrocarbon products, the distribution and sale of refined products through its wholesale distributors and associated retail service stations and direct sales, the transportation of crude through the Norperuano Pipeline, and the leasing of certain of its facilities to third parties. Petroperú also has a presence in the upstream sector.
Advisories:
Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release and the Consent Solicitation Statement contain statements that are or may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those described in such forward-looking statements included in this press release and/or the Consent Solicitation Statement. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. The Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release or in the Consent Solicitation Statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Future events or circumstances could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated.
SOURCE Petróleos del Perú - Petroperú S.A. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/petrleos-del-per-petroper-sa-announces-expiration-consent-solicitation-receipt-requisite-consents-proposed-amendments-connection-with-its-outstanding-4750-notes-due-2032-cusip-no-716564-aa7-144ap7808b-aa5-regs-isin-no-us716564aa72-144ausp7808baa54-regs-5625-notes-due-2047-cusip-no-716564-ab5-144ap7808b-ab3-regs-isin-no-us716564ab55-144ausp7808bab38-regs/ | 2022-06-01T00:43:14Z |
Musicians cancel performances at upcoming NRA convention in wake of Uvalde shooting
By Cheri Mossburg, CNN
At least three musicians who were set to sing in a concert at this weekend’s annual convention of the National Rifle Association have canceled their performances in the wake of the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
The annual meeting is set to begin on Friday and run through the weekend at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.
“In light of the recent events in Texas, I have decided it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform for the NRA at their convention in Houston this week. I’m sure all the folks planning to attend this event are shocked and sickened by these events as well. After all, we are all Americans,” said Don McLean in a statement to CNN. “I share the sorrow for this terrible, cruel loss with the rest of the nation.”
McLean is best known for the 1970’s hits “American Pie” and “Vincent.”
Larry Gatlin, of the Gatlin Brothers fame has also canceled his plans to perform, telling CNN, in part, “I cannot, in good conscience, perform at the NRA convention in Houston this weekend.”
“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 toward trying to prevent the kind of tragedy we saw this week in Uvalde— in my beloved, weeping TEXAS,” Gatlin said in a statement. “I’m a 2nd Amendment guy, but the 2nd Amendment should not apply to everyone. It’s that simple.”
The annual meeting is only open to NRA members. The organization currently has over five million members, according to its website.
Larry Stewart, who contributed lead vocals in the band Restless Heart, has also opted to not appear.
“I want to honor the victims, families, the town and our friends in the great state of Texas the best I know how,” a statement said.
Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on Tuesday. The investigation is ongoing.
CNN has reached out to other musicians slated to perform, including Danielle Peck, T. Graham Brown, Jacob Bryant, and Lee Greenwood, known for Independence Day favorite, “God Bless the U.S.A.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Devan Cole contributed to this report. | https://localnews8.com/entertainment/cnn-entertainment/2022/05/26/musicians-cancel-performances-at-upcoming-nra-convention-in-wake-of-uvalde-shooting-2/ | 2022-05-27T02:18:27Z |
LUXEMBOURG, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Swiss Insured Brazil Power Finance S.à r.l., a private limited liability company (société à responsabilité limitée), incorporated and existing under Luxembourg law, having its registered office at 16, rue Eugène Ruppert, L – 2453 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, registered with the Luxembourg Register of Commerce and Companies under number B 217648 (the "Company"), previously launched a consent solicitation (the "Consent Solicitation") in relation to its 9.850% Senior Secured Notes due 2032 with ISIN USL8915MAA38/US870880AA90 (the "Notes") pursuant to the consent solicitation statement, dated July 20, 2022 (as supplemented and amended prior to the date hereof, the "Statement"). Capitalized terms used, but not defined, in this announcement (the "Announcement") have the meanings assigned to them in the Statement.
The Company today announces that it has received the Requisite Consents under the Indenture and the Uninsured Loan Agreement. Accordingly, the Consent Effective Time has occurred and the Company will instruct the Fiduciary Agent to consent to effectuate and/or enter into the Proposed Consent and Amendments and to consent to and do any other acts necessary to give effect to the CELSE Consent and Amendment Authorization, and upon receipt of all other consents required under the Intercreditor Agreement, the Debenture Indenture and the Project Intercreditor Agreement, the CELSE Consent and Amendment Authorization will become effective once the other conditions thereto have been satisfied. The consent to the Proposed Consent and Amendments and the CELSE Consent and Amendment Authorization is effective and operative as to all Holders, whether or not such Holders delivered a Consent or otherwise affirmatively objected to the consent to the Proposed Consent and Amendments; provided that, in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, unless the Consent Payment has been made on or prior to the Outside Date, each Consent provided pursuant to the Consent Solicitation shall be ineffective and deemed revoked and the Proposed Consent and Amendments and the CELSE Consent and Amendment Authorization and any amendments or consents resulting therefrom shall be void ab initio.
The Consent Solicitation will expire at the previously announced Expiration Time of 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on August 3, 2022. As the Consent Effective Time has occurred, delivered Consents may not be validly revoked.
As previously announced, the aggregate Consent Payment payable to Holders who validly deliver their Consent at or prior to the Expiration Time, will be 1.00% of R$3,201,500,000 initial aggregate principal amount of Notes (the "Original Face Value"), or R$32,015,000, to be shared by all such consenting Holders. Specifically, the Consent Payment will be an amount, per R$1,000 of Original Face Value of Notes for which Holders have validly delivered Consents prior to the Expiration Time, equal to the product of R$10.00 multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the Original Face Value of the Notes outstanding as of the Expiration Time and the denominator of which is the Original Face Value of Notes for which Holders have validly delivered Consents prior to the Expiration Time. As a result, the Consent Payment for the Notes will range from R$10.00 per R$1,000 (if all Holders consent) to approximately R$19.51 per R$1,000 (if Holders of 51.25% of the Original Face Value of Notes consent).
Subject to the consummation of any one of the Proposed Transactions and the other conditions described in the Statement, the Company expects to pay the previously announced Consent Payment upon the earlier of (i) the third business day following the consummation or termination, as applicable, of the Proposed Transactions and (ii) October 17, 2022. The Consent Payment will be paid to holders who validly delivered their Consents at or prior to the Expiration Time. The Consent Payment is calculated using the Original Face Value of the Notes. The Consent Payment is denominated in Brazilian Reais but will settle in U.S. dollars as converted based on the prevailing Reais / U.S. Dollar spot rate on the close of business on the Expiration Date of the Consent Solicitation as shown on the Bloomberg "BRLUSD Curncy" screen (provided that if such spot rate is not available on the Bloomberg "BRLUSD Curncy" screen, then the Bloomberg FXIP screen shall be used or such other source as mutually agreed by the Company and the Solicitation Agent).
The Company expressly reserves the right to amend, extend or terminate the Consent Solicitation or waive any unsatisfied conditions to the Consent Solicitation, in each case, in accordance with the terms set forth in the Statement. Holders are urged to review the Statement for the detailed terms of the Consent Solicitation and the procedures for providing their Consent. This Announcement is for information purposes only and is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes or any other securities. No recommendation is being made as to whether Holders should Consent pursuant to the Consent Solicitation. The Consent Solicitation is not being made in any jurisdiction in which, or to or from any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such solicitation under applicable state or foreign securities or "blue sky" laws. The Notes are currently listed on the Official List of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (the "LuxSE") and admitted to trading on the Euro MTF market of the LuxSE.
