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Exclusive product, coupled with company's existing RateShield program that locks mortgage interest rates for 90 days during home shopping, brings confidence to consumers
DETROIT, July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rocket Mortgage, America's largest mortgage lender and a part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), today announced the introduction of Rate Drop Advantage – an exclusive program that brings confidence to homebuyers by covering a significant portion of closing costs of a refinance transaction if interest rates drop and they refinance within three years of purchasing a home.
Through Rate Drop Advantage, when clients refinance within the allotted timeframe, Rocket Mortgage will waive the fees for appraisal, credit report pulls, processing, underwriting and several other costs for an average savings of approximately $2,000. Rate Drop Advantage gives buyers confidence in the midst of a rising rate environment by knowing if rates decrease within the three-year period after closing on their original purchase, they can easily and affordably refinance.
"Rocket Mortgage is committed to creating more ways to make the financing process easier and more affordable for homebuyers and maintain the excitement that should come along with this huge milestone in their life," said Bob Walters, CEO of Rocket Mortgage. "Innovation comes in many different forms – Rocket Mortgage is known for both our revolutionary technology and the creativity we bring to help meet the needs of our clients, like Rate Drop Advantage, RateShield and our Verified Approval. We are constantly listening to our clients, implementing their feedback and developing programs that meet and exceed their needs."
Homebuyers benefit in both the short- and long-term with the combination of Rate Drop Advantage and Rocket Mortgage's existing RateShield program. For the past four years, Rocket Mortgage clients have used RateShield to gain confidence and stability while shopping for a home. Interest rate increases can cause your home purchase budget to change from day to day.
With RateShield, however, American homebuyers get access to a powerful two-way benefit. A buyer will have the ability to lock in current rates for up to 90 days while home shopping, providing a hedge against rising rates. If rates have fallen by the time the purchase agreement is signed – the buyer will receive the lower rates. This option has been wildly popular with prospective homebuyers in today's volatile rate environment.
Rocket Mortgage also takes an innovative approach to mortgage approvals. Buyers can receive an exclusive Verified Approval to know the exact amount they qualify for and the assurance that their finances are ready to close on a mortgage. Far beyond a prequalification or a preapproval, a Verified Approval is based on an underwriter's comprehensive analysis of a buyer's credit, income, employment status, assets and debt. Homebuyers with a Verified Approval Letter from Rocket Mortgage are nearly twice as likely to close on their mortgage.
Innovative programs like Rate Drop Advantage, RateShield and Verified Approval are examples of Rocket Companies' mission to simplify life's most complex moments to help clients live their American dream.
For more information on these programs, visit RocketMortgage.com/Learn/RateShield-Rate-Drop-Advantage.
Detroit-based Rocket Mortgage, the nation's largest home mortgage lender and part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), enables the American Dream of homeownership and financial freedom through its obsession with an industry-leading, digital-driven client experience. In late 2015, it introduced the first fully digital, completely online mortgage experience. Rocket Mortgage closed $351 billion dollars of mortgage volume across all 50 states in 2021.
Rocket Mortgage moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit in 2010. The company generates loan production from web centers located in Detroit, Cleveland and Phoenix and operates a centralized loan processing facility in Detroit.
Rocket Companies, Rocket Mortgage's parent company, ranked #7 on Fortune's list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in 2022 and has placed in the top third of the list for 19 consecutive years.
For more information and company news visit RocketMortgage.com/PressRoom.
Founded in 1985, Rocket Companies is a Detroit-based FinTech platform company consisting of personal finance and consumer technology brands including Rocket Mortgage, Rocket Homes, Amrock, Rocket Auto, Rocket Loans, Rocket Money (formerly known as Truebill), Rocket Solar, Rocket Mortgage Canada (formerly known as Edison Financial), Lendesk, Core Digital Media, Rocket Central and Rock Connections.
Rocket Companies' mission is to be the best at creating certainty in life's most complex moments so that its clients can live their dreams. The Company helps clients achieve the dream of home ownership and financial freedom through industry-leading client experiences powered by its simple, fast and trusted digital solutions. Rocket Companies ranked #7 on Fortune's list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in 2022 and has placed in the top third of the list for 19 consecutive years. For more information, please visit our Corporate Website or Investor Relations Website.
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SOURCE Rocket Mortgage | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/27/rocket-mortgage-introduces-rate-drop-advantage-giving-homebuyers-confidence-when-purchasing-rising-rate-environment/ | 2022-07-27T13:55:25Z |
FREEPORT, Minn. (WXIN) — A camel sent one man to the hospital and injured another at a zoo in Freeport, Minnesota, on Wednesday.
Two workers at the Hemker Park and Zoo were leading the camel down an alleyway for transport to another facility when the animal took one man’s head into its mouth and bit down on it. The camel then dragged the 32-year-old man 15 feet by his head, according to the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office.
The other worker placed a plastic walking board inside the camel’s mouth to help release its grip on his co-worker’s head.
The man was able to escape and get to a safe location.
But the sheriff’s office said the camel then turned its attention to the other man, charged and bit his head. He was able to get away on his own and later refused medical treatment.
The 32-year-old man was flown to a hospital, but his injuries are not considered life-threatening.
“The camel was not injured during the interaction and remains in good health,” the zoo said in a Facebook post.
Hemker Park is a seasonal zoo home to more than 70 species of animals. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/camel-bites-down-on-2-workers-heads-at-minnesota-zoo/ | 2022-07-14T18:15:59Z |
Fractional marketing consultancy secures spot in Inc. 5000 for first time
NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Inc. revealed that Magnetude has been named to the Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy's most dynamic segment—its independent businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.
"Magnetude recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, and this recognition is indicative of the amazing growth we've seen in our business," Natalie Nathanson, CEO and founder, Magnetude said. "From our formational years as a bootstrapped marketing team to becoming a leader in advancing fractional marketing as a discipline, specializing in the B2B tech sector, Magnetude is entering a high growth phase to help clients round out their marketing teams. We are honored at our inclusion in the Inc. 5000."
The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful, but have also demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of Covid-19.
Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000.
"The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. "Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today."
Magnetude has played a crucial role in advancing fractional marketing for companies that need diverse marketing expertise to drive growth initiatives. As marketing's complexity, driven by digital, has become micro-specialized, the fractional model fills the gaps for companies, providing experienced consultants to lead or support efforts across every marketing discipline.
"When I got into marketing, we were fighting for a seat at the table," Nathanson said. "We've seen businesses go through a 180 and recognize the business and revenue ROI that marketing drives and they've rightfully invested. At the same time, we're seeing businesses fight tooth and nail for the best talent and the reality is there are just not enough experienced marketers out there that understand the complexity of the disciplines and technologies, and specific industry expertise, that is driving our success."
CONTACT:
Phil LeClare
Magnetude
phil@magnetudeconsulting.com
617-209-9406
Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2021. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2021 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to four decimal places. The top 500 companies on the Inc. 5000 are featured in Inc. magazine's September issue. The entire Inc. 5000 can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.
The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
For more information on the Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala, visit http://conference.inc.com/.
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SOURCE Magnetude Consulting LLC | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/16/magnetude-joins-ranks-2022-inc-5000/ | 2022-08-16T17:10:13Z |
MADRID (AP) — Spain’s economy minister on Monday linked Algeria’s decision to break a decades-old friendship treaty with Spain that has frozen economic links with what she described as the North African country’s increasing alignment with Russia.
In an interview with Catalunya Radio, Nadia Calviño said that in recent International Monetary Fund meetings she has chaired, she noticed “that Algeria was more and more aligned with Russia, and as such, it (the decision) didn’t surprise me.”
Algeria suspended the two-decade-old friendship treaty with Spain last Wednesday.
The move was seen as retaliation after Madrid came out in support of Morocco’s attempts to keep Western Sahara under its rule. Algeria supports the territory’s independence movement.
On Friday, the EU warned it was prepared to take action to defend the interests of its members.
Algeria then appeared to do a U-turn when its mission at the European Union issued a statement saying the country had never suspended the treaty.
Algeria continues to block trade, however, and the Algerian Foreign Ministry on Saturday called the European response “hasty and unfounded.” In a strongly worded communique, it added that the issue was “a political disagreement of a bilateral nature” between Madrid and Algiers that should not concern the EU.
Calviño welcomed the EU move, adding that the treaty suspensions would be a drag on the Spanish economy. She said “the most important thing at this moment is that Algeria changes its position and retreats.”
Spanish officials say they are hopeful that talks with Algeria will resolve the issue soon.
Spain’s chief worry has been that the suspension might affect important gas supplies from Algeria, but both the Spanish and Algerian governments have said this won’t happen. Algeria supplies 23% of Spain’s gas needs.
Spain and the rest of the 27-nation bloc are hustling to find alternatives to Russian energy imports to protest Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Industry Ministry figures show Spain exported 2 billion euros ($2.1 billion) in goods to Algeria last year while its imports were valued at nearly 5 billion euros.
Spain was the colonial power in Western Sahara until it was annexed by Morocco in 1975. Since then, neighbors Algeria and Morocco have been at odds over the fate of the region. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/spain-algerias-ties-with-russia-behind-row-with-madrid/ | 2022-06-14T06:57:58Z |
Eighteen hires in a year shows growing team's dedication to attracting top talent
WILMINGTON, Del., May 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilmington Trust, a leader in corporate and institutional trust services, today announced it has added three new vice presidents to its rapidly growing CLO and Loan Administration Division – Michael Mooneyham, Ryan Murray & Madhura Swadi – highlighting the firm's commitment to adding top talent to service a growing marketplace.
All three will support the growth of client relationships and assist with training and development of staff, process improvement, innovation, automation initiatives, and workflow management. In addition, they will all help the division continue to scale in response to an increase in CLO Trustee and Loan Administration mandates and expand Wilmington Trust's ongoing commitment to providing its clients with top-of-class service.
Mooneyham and Murray will report to Richard Britt, head of CLO & Loan Administration, and Swadi will report to Jin Lee, head of CLO Analytics.
"Despite numerous external factors including rate hikes, policy changes, and the fallout from the pandemic, our business continues to experience surging demand. This has provided us with an opportunity to deepen our bench to further support our key clients," Britt said. "We are delighted to welcome Michael, Ryan, and Madhura to the team. Most importantly, they collectively share our vision to utilize best-in-class technology to build strategic and cohesive client partnerships."
Mooneyham and Murray bring a combined 25 years of experience in the structured finance and CLO industry. They will be responsible for managing client relationships, including onboarding and ongoing servicing. Mooneyham most recently was at Barings, where he served as an Associate Director and Senior CLO Portfolio Analyst. Prior to that, he served on the reporting, operations, and relationship management teams at US Bank. Murray most recently served as an Associate Vice President and CLO Client Service Specialist on the Structured Finance team at Deutsche Bank.
Swadi joins Wilmington as Quantitative Risk Analyst lead and will assist the firm's analytics team in building out compliance models -- utilizing her 16 years of experience developing statistical financial models focused on analyzing asset performance and risk exposure for structured finance products. Previously, she served as a Senior Analyst in Data Management & Quantitative Analysis at BNY Mellon.
"Due to Richard Britt's leadership efforts, we have been able to make several strategic talent acquisitions to complement our growing team and demonstrate our continued commitment to this market," said Medita Vucic, Head of Loan Market Solutions at Wilmington Trust. "We have a team committed to client success and are looking forward to Michael, Ryan, and Madhura adding to our considerable efforts."
Wilmington Trust's CLO & Loan Administration division is an extension of Wilmington Trust's Loan Agency and Structured Finance businesses, leveraging automated technology to enhance the accuracy and delivery of critical reporting and data to loan market participants.
The Wilmington Trust team has received multiple industry recognitions, including being named a top three trustee for CLOs worldwide by Asset-Backed Alert after ending 2021 with a $67 billion count, up 56.4% in issuance since 2020.
To learn more about Wilmington Trust's services, visit the firm's CLO Trustee, Borrowing Base & Loan Administration Services page.
ABOUT WILMINGTON TRUST
Wilmington Trust's Wealth Management offers a wide array of personal trust, planning, fiduciary, asset management, private banking, and family office services designed to help high-net-worth individuals and families grow, preserve, and transfer wealth. Wilmington Trust focuses on serving families with whom it can build long-term relationships, many of which span multiple generations.
Wilmington Trust also provides Corporate and Institutional Services for clients around the world.
Wilmington Trust has clients in all 50 states and numerous countries, with offices throughout the United States and internationally in London, Dublin, Paris, and Frankfurt. For more information, visit www.wilmingtontrust.com.