THE SOLICITATION AGENT
Questions or requests for assistance concerning the terms of the Consent Solicitation should be directed to:
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
200 West Street
New York, New York 10282
Attention: Liability Management Group
U.S. Toll-free: +1 (800) 828-3182
Collect: (212) 357-1452
Email: GS-LM-NYC@gs.com
THE INFORMATION AND TABULATION AGENT
Requests for additional copies of the Statement and assistance relating to the procedures for delivering Consents should be directed to:
D.F. King & Co., Inc.
48 Wall Street, 22nd Floor
New York, New York 10005
Email: celse@dfking.com
Toll-Free: +1 (866) 745-0267
Collect: +1 (212) 269-5550
Attn: Michael Horthman
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SOURCE Swiss Insured Brazil Power Finance S.à r.l. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/swiss-insured-brazil-power-finance-s-rl-9850-senior-secured-notes-due-2032-successful-consent-solicitation/ | 2022-08-03T13:17:21Z |
Did you lose money on investments in DENTSPLY SIRONA? If so, please visit DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com to discuss your rights.
NEW YORK, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the common stock of Dentsply Sirona, Inc. ("Dentsply" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: XRAY) between June 9, 2021 and May 9, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Dentsply produces a wide array of dental supplies, ranging from anesthetics, plaque and gum disease prevention, tooth polishers, and artificial teeth. The Company sells approximately two-thirds of its dental consumable and technology and equipment products through third-party distributors.
As (former) executives of Dentsply, Defendants Donald M. Casey, Jr. ("Casey") and Jorge Gomez ("Gomez") were eligible for significant cash- and stock-based incentive compensation. Indeed, up to 89% of their annual compensation was awarded based on the Company's ability to meet certain milestones linked to Dentsply's financial performance.
Given the challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Dentsply bifurcated its Annual Incentive plans for executives into two six-month periods. The 2021 First Half Annual Incentive Plan and the 2021 Second Half Annual Incentive Plan each provided for potential incentive payments based on achievement of performance criteria during the first two and the last two quarters of 2021, respectively. The funding levels for each plan were wholly dependent on the Company's financial performance for the applicable half of 2021.
For the first half of the year, Dentsply met the applicable financial performance targets, entitling top executives, including Casey and Gomez, to the maximum compensation under the 2021 First Half Annual Incentive Plan. However, to ensure that they received at least some of their awards under the 2021 Second Half Annual Incentive Plan, Plaintiff alleges that Defendants appear to have orchestrated a scheme to inflate the Company's revenue and earnings by manipulating the way in which Dentsply recognized revenue tied to certain distributor rebate and incentive programs.
Plaintiff alleges that Defendants made materially false and misleading statements throughout the Class Period. Specifically, Plaintiff alleges that Dentsply touted its "go-to-market strategy" and "more sophisticated and strategic incentive plans" as drivers of the Company's success. Dentsply also assured investors that it complied with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") and maintained adequate internal controls over financial reporting, yet the Company announced revenues and earnings that were inflated by the improper recognition of revenue.
On April 11, 2022, Dentsply announced that Defendant Gomez had "resigned" as Chief Financial Officer, but assured investors that his departure was "not the result of any dispute or disagreement with the Company, the Company's management or the Board of Directors of the Company on any matter relating to the Company's operations, policies or practices."
The truth began to emerge on April 19, 2022, when Dentsply suddenly announced that its Board of Directors had terminated Defendant Casey, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately and with no succession plan in place. As a result of this disclosure, Dentsply shares declined by $6.52 per share, or 13%, from $48.72 per share to $42.20 per share.
Then, on May 10, 2022, Dentsply announced that, following reports from several internal whistleblowers, the Audit and Finance Committee of its Board of Directors (the "Audit Committee") had commenced an investigation regarding certain financial reporting matters. Specifically, Dentsply disclosed that the Audit Committee was investigating "the Company's use of incentives to sell products to distributors in the third and fourth quarters of 2021" and "whether those incentives were appropriately accounted for" in the Company's periodic reports with the SEC. The Company also disclosed that the Audit Committee is investigating allegations that "certain former and current members of senior management directed the Company's use of these incentives and other actions to achieve executive compensation targets in 2021." On this news, the Company's stock declined over 7% to close at $36.38 per share on May 10, 2022.
If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 1, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.
If you purchased XRAY common stock, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit DENTSPLY SIRONA Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com.
Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2022 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.
Contact Information:
Peter Allocco
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
https://www.bernlieb.com
(212) 951-2030
pallocco@bernlieb.com
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SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/09/dentsply-sirona-inc-nasdaq-xray-shareholder-class-action-alert-bernstein-liebhard-llp-reminds-investors-deadline-file-lead-plaintiff-motion-securities-class-action-lawsuit-against-dentsply-sirona-inc-nasdaq-xray/ | 2022-07-09T01:30:06Z |
One in every five women has left or considered leaving a job because of menopause symptoms
NEW YORK, July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Elektra Health, a next-gen digital health platform that empowers women via evidence-based menopause education, care, and community, today released Elektra Health's Annual Menopause in the Workplace (2022). This free report and proprietary survey data reveal a widespread lack of menopause support among employers and health insurers. This gap often impacts women at the height of their careers. The report revealed that a majority of women would like to see more menopause support from their employer (62%) and health insurer (73%).
Of the 2,000 professional women surveyed (ages 40-55) in the US — spanning managers, directors, C-suite executives, and more — a majority of women (87%) report experiencing at least one menopause symptom in the workplace. This not only negatively impacted their mental health, but a majority of women also reported concern around the financial burden of managing their menopause care as well as missed days of work to manage symptoms. The report demonstrates the importance of providing better education, support, and resources to ensure that women do not shoulder the emotional, physical, and financial burden of menopause alone.
In tandem with this report, Elektra Health has expanded access to its services, which include evidence-based education and 1:1 support from clinically-trained menopause experts. Elektra is now offering its digital health solution to organizations looking to better support and retain menopausal women in the workforce. Making this benefit available demonstrates a strong commitment to advancing the health and wellness of the female workforce while also boosting productivity and retention.
This report surfaced the following insights about how menopause symptoms affect employee performance and mental health:
- 56% say employer support for menopause is lacking in comparison to other resources
- 40% feel their menopause health and wellness are overlooked by their employer
- 42% don't feel they are getting enough mental health support to deal with menopause
Of the women surveyed, key findings on their relationship with their employer and health insurance company include:
- One in every five women has left or considered leaving a job due to menopause symptoms
- 59% are concerned about the cost and affordability of symptom management
- 18% have taken off 4 or more days of work due to menopause symptoms
- 73% of women want menopause support from their health insurance company
- Two-thirds of all women reported that menopause symptoms negatively impact their lives
The report also looked at the race and ethnicity of surveyed respondents and found:
- 24% of African American women or people of color in comparison to 16% of White women have not pursued a promotion because of menopause symptoms
- 63% of African American women or people of color felt like a target of ageism if they shared openly about a menopause experience in comparison to 51% of White women
"Menopause is the last taboo that can impact every single working woman – it's a ten-year experience with 34 symptoms that hits women at the height of their careers," says Alessandra Henderson, Elektra's Co-founder & CEO. "With women dropping out of the workforce at alarming rates due to the pandemic and rising mental health needs, employers need to act swiftly to deploy effective solutions. Elektra's digital health platform combines evidence-based education with deep expertise in how to manage menopause symptoms. 94% of Elektra's founding members report an improved menopause mindset within one month on the platform. At Elektra, we're excited to partner with forward-leaning employers who recognize the importance of retaining female talent and comprehensive benefits that address the entire span of a woman's working years."
"The menopause transition is very individualized, with some people experiencing only menstrual changes, while others suffer multiple severe and sometimes debilitating symptoms, ranging from hot flashes that can disturb a work schedule in unpredictable ways, to insomnia resulting in fatigue and concentration issues the next day, to increased anxiety, mood swings, and depression," says Elektra's Founding Physician Dr. Anna Barbieri, a board-certified gynecologist and integrative medicine physician at Mount Sinai. "The report clearly shows that women are dissatisfied with the level of information and care available, including employers who may be unaware of the changes accompanying this transition. Now is the time to put in workplace solutions like Elektra that can effectively help women employees navigate this phase of life and thrive at work."
Founded in 2019 by Alessandra Henderson and Jannine Versi, Elektra Health is on a mission to smash the menopause taboo by empowering the 50M women navigating menopause with evidence-based education, care, and community. Elektra's comprehensive digital health platform helps women navigate the 10-year menopause transition via 1:1 text-an-expert support from a dedicated "Elektra Guide" (i.e. menopause doula), on-demand evidence-based education built by board-certified doctors, and a private, moderated community. Check out elektrahealth.com for more information.
Contact press@elektrahealth.com
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SOURCE Elektra Health | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/12/elektra-health-reveals-two-thirds-women-are-impacted-by-menopause-symptoms-workplace/ | 2022-07-12T13:38:04Z |
SOUTHINGTON, Ohio, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospitality begins and thrives at the personal level, with an environment tailored to the needs of the guest, built on the concept of providing a unique experience to each individual. LMBM Inc.'s new Trilogy Retreat Property understands this concept and has put it into practice, offering "getaways with a purpose."
Trilogy specializes in the necessities of its guests beyond just individual renewal – also offering:
- Couples' Encounters
- Family Retreats
- Staff Development
- Group Gatherings
- Special Event Hosting
Combining a mini resort, 'bed and breakfast' feel, and the ability to customize each aspect of guests' stay, this sanctuary offers the quintessential venue to pause life and focus on self-care.
The idyllic 24-acre gated sanctuary, located between Cleveland and Youngstown, OH, provides booking options of 4 bedrooms in the main house as well as a separate guest cottage. Overnight packages include breakfast and lunch prepared in a commercial grade kitchen.
Amenities include:
- Heated Swimming Pool
- Meeting Spaces
- Fitness Room with Sauna
- Hot Tub
"People are starting to understand the need to unplug and get away from the noise of the world in order to take care of themselves and restore mental health, as well as spiritual desires," says Director of Trilogy, Greg Wasinski.
For those looking to host single day events, Trilogy is perfect for an array of special occasions including weddings, celebratory events, faith learning, and days of rest, reflection, and restoration.
The sprawling front lawn blends into a scenic two-acre lake is situated next to a tranquil rock garden, complete with a picnic area and fire pit, accessible via the peaceful forest walking path. Trilogy's lake is fully stocked to offer the opportunity for fishing either on the shore or in a boat- equipment is available if required.
Trilogy Retreat Property is available for booking and touring; to inquire or schedule a visit, contact Aimee Noelle at 833-538-6323 or info@trilogy.center or visit trilogy.center.com.
Let Me Be… Ministries (LMBM Inc.), founded in 2009, is a non-profit, 501(c)3 ministry based in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. LMBM extends the message of hope through faith beyond conventional houses of worship with online and in-person events, digital media, published resources, and spiritual direction. Their faith and real-life mission remains to enrich personal growth, encourage community, and help restore the value of family.
Facebook: @trilogyretreats, @letmebeministries
Instagram: @trilogy_retreat, @faithandreallife
Media contact: Aimee Noelle, 833-538-6323, info@trilogy.center
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SOURCE LMBM Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/lmbm-inc-opens-new-retreat-property-northeast-ohio/ | 2022-08-18T15:44:29Z |
The plaintiff voluntarily dropped the case on Thursday, according to court documents. Manhattan Federal Judge Katherine Polk Failla officially dismissed the filing "with prejudice," meaning the case cannot be refiled.
Dylan's lawyers on Wednesday claimed the plaintiff failed to present court-ordered documents, including text messages and emails. Dylan's lawyers said the plaintiff, now a woman aged in her 60s identified in the lawsuit by the initials "J.C.", "destroyed evidence directly relevant to the central factual allegations in this litigation."
Orin Snyder, lead counsel for Dylan, said, "This case is over. It is outrageous that it was ever brought in the first place." He added that the case was a "lawyer-driven sham" and he is pleased about its dismissal.
The 2021 lawsuit accused Dylan of befriending the plaintiff, "to lower her inhibitions with the object of sexually abusing her, which he did, coupled with the provision of drugs, alcohol and threats of physical violence, leaving her emotionally scarred and psychologically damaged to this day."
The lawsuit alleged the abuse occurred at Dylan's apartment at the Hotel Chelsea in New York City when the plaintiff was aged 12.
In a statement after the filing last year, a spokesperson for Dylan said "the 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended."
CNN has reached out to the plaintiff's lawyers for comment.
He has sold more than 125 million records during his career. Some of his most famous songs include "The Times They Are a-Changin'," "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Blowin' in the Wind."
In 2008, Dylan won a Pulitzer Prize special citation for "his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power." In 2016, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for "having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."
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NEW YORK, May 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Ironnet, Inc. ("Ironnet") (NYSE: IRNT) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors who purchased between September 15, 2021 and December 15, 2021.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Ironnet, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Ironnet includes allegations that the Company made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company had materially overstated its business and financial prospects; (ii) the Company was unable to predict the timing of significant customer opportunities which constituted a substantial portion of its publicly- issued FY 2022 financial guidance; (iii) the Company had not established effective disclosure controls and procedures to reasonably ensure its public disclosures were timely, accurate, complete, and not otherwise misleading; and (iv) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false, misleading, and/or lacked any reasonable basis in fact at all relevant times.
DEADLINE: June 21, 2022
Aggrieved Ironnet investors only have until June 21, 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
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SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/16/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-ironnet-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-june-21-2022/ | 2022-05-16T11:08:46Z |
NEW YORK, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for ATHX, GOVX, NRXP, MARA, and TTD.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- ATHX: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=ATHX&prnumber=072920226
- GOVX: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=GOVX&prnumber=072920226
- NRXP: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=NRXP&prnumber=072920226
- MARA: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=MARA&prnumber=072920226
- TTD: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=TTD&prnumber=072920226
(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)
InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alerts are based on our proprietary scoring methodology. Each stock is evaluated based on short-term technical, long-term technical, and fundamental factors. Each of those scores is then combined into an overall score that determines a stock's overall suitability for investment.
InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
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SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/29/thinking-about-buying-stock-athersys-geovax-labs-nrx-pharmaceuticals-marathon-digital-or-trade-desk/ | 2022-07-29T16:34:36Z |
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aviat Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVNW), the leading expert in wireless transport solutions, today announced that it will participate in upcoming investor conferences.