MEDIA CONTACT: Pat Fitzgibbons, Senior Public Relations Manager, Wilmington Trust
Pfitzgibbons@mtb.com
Wilmington Trust is a registered service mark used in connection with various fiduciary and non-fiduciary services offered by certain subsidiaries of M&T Bank Corporation including, but not limited to, Manufacturers & Traders Trust Company (M&T Bank), Wilmington Trust Company (WTC) operating in Delaware only, Wilmington Trust, N.A. (WTNA), Wilmington Trust Investment Advisors, Inc. (WTIA), Wilmington Funds Management Corporation (WFMC), and Wilmington Trust Investment Management, LLC (WTIM). Such services include trustee, custodial, agency, investment management, and other services. International corporate and institutional services are offered through M&T Bank Corporation's international subsidiaries. Loans, credit cards, retail and business deposits, and other business and personal banking services and products are offered by M&T Bank, member FDIC.
This publication is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the sale of any financial product. Investors should seek financial advice regarding the suitability of investment strategies based on their objectives, financial situations, and particular needs.
Investments: • Are NOT FDIC Insured • Have NO Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value
Private banking is the marketing name for an offering of M&T Bank deposit and loan products and services.
CFA® Institute marks are trademarks owned by the Chartered Financial Analyst® Institute.
©2022 M&T Bank and its affiliates and subsidiaries. All rights reserved.
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SOURCE Wilmington Trust | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/20/wilmington-trust-adds-three-senior-members-clo-trustee-amp-loan-administration-division/ | 2022-05-20T14:37:58Z |
HAVANA (AP) — Puerto Ricans braced for severe wind and rain as Tropical Storm Fiona bore down amid expectations it would grow into a hurricane before striking the U.S. territory’s southern coast on Sunday.
Forecasters said “historic” levels of rain were expected to produce landslides and heavy flooding, with up to 25 inches (64 centimeters) forecast in isolated areas.
“It’s time to take action and be concerned,” said Nino Correa, Puerto Rico’s emergency management commissioner.
Fiona was centered 65 miles (105 kilometers) southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, early Sunday. It had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 8 mph (13 kph).
The storm was forecast to pummel cities and towns along Puerto Rico’s southern coast that have not yet fully recovered from a string of strong earthquakes that hit the region starting in late 2019.
More than 100 people had sought shelter across the island by Saturday night, the majority of them in the southern coastal city of Guayanilla.
Anxiety ran high across the island with Fiona due just two days before the anniversary of Hurricane Maria, a devastating Category 4 storm that hit on Sept. 20, 2017, destroying the island’s power grid and causing nearly 3,000 deaths.
“I think all of us Puerto Ricans who lived through Maria have that post-traumatic stress of, ‘What is going to happen, how long is it going to last and what needs might we face?’” said Danny Hernández, who works in the capital of San Juan but planned to weather the storm with his parents and family in the western town of Mayaguez.
He said the atmosphere was gloomy at the supermarket as he and others stocked up before the storm hit.
“After Maria, we all experienced scarcity to some extent,” he said.
Many Puerto Ricans also were concerned about blackouts. Luma, the company that operates power transmission and distribution, warned of “widespread service interruptions.” As of Sunday morning more than 128,700 customers were without power.
Puerto Rico’s power grid was razed by Hurricane Maria and remains frail, with reconstruction starting only recently. Outages are a daily occurrence.
Puerto Rico’s governor, Pedro Pierluisi, said he was ready to declare a state of emergency if needed and activated the National Guard as the Atlantic hurricane season’s sixth named storm approached.
“What worries me most is the rain,” said forecaster Ernesto Morales with the National Weather Service in San Juan.
Fiona was predicted to drop 12 to 16 inches (30 to 41 centimeters) of rain over eastern and southern Puerto Rico, with as much as 25 inches (64 centimeters) in isolated spots.
The National Weather Service warned late Saturday that the Blanco River in the southeast coastal town of Naguabo had already surpassed its banks and urged people living nearby to move immediately.
Fiona was forecast to swipe the Dominican Republic on Monday and then northern Haiti and the Turks and Caicos Islands with the threat of heavy rain. It could threaten the far southern end of the Bahamas on Tuesday.
A hurricane warning was posted for the Dominican Republic’s eastern coast from Cabo Caucedo to Cabo Frances Viejo.
Fiona previously battered the eastern Caribbean, killing one man in the French territory of Guadeloupe when floods washed his home away, officials said. The storm also damaged roads, uprooted trees and destroyed at least one bridge.
St. Kitts and Nevis also reported flooding and downed trees and announced its international airport would reopen on Sunday afternoon. Dozens of customers were still without power or water, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.
In the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Madeline was forecast to cause heavy rains and flooding across parts of southwestern Mexico. The storm was centered about 165 miles (265 kilometers) south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes Sunday morning, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph). | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-hurricane-threat-as-tropical-storm-fiona-aims-at-puerto-rico/ | 2022-09-18T14:48:51Z |
LOS ANGELES, July 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Medely, Inc., a workforce management startup connecting healthcare professionals with jobs through an on-demand marketplace, today announced the hire of Ashu Manohar as the company's VP of Product.
Ashu's experience in scaling product for high growth organizations is a huge asset to Medely," said Waleed Nasr, CEO of Medely. "We are extremely focused on continuing to develop and deliver world class solutions to our platform's customers and users in 2022 and beyond, and I'm thrilled to have such an experienced leader join us in building those products."
Previous to this new role at Medely, Ashu was the Head of Product, Courier at Uber, responsible for the delivery side of the marketplace & helping scale the business to billions in gross revenue. "I'm super excited about joining Medely. There is a massive shortage of healthcare professions in our country, which leads to overwork and burn out for them and ultimately affects quality of patient care. I was impressed by the founders' vision and the huge opportunity to empower Nurses and Allied Pros with flexible earnings opportunities, while fulfilling facility's needs efficiently. Everyone I meet on the team is supremely talented, passionate and humble at the same time, and I'm energized by everything we can build together to make a dent in this problem." said Ashu.
About Medely -
Medely is the largest workforce management platform specializing in connecting healthcare professionals to facilities through an on demand marketplace. As an economic empowerment engine, Medely allows healthcare professionals instant access to high paying jobs with the freedom and flexibility to work when/where they want, while providing healthcare facilities access to the largest on-demand network of ready to work healthcare professionals.
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SOURCE Medely Inc | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/18/medely-announces-ashu-manohar-vice-president-product/ | 2022-07-18T14:47:12Z |
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boutique apparel brand HappyDic has launched a new collection of must-have tee shirts alongside a bold campaign to raise funds for global charities. Inspired by recent events in Ukraine the first collection features a small woven Ukraine flag detail on the right sleeve so wearers can quietly signal their support.
Accounting for 10% of all retail sales, Streetwear is now estimated to be worth over $185 billion. One of the most striking retail and fashion trends to have emerged in the last three decades.
Combining this ubiquitous style statement with the current global mission to be more sustainable and ethically responsible, HappyDic are taking evolving Streetwear one step further by introducing politics, culture, ethics and global responsibility into its mix. HappyDic streetwear is a statement of cultural engagement, ethical responsibility and a desire to support local apparel industries.
The exciting debut collection features original artwork that fuses iconic gaming characters with globally recognized dictators. "Maorio", fuses the legendary Mario character from Nintendo with Chairman Mao, the Chinese communist revolutionary turned dictator. The former North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il is merged with Donkey Kong to create "Donkey Jong". The leader of the Cuban Revolution, Che Guevara becomes "Princess Peaché". And Joseph (pronounced "Yo-seef" in Russian) Stalin is mashed with Yoshi to produce "Yoshif". Each graphic Tee becomes a graphic statement and a talking point.
Made in the USA, HappyDic's tees are a luxury streetwear apparel brand with ethical values. Mindful of excessive production, HappyDic produces all their tee shirts in small batches which are then lovingly packaged with biodegradable and recyclable materials in their San Francisco studio.
Every HappyDic sale will contribute either all or a part of the proceeds to a designated charity selected from the highly trusted Charity Navigator. The first limited edition collection will see 100% of net proceeds go to charities actively helping Ukrainian refugees including HIAS, UNICEF, CARE and HOPE.
HappyDic's tees are available on white or black cotton in sizes Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large. Each tee is made with premium quality heavyweight 100% combed ring-spun American cotton. Retailing for $100.00.
More information is available at the official website: www.happydic.com
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SOURCE HappyDic | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/happydic-is-reinventing-usa-streetwear-new-generation-sustainable-ethical-shoppers/ | 2022-09-01T21:35:35Z |
Musk gets $7 billion backing for Twitter bid from tech heavyweights
(AP) - Billionaire Elon Musk has strengthened the equity stake of his offer to buy Twitter with commitments of more than $7 billion from a range of investors, including Silicon Valley heavy hitters like Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.
Other investors include Sequoia Capital Fund, which pledged $800 million, and VyCapital, which pledged $700 million, according to a Thursday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. But Ellison, who is also a Tesla board member, is making the biggest contribution, pegged at $1 billion.
Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud has pledged 35 million in Twitter shares in support of Musk, according to the filing.
Musk in earlier regulatory filings revealed that he has sold roughly $8.5 billion worth of shares in Tesla to help fund the purchase. Musk later tweeted that he doesn’t plan any further sales of the company’s shares, meaning he would need outside commitments to help fund the $44 billion deal.
Because of the new funding listed in the SEC filing Thursday, Musk will cut the $12.5 billion in margin loans he was leaning on in half, to $6.25 billion. The transaction is also now being funded by $27.25 billion in cash and equities, up from $21 billion.
The Thursday filing also said that Musk is in ongoing talks with other parties, including former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who is the second largest individual stakeholder in the company after Musk.
“This was a smart financial and strategic move by Musk that will be well received across the board and also shows the Twitter deal is now on a glide path to get done by the end of this year,” wrote analyst Dan Ives who follows Twitter for Wedbush.
Shares of Twitter Inc. have remained below the per-share offering bid by Musk of $54.20 because there are still doubts on Wall Street about whether the deal will go through.
Shares of the San Francisco social media platform rose 2% before the opening bell, to $50.10.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/05/musk-gets-7-billion-backing-twitter-bid-tech-heavyweights/ | 2022-05-05T14:06:01Z |
NEW YORK and VIENNA, Va., June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaleyra, Inc. (NYSE: KLR) (NYSE American: KLR WS) ("Kaleyra" or the "Company"), a rapidly growing omnichannel business communications platform, announced today that it will donate nearly $30,000 to Ukrainian relief efforts.
In March, Kaleyra outlined a series of initiatives it would undertake to support the Ukrainian people, including fundraising to address the immediate needs for medical supplies and aid for displaced Ukrainian families. Today's announcement sees the fulfillment of this initiative through a donation to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society. In addition to Kaleyra's corporate gift of $20,000, employee donations provided nearly $10,000 in additional funds to the organization for a total of almost $30,000. the Ukrainian Red Cross Society is working to repair vital infrastructure, provide much-needed medical supplies, and help families with food and other needs, including psychological support.
"We continue to stand against the war with Ukraine and its people," said Kaleyra CEO Dario Calogero. "That is why Kaleyra is donating to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, which is expected to directly impact the lives of refugees and those who remain in Ukraine. At Kaleyra, we've always believed that it only takes a small group of dedicated individuals to create tremendous positive change in the lives of others. We're proud of our team's efforts to ease the hardships facing the Ukrainian people."
In addition to the Company's fundraising efforts, Kaleyra employees made two trips to refugee areas in Romania over the past few months. The first trip saw Kaleyreans quickly mobilize and travel over 1,900 kilometers to reach the Romania-Ukraine border with essential supplies and laptops to support FDP – Protagoniști în Educație, the local NGO whose mission is to promote the human dignity of the most disadvantaged people in the area, and has pivoted to focus on the Ukrainian refugee crisis. The second trip, also in support of FDP – Protagoniști în Educație, was to Bucarest to provide food and cleaning supplies to local communities and Romanian Social Services hosting refugees. Teammates were able to visit communities and engage with Ukrainian refugees first-hand.
Kaleyra's donation of $30,000 is a direct reflection of the esprit de corps and global citizenry of the organization. While monetary donations and supply trips have been an integral part of Kaleyra's plan to support the region, Kaleyra also has instituted an employment program for displaced Ukrainians and has stated that it will continue to look for meaningful ways to contribute to Ukrainian relief efforts well into the future.
About Kaleyra
Kaleyra, Inc. (NYSE: KLR) (NYSE American: KLR WS) is a global group providing mobile communication services to financial institutions, e-commerce players, OTTs, software companies, logistic enablers, healthcare providers, retailers, and other large organizations worldwide.
Kaleyra today has a customer base of 3800+ companies spread around the world. Through its proprietary platform and robust APIs, Kaleyra manages multi-channel integrated communication services, consisting of messaging, rich messaging and instant messaging, video, push notifications, e-mail, voice services, and chatbots.
Kaleyra's technology makes it possible to safely and securely manage billions of messages monthly with over 1600 operator connections in 190+ countries, including all tier-1 US carriers
Kaleyra Contacts
Marketing Contact:
Lori Perkins
Senior Director – Marketing and Communications
lori.perkins@kaleyra.com
Valeria Magoni
Senior Director – Product and Corporate Marketing, Kaleyra
Valeria.magoni@kaleyra.com
Investor Contact:
Tom Colton or Matt Glover
Gateway Investor Relations
949-574-3860
KLR@gatewayir.com
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SOURCE Kaleyra | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/02/kaleyra-announces-donation-ukrainian-red-cross-society/ | 2022-06-02T12:57:57Z |
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Meijer announced today the launch of its latest offering that caters to customers in need of convenience – its new line of restaurant-style, single-serve Crafted Market by Meijer heat-and-eat meals. Crafted Market meals are now available in the deli section of all Meijer stores.