Aviat will participate in the Oppenheimer 25th Annual Technology, Internet & Communications Conference on August 10, 2022. Aviat management is scheduled to present at 2:55pm ET and will participate in virtual 1-on-1 meetings throughout the day. A live webcast and replay of the presentation will be made available on the company's investor relations website at investors.aviatnetworks.com. Investors interested in scheduling a meeting with management should contact their Oppenheimer representative.
On August 30, 2022, Aviat will participate in the Jefferies Semiconductor, IT Hardware, and Communications Infrastructure Summit in Chicago. Aviat management is scheduled to participate in 1-on-1 meetings throughout the day. Investors interested in scheduling a meeting with management should contact their Jefferies representative.
Aviat Networks, Inc. is the leading expert in wireless transport solutions and works to provide dependable products, services and support to its customers. With more than one million systems sold into 170 countries worldwide, communications service providers and private network operators including state/local government, utility, federal government and defense organizations trust Aviat with their critical applications. Coupled with a long history of microwave innovations, Aviat provides a comprehensive suite of localized professional and support services enabling customers to drastically simplify both their networks and their lives. For more than 70 years, the experts at Aviat have delivered high-performance products, simplified operations, and the best overall customer experience. Aviat Networks is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.aviatnetworks.com or connect with Aviat Networks on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Investor Contact
Andrew Fredrickson
Director, Corporate Development and Investor Relations
(408) 501-6214
andrew.fredrickson@aviatnet.com
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SOURCE Aviat Networks, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/aviat-networks-participate-upcoming-investor-conferences/ | 2022-08-01T12:57:26Z |
SHANGRAO, China, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. ("JinkoSolar" or the "Company") (NYSE: JKS), one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world, today announced that it plans to release its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022 before the open of U.S. markets on Friday, August 26, 2022.
JinkoSolar's management will host an earnings conference call on Friday, August 26, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 p.m. Beijing / Hong Kong the same day).
Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:
Please dial in 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and provide the passcode to join the call.
A telephone replay of the call will be available 2 hours after the conclusion of the conference call through 23:59 U.S. Eastern Time, September 2, 2022. The dial-in details for the replay are as follows:
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of JinkoSolar's website at http://www.jinkosolar.com.
About JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.
JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS) is one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world. JinkoSolar distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Greece and other countries and regions. JinkoSolar has built a vertically integrated solar product value chain, with an integrated annual capacity of 40.0 GW for mono wafers, 40.0 GW for solar cells, and 50.0 GW for solar modules, as of March 31, 2022.
JinkoSolar has 12 productions facilities globally, 21 overseas subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, UAE, and Denmark, and global sales teams in mainland China, the United States, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Japan, Australia, Korea, India, Turkey, Chile, Brazil, Mexico and Hong Kong, as of March 31, 2022.
To find out more, please see: www.jinkosolar.com
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends, "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this press release and the Company's operations and business outlook, contain forward-looking statements. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in JinkoSolar's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
Ms. Stella Wang
JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.
Tel: +86 21-5180-8777 ext.7806
Email: ir@jinkosolar.com
Mr. Rene Vanguestaine
Christensen
Tel: + 86 178 1749 0483
Email: rvanguestaine@ChristensenIR.com
In the U.S.:
Ms. Linda Bergkamp
Christensen, Scottsdale, Arizona
Tel: +1-480-614-3004
Email: lbergkamp@ChristensenIR.com
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SOURCE JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/jinkosolar-report-second-quarter-2022-results-august-26-2022/ | 2022-08-17T03:03:20Z |
Leading National Brokerage Expands Western Region to Low Tax State of Nevada; Top Realtor Avi Dan-Goor Joins the Firm
LAS VEGAS, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Douglas Elliman Realty, one of the largest independent residential real estate brokerages in the United States, announced today an expansion of its Western Region division to include Nevada. The company is opening a new office located in the Downtown Summerlin urban center of Las Vegas.
The addition of Nevada brings the number of states in Douglas Elliman's Western Region to four, alongside California, Colorado and Texas, and demonstrates the company's commitment to meeting client demand for properties in the region.
"Our guiding principle at Douglas Elliman has always been to be where our customers want to be," said Howard M. Lorber, Executive Chairman, Douglas Elliman. "Not only do they want the kinds of properties you can only find in this region, but they also want to be in low- and no-tax states like Nevada and Texas. Our expansion into Nevada strengthens our position in the Western Region and allows our agents to thrive in this booming market."
"In the months since we began a new chapter as an independent, publicly traded company, we have been flawlessly executing a growth strategy in Texas, Florida, New England and now Nevada," said Scott Durkin, CEO, Douglas Elliman Realty. "With its status as a low-tax state, prime for residential growth, it is fitting that Nevada is the newest addition to our national footprint, and we look forward to serving our community of clients in the state."
"Like all of the other regions and markets we have expanded into, Nevada offers a certain lifestyle that our clients crave," said Stephen Kotler, CEO of Douglas Elliman Realty's Western Region. "Whether they are looking for the energy and elegance of Las Vegas or the freedom and room to roam on an expansive estate, we have the network, the insights and now the agents on the ground to help them find it."
The company also announced that Avi Dan-Goor, one of the leading real estate sales executives in Southern Nevada, has joined Douglas Elliman. Dan-Goor and his team will be based out of the brokerage's Las Vegas office.
"Avi's market expertise and his reputation for providing bespoke service to his clients is unassailable," said Assaf Sinai, Executive Manager of Sales and Nevada Broker of Record, Douglas Elliman. "We are proud to welcome him and his team to the Elliman family."
Douglas Elliman is poised to bring more than $70 million in listing inventory over the first two months.
About Douglas Elliman Inc.
Douglas Elliman Inc. (NYSE: DOUG, "Douglas Elliman") owns Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC, which is one of the largest residential brokerage companies in the New York metropolitan area, which includes New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Connecticut, New Jersey and the Hamptons, and the sixth largest in the U.S., with operations in California, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts and Nevada. In addition, Douglas Elliman sources, uses and invests in early-stage, disruptive property technology ("PropTech") solutions and companies and provides other real estate services, including development marketing, property management and settlement and escrow services in select markets. Additional information concerning Douglas Elliman is available on its website, www.elliman.com.
Investors and others should note that we may post information about Douglas Elliman on our website at www.elliman.com or, if applicable, on our accounts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube or other social media platforms. It is possible that the postings or releases could include information deemed to be material information. Therefore, we encourage investors, the media and others interested in Douglas Elliman to review the information we post on our website at www.elliman.com and on our social media accounts.
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SOURCE Douglas Elliman Realty | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/17/douglas-elliman-goes-all-in-las-vegas/ | 2022-05-17T14:38:28Z |
SAN ANTONIO, July 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GoLive! is the first-of-its-kind conference organized by international, award-winning bellydancer Karen Barbee in partnership with Michael Ibrahim, founder, and conductor of the National Arab Orchestra. The conference is from October 7 - 9, 2022, at the University of Texas San Antonio Downtown Campus.
The unique Arab music and dance conference hosts world-renowned creatives, dancers, instructors, and musicians. The three-day event includes classes, workshops, panel discussions, and three dynamic live concerts open to the public. The weekend highlights "improvisation" as a primary characteristic of Arab music and a fundamental root of Arab dance, with concerts ranging from Classical Arab selections to Spanish-influenced Western Fusion dance in three show-stopping performances.
"The potential impact of GoLive! in San Antonio goes beyond the dance community. Given San Antonio's cultural diversity, I believe hosting a conference featuring live Arab music and dance will be received enthusiastically. Flying twenty-five award-winning Arab musicians from around the United States to work and perform with dancers is extremely rare. I am creating an opportunity for our community to encounter a rich tradition that is not well represented in the larger cultural landscape in the United States! It is a celebration of Arab culture that will inspire and educate. I am beyond proud to be making this happen in my city," said Barbee.
Early Registration is now open at $345 for the entire conference. A la carte classes and concert options will be available in August. (http://karavanstudio.com)
Karen Barbee founded Karavan Studio in 1988 and has operated the studio in San Antonio, Texas. She directed, studied, and performed Middle Eastern Dance in Egypt, Lebanon, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. She collaborates with some of the most highly acclaimed musicians in the business to provide inspired and comprehensive dance training to students at every level. Karen developed a teaching methodology for belly dancing based on technical precision, soulful innovation, and cultural respect.
A pioneer in online Middle Eastern dance instruction, Karen introduced and populated a library of online instruction simulating her established studio, offering classes in dance technique, combinations, choreographies, improvisation, and music studies.
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SOURCE Karavan Studios | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/18/texas-native-award-winning-belly-dancer-launches-first-live-arab-music-dance-conference/ | 2022-07-18T13:25:17Z |
Enron Fast Facts
CNN Editorial Research
Here’s a look at Enron, an energy trading company that collapsed after a massive accounting fraud scheme was revealed. Its 2001 bankruptcy filing was the largest in American history at the time. Estimated losses totaled $74 billion.
Facts
An independent review published in 2002 detailed how executives pocketed millions of dollars from complex, off-the-books partnerships while reporting inflated profits to shareholders.
Executives including Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling were prosecuted for fraud-related crimes.
Key figures sold their stock shortly before the company announced a sharp downturn in earnings.
Lower-level employees were encouraged to invest in company stock for their retirement savings just before the company collapsed. The workers later filed a class action lawsuit and won an $85 million settlement.
Timeline
1985 – Houston Natural Gas merges with Omaha-based InterNorth to form Enron.
1986 – Lay is appointed chairman and CEO of Enron.
1989 – Enron enters the natural gas commodities trading market.
1990 – Skilling, an energy consultant, is hired to run a new subsidiary called Enron Finance Corp.
February 12, 2001 – Skilling becomes CEO while Lay stays on as chairman.
August 14, 2001 – Skilling resigns and Lay becomes CEO again.
August 2001 – Sherron Watkins, a vice president, warns Lay that the company could “implode in a wave of accounting scandals.”
October 16, 2001 – Enron announces a third-quarter loss of $618 million. The company later reveals that it overstated earnings dating back to 1997.
October 31, 2001 – The company discloses that it is under formal investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
November 9, 2001 – Enron confirms that it has agreed to be purchased by a rival company, Dynegy for $9 billion.
November 28, 2001 – Dynegy announces it has terminated merger talks with Enron.
December 2, 2001 – Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
January 9, 2002 – The US Department of Justice opens a criminal investigation into Enron’s collapse.
January 10, 2002 – Arthur Andersen LLP, the accounting firm that handled Enron’s audits, discloses that its employees had destroyed company documents.
January 15, 2002 – The New York Stock Exchange suspends trading of Enron shares.
January 17, 2002 – Enron ends its partnership with Arthur Andersen.
January 23, 2002 – Lay resigns as CEO. He later steps down from the board of directors.
January 25, 2002 – Former Enron vice chairman J. Clifford Baxter is found dead in an apparent suicide.
February 12, 2002 – Lay invokes his Fifth Amendment right before the Senate Commerce Committee.
March 14, 2002 – The DOJ indicts Arthur Andersen for obstruction of justice. A jury later returns a guilty verdict for the accounting firm. The Supreme Court later overturns the conviction.
February 19, 2004 – Skilling is charged with 35 counts of fraud and insider trading. He pleads not guilty.
July 7, 2004 – Lay is indicted. He is charged with conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud and making false statements. During his arraignment the next day, he pleads not guilty to all 11 charges and is released on $500,000 unsecured bond.
May 25, 2006 – Skilling and Lay are convicted of conspiracy and fraud. Skilling is also convicted on one count of insider trading and five counts of making false statements. The jury acquits Skilling on nine additional counts of insider trading.
July 5, 2006 – Lay dies of a heart attack while awaiting sentencing.
September 8, 2008 – A class action lawsuit filed by shareholders and investors is settled in federal court. The $7.2 billion settlement will be paid out by a group of banks accused of participating in the accounting fraud scheme.
May 11, 2009 – Skilling files a petition with the Supreme Court to overturn his conviction after appeals with the lower courts fail.
May 9, 2010 – “Enron,” a Broadway musical about the company’s collapse, closes on Broadway 12 days after opening amid slow ticket sales.
April 16, 2012 – The Supreme Court rejects Skilling’s appeal.
June 21, 2013 – A federal judge reduces Skilling’s sentence by more than 10 years. In return, Skilling agrees to stop challenging his conviction and forfeit roughly $42 million that will be distributed among the victims of the Enron fraud.
December 8, 2015 – The SEC announces that it has obtained a summary judgment against Skilling, permanently barring him from serving as an officer or director of a publicly held company. The judgment settles a long-running civil suit by the SEC.
February 21, 2019 – Skilling is released after serving over 12 years in federal prison.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2022/04/14/enron-fast-facts-2/ | 2022-04-14T13:22:13Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Matthew Biben, a leading litigator who focuses on banking, regulatory and enforcement matters, has joined King & Spalding as a partner in its New York office. Biben was most recently a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he was Co-Chair of its Financial Institutions Practice Group.
Biben represents individuals, financial institutions and FinTech companies in a broad array of civil disputes, securities and bankruptcy litigation, and complex matters involving regulators. He regularly handles internal, domestic and international investigations and acts as counsel in litigated disputes with government agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Federal Reserve Board (FRB), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), State Attorneys General and various foreign regulators.
"Matt has built a stellar career, with experience at the upper echelons of government, the world's largest banks and private practice, making him an outstanding addition to our team," said Andy Bayman, head of the firm's Trial and Global Disputes practice group. "Matt's diverse litigation practice, in-depth understanding of the banking and regulatory environment, commercial acumen and legal prowess offer clients outstanding counsel and successful resolutions to their most critical issues."
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Biben was a partner and co-lead of the Banking Industry Group at Debevoise & Plimpton. He was previously General Counsel for JPMorgan Chase Consumer & Community Banking and Deputy General Counsel and Global Head of Litigation at The Bank of New York Mellon. Before this, Biben served in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division and was an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney's Office.
"King & Spalding has tremendously impressive disputes and regulatory practices with a prominent emphasis on financial institutions, and this aligns perfectly with my background," Biben added. "The firm was an obvious choice of platform for me. I look forward to joining the team and contributing to the firm's litigation prowess and strength in the financial institutions sector."
Biben is a Benchmark Litigation "Litigation Star" and is recommended nationally by Chambers USA and The Legal 500 US.
Biben received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, where he is now a Trustee. He earned his J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he now sits on the Board of Advisors and has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law for the last 28 years, teaching seminars in legal philosophy, federal crime, and corporate law and governance.