"We have a long history of centering convenience and quality in our deli experience for our customers, so expanding our ready-to-heat options just makes sense," said Marlys Roberts, Meijer Merchandising Director of Deli and Bakery.
Customers looking for a quick meal solution for their post-shopping trip dinner or to have on-hand for later in the week when they don't feel like cooking can now find 12 varieties of meals in the deli grab-and-go section of their local Meijer.
In fact, the retailer expects 40 percent of its Crafted Market meals to be consumed the same day they're purchased.
"We know that sometimes doing your grocery shopping can work up an appetite, so we're pleased to be enhancing our heat-and-eat selection with this line full of fun flavors and classic favorites that customers can grab as they finish up their trip and enjoy soon after from the comfort of their homes," said Salwan Yaqo, Meijer Deli Buyer.
The new ready-to-heat options come in two lines – Crafted Market by Meijer and Crafted Market Signature by Meijer. The Crafted Market line offers classic, family favorites like blackened chicken mac & cheese, teriyaki chicken and meatloaf and mash. The signature line offers more elevated meal options assembled in-store like chicken enchiladas, pesto grilled chicken with lemon thyme orzo and chicken asada. Each meal heats in 5 minutes or less.
To see the full range of Crafted by Meijer meals available, visit meijer.com.
About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 262 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, Meijer pioneered the "one-stop shopping" concept and has evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, pet departments, garden centers, toys and electronics. For additional information on Meijer, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer and @twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.
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SOURCE Meijer | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/meijer-makes-dinner-decisions-easy-with-launch-crafted-market-heat-and-eat-meals/ | 2022-08-17T20:35:52Z |
MIAMI, July 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) today announced that Carnival Corporation (the "Company") has closed its previously announced underwritten public offering of 102,139,621 shares of common stock of the Company at a public offering price of $9.95 per share. The Company expects to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, which could include addressing 2023 debt maturities.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC acted as sole bookrunner and underwriter for the common stock offering.
An effective shelf registration statement relating to these shares of common stock was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on January 26, 2021. The common stock offering was made only by means of a prospectus supplement and an accompanying base prospectus. A prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus relating to the common stock offering have been filed with the SEC and are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus relating to the common stock offering may be obtained from Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, telephone: 1-866-471-2526, facsimile: 212-902-9316 or by emailing prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com.
PJT Partners is serving as independent financial advisor to the Company and Carnival plc.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy shares of common stock and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration and qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is one of the world's largest leisure travel companies with a portfolio of nine of the world's leading cruise lines. With operations in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises (Australia), Seabourn, Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard.
Cautionary Note Concerning Factors That May Affect Future Results
Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc and their respective subsidiaries are referred to collectively in this press release as "Carnival Corporation & plc," "our," "us" and "we." Some of the statements, estimates or projections contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions with respect to us, including some statements concerning the financing transactions described herein, future results, operations, outlooks, plans, goals, reputation, cash flows, liquidity and other events which have not yet occurred. These statements are intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical facts are statements that could be deemed forward-looking. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our business and the industry in which we operate and the beliefs and assumptions of our management. We have tried, whenever possible, to identify these statements by using words like "will," "may," "could," "should," "would," "believe," "depends," "expect," "goal," "aspiration," "anticipate," "forecast," "project," "future," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "target," "indicate," "outlook," and similar expressions of future intent or the negative of such terms.
Forward-looking statements include those statements that relate to our outlook and financial position including, but not limited to, statements regarding:
Because forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are many factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. This note contains important cautionary statements of the known factors that we consider could materially affect the accuracy of our forward-looking statements and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial position. Additionally, many of these risks and uncertainties are currently amplified by and will continue to be amplified by, or in the future may be amplified by, COVID-19. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. There may be additional risks that we consider immaterial or which are unknown. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:
- COVID-19 has had, and is expected to continue to have, a significant impact on our financial condition and operations. The current, and uncertain future, impact of COVID-19, including its effect on the ability or desire of people to travel (including on cruises), is expected to continue to impact our results, operations, outlooks, plans, goals, reputation, litigation, cash flows, liquidity, and stock price;
- events and conditions around the world, including war and other military actions, such as the current invasion of Ukraine, heightened inflation and other general concerns impacting the ability or desire of people to travel, have led, and may in the future lead, to a decline in demand for cruises, impacting our operating costs and profitability;
- incidents concerning our ships, guests or the cruise vacation industry have in the past and may, in the future, impact the satisfaction of our guests and crew and lead to reputational damage;
- changes in and non-compliance with laws and regulations under which we operate, such as those relating to health, environment, safety and security, data privacy and protection, anti-corruption, economic sanctions, trade protection and tax have in the past and may, in the future, lead to litigation, enforcement actions, fines, penalties and reputational damage;
- factors associated with climate change, including evolving and increasing regulations, increasing global concern about climate change and the shift in climate conscious consumerism and stakeholder scrutiny, and increasing frequency and/or severity of adverse weather conditions could adversely affect our business;
- inability to meet or achieve our sustainability related goals, aspirations, initiatives, and our public statements and disclosures regarding them, may expose us to risks that may adversely impact our business;
- breaches in data security and lapses in data privacy as well as disruptions and other damages to our principal offices, information technology operations and system networks and failure to keep pace with developments in technology may adversely impact our business operations, the satisfaction of our guests and crew and may lead to reputational damage;
- the loss of key employees, our inability to recruit or retain qualified shoreside and shipboard employees and increased labor costs could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations;
- increases in fuel prices, changes in the types of fuel consumed and availability of fuel supply may adversely impact our scheduled itineraries and costs;
- we rely on supply chain vendors who are integral to the operations of our businesses. These vendors and service providers are also affected by COVID-19 and may be unable to deliver on their commitments which could impact our business;
- fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may adversely impact our financial results;
- overcapacity and competition in the cruise and land-based vacation industry may lead to a decline in our cruise sales, pricing and destination options;
- inability to implement our shipbuilding programs and ship repairs, maintenance and refurbishments may adversely impact our business operations and the satisfaction of our guests; and
- the risk factors included in Carnival Corporation's and Carnival plc's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on January 27, 2022 and Carnival Corporation's and Carnival plc's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on March 28, 2022 and June 29, 2022.
The ordering of the risk factors set forth above is not intended to reflect our indication of priority or likelihood.
Forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results. Subject to any continuing obligations under applicable law or any relevant stock exchange rules, we expressly disclaim any obligation to disseminate, after the date of this document, any updates or revisions to any such forward-looking statements to reflect any change in expectations or events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. Forward-looking and other statements in this document may also address our sustainability progress, plans, and goals (including climate change and environmental-related matters). In addition, historical, current, and forward-looking sustainability-related statements may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing, internal controls and processes that continue to evolve, and assumptions that are subject to change in the future.
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/25/carnival-corporation-amp-plc-announces-closing-1-billion-offering-common-stock/ | 2022-07-25T21:51:04Z |
Companies will benefit from access to OpenText information management solutions on the world's leading enterprise cloud marketplace
WATERLOO, ON, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OpenText™ (NASDAQ: OTEX), (TSX: OTEX), today announced the addition of three new solutions on the Salesforce AppExchange, bringing its total number of AppExchange offerings to six and enabling customers of any size to benefit from the governance, productivity, and efficiency of the OpenText content services platform.
Included in this latest launch is OpenText Core Content, a Content Services platform that customers can leverage to effectively manage their content. In addition, OpenText Media Management (OTMM) and OpenText Documentum are now also available on the AppExchange, expanding the potential for existing OpenText customers to connect to Salesforce.
"Through our expanded offering on AppExchange, businesses can strategically manage customer relationships and connect with even more key OpenText solutions to elevate information-led customer management and experiences," said Ted Harrison, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Sales at OpenText. "The addition of these three solutions provides customers access to one of the most comprehensive ranges of content management solutions."
OpenText Core Content helps organizations manage information using a robust SaaS platform that integrates with applications like Salesforce to power modern work. Core Content provides users with an intuitive business workspace model that ensures the right content is surfaced to the right people when they need it, helping to promote increased employee productivity, accelerated processes and enhanced governance.
Additional OpenText solutions now available on the Salesforce AppExchange include:
- OpenText Media Management: OpenText Media Management for Salesforce provides easy access to rich media assets directly from within the CRM platform. OTMM helps drive increased productivity and efficiency for all sales and service teams, while maintaining overall brand experience.
- OpenText Documentum: OpenText Documentum for Salesforce is an enterprise solution for sharing and managing documents and content, enabling users to access valuable information that is already managed within their secure Documentum environment directly from within Salesforce to streamline process and expedite decision making.
"OpenText and its suite of information management solutions continue to be a welcome addition to AppExchange, helping customers streamline workflows and increase productivity," said Woodson Martin, GM of Salesforce AppExchange. "AppExchange is constantly evolving to connect customers with the right apps and experts for their business needs."
Integrated directly with Salesforce, OpenText Core Content, OpenText Media Management and OpenText Documentum are currently available on AppExchange alongside three other OpenText solutions, including OpenText Exstream and OpenText Extended ECM.
About Salesforce AppExchange
Salesforce AppExchange, the world's leading enterprise cloud marketplace, empowers companies, developers and entrepreneurs to build, market and grow in entirely new ways. With more than 7,000 listings, 10 million customer installs and 117,000 peer reviews, AppExchange connects customers of all sizes and across industries to ready-to-install or customizable apps and Salesforce-certified consultants to solve any business challenge.
Salesforce, AppExchange and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc.
About OpenText
OpenText, The Information Company™, enables organizations to gain insight through market leading information management solutions, powered by OpenText Cloud Editions. For more information about OpenText (NASDAQ: OTEX, TSX: OTEX) visit opentext.com.
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Certain statements in this press release may contain words considered forward-looking statements or information under applicable securities laws. These statements are based on OpenText's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the operating environment, economies, and markets in which the company operates. These statements are subject to important assumptions, risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, and the actual outcome may be materially different. OpenText's assumptions, although considered reasonable by the company at the date of this press release, may prove to be inaccurate and consequently its actual results could differ materially from the expectations set out herein. For additional information with respect to risks and other factors which could occur, see OpenText's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other securities filings with the SEC and other securities regulators. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, OpenText disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Copyright © 2022 OpenText. All Rights Reserved. Trademarks owned by OpenText. One or more patents may cover this product(s). For more information, please visit https://www.opentext.com/patents.
OTEX-G
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SOURCE Open Text Corporation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/opentext-launches-three-new-solutions-salesforce-appexchange/ | 2022-07-21T20:33:00Z |
COLUMBUS, Ga., Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) today reported its second quarter results.
Total revenues were $5.4 billion in the second quarter of 2022, compared with $5.6 billion in the second quarter of 2021. Net earnings were $1.4 billion, or $2.16 per diluted share, compared with $1.1 billion, or $1.62 per diluted share a year ago.
Net earnings in the second quarter of 2022 included net investment gains of $564 million, or $0.88 per diluted share, compared with net investment gains of $89 million, or $0.13 per diluted share a year ago. The net investment gains were driven by net gains from certain derivatives and foreign currency activities of $618 million and net gains from sales and redemptions of $115 million, both driven by foreign exchange. These gains were partially offset by an increase in the allowance associated with the company's estimate of current expected credit losses (CECL) and impairments of $34 million. These net investment gains included a decrease of $135 million in the fair value of equity securities.
Adjusted earnings* in the second quarter were $939 million, compared with $1.1 billion in the second quarter of 2021, reflecting a decrease of 13.1%. Adjusted earnings per diluted share* decreased 8.2% to $1.46 in the quarter. It included variable investment income from alternative investments, which was $0.06 per share above return expectations. Adjusted earnings per diluted share excluded adjusted net investment gains* of $0.88 per share. The weaker yen/dollar exchange rate impacted adjusted earnings per share by $0.09.
The average yen/dollar exchange rate in the second quarter of 2022 was 129.39, or 15.4% weaker than the average rate of 109.48 in the second quarter of 2021. For the first six months, the average exchange rate was 122.79, or 12.2% weaker than the rate of 107.79 a year ago.
Total investments and cash at the end of June 2022 were $121.4 billion, compared with $146.7 billion at June 30, 2021. In the second quarter, Aflac Incorporated deployed $650 million in capital to repurchase 11.2 million of its common shares. At the end of June 2022, the company had 36.6 million remaining shares authorized for repurchase.