Biben is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Arbitration Association and is an active member of the New York legal community, serving as a commissioner on the State of New York Commission on Judicial Nomination and sitting on the boards of the New York Legal Assistance Group, the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, and the New York Law Journal's Board of Editors.
Celebrating more than 130 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 1,200 lawyers in 23 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality, and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com.
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SOURCE K&S | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/02/king-amp-spalding-adds-senior-financial-disputes-regulatory-litigator-matthew-biben-new-york/ | 2022-08-02T20:21:14Z |
CNN Poll: Most Americans say now is not the time to end Trump-era Title 42 border policy
By Ariel Edwards-Levy and Jennifer Agiesta, CNN
Most Americans say now is not the time to end a pandemic-era border restriction that the Biden administration hoped to drop this month, but those who say it ought to continue are divided over how long it should remain in place, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS.
The policy, known as Title 42, was put in place by the Trump administration early in the coronavirus pandemic. It allows US border officials to immediately turn migrants who have reached the United States, including those seeking asylum, back to Mexico or their home countries because of the public health crisis. While a majority of the public (56%) favors allowing migrants from Central American countries to seek asylum, fewer (45%) say asylum claims should take priority over efforts to limit the number of people seeking to enter the country.
The Biden administration’s plans to lift Title 42 in May were temporarily blocked by a federal judge in Louisiana. Efforts to roll back the policy were backed by immigrant rights advocates and some public health experts, but criticized by GOP lawmakers, as well by some swing-state Democrats, who argued that President Joe Biden lacked a clear post-Title 42 plan to handle an expected surge in border crossings.
Forty-three percent of Americans say it’s time to end Title 42 and return to pre-pandemic procedures, while 57% say it’s not. But those who say it’s not the right time are split, with 29% saying it should remain in place indefinitely and 27% saying the government needs more time to end the policy.
A majority of Democrats, 64%, want to see Title 42 end now, with 28% saying the government needs more time and 8% saying it should remain in place indefinitely. More than 8 in 10 Republicans say it’s not the time to end the restriction, including 57% who say the pandemic-era measure should remain in place indefinitely, 26% who say the government needs more time to prepare and 17% who feel it should end immediately.
Most Americans have doubts about the Biden administration’s ability to handle an increase in migration that is widely expected should the policy end. Only 26% say they’re at least somewhat confident that the administration is prepared to handle any increase in the number of migrants seeking to enter the US that might result from Title 42 ending, with 74% expressing little or no confidence. Among Republicans, 82% say they have no confidence at all, while just 14% of Democrats feel the same.
Public opinion of migrants
Fifty-six percent of Americans favor allowing migrants from Central American countries to seek asylum in the United States, a modest downtick from 63% in April 2021. A year ago, strong support for allowing migrants to seek asylum outweighed strong opposition; in the most recent poll, strong feelings are about equally prevalent on both sides (22% strongly favor it, while 23% strongly oppose it).
A majority of 54%, however, says that minimizing the number of people trying to enter the United States should be a higher priority than allowing people to seek asylum in the country, with just 45% saying asylum-seekers should be the higher priority.
Views are sharply divided along partisan lines. Roughly three-quarters of Democrats (74%) favor allowing Central American migrants to seek asylum in the US, with 62% saying that allowing people to seek asylum should take priority over minimizing the number of people seeking to enter the US. Among independents, those numbers are 59% and 50%, respectively. Just 35% of Republicans favor allowing Central American migrants to seek asylum, and only 22% think asylum-seekers should be a priority for policymakers.
Immigration not a top focus
Immigration isn’t currently at the forefront of most Americans’ minds: Only 10% of Americans consider it to be the top issue facing the nation, compared with the 50% who say the biggest concern is the economy, according to results from the same poll released earlier this week. Only 41% say they’ve followed the news about Title 42 even somewhat closely, with just 12% saying they’ve followed the news very closely. Strong interest in the topic is more common on the right, with 25% of Republicans and just 6% of Democrats saying they’ve followed the news very closely. Even within the GOP, attention is concentrated among conservatives, with 62% of conservative Republicans saying they are following at least somewhat closely, compared with about 4 in 10 among moderate or liberal Republicans, moderate or conservative Democrats and liberal Democrats alike.
About two-thirds of Americans, 68%, say they currently consider the situation at the US-Mexico border to be a crisis. That’s down from 78% last April, a shift that reflects lessening concerns among both Democrats and independents.
But public unhappiness with the government’s approach to immigration is widespread.
Just 27% of Americans approve of the way migrants attempting to cross the southern border are being treated by the US government, similar to the 31% who approved under the Trump administration in 2019. A majority of 62% currently says the US government is doing too little to try to enforce immigration laws, with 26% saying the government is doing the right amount and 12% saying it’s doing too much. Specifically on Biden’s handling of immigration, 34% approve and 66% disapprove.
The CNN Poll was conducted by SSRS from April 28-May 1 among a random national sample of 1,007 adults surveyed online or by phone after being recruited using probability-based methods. Results for the full sample have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2022/05/05/cnn-poll-most-americans-say-now-is-not-the-time-to-end-trump-era-title-42-border-policy/ | 2022-05-06T00:00:15Z |
FRANKFURT, Germany, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 13th 2022, CALB was invited to the Battery Expert Forum (BEF) hosted by BMZ group in Frankfurt, Germany. CALB showcased future products and developments in lithium-ion technology. Additionally, CALB and BMZ Group announced a strategic cooperative agreement that will enable CALB's growth and exposure to global markets.
The conference consisted of presentations from a panel of experts ranging from battery manufactures, OEM's, and battery management systems. More than 150 enterprises and 5000 attendees participated in the exhibition. Participants included BMZ Innovation Group, Panasonic and Honda.
A highlighted talk from the panel was called 'One-Stop' hosted by Sebastian Wider- VP of CALB. One-Stop is a more efficient manufacturing process which simplifies the battery cell to pack (CTP) lifecycle. The crux of One-Stop is that it combines the cell and packing legs of battery production to One-Stop- allowing a manufacturer to deliver batteries to customers directly.
Finally, CALB and BMZ executed a strategic agreement to expand upon their relationship in developing technology in the worldwide battery market. Future joint projects include developing batteries designed for commercial vehicles and other types of vehicles.
About BMZ:
BMZ group is a world's leading supplier of intelligent power and energy storage systems based on lithium-ion technology. The dynamic growth established Gliwice facility as the Center of Excellent for eMobility business.
With over 20 years' experience, more than 2000 customers and roughly 250 new projects a year, BMZ plays a leading role in Europe, whenever professional design and construction of intelligent battery systems are required.
BMZ Group currently employs about 3000 employees, working in Germany, Poland, USA, China, France and United Kingdom. Thanks to the use of latest, innovative technologies, it cooperates with global brands well established as leaders in their markets segments.
About CALB:
As a global leader in new energy technology, CALB is committed to being an energy value creator. Based on its continuous leading technology innovation capability and large-scale intelligent manufacturing strength, we provide the most valuable power and energy storage battery product solutions and high-quality new energy lifecycle services for global outstanding automotive companies, energy storage, and special application markets.
CALB have built industrial clusters in the Yangtze River Delta, the Greater Bay Area, Southwest, and Central China, with a planned production capacity of over 500 GWh by 2025, which makes us the most trustworthy partner of global outstanding enterprises.