Shareholders' equity was $26.4 billion, or $41.59 per share, at June 30, 2022, compared with $33.7 billion, or $50.20 per share, at June 30, 2021. Shareholders' equity at the end of the second quarter included a net unrealized gain on investment securities and derivatives of $2.9 billion, compared with a net unrealized gain of $10.0 billion at June 30, 2021. Shareholders' equity at the end of the second quarter also included an unrealized foreign currency translation loss of $3.3 billion, compared with an unrealized foreign currency translation loss of $1.7 billion at June 30, 2021. The annualized return on average shareholders' equity in the second quarter was 19.9%.
For the first six months of 2022, total revenues were down 6.7% to $10.7 billion, compared with $11.4 billion in the first half of 2021. Net earnings were $2.4 billion, or $3.73 per diluted share, compared with $2.4 billion, or $3.49 per diluted share, for the first six months of 2021. Adjusted earnings for the first half of 2022 were $1.9 billion, or $2.88 per diluted share, compared with $2.1 billion, or $3.11 per diluted share, in 2021. Excluding the negative impact of $0.15 per share from the weaker yen/dollar exchange rate, adjusted earnings per diluted share decreased 2.9% to $3.02 for the first six months of 2022.
Shareholders' equity excluding AOCI (or adjusted book value*) was $26.9 billion, or $42.45 per share at June 30, 2022, compared with $25.7 billion, or $38.27 per share, at June 30, 2021. The annualized adjusted return on equity excluding foreign currency impact* in the second quarter was 14.9%.
In yen terms, Aflac Japan's net earned premiums were ¥313.2 billion for the quarter, or 4.2% lower than a year ago, mainly due to limited pay products reaching paid-up status and constrained sales from the impact of pandemic conditions. Adjusted net investment income increased 8.4% to ¥94.0 billion, mainly due to higher floating rate income as well as the impact of a weaker yen on the dollar-denominated investment income. Total adjusted revenues in yen declined 1.6% to ¥408.3 billion. Pretax adjusted earnings in yen for the quarter increased 1.6% on a reported basis to ¥111.7 billion, due to higher reserve releases and adjusted net investment income. Pretax adjusted earnings decreased 7.0% on a currency-neutral basis. The pretax adjusted profit margin for the Japan segment increased to 27.4%, compared with 26.5% a year ago.
For the first six months, net earned premiums in yen were ¥629.6 billion, or 4.3% lower than a year ago. Adjusted net investment income increased 7.3% to ¥173.0 billion. Total adjusted revenues in yen were down 2.0% to ¥804.9 billion. Pretax adjusted earnings were ¥211.9 billion, or 4.0% higher than a year ago.
In dollar terms, net earned premiums decreased 19.0% to $2.4 billion in the second quarter. Adjusted net investment income decreased 8.7% to $723 million. Total adjusted revenues declined by 16.8% to $3.2 billion. Pretax adjusted earnings declined 14.3% to $860 million.
For the first six months, net earned premiums in dollars were $5.1 billion, or 15.8% lower than a year ago. Adjusted net investment income decreased 6.3% to $1.4 billion. Total adjusted revenues were down 14.0% to $6.6 billion. Pretax adjusted earnings were $1.7 billion, or 8.9% lower than a year ago.
For the quarter, total new annualized premium sales (sales) decreased 6.4% to ¥12.7 billion, or $98 million, reflecting the January 2021 launch of a new medical product and continued weakness in sales recovery, in part constrained by pandemic conditions. For the first six months, total new sales decreased 10.7% to ¥24.7 billion, or $201 million.
Aflac U.S. net earned premiums declined 1.0% to $1.4 billion in the second quarter, impacted by lower year-to-date persistency. Adjusted net investment income increased 2.1% to $193 million. Total adjusted revenues were up 0.1% to $1.6 billion. Pretax adjusted earnings were $349 million, 15.5% lower than a year ago, which was driven by higher incurred benefits and elevated expenses reflecting, in part, platform and growth investments. The pretax adjusted profit margin for the U.S. segment was 21.4%, compared with 25.4% a year ago.
For the first six months, net earned premiums declined 0.8% to $2.8 billion. Adjusted net investment income increased 3.0% to $377 million. Total adjusted revenues were up 0.4% to $3.3 billion. Pretax adjusted earnings were $674 million, or 21.5% lower than a year ago.
Aflac U.S. sales increased 15.6% in the quarter to $305 million, reflecting continued investment in growth initiatives as well as productivity gains. For the first half of the year, total new sales increased 17.2% to $604 million.
For the quarter, total adjusted revenues decreased 16.0% to $42 million. Pretax adjusted earnings were a loss of $75 million, compared with a loss of $76 million a year ago. These results reflect higher adjusted net investment income from higher interest rates offset by lower amortized hedge income and the impact of federal tax credit investments as tax benefits are recognized in a corresponding lower income tax expense. These results also reflect the impact of foreign currency on total net earned premiums and the corresponding benefits.
For the first six months, total adjusted revenues decreased 12.8% to $116 million. Pretax adjusted earnings were a loss of $120 million, compared with a loss of $102 million a year ago.
The board of directors declared the third quarter dividend of $0.40 per share, payable on September 1, 2022 to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 24, 2022.
Commenting on the company's results, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel P. Amos stated: "The company generated solid earnings for the first six months, supported in part by the continuation of low benefit ratios associated with pandemic conditions and better-than-expected returns from alternative investments, despite the weakening yen. We continue to remain cautiously optimistic as our efforts focus on growth and efficiency initiatives amid this evolving pandemic backdrop.
"Looking at our operations in Japan, persistency remained strong in the second quarter, but sales were constrained as we continued to operate in evolving pandemic conditions. This impacted our ability to meet face-to-face with customers, which continues to be key to a recovery in sales. Within this context, we continue to expect stronger sales in the second half of the year assuming that those conditions subside, productivity continues to improve at Japan Post, and we execute on our product introduction and refreshment plans.
"In the U.S., I am pleased with the continued momentum in our core voluntary business and contribution from newly acquired growth platforms of dental, vision, and group benefits. We continue to work toward reinforcing our position and generating stronger sales for the year, while we keep an eye on potential headwinds.
"As always, we are committed to prudent liquidity and capital management. We continue to generate strong investment results while remaining in a defensive position as we monitor evolving economic conditions. In addition, we have taken proactive steps in recent years to defend cash flow and deployable capital against a weakening yen. We treasure our 39-year track record of dividend growth and remain committed to extending it, supported by the strength of our capital and cash flows. At the same time, we remain in the market repurchasing shares with a tactical approach, focused on integrating the growth investments we have made in our platform. By doing so, we look to emerge from this period in a continued position of strength and leadership."
*See Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measures section for an explanation of foreign exchange and its impact on the financial statements and definitions of the non-U.S. GAAP financial measures used in this earnings release, as well as a reconciliation of such non-U.S. GAAP financial measures to the most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures.
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) is a Fortune 500 company helping provide protection to more than 50 million people through its subsidiaries in Japan and the U.S., paying cash fast when policyholders get sick or injured. For more than six decades, insurance policies of Aflac Incorporated's subsidiaries have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the U.S., Aflac is the number one provider of supplemental health insurance products1. Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance in Japan, where it insures 1 in 4 households. In 2021, Aflac Incorporated was proud to be included as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for the 16th consecutive year. Also in 2021, the company was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index and became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). In 2022, Aflac Incorporated was included on Fortune's list of World's Most Admired Companies for the 21st time and Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for the third consecutive year. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/español. Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to ESG and social responsibility at investors.aflac.com under "Sustainability."
A copy of Aflac's Financial Analysts Briefing (FAB) supplement for the quarter can be found on the "Investors" page at aflac.com.
Aflac Incorporated will webcast its quarterly conference call via the "Investors" page of aflac.com at 8:00 a.m. (ET) on Tuesday, August 2, 2022.
Note: Tables within this document may not foot due to rounding.
This document includes references to the Company's financial performance measures which are not calculated in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) (non-U.S. GAAP). The financial measures exclude items that the Company believes may obscure the underlying fundamentals and trends in insurance operations because they tend to be driven by general economic conditions and events or related to infrequent activities not directly associated with insurance operations.
Due to the size of Aflac Japan, where the functional currency is the Japanese yen, fluctuations in the yen/dollar exchange rate can have a significant effect on reported results. In periods when the yen weakens, translating yen into dollars results in fewer dollars being reported. When the yen strengthens, translating yen into dollars results in more dollars being reported. Consequently, yen weakening has the effect of suppressing current period results in relation to the comparable prior period, while yen strengthening has the effect of magnifying current period results in relation to the comparable prior period. A significant portion of the Company's business is conducted in yen and never converted into dollars but translated into dollars for U.S. GAAP reporting purposes, which results in foreign currency impact to earnings, cash flows and book value on a U.S. GAAP basis. Management evaluates the Company's financial performance both including and excluding the impact of foreign currency translation to monitor, respectively, cumulative currency impacts and the currency-neutral operating performance over time. The average yen/dollar exchange rate is based on the published MUFG Bank, Ltd. telegraphic transfer middle rate (TTM).
The company defines the non-U.S. GAAP financial measures included in this earnings release as follows:
- Adjusted earnings are adjusted revenues less benefits and adjusted expenses. Adjusted earnings per share (basic or diluted) are the adjusted earnings for the period divided by the weighted average outstanding shares (basic or diluted) for the period presented. The adjustments to both revenues and expenses account for certain items that cannot be predicted or that are outside management's control. Adjusted revenues are U.S. GAAP total revenues excluding adjusted net investment gains and losses. Adjusted expenses are U.S. GAAP total acquisition and operating expenses including the impact of interest cash flows from derivatives associated with notes payable but excluding any nonrecurring or other items not associated with the normal course of the Company's insurance operations and that do not reflect the Company's underlying business performance. Management uses adjusted earnings and adjusted earnings per diluted share to evaluate the financial performance of the Company's insurance operations on a consolidated basis and believes that a presentation of these financial measures is vitally important to an understanding of the underlying profitability drivers and trends of the Company's insurance business. The most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures for adjusted earnings and adjusted earnings per share (basic or diluted) are net earnings and net earnings per share, respectively.
- Adjusted earnings excluding current period foreign currency impact are computed using the average foreign currency exchange rate for the comparable prior-year period, which eliminates fluctuations driven solely by foreign currency exchange rate changes. Adjusted earnings per diluted share excluding current period foreign currency impact is adjusted earnings excluding current period foreign currency impact divided by the weighted average outstanding diluted shares for the period presented. The Company considers adjusted earnings excluding current period foreign currency impact and adjusted earnings per diluted share excluding current period foreign currency impact important because a significant portion of the Company's business is conducted in Japan and foreign exchange rates are outside management's control; therefore, the Company believes it is important to understand the impact of translating foreign currency (primarily Japanese yen) into U.S. dollars. The most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures for adjusted earnings excluding current period foreign currency impact and adjusted earnings per diluted share excluding current period foreign currency impact are net earnings and net earnings per share, respectively.
- Adjusted return on equity is adjusted earnings divided by average shareholders' equity, excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI). Management uses adjusted return on equity to evaluate the financial performance of the Company's insurance operations on a consolidated basis and believes that a presentation of this financial measure is vitally important to an understanding of the underlying profitability drivers and trends of the Company's insurance business. The Company considers adjusted return on equity important as it excludes components of AOCI, which fluctuate due to market movements that are outside management's control. The most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure for adjusted return on equity is return on average equity (ROE) as determined using net earnings and average total shareholders' equity.
- Adjusted return on equity excluding foreign currency impact is adjusted earnings excluding the current period foreign currency impact divided by average shareholders' equity, excluding AOCI. The Company considers adjusted return on equity excluding foreign currency impact important as it excludes changes in foreign currency and components of AOCI, which fluctuate due to market movements that are outside management's control. The most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure for adjusted return on equity excluding foreign currency impact is ROE as determined using net earnings and average total shareholders' equity.
- Amortized hedge costs/income represent costs/income incurred or recognized as a result of using foreign currency derivatives to hedge certain foreign exchange risks in the Company's Japan segment or in Corporate and other. These amortized hedge costs/ income are estimated at the inception of the derivatives based on the specific terms of each contract and are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the hedge. The Company believes that amortized hedge costs/income measure the periodic currency risk management costs/income related to hedging certain foreign currency exchange risks and are an important component of net investment income. There is no comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure for amortized hedge costs/ income.
- Adjusted book value is the U.S. GAAP book value (representing total shareholders' equity), less AOCI as recorded on the U.S. GAAP balance sheet. Adjusted book value per common share is adjusted book value at the period end divided by the ending outstanding common shares for the period presented. The Company considers adjusted book value and adjusted book value per common share important as they exclude AOCI, which fluctuates due to market movements that are outside management's control. The most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures for adjusted book value and adjusted book value per common share are total book value and total book value per common share, respectively.
- Adjusted book value including unrealized foreign currency translation gains and losses is adjusted book value plus unrealized foreign currency translation gains and losses. Adjusted book value including unrealized foreign currency translation gains and losses per common share is adjusted book value plus unrealized foreign currency translation gains and losses at the period end divided by the ending outstanding common shares for the period presented. The Company considers adjusted book value including unrealized foreign currency translation gains and losses, and its related per share financial measure, important as they exclude certain components of AOCI, which fluctuate due to market movements that are outside management's control; however, it includes the impact of foreign currency as a result of the significance of Aflac's Japan operation. The most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures for adjusted book value including unrealized foreign currency translation gains and losses and adjusted book value including unrealized foreign currency translation gains and losses per common share are total book value and total book value per common share, respectively.
- Adjusted net investment income is net investment income adjusted for i) amortized hedge cost/income related to foreign currency exposure management strategies and certain derivative activity, and ii) net interest cash flows from foreign currency and interest rate derivatives associated with certain investment strategies, which are reclassified from net investment gains and losses to net investment income. The Company considers adjusted net investment income important because it provides a more comprehensive understanding of the costs and income associated with the Company's investments and related hedging strategies. The most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure for adjusted net investment income is net investment income.
- Adjusted net investment gains and losses are net investment gains and losses adjusted for i) amortized hedge cost/income related to foreign currency exposure management strategies and certain derivative activity, ii) net interest cash flows from foreign currency and interest rate derivatives associated with certain investment strategies, which are both reclassified to net investment income, and iii) the impact of interest cash flows from derivatives associated with notes payable, which is reclassified to interest expense as a component of total adjusted expenses. The Company considers adjusted net investment gains and losses important as it represents the remainder amount that is considered outside management's control, while excluding the components that are within management's control and are accordingly reclassified to net investment income and interest expense. The most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure for adjusted net investment gains and losses is net investment gains and losses.
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" to encourage companies to provide prospective information, so long as those informational statements are identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements. The company desires to take advantage of these provisions. This document contains cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected herein, and in any other statements made by company officials in communications with the financial community and contained in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Forward-looking statements are not based on historical information and relate to future operations, strategies, financial results or other developments. Furthermore, forward-looking information is subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties. In particular, statements containing words such as "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "goal," "objective," "may," "should," "estimate," "intends," "projects," "will," "assumes," "potential," "target," "outlook" or similar words as well as specific projections of future results, generally qualify as forward-looking. Aflac undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements.
The company cautions readers that the following factors, in addition to other factors mentioned from time to time, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements:
- difficult conditions in global capital markets and the economy, including those caused by COVID-19
- defaults and credit downgrades of investments
- global fluctuations in interest rates and exposure to significant interest rate risk
- concentration of business in Japan
- limited availability of acceptable yen-denominated investments
- foreign currency fluctuations in the yen/dollar exchange rate
- differing judgments applied to investment valuations
- significant valuation judgments in determination of expected credit losses recorded on the Company's investments
- decreases in the Company's financial strength or debt ratings
- decline in creditworthiness of other financial institutions
- concentration of the Company's investments in any particular single-issuer or sector
- the effects of COVID-19 and its variants (both known and emerging), and any resulting economic effects and government interventions, on the Company's business and financial results
- the Company's ability to attract and retain qualified sales associates, brokers, employees, and distribution partners
- deviations in actual experience from pricing and reserving assumptions
- ability to continue to develop and implement improvements in information technology systems
- interruption in telecommunication, information technology and other operational systems, or a failure to maintain the security, confidentiality or privacy of sensitive data residing on such systems
- subsidiaries' ability to pay dividends to the Parent Company
- inherent limitations to risk management policies and procedures
- operational risks of third party vendors
- tax rates applicable to the Company may change
- failure to comply with restrictions on policyholder privacy and information security
- extensive regulation and changes in law or regulation by governmental authorities
- competitive environment and ability to anticipate and respond to market trends
- catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, as a result of climate change, epidemics, pandemics (such as COVID-19), tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, war or other military action, terrorism or other acts of violence, and damage incidental to such events
- ability to protect the Aflac brand and the Company's reputation
- ability to effectively manage key executive succession
- changes in accounting standards
- level and outcome of litigation
- allegations or determinations of worker misclassification in the United States
Analyst and investor contact - David A. Young, 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667 or dyoung@aflac.com
Media contact - Ines Gutzmer, 762.207.7601 or igutzmer@aflac.com
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SOURCE Aflac Incorporated | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/aflac-incorporated-announces-second-quarter-results-reports-second-quarter-net-earnings-14-billion-declares-third-quarter-cash-dividend/ | 2022-08-01T21:34:54Z |
Study: Climate crisis supercharging rainfall in hurricanes
Published: Apr. 13, 2022 at 1:07 AM CDT|Updated: 6 minutes ago
(CNN) - A new study suggests the climate crisis is supercharging rainfall in hurricanes.
The study was published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.
It found that rainfall from hurricanes during the record-breaking 2020 season was as much as 11% higher due to human-caused climate changes.
Researchers determined that global warming increased hourly rainfall rates in tropical storms and hurricanes from 5% to 10%.
When experts observed just hurricanes, the increase was 8% to 11%.
The findings suggest the threat surged over the past few decades and it will likely increase more in the future.
That’s because warmer air can hold more water vapor, which leads to higher rainfall rates.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/04/13/study-climate-crisis-supercharging-rainfall-hurricanes/ | 2022-04-13T06:20:21Z |
Ruiz’s 10th-inning RBI double lifts Nationals over Marlins
MIAMI (AP) — Keibert Ruiz had three hits, including a go-ahead double in the 10th inning, and the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 5-4. César Hernández tripled and doubled, Maikel Franco singled twice, and Juan Soto had three walks for the Nationals, who avoided their second three-game sweep to the Marlins this season. Ruiz’s smash down the third-base line off reliever Daniel Castano scored automatic runner Dee Strange-Gordon from third. Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s sacrifice fly against Washington reliever Tanner Rainey with the bases loaded in the ninth tied it at 4. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/05/18/ruizs-10th-inning-rbi-double-lifts-nationals-over-marlins/ | 2022-05-19T04:44:08Z |
‘Serial rapist’ who preyed on women from dating apps likely has victims nationwide, police say
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) – A man who investigators say is a serial rapist who preyed on women from dating apps was arrested this week.
While 29-year-old Michael Brandon Shinn was ultimately arrested for two sex crimes police say he committed in North Carolina, police warn that Shinn could have victims nationwide, as far away as California.
Officers with the Mooresville Police Department arrested Shinn after receiving reports of two recent rapes in the area.
The first alleged rape happened June 16. The victim reported the assault to police a few days later, telling them she met Shinn online and had agreed to meet him. After the two met, the victim said she got into Shinn’s car where he drove her to a remote parking lot and raped her. The victim told police Shinn then left her in the parking lot without a phone or a vehicle.
Detectives said they identified Shinn using the information provided by the victim and warrants were obtained for his arrest.
While investigating that alleged crime, the Huntersville Police Department advised Mooresville police that a second victim was hospitalized in Huntersville.
This victim provided a similar description of the suspect and the circumstances of the alleged crime, according to police. The victim said she met Shinn in the same parking lot on June 21, just five days after the first reported rape.
Following the report from the second victim, more warrants were obtained for Shinn’s arrest.
Police did not elaborate on the second victim’s injuries or why she was hospitalized.
During the investigation of both assaults, detectives said they discovered that Shinn was targeting women online and is likely involved in similar crimes in other areas nationwide. Detectives said they are working with multiple surrounding agencies who have similar cases involving the suspect, including agencies as far away as California.
Shinn was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree forcible rape and one count of second-degree forcible sex offense. He is being held at the Iredell County Detention Center under a $600,000 secured bond.
Police are asking for more victims to come forward. If you or anyone you know may have been a victim of or had contact with Shinn, you are encouraged to contact Detective Saladino with the Mooresville Police Department at 704-664-3311.
Copyright 2022 WBTV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/06/24/serial-rapist-who-preyed-women-dating-apps-likely-has-victims-nationwide-police-say/ | 2022-06-24T21:57:22Z |
DALLAS (KDAF) — It’s a great day to claim a seven-figure win from the Texas Lottery don’t you think?
The lottery reports a resident near the city of Houston has claimed a $1 million win from the Powerball lottery game. The Manvel native bought the ticket at a Time Mart on County Road 59 in Pearland.
The big winner has decided to remain anonymous. The ticket was a Quick Pick and it matched all five of the winning white ball numbers drawn and not the red Powerball to net the big win.
The Texas Lottery said, “Powerball Grand Prizes currently start at $20 million and roll until the jackpot is won. Players win the Grand Prize by matching five numbers from a field of 69 numbers and one Powerball number from a field of 26 numbers. By choosing the Power Play® for $1 more per Play, players can multiply their non-Grand Prize winnings by two, three, four, five or 10 times*.” | https://cw33.com/news/texas/resident-near-houston-claims-1-million-powerball-texas-lottery-ticket-prize/ | 2022-09-08T21:35:26Z |
(The Hill) – Voters from different sides of the country headed to the polls on Tuesday evening, lending some new insight into what to expect going into the general election in November.
Former President Trump saw his endorsement put to the test in two key races in South Carolina, while Republicans saw victory in a South Texas congressional district that could bode well for their strategy in the region.
Meanwhile, progressives saw yet another defeat, this time in Nevada.
Here are five takeaways from the June 14th primaries.
Trump’s endorsement record takes another hit
Trump saw yet another high-profile defeat on Tuesday after incumbent Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) won her primary against Trump-backed challenger Katie Arrington.
The former president made Mace one of his top primary targets earlier this year when he endorsed Arrington in February. The primary divided much of the GOP. While Trump endorsed Arrington, his former ambassador to the United Nations and ex-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), as well as his former chief of staff and ex- South Carolina lawmaker Mick Mulvaney, both endorsed Mace.
While Mace did not vote to impeach the former president after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, she did not object to certifying the 2020 election results and later voted to refer to the Justice Department a criminal contempt case against Trump ally Stephen Bannon that the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot brought.
Despite not having the former president’s support, Mace tried to tie herself to him while acknowledging her differences with him over Jan. 6. Arrington, on the other hand, made the former president’s endorsement a centerpiece of her campaign.
But his political influence was on display elsewhere
While Trump’s candidate may have lost in South Carolina’s first congressional district, the former president did get political revenge on Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.), who voted to impeach him last year.
Trump-endorsed challenger Russell Fry defeated the incumbent congressman on Tuesday. Rice’s district was seen as largely more favorable to a Trump-backed candidate than Mace’s.
Meanwhile, Trump’s pick for Senate in Nevada, Adam Laxalt, also won his primary. Laxalt had big GOP names behind him during the primary in addition to the former president, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). Laxalt served as the co-chair of Trump’s reelection campaign in Nevada in 2020. Democrats have seized on his vocal support for Trump’s unproven claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
Another Trump-endorsed candidate, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, appeared poised to defeat a crowded field of GOP candidates in the gubernatorial primary. Lombardo will take on incumbent Gov. Steve Sisolak in November.
All in all, despite his one high-profile loss, Tuesday night proved that Trump still holds significant political sway in the party.
Alarm bells sound for Democrats in Texas
Republican Mayra Flores’s win in the special election for Texas’ 34th congressional district will likely raise alarm bells for Democrats in the Lone Star State. The GOP has increasingly focused on border districts and the southern part of the state after former President Trump performed well in South Texas during the 2020 presidential election.
Flores continued that trend on Tuesday, but also played particularly well with Hispanic voters. She carried Cameron County, which President Biden won by 13 points in 2020 and is nearly 90 percent Hispanic.
Democrats could sense the urgency in the district as the primary approached, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) helping their candidate Dan Sanchez’s campaign fund a $100,000 digital ad buy. Additionally, the House Majority PAC rolled out a $115,000 ad buy against Flores earlier this month.
House Republicans already have their sights set on the open seat in Texas’ 15th congressional district and incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar’s (D-Texas) seat in the 28th congressional district. The 15th, 28th and 34th districts are on the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee’s target list.
Another disappointing night for progressives
Progressives saw yet more disappointment Tuesday, as Amy Vilela lost to incumbent Democratic Rep. Dina Titus (D) in Nevada’s first congressional.
Vilela previously served as Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) co-chair in his 2020 presidential race. Sanders endorsed her last week.
Her loss comes a week after progressives saw losses in San Francisco’s district attorney recall and in New Jersey’s 10th congressional district, where Rep. Donald Payne Jr. survived a progressive primary challenge.
The last major victory for progressives took place last month when Jamie Mcleod-Skinner defeated incumbent Rep. Kurt Schrader in the Democratic primary for Oregon’s fifth congressional district. Schrader had been endorsed by President Biden.
A ‘blue wave’ Dem gets one step closer in longshot bid
Back in South Carolina, former Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-S.C.), who was ousted by Mace in 2020, took one step closer to his longshot gubernatorial bid.
Cunningham defeated state Sen. Mia McLeod (D) in the Democratic gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, teeing up a fight against incumbent Gov. Henry McMaster (R) in November. The former congressman will face an uphill climb against the governor, given the national mood, McMaster’s popularity and the state’s rightward tilt. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as “solid Republican.”