With the mission of "Beyond Industry, Empower Mankind" and the vision of "For Mutual, For Greatness", and the strategic considerations of innovative genes, technology leadership, and future orientation, CALB is creating a harmonious coexistence and green sustainable development of energy ecology and contributing to a better future for mankind.
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SOURCE CALB | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/22/chinese-powered-battery-company-calb-step-out-european-market/ | 2022-07-22T02:32:04Z |
NEW YORK, May 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for DIDI, FAMI, TNXP, RDBX, and RIVN.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- DIDI: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=DIDI&prnumber=052320225
- FAMI: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=FAMI&prnumber=052320225
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SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/23/thinking-about-buying-stock-didi-global-farmmi-tonix-pharmaceuticals-redbox-or-rivian-automotive/ | 2022-05-23T15:34:17Z |
ADELAIDE, Australia, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayne Pharma Group Limited (ASX: MYX) and Mithra Pharmaceuticals, SA (Euronext Brussels: MITRA) are pleased to announce NEXTSTELLIS® (drospirenone and estetrol tablets) has been nominated for the 2022 Prix Galien USA Award for Best Pharmaceutical Agent.
NEXTSTELLIS® is the first and only contraceptive pill containing a new low impact[1] estrogen, estetrol (E4), and a progestin, drospirenone. E4 is a natural estrogen produced by the human body during pregnancy and in NEXTSTELLIS® it is derived from a plant source. E4 is the first new estrogen introduced in the US in more than 60 years.
The Prix Galien was created in France in 1970 to reward innovative treatments and technologies that improve human health[2]. It is seen as an influential event to those interested in pharmaceutical development and is widely considered the industry's highest accolade for pharmaceutical research and development.
The Prix Galien USA Awards Ceremony to be held in October 2022 awards prizes for Best Pharmaceutical Agent, Best Biotechnology Product, and Best Medical Technology approved by the FDA in the past five years. The Prix Galien USA Awards Committee is comprised of 10 renowned leaders from the biomedical industry and academia, including two Nobel Laureates, and is responsible for evaluating the nominees.
About Mayne Pharma
Mayne Pharma is an ASX-listed specialty pharmaceutical company focused on commercializing novel and generic pharmaceuticals, offering patients better, safe and more accessible medicines. Mayne Pharma also provides contract development and manufacturing services to clients worldwide. Mayne Pharma has a 40-year track record of innovation and success in developing new oral drug delivery systems and these technologies have been successfully commercialised in numerous products that continue to be marketed around the world. Mayne Pharma has two facilities based in Salisbury, Australia and Greenville, USA with expertise in the formulation of complex oral and topical dose forms including potent compounds, modified-release products and poorly soluble compounds. maynepharma.com
About Mithra
Mithra (Euronext: MITRA) is a Belgian biotech company dedicated to transforming Women's Health by offering new choices through innovation, with a particular focus on contraception and menopause. Mithra's goal is to develop products offering better efficacy, safety and convenience, meeting women's needs throughout their life span. Mithra explores the potential of the unique native estrogen Estetrol in a wide range of applications in women health and beyond. Mithra also develops and manufactures complex therapeutics in the areas of contraception, menopause and hormone-dependent cancers. It offers partners a complete spectrum of research, development and specialist manufacturing at its technological platform Mithra CDMO. Active in more than 100 countries around the world, Mithra has an approximate headcount of 300 staff members and is headquartered in Liège, Belgium. mithra.com
About the Galien Foundation
The Galien Foundation fosters, recognises and rewards excellence in scientific innovation to improve the state of human health. Our vision is to be the catalyst for the development of the next generation of innovative treatments and technologies that will impact the state of medical practice and save lives. The Foundation oversees and directs activities in the US for the Prix Galien, an international awards program dedicated to progress through innovative medicines development, with chapters in 14 countries and Africa. The Prix Galien was created in 1970 by Roland Mehl in honor of Galien, the father of medical science and modern pharmacology. Worldwide, the Prix Galien is regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in biopharmaceutical research. galienfoundation.org/
About NEXTSTELLIS®
Developed by Mithra, NEXTSTELLIS® is a novel, patent-protected combined oral contraceptive pill containing 14.2 mg estetrol (E4) and 3 mg drospirenone (DRSP). E4 is a naturally produced estrogen during pregnancy that's derived from a plant source in NEXTSTELLIS® tablets. In two phase 3 clinical studies conducted in 3,632 women, NEXTSTELLIS® was shown to be both safe and effective and met its primary endpoint of pregnancy prevention. It also delivered positive results on a variety of secondary endpoints that demonstrated a predictable bleeding pattern with good safety and tolerability, as well as low rates of adverse reactions.
NEXTSTELLIS® is a registered trademark of Estetra SRL, a Mithra Pharmaceuticals affiliates company.
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SOURCE Mayne Pharma Group | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/02/nextstellis-oral-contraceptive-has-been-nominated-2022-prix-galien-usa-award-best-pharmaceutical-agent/ | 2022-08-02T05:41:36Z |
(NEXSTAR) – Amid rising mortgage rates and fears of a recession, the once-torrid real estate market has cooled dramatically in some U.S. cities.
According to a study from Redfin, the top three and five of the top 10 are all located in California.
San Jose, California, where the median sale price is $1,560,000, cooled the fastest from February 2022 to May 2022. Sacramento, California ($610,000); Oakland, California ($1,070,000); Seattle ($850,000); Stockton, California ($576,000); Boise ($550,000); Denver ($612,000); San Diego ($875,000); Tacoma, Washington ($575,000); and San Francisco ($1,620,000) round out the top 10, respectively.
In Sacramento for example, the median price fell nearly 25%, year over year.
Part of the reason for Northern California’s prominence on the list is that high median sale prices combined with mortgage rates spiking to nearly 6% in spring have simply priced many out of the market.
“Would-be buyers are shying away because they simply have less money, both for down payments and monthly payments,” San Francisco Redfin agent Joanna Rose said. “More than half the buyers I see in San Francisco are tech workers, and many of them have seen their employers’ stock prices tumble over the past few months – in a lot of cases, that has cost people six figures. Then there’s inflation: People are paying way more for things like groceries and gas, so they don’t have as much in their monthly budget. On top of that, monthly payments are a lot higher than they used to be, even if prices are slightly down, because of increased rates.”
The study also found that several cities targeted by remote workers looking for a change in lifestyle during the pandemic – Sacramento, Boise, Tacoma, Austin (16th place) and Phoenix (17th place), for example – have seen their attraction wane after demand-driven prices soared above what many could, or now want, to afford.
In contrast, the markets cooling slowest all have median home prices under $600,000, and are mostly located in the Midwest or Northeast.
Albany, New York, where the median sale price was $289,000, was number one, followed by El Paso, Texas ($238,000); Bridgeport, Connecticut ($570,000); Lake County, Illinois ($324,400); Rochester, New York ($212,100); New Brunswick, New Jersey ($465,000); Cincinnati, Ohio ($265,000); Akron, Ohio ($200,000); New Haven, Connecticut ($310,000); and Virginia Beach, Virginia ($325,000).
The real estate slowdown now has home builders bracing for tougher times, according to a survey obtained by MarketWatch from John Burns Real Estate Consulting.
“Scary times,” one Nashville-based home builder said. “Hoard cash and hang on for the ride!”
The monthly survey found that a quarter of builders across 84 markets are reducing prices as demand falters, while others are forced to cancel projects after buyers back out of contracts.
“Someone turned out the lights on our sales in June!” one builder in Atlanta told survey-takers.
The greatest rate of cancelations was in Texas, followed by the Southwest and Northern California. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/these-are-the-fastest-cooling-real-estate-markets-in-the-u-s/ | 2022-07-16T16:44:24Z |
How one Russian missile changed the lives of two men forever
By Sara Sidner and Sandi Sidhu, CNN
When the Russian missile hit his apartment building, Oleksiy Paradovsky thought he was being incinerated.
“I started to burn, turn into ashes,” he told CNN from his hospital bed in the south of Ukraine.
“I thought another minute and I will definitely turn into ashes. I felt everything. There was no fire — there were red-hot concrete that surrounded me,” he continued.
Paradovsky said he had just gotten out of the shower and that may have saved him because being in the bathroom meant he had another wall between him and the missile.
The explosion blasted through several floors of his high-rise apartment building in Odesa, leaving a huge gaping hole.
In one second, he knew he was hurt. And in the next, the survival instinct kicked in and drove him to look for a way to escape, he remembered.
He said he pushed his way through hot slabs of concrete to the front of his building where the facade no longer existed. He rinsed his hands, nose and throat with water from a burst pipe and managed to find his way down to the street where there were emergency responders.
“I didn’t feel any pain. I was on adrenaline,” Paradovsky said.
The pain soon came though. Paradovsky said he has been told he suffered first and second-degree burns across 20% of his body, along with a bunch of open wounds from flying shrapnel.
Before the attack, he had planned to work on merchant ships. But that is now on hold.
Of his plans for the future, he said simply, “In the next year, my main mission is to recover.”
While Paradovsky felt the instinct to try to survive, Yuriy Glodan is wondering what he has to live for.
The missile that maimed Paradovsky killed Glodan’s wife, his mother-in-law and his three-month-old daughter.
“My family is my whole life, really. I lived for their sake,” he told CNN.
“When the baby came along, I understood a meaning to life. As soon as I’d wake up in the morning, I realized for whom I was going to work every day. Every action, every act was motivated by my family. Now it’s really hard.”
Glodan was heading back from the grocery store with food and Easter treats for the Orthodox Christian holiday when he heard the attack that destroyed his family.
“I heard an explosion. I felt it in my heart immediately that something happened. I tried to call my wife immediately. Her mobile network was already knocked out,” he said.
Emergency services converged on the ruined building but Glodan said he believed he could save his family, and another person there offered to join him.
“We crossed over the police cordon, and made it up to the fourth floor, where my apartment was,” he said.
“When I got there, it was hard to figure out what I was looking at, a room … water had poured out everywhere. There was fire, smoke, torn pieces of metal all around. All the appliances looked like crumpled aluminum foil.”
EMS rescuers joined them and they were able to find the body of Glodan’s mother-in-law, and then his wife, Valeria, a veterinarian.
Then there was an alert that the building might collapse and they were ordered to leave, said Glodan.
EMS workers were able to remove the two adult bodies from the ruins but there was no sign of his baby girl.
“I was constantly shouting, ‘There is still a child up there! Did you find the child or not?'” he recalled.
And then his fears were confirmed. Under more rubble, a searcher had found the remains of his baby, killed along with her mother and grandmother.
Glodan went back to the rubble the next day. He found his daughter’s stroller in what was left of the hallway, a place the family had thought would be safe.
“The inside of the stroller was all covered in blood, and the stroller was all scrunched up from some piece of wall or shrapnel hitting it,” he said.
Glodan said his wife and her mother had tried to live life to the fullest. In addition to working with animals, Valeria was a talented writer and photographer, he said.
And his tiny daughter Kira had made an impact, too, even in her too-short life, inspiring her grandmother, he added.
“Once our daughter was born … she was inspired to live life anew,” he said.
Glodan said the war launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin has shattered the destinies of innocent victims.
“My only feeling is that this is hate, evil,” he said.
In his hospital room, Paradovsky experiences similar emotions.
“I only feel anger inside towards the ones who did it,” he said. “Anger and a lot of fear.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/cnn-europe-mideast-africa/2022/05/20/how-one-russian-missile-changed-the-lives-of-two-men-forever/ | 2022-05-20T16:23:44Z |
The attraction-based celebration will be produced by Artistic Holiday Designs
in Chicago with expansion into New York City
STAMFORD, Conn., June 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Amaze Light Festival is back and it's better than ever. Artistic Holiday Designs has announced the expansion of the Amaze Light Festival for the 2022 holiday season, which will now be three times larger in Chicago and on display in New York City for the first time ever. Following a $5 million fundraise by MEP Capital, the popular light show will enjoy a 45-day run starting in November and going through the holiday season at Odyssey Fun World in Tinley Park and Citi Field in New York.
"We're fully expecting this year to be bigger and more extravagant than ever before in 2022," says Derek Norwood, CEO of Artistic Holiday Designs. "We are excited that MEP Capital shares in our vision of bringing the holiday experience to life. They have made some incredible strategic investments in the entertainment space over the years and are very supportive in helping us grow exponentially over last season, which was very successful."
In Chicago, the new 250,000 square-foot venue at Tinley Park will be three times as large as the 2021 venue in Rosemont, which served more than 120,000 guests. This year, the Amaze Light Festival is expecting more than 300,000 enthusiasts in Chicago and roughly 400,000 at Citi Field in New York City. The festival is poised to add VIP features, improved check-in times and overall logistic efficiency.
"We are thrilled to partner with Artistic Holiday Designs and our longstanding collaborators at Parachute Concerts to help bring Amaze Light Festivals to New York and Tinley Park," says MEP Capital partner Andrew Kotliar. "The team has built a unique brand that is sure to delight families this holiday season and for years to come."
Artistic Holiday Designs began as a design firm seeking to chant holiday decor. The company's experience as an installer of holiday lighting led its team to seek out innovative and unique decor options for its clients. In March 2015, Artistic Holiday Designs partnered with Leblanc Illuminations as their sole distributor in the United States market. The company's creativity with Leblanc's mastery of products has allowed them to become a force in the world of holiday decor.
MEP Capital is an investment firm focused on opportunities in the media and entertainment industries. Across live events, music, film/television, and digital media, MEP partners with leading industry operators to finance projects, acquire assets, and invest in businesses. We invest through long-term oriented funds, with committed capital from institutions, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. Learn more at www.mepcap.com.
Since 1958, Leblanc Illuminations has been a leading light in the festive and christmas lighting sector. A pioneer of new trends, Leblanc Illuminations has always been at the heart of innovation, renewing more than 30% of its collections each year and decorating for more than 1,000 cities worldwide.
An Independent versatile, opportunity-driven producer of concerts, festivals and special events taking place throughout the U.S. Based in Stamford, CT, run by industry professionals; Parachute Concerts' operations are rooted in its passion for delivering high-quality entertainment with attention to the fine points of providing a positive consumer experience.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ashley Goldstein
ashleyg@alabgroup.com
917.890.7940
Ashley Orfus
Ashley@alabgroup.com
917.232.7349
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SOURCE Amaze Light Festival | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/24/amaze-light-festival-raises-5-million-anticipation-its-largest-holiday-extravaganza-ever/ | 2022-06-24T16:53:58Z |
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