The victory marks a comeback of sorts for Cunningham. He was part of the Democratic “blue wave” in 2018, defeating Arrington in the general election for the first congressional district, before losing to Mace. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/five-takeaways-from-races-in-nevada-south-carolina-and-texas/ | 2022-06-15T11:43:43Z |
HOUSTON, July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Service Corporation International (NYSE: SCI) announced it expects to issue a press release with financial results for the second quarter 2022 on Tuesday, August 2, 2022. A conference call will be hosted by SCI Management on Wednesday, August 3, 2022. Details of the conference call are as follows:
About Service Corporation International
Service Corporation International (NYSE: SCI), headquartered in Houston, Texas, is North America's leading provider of funeral, cemetery and cremation services, as well as final-arrangement planning in advance, serving more than 600,000 families each year. Our diversified portfolio of brands provides families and individuals a full range of choices to meet their needs, from simple cremations to full life celebrations and personalized remembrances. Our Dignity Memorial® brand is the name families turn to for professionalism, compassion, and attention to detail that is second to none. At June 30, 2022, we owned and operated 1,459 funeral service locations and 488 cemeteries (of which 300 are combination locations) in 44 states, eight Canadian provinces, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. For more information about Service Corporation International, please visit our website at www.sci-corp.com. For more information about Dignity Memorial®, please visit www.dignitymemorial.com.
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SOURCE Service Corporation International | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/service-corporation-international-announces-schedule-its-second-quarter-2022-earnings-release-conference-call/ | 2022-07-19T19:46:09Z |
Kroger Reports Second Quarter 2022 Results and Raises Full-Year Guidance
Published: Sep. 9, 2022 at 7:20 AM CDT|Updated: 2 hours ago
CINCINNATI, Sept. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
Second Quarter Highlights
• Identical Sales without fuel increased 5.8%
• Operating Profit of $954 million; Adjusted FIFO Operating Profit of $1,110 million
• EPS of $1.00; Adjusted EPS of $0.90
• Company is executing its go-to-market strategy to deliver value for customers
° Our Brands identical sales increased 10.2%
° Digital sales grew 8%
° Accelerated our Fresh Produce Initiative with 864 stores now certified, driving higher identical sales
The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today reported its second quarter 2022 results and will update investors on how Leading with Fresh and Accelerating with Digital continues to position Kroger for long-term sustainable growth.
Comments from Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen
"Kroger delivered strong second quarter results propelled by our Leading with Fresh and Accelerating with Digital strategy. We are incredibly thankful for our dedicated associates who continue to deliver a full, fresh and friendly customer experience.
Our consistent performance underscores the resiliency and flexibility of our business model, which enables Kroger to thrive in many different operating environments. We are applying technology and innovation to improve freshness, grow Our Brands, and create a seamless shopping experience so our customers can get what they want, when and how they want it, with zero compromise on quality, selection and affordability.
We will continue to focus on providing affordable, fresh food to our customers, investing in wages and the associate experience, and creating zero hunger, zero waste communities because when we do those things well, we deliver attractive and sustainable shareholder returns."
Total company sales were $34.6 billion in the second quarter, compared to $31.7 billion for the same period last year. Excluding fuel, sales increased 5.2% compared to the same period last year.
Gross margin was 20.9% of sales for the second quarter. The FIFO gross margin rate, excluding fuel, increased 2 basis points compared to the same period last year. This result reflected our ability to effectively manage product cost inflation through strong sourcing practices while helping customers manage their budgets and keeping prices competitive.
The LIFO charge for the quarter was $148 million, compared to a LIFO charge of $47 million for the same period last year driven by higher product cost inflation primarily in grocery.
The Operating, General & Administrative rate increased 36 basis points, excluding fuel and adjustment items, compared to the same period last year. The increase in OG&A rate was driven by investments in associates, higher incentive plan costs, and strategic investments in various margin expansion initiatives that will drive future growth, partially offset by sales leverage and continued execution of cost savings initiatives.
Capital Allocation Strategy
Kroger continues to generate strong free cash flow and remains committed to investing in its business to drive long-term sustainable net earnings growth, maintaining its current investment grade debt rating, and returning excess free cash flow to shareholders via share repurchases and a growing dividend over time.
Kroger's net total debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio is 1.63, compared to 1.78 a year ago (Table 5). The company's net total debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio target range is 2.30 to 2.50.
Earlier this quarter, Kroger increased its dividend by 24%, marking the 16th consecutive year of dividend increases. Additionally, during the quarter, Kroger repurchased $309 million in shares and year-to-date, has repurchased $975 million in shares. On September 9th, the Board of Directors authorized a new $1 billion share repurchase program.
Comments from CFO Gary Millerchip
"Our second quarter results provide another proof point that Kroger has the right go-to-market strategy. Our consistent execution of this strategy is building momentum in our business which, combined with sustained food at home trends, gives us the confidence to raise our full-year guidance. We now expect identical sales without fuel to be in the range of 4.0% to 4.5% and adjusted net earnings per diluted share in the range of $3.95 to $4.05.
Our business model has proven to be resilient in a variety of operating and economic environments and we remain confident in our ability to deliver attractive and sustainable total shareholder returns of 8-11% over time."
Second Quarter 2022 Highlights
- Expanded Our Brands portfolio with the launch of the Smart Way product line, part of Kroger's new opening price point strategy
- Recognized by Store Brands Magazine for the quality of Our Brands products with 12 Editors' Picks awards for best new products in 2022
- Introduced 170 new Our Brands items, including the expansion of our industry-leading Simple Truth plant-based line and seasonal fresh favorites
- Celebrated five awards earned by Murray's Cheese varieties at the American Cheese Society Competition
Accelerating with Digital
- Improved delivery sales by 34% over last year driven by Kroger Boost and Customer Fulfillment Centers
- Announced a new Kroger Delivery Customer Fulfillment Center in the Denver Metro area, one of the fastest-growing areas in the country
- Opened a new Kroger Delivery Customer Fulfillment Center in Romulus, Michigan, supporting customers in several geographies, including Michigan, Northern Ohio, and Indiana
- Expanded the Kroger Delivery network by opening seven new spoke facilities, which serve as last-mile cross-dock locations, including Louisville, Nashville, and Chicago in existing geographies, as well as Austin, Birmingham, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio in new geographies
- Named as one of the Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion by Disability:IN for the third consecutive year with a score of 100 on the 2022 Disability Equity Index
- Introduced financial coaching services, a unique benefit available to hourly associates to empower them to achieve financial goals through free financial planning
- Received two Brandon Hall Group – Excellence in Human Capital Management Awards, including recognition for Best Use of Gaming or Simulations for Learning and Best Learning Program that Supports and Promotes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Launched a Women's Leadership program bringing together female business leaders, entrepreneurs, and key community members as part of the LPGA Queen City Championship
- 10,775 associates have participated in Feed Your Future, Kroger's continuing education benefit available to all associates since the program began in 2018. More than 90% of participants are hourly associates
- Published 2022 ESG Report reaffirming company's comprehensive ESG strategy and framework to benefit people and the planet, and create a more resilient, equitable food system for tomorrow
- Donated $10 million to The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation to further our commitment to empower communities to live healthy lives
- Recognized by the Congressional Hunger Center for The Kroger Co. Foundation's longstanding commitment to ending hunger
- Announced expanded customer access to electric vehicle charging stations to more than 350 locations
- Assisted in the flood relief efforts in Eastern Kentucky and water shortage in Jackson, Mississippi with company and customer donations of funds and supplies, as well as delivery of more than 55,000 gallons of fresh water to the communities
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. We are, across our family of companies nearly half a million associates who serve over eleven million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
Kroger's second quarter 2022 ended on August 13, 2022.
Note: Fuel sales have historically had a low gross margin rate and operating expense rate as compared to corresponding rates on non-fuel sales. As a result, Kroger discusses the changes in these rates excluding the effect of fuel.
Please refer to the supplemental information presented in the tables for reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release to the most comparable GAAP financial measure and related disclosure. As noted above, Kroger is unable to provide a full reconciliation of the GAAP and non-GAAP measures used in its guidance without unreasonable effort because it is not possible to predict certain of our adjustment items with a reasonable degree of certainty. This information is dependent upon future events and may be outside of our control and its unavailability could have a significant impact on GAAP financial results.
This press release contains certain statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" about the future performance of the company. These statements are based on management's assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it. Such statements are indicated by words or phrases such as "achieve," "believe," "committed," "continue," "expect," "future," "guidance," "target," "trends," and "will." Various uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These include the specific risk factors identified in "Risk Factors" in our annual report on Form 10-K for our last fiscal year and any subsequent filings, as well as the following:
Kroger's ability to achieve sales, earnings, incremental FIFO operating profit, and adjusted free cash flow goals may be affected by: COVID-19 pandemic related factors, risks and challenges, including among others, the length of time that the pandemic continues, future variants, mutations or related strains of the virus and the effectiveness of vaccines against variants, continued efficacy of vaccines over time and availability of vaccine boosters, the extent of vaccine refusal, and global access to vaccines, as well as the effect of vaccine and/or testing mandates and related regulations, the potential for additional future spikes in infection and illness rates including breakthrough infections among the fully vaccinated, and the corresponding potential for disruptions in workforce availability and customer shopping patterns, re-imposed restrictions as a result of resurgence and the corresponding future easing of restrictions, and interruptions in domestic and global supply chains or capacity constraints; whether and when the global pandemic will become endemic, the pace of recovery when the pandemic subsides or becomes endemic, which may vary materially over time and among the different regions we serve; labor negotiations; potential work stoppages; changes in the unemployment rate; pressures in the labor market; changes in government-funded benefit programs; changes in the types and numbers of businesses that compete with Kroger; pricing and promotional activities of existing and new competitors, including non-traditional competitors, and the aggressiveness of that competition; Kroger's response to these actions; the state of the economy, including interest rates, the current inflationary environment and future potential inflationary and/or deflationary trends and such trends in certain commodities, products and/or operating costs; the geopolitical environment including the war in Ukraine; unstable political situations and social unrest; changes in tariffs; the effect that fuel costs have on consumer spending; volatility of fuel margins; manufacturing commodity costs; supply constraints; diesel fuel costs related to Kroger's logistics operations; trends in consumer spending; the extent to which Kroger's customers exercise caution in their purchasing in response to economic conditions; the uncertainty of economic growth or recession; stock repurchases; changes in the regulatory environment in which Kroger operates; Kroger's ability to retain pharmacy sales from third party payors; consolidation in the healthcare industry, including pharmacy benefit managers; Kroger's ability to negotiate modifications to multi-employer pension plans; natural disasters or adverse weather conditions; the effect of public health crises or other significant catastrophic events; the potential costs and risks associated with potential cyber-attacks or data security breaches; the success of Kroger's future growth plans; the ability to execute our growth strategy and value creation model, including continued cost savings, growth of our alternative profit businesses, and our ability to better serve our customers and to generate customer loyalty and sustainable growth through our strategic pillars of fresh, our brands, personalization, and seamless; and the successful integration of merged companies and new partnerships. Our ability to achieve these goals may also be affected by our ability to manage the factors identified above. Our ability to execute our financial strategy may be affected by our ability to generate cash flow.
Kroger's effective tax rate may differ from the expected rate due to changes in tax laws, the status of pending items with various taxing authorities, and the deductibility of certain expenses.
Kroger assumes no obligation to update the information contained herein unless required by applicable law. Please refer to Kroger's reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a further discussion of these risks and uncertainties.
Note: Kroger's quarterly conference call with investors will broadcast live at 10 a.m. (ET) on September 9, 2022 at ir.kroger.com. An on-demand replay of the webcast will be available at approximately 1 p.m. (ET) on Friday, September 9, 2022.
2nd Quarter 2022 Tables Include:
- Consolidated Statements of Operations
- Consolidated Balance Sheets
- Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
- Supplemental Sales Information
- Reconciliation of Net Total Debt and Net Earnings Attributable to The Kroger Co. to Adjusted EBITDA
- Net Earnings Per Diluted Share Excluding the Adjustment Items
- Operating Profit Excluding the Adjustment Items
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.
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/2022/09/09/kroger-reports-second-quarter-2022-results-raises-full-year-guidance/ | 2022-09-09T14:06:23Z |
Teen stabbed to death at bus stop outside Nashville Walmart
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) – A 14-year-old was stabbed to death at a bus stop outside a Walmart parking lot in Nashville, Tennessee, according to Metro Police.
WSMV reports a fight broke out between two groups of girls inside the Walmart and continued into the parking lot.
Police say the altercations continued to a bus stop just outside the lot around 9:45 p.m.
According to police, one of the girls charged at 14-year-old Malia Powell with a knife and stabbed her at the bus stop.
Powell was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Police are looking for the girls involved and are using surveillance video from cameras in the parking lot and social media posts in their investigation.
Copyright 2022 WSMV Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/06/21/teen-stabbed-death-bus-stop-outside-nashville-walmart/ | 2022-06-21T19:20:58Z |
Isabelle Fuhrman played the creepy role of Esther in “Orphan” that came out thirteen years ago. The actress who was ten years old at the time blew our minds when we found out that she was playing the role of a little girl, when she actually turns out to be a 33 year old woman.
“We were lucky that so many people fell in love with Esther, that we got to come back thirteen years later” said Fuhrman.
Esther is back and she is as bad as ever in the sequel “Orphan: First Kill.” Fuhrman stated that no other actor in cinema history has ever reprised their role that they had played as a child and here she is making history. The actress touched on how it was a little easier coming back as an adult playing the role of a child, whereas before she was a young girl trying to play the role of an adult.
The horror film icon explained how she loves playing darker characters such as Esther, and diving into their head to find a way to bring some humanity to them.
“I think it’s easy to play a good guy” stated Fuhrman, ” it’s really hard to play a bad guy and make you fall in love with them.”
“Orphan: First Kill ‘ will be in theaters, on digital and streaming on Paramount+ Aug. 19.
This segment aired on the KTLA 5 Morning News on Aug. 18, 2022. | https://cw33.com/news/isabelle-fuhrman-reclaims-role-of-esther-in-orphan-first-kill-thirteen-years-later/ | 2022-08-19T22:15:21Z |
Agent: There was talk of blasting 2 bridges in Whitmer kidnapping plot
(AP) - An FBI agent who was working undercover told jurors Thursday about a stop at a bridge near Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s vacation home during a night ride by anti-government extremists to continue planning a kidnapping.
Tim Bates, simply known as “Red” to the group, said he encouraged Adam Fox to take a picture of the bridge after they got out of a pickup truck. The government alleges that destroying it was part of a scheme to get Whitmer.
“They wanted to slow down law enforcement response,” Bates testified.
No kidnapping took place in Elk Rapids. In October 2020, about a month later, Fox, Barry Croft Jr. and four others were arrested and accused of being domestic terrorists.
Fox and Croft are on trial for a second time on conspiracy charges. A jury in April couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict but acquitted two other men.
Bates said he pitched himself to the group as someone who could get explosives. By fall 2020, he said there was talk about buying bomb components, and the FBI wanted to stay on top of it. Another agent as well as informants already had infiltrated the group.
Bates said Fox also talked about destroying a second bridge in the Elk Rapids area, though the government didn’t offer any evidence of it on secretly recorded conversations. The agent also admitted during cross-examination that he hadn’t disclosed it during the first trial last spring.
“You were wearing a recorder the entire trip, correct? And the recorder functioned, true?” Fox attorney Christopher Gibbons said.
“I can’t speak to how all of them functioned,” Bates replied, “but I believe a recorder was on the entire time.”
The defense argues that Fox and Croft were entrapped by government operatives who fed their wild views. Prosecutors say the group wanted to trigger a national revolt and was especially furious over COVID-19 restrictions imposed by Whitmer during the early stages of the pandemic.
Defense lawyers have tried to make their case by sharply cross-examining the government’s witnesses. Like Gibbons, Croft attorney Joshua Blanchard picked at the lack of a recording about Fox talking about destroying a second bridge.
“We should be able to hear that, right?” Blanchard said.
Croft, 46, is from Bear, Delaware. Fox, 39, was living in the basement of a vacuum shop in the Grand Rapids area.
Whitmer, a Democrat, has blamed then-President Donald Trump for stoking mistrust and fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn hate groups and right-wing extremists like those charged in the plot.
Trump recently called the kidnapping plan a “fake deal.”
___
Find the AP’s full coverage of the kidnapping plot trial: https://apnews.com/hub/whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/18/agent-there-was-talk-blasting-2-bridges-whitmer-plot/ | 2022-08-18T17:05:01Z |
Winter Weather Advisory issued April 4 at 9:21PM MDT until April 5 at 10:00AM MDT by NWS Pocatello ID
* WHAT…Snow. Additional snow accumulations up to one inch,
except up to 5 inches on ridge tops and passes. Winds gusting
as high as 65 mph.
* WHERE…The eastern highlands including the Bear River Range,
the Caribou Range, and the Big Hole Mountains.
* WHEN…Until 10 AM MDT Tuesday.
* IMPACTS…Plan on slippery road conditions. Patchy blowing
snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous
conditions could impact the morning commute. Strong winds
could cause tree damage.
Slow down and use caution while traveling.
The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. | https://localnews8.com/weather/alerts-weather/2022/04/04/winter-weather-advisory-issued-april-4-at-921pm-mdt-until-april-5-at-1000am-mdt-by-nws-pocatello-id/ | 2022-04-05T05:17:02Z |
Justin Fields and the Bears are learning the Eberflus way
By GENE CHAMBERLAIN
Associated Press
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Since Matt Eberflus took over as coach of the Chicago Bears, second-year quarterback Justin Fields and his teammates are adjusting to a new way of doing things. Working at a three-day minicamp on Tuesday, Fields is changing his footwork and getting the ball out faster under new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Eberflus and defensive assistants have taken the Bears back to a 4-3 defensive approach after the team played a 3-4 front for seven seasons. Defensive players also are getting used to playing without veteran linebacker Khalil Mack, who was traded. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/04/19/justin-fields-and-the-bears-are-learning-the-eberflus-way/ | 2022-04-19T23:05:55Z |
SOLON, Ohio, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A worldwide leader in sustainable and innovative flooring solutions, Tarkett North America is introducing Discovery, a new collection designed to aid architects, designers and facility managers in creating inspiring education spaces for every learner. Discovery includes two soft-surface options and a coordinating LVT, all of which were designed around the unique needs of students and educators.
"Good education flooring design supports each person who comes through the door, in every square inch of the building," said Jonathan Stanley, vice president, education & government strategies, Tarkett North America. "We developed Discovery with those needs in mind. Our designers explored the neurodivergent spectrum and what it means to educate the whole child. The result is a collection that combines serene neutrals and vibrant colorways to encourage curiosity, imagination, and perspective in all types of learners."
One in 7 people worldwide is estimated to have a neurodiverse condition such as ADHD, autism, dyspraxia, dyslexia and Tourette's syndrome. For the development of Discovery, Tarkett explored how interior environments impact thinking, behavior, engagement, social awareness, and interactive experiences. With intention grounded in research, the company's designers created flooring that both soothes and engages the senses so that every person, whether neurotypical or neurodiverse, experiences a learning environment that helps them flourish.
The collection's two soft-surface options are Visual Path and Mentor. With high-definition shapes and lively patterns, Visual Path awakens the senses with a fun, dynamic aesthetic. This soft surface is intentionally designed to conjure organization and connectivity with its use of color and geometry. Conversely, Mentor infuses any educational space with a soothing effect. Softened painterly lines, a diffused pattern, and eye-pleasing geometry invite learners to find calm and clarity.
Both Visual Path and Mentor are available in Powerbond and three modular tile sizes, in a palette of 12 colorways that support education spaces. Each colorway serves as a reminder of the intent behind the collection, with names like Be Kind and Be You. Visual Path and Mentor are produced with Tarkett's premium Dynex SD® fiber, which offers extreme durability and permanent stain resistance.
Joining the collection in October, Method LVT is designed to coordinate perfectly with Visual Path and Mentor, with striking geometrics that bring playful energy to any educational space. Method LVT is protected by Tarkett's proprietary Techtonic™ technology, adding best-in-class scratch resistance and reduced life cycle costing. The design is available in eight standard colors and can easily be recolored to match other Tarkett flooring with the company's digital printing technology.
In addition to its contribution to engaging design, the collection includes several proprietary technologies that contribute to a healthier indoor environment and a healthier planet.
- Visual Path and Mentor are offered on Tarkett's ethos® Modular with Omnicoat Technology® carpet backing. ethos is non-PVC, made with PVB film from recycled windshields and safety glass, and contains 48-64% overall recycled content.
- ethos is Cradle to Cradle Certified® Silver, and Tarkett has analyzed and optimized 100% of ethos materials for human and environmental health. ethos products are manufactured in Dalton, Georgia, in a facility that operates on 100% renewable electricity and a 98% water reduction since 1993.
- Powerbond's closed-cell cushion provides a wall-to-wall moisture barrier, more comfort underfoot, and absorbs 22% of airborne sound to support overall wellness and performance.
- All soft-surface flooring produced by Tarkett North America are free of all six classes of harmful chemicals and PFAS. Eco-Ensure™ soil protection technology has a Cradle to Cradle Material Health Certificate at the Platinum level, solidifying Tarkett's commitment to using materials that are safe for both human and environmental health.
- Tarkett North America was the first flooring manufacturer to remove ortho-phthalates from all products containing vinyl, including Powerbond and luxury vinyl tile.
For more information, visit contract.tarkett.com/discovery.
With a history of 140 years, Tarkett is a worldwide leader in innovative flooring and sports surface solutions, with net sales of €2.8 billion in 2021. Offering a wide range of products including vinyl, linoleum, rubber, carpet, wood, laminate, artificial turf and athletics tracks, the Group serves customers in over 100 countries across the globe. Tarkett has 12,000 employees and 34 industrial sites, and sells 1.3 million square meters of flooring every day, for hospitals, schools, housing, hotels, offices, stores and sports fields. Committed to change the game with circular economy and to reducing its carbon footprint, the Group has implemented an eco-innovation strategy based on Cradle to Cradle principles, fully aligned with its Tarkett Human-Conscious Design® approach.
Visit www.tarkett.com (North America) or www.tarkett-group.com (Global)
For years, Tarkett has raised the sustainability standards of the flooring industry. It purposefully designs floors with total transparency to create healthier, safer spaces for both people and planet. When Tarkett floors reach their end of life, the company's ReStart® program makes it possible for them to be repurposed or recycled. Tarkett has taken the next step in advancing sustainability standards in the industry by announcing a new carbon strategy that will change how the company makes its floors, reducing impact rather than offsetting it. For more information, visit https://contract.tarkett.com/proofineverystep
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SOURCE Tarkett | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/new-education-focused-flooring-collection-tarkett-designed-discovery/ | 2022-09-15T19:31:59Z |
Addressing the current and ongoing national crisis on U.S. roads, the report's executive summary offers 10 key conclusions for the next 20 years
WASHINGTON, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Safety Council released Wednesday the executive summary of its new research report, Mobility, Technology and Safety: The Next 20 Years. The full report, funded by Allstate (NYSE: ALL) and to be released July 26 via a webinar, explores the evolution of mobility and the implications of past actions on the future of safe mobility.
The United States is facing a national crisis. Roadway fatalities are at a 16-year high, with preliminary NSC data showing more than 46,000 people died on U.S. roads in 2021. NSC estimates 462 more may die in preventable crashes over the upcoming Independence Day Weekend alone. Vulnerable road users, those who are walking, biking or are otherwise outside a vehicle, are dying at faster rates. Communities of color and low-income communities also experience higher rates of fatalities and are over-represented in these data. To reverse these deadly trends, NSC seeks to leverage research, knowledge and passion for this topic to find new solutions and turn the tide on traffic violence.
Recognizing these needs, and with funding from Allstate, NSC commissioned this new report in 2021 from lead author David Zipper, a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School with a background in both technology and local government, and the author of more than 75 articles about cities, transportation and technology. This report examines the history of mobility safety and how it can help identify trends that will define mobility over the next two decades.
There will be dramatic changes on city streets and sidewalks in the coming decades. The executive summary of this report offers 10 key conclusions for the next 20 years:
- Motor vehicles will remain the top source of street deaths
- Widespread Advanced Driver Assistance Systems should be expected – but not autonomous vehicles
- Climate change will fundamentally alter urban transportation
- Denser neighborhoods will experience faster change in urban transportation technology
- Parcel delivery is poised for disruption
- Urban vehicles should be regulated by size and speed (rather than form factor) to encourage safety as well as innovation
- Street rules should not be made to promote or enable a particular technology
- Cities should be able to manage their streets and sidewalks
- Revisions to infrastructure and policy will be essential to enhance safety even in the best case of technological improvement
- Protection of Vulnerable Road Users will support equity goals
"Recent history indicates the potential value of such forward-looking analysis. Over the previous 20 years, waves of new technologies have disrupted urban transportation, from car share and ride hail to e-scooters and bike share," said Mark Chung, executive vice president of roadway practice at NSC. "Public officials, and many advocacy groups, were caught off guard by this unprecedented rate of technological change, and they were often unsure how to respond to the safety concerns that emerged. Preparing in advance for the next generation of transformative technology and taking time to reflect on our current environment can save lives."
"Allstate has been committed to making U.S. roadways safer for years, going all the way back to advocating for seat belt legislation in the 1960s. As personal transportation evolves, so do our products, services and advocacy," said Eric Brandt, executive vice president and chief claims officer at Allstate. "By sponsoring this report, we're once again imagining the future of mobility and assessing its safety implications so that we can best advocate for a safer transportation system."
The executive summary was unveiled at an event at the National Press Club this morning. Featured speakers included Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chair of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, representatives from NSC, David Zipper, author of the report, and partners including Director Kristina Swallow of the Nevada Department of Transportation and Michael Kelley of BikeWalkKC. View a recording of the event here.
As we prepare for what the future of technology might bring, we must address mobility's surge in roadway deaths. Congress took a crucial step toward reducing roadway deaths with the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law, which boosted safety-oriented, community-focused spending through novel initiatives like Safe Streets and Roads for All. The Department of Transportation has also made critical progress, including issuing the groundbreaking National Roadway Safety Strategy, which for the first time committed the federal government to a goal of zero roadway deaths. The National Safety Council executive summary creates a fuller picture of safe mobility to augment these policies, and calls on Congress and DOT to do more to realize the report recommendations.
The report, Mobility, Technology and Safety: The Next 20 Years, is intended to supplement and add momentum to these ongoing federal efforts, providing much needed solutions for communities grappling with real safety problems.
Read the executive summary and learn more about NSC efforts to reduce traffic fatalities at nsc.org/futuremobility.
The National Safety Council is America's leading nonprofit safety advocate–and has been for more than 100 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace, roadway and impairment. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) protects people from life's uncertainties with a wide array of protection for cars, homes, electronic devices and identity theft. Affordable products are available through a broad distribution network including Allstate agents, independent agents, major retailers, online and at the workplace. Allstate is widely known for the slogan "You're in Good Hands with Allstate." For more information, visit www.allstate.com.
Connect with NSC:
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SOURCE National Safety Council | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/national-safety-council-release-new-report-mobility-technology-safety-next-20-years/ | 2022-06-29T21:48:25Z |
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Centerspace (NYSE: CSR) announced today that it has revised the payable date of the regular quarterly distribution of $0.73 per share/unit, to October 11, 2022 to common shareholders and unitholders of record at the close of business on September 30, 2022.
About Centerspace
Centerspace is an owner and operator of apartment communities committed to providing great homes by focusing on integrity and serving others. Founded in 1970, the company currently owns 83 apartment communities consisting of 14,838 homes located in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Centerspace was named a Top Workplace for 2022 by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. For more information, please visit www.centerspacehomes.com.
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Joe McComish, Investor Relations, at (701) 837-7104 or IR@centerspacehomes.com.
Contact Information
Joe McComish, Investor Relations
Phone : (701) 837-7104
E-mail : IR@centerspacehomes.com
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SOURCE Centerspace | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/07/centerspace-announces-quarterly-dividend-revised/ | 2022-09-07T20:57:15Z |
Officer shoots, kills dog attacking its owners, police say
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5/Gray News) - An officer shot and killed a dog Monday night after the animal attacked its owners, according to the North Las Vegas Police Department.
KVVU reports a neighbor helped a police lieutenant find the woman being attacked by the dog.
Police say the pit bull charged at the lieutenant who discharged his firearm.
“In doing so, he saved the woman from being further attacked,” police said.
According to police, another woman was also injured in the attack. Both women were taken to the hospital with several dog-related wounds.
CSI was called to the scene and the pit bull was taken to the Animal Foundation, but police confirmed the animal succumbed to its injuries.
Copyright 2022 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/06/07/officer-shoots-kills-dog-attacking-its-owners-police-say/ | 2022-06-07T20:32:33Z |
Potential tropical storm heads for Mexico, Texas Gulf coast
Published: Aug. 20, 2022 at 11:19 AM CDT|Updated: 49 minutes ago
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A potential tropical storm is heading for the U.S.-Mexico border area, and could cause rains and flash flooding in northeastern Mexico and south Texas.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Saturday that potential Tropical Cyclone Four was located about 165 miles (270 kilometers) south-southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande.
That area includes the Mexican border city of Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas.
The disturbance was moving northwest at 13 mph ( 20 kph), and could become a tropical storm before hitting land late Saturday.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/08/20/potential-tropical-storm-heads-mexico-texas-gulf-coast/ | 2022-08-20T17:08:07Z |
Here’s how to watch the Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte fight
By Zoe Sottile, CNN
On Saturday, nearly 100,000 spectators will gather at Wembley Stadium to watch British boxers Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte face off in the biggest heavyweight battle of the 21st century. The fight will mark Fury’s first fight in the United Kingdom in over four years as he defends his World Boxing Council (WBC) world heavyweight title against Whyte.
When is the fight?
The fight will take place on Saturday, April 23 at London’s Wembley Stadium. Fury and Whyte will emerge for their ring walks at around 10 p.m. UK time or 5 p.m. ET.
Before their legendary faceoff, a few smaller bouts will take place, starting at around 7 p.m. BST or 2 p.m. ET. The undercard features Fury’s half brother, Tommy Fury, facing off against Daniel Bocianski.
What to look out for
The fight will set the record for the largest attendance for a fight in the 21st century and the largest in Europe. But it will also mark significant turning points in both athletes’ careers.
Fury, a two-time world heavyweight champion, is one of the world’s most accomplished heavyweight boxers. But at 33, the legend is preparing to hang up his gloves — making Saturday’s match the last time fans may see Fury fight in the flesh.
“I know nobody believes me because they all think I’m after money or whatever else,” Fury told Top Rank on Tuesday. “I’m walking away. I’ve got nothing to prove to nobody, I’ve done what I’ve had to do and that’s it.”
Fury is no stranger to his challenger: A decade ago, the two young fighters sparred in training camps. But Wednesday’s news conference was the first time the two came face-to-face “in years,” according to Fury.
In interviews, Whyte, 34, has made it clear that he is eager to take on the world title and to knock Fury off his pedestal.
“Tyson Fury is not this massive giant superstar everyone says he is, he’s not,” the London-born boxer told Sky Sports. “The fight at Wembley is sold out because it’s Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte, not Tyson Fury and someone else.”
How to watch
The 94,000 tickets for Saturday’s fight sold out in just hours when they were released in March.
But fans who couldn’t buy one can still catch the fight online. ESPN and Fox Sports will be broadcasting the fight in the US, and BT Sport Box Office will show the fight in the UK.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Matias Grez contributed to this report. | https://localnews8.com/sports/cnn-sports/2022/04/22/heres-how-to-watch-the-tyson-fury-vs-dillian-whyte-fight/ | 2022-04-22T23:27:57Z |
CINCINNATI, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kreller Group, the globally recognized due diligence, trade compliance, and special investigations firm, today announced the appointment of Gregory R. Massa as Global Director for Engagement Operations for the company's Forensic Accounting practice.
Massa will join Harry ("Skip") Brandon and Mark Jenkins, to facilitate the strategic management of its specialized programs. Massa's introduction will further hone Kreller Forensics' calibrated offerings for a growing client base across a diverse and expanding field.
"We are very excited to add Greg's experience and qualifications to our team. His exemplary service in the public sector dealing with sensitive and international matters with the Federal Bureau of Investigation will allow us to further enhance our services to both our public and private sector clients," said Scott Shaffer, Managing Director at Kreller Group.
Massa's experience spans a 25-year career in intelligence, national security, and federal law enforcement within Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Defense (DOD).
Massa represented the F.B.I. at the highest levels across five Nordic countries, building partnerships, sharing intelligence and capacity building with 16 host nation law enforcement and intelligence services across northern Europe. He specialized in managing complex investigations and used risk assessment in decision making processes on how to leverage resources to gather actionable intelligence. He was responsible for ensuring compliance with Department of Justice regulations and led internal investigations. He led dozens of high-profile and complex criminal enterprise, financial crimes, national security, and cyber investigations.
He recently completed a three-year assignment as the FBI's Legal Attaché, the senior agent leading a team with responsibilities across the Nordics. Throughout his career, Massa represented the Bureau in more than 20 different countries in various assignments, including long term assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
His work in complex Criminal and National Security investigations and intelligence matters during this time established a pattern of excellence in navigating highly sensitive subject matter pertaining to a number of dynamic and growing fields, for which he earned (and maintains) Top Secret security clearance.
Massa's appointment comes at a pivotal time when US companies dealing with foreign investors are facing financial and transactional mandates in accordance with rapid-fire changes to international law. Leveraging his experience, Massa is uniquely positioned to join Kreller in proactively addressing global investigation.
After serving the U.S. government first in the Army and for the past 25 years in the F.B.I., Massa's interests grew to include the mechanism of global business operations — in his words, "how business gets accomplished, not just the result." Kreller's "long history of doing things the right way, with an emphasis on integrity" earned his attention and prompted his initial engagement.
Beyond this Massa's progressive and responsible vision regarding systemic compliance, organizational improvement, and responsive protocols in the wake of industry/environmental shifts aligns directly with Kreller's core mission to champion truth and transparency in trade worldwide.
The Kreller Forensics team is proud to welcome Massa as its latest member. Brandon and Jenkins expect Massa's career success, scope and caliber to add a robust competency-set to the premiere firm.
Mark Jenkins, Director of Forensic Investigations, says, "It's great to have Greg onboard to further enhance our investigative capabilities. Our existing and new clients will be better served with additional international and law enforcement skillsets", furthermore, Skip Brandon adds, "as a retired senior official of the FBI myself, I welcome Greg with open arms. He checks all the boxes and his extensive experience and rapid acceleration through the Bureau speaks for itself."
Kreller Forensics is supported by a team of open-source researchers, well-placed contacts and an international network of accomplished professionals in military, law enforcement, business and government. The firm employs proactive and reactive solutions, ranging from ABAC Program Consulting and relevant training; Fraud and Corruption Risk Assessment; FCPA & M&A Due Diligence Services; Financial Regulatory, Practical and Reputational Investigations; Specialty Investigations and Litigation for the ever-changing global landscape.
Kreller Forensics, Kreller Due Diligence, and Kreller Smith Brandon comprise Kreller's comprehensive portfolio of advanced financial and regulatory due diligence services, specialized investigations, fraud/corruption risk assessments, anti-corruption consulting services, and anti-bribery/anti-corruption audits of third parties and programs, and asset tracing and specialized investigations worldwide.
Kreller Group (Kreller Due Diligence) is a due diligence company that provides international due diligence investigations, corporate investigation services, FCPA services, M&A support, and risk management for multinational companies worldwide. Our dedication to quality and service, paired with the talent and knowledge of our investigators, separates us from the competition. Kreller's presence in over 200 jurisdictions allows us direct local access, which we combine with the strongest open-source researchers in the due diligence consulting industry. We are fully licensed, and engage efficiently, ethically and professionally to acquire the information our clients need. Whether it's with "Boots-on-the-Ground" investigations or web-based support, Kreller Group has been dedicated to performing the highest quality due diligence services for over 30 years.
Kreller Smith Brandon
In January 2020, Kreller Companies acquired Smith Brandon International (SBI), now Kreller Smith Brandon (KSB). KSB is a boutique corporate investigations and risk consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. KSB offers a range of services, including high-level political analysis, global due diligence, risk avoidance, corporate investigations, financial investigations, political risk assessments, and business intelligence services
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SOURCE The Kreller Group | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/kreller-expands-financial-due-diligence-risk-advisory-capability-with-strategic-forensic-investigations-hire/ | 2022-08-03T17:43:47Z |
June 2022 Operational Update
- Produced approximately 230 bitcoin in June 2022 and 1,183 bitcoin for the six months ended June 30, 2022.
- Hashrate capacity of approximately 2.5 EH/s from approximately 27,500 miners as of June 30, 2022
- 24% of hash rate capacity located at Spartanburg, SC facility
FAIRFIELD, Conn., July 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: GREE) ("Greenidge"), a vertically integrated cryptocurrency datacenter and power generation company, today provided an operational update for the month of June 2022.
During the month of June 2022, Greenidge produced approximately 230 bitcoin, bringing the total bitcoin production for the six months ended June 30, 2022 to 1,183. As of June 30, 2022, Greenidge had approximately 2.5 EH/s of mining capacity from approximately 27,500 miners and an additional 200 miners in transit. Approximately 24% of the hashrate capacity was located at Greenidge's facility in Spartanburg, SC which was acquired and commenced operations in December 2021.
Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: GREE) is a vertically integrated cryptocurrency datacenter and power generation company. Greenidge is committed to 100% carbon-neutral datacenter operations at all of its locations by utilizing low-carbon sources of energy and offsetting its carbon footprint.
For further information, please contact:
Investor Relations
investorrelations@greenidge.com
Media Inquiries
media@greenidge.com
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SOURCE Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/11/greenidge-generation-provides-june-2022-operational-update/ | 2022-07-11T12:20:33Z |
...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT /7 PM CDT/ THIS
EVENING...
...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON EDT /11 AM CDT/ TO 8 PM EDT
/7 PM CDT/ WEDNESDAY...
* WHAT...For the Heat Advisory today, heat index values between
105 and 111. For the Heat Advisory tomorrow, heat index values
between 107 and 112 expected. Areas in the southeast Big Bend
may see locally higher heat index values tomorrow afternoon.
* WHERE...Portions of southeast Alabama, south central and
southwest Georgia and Big Bend and Panhandle Florida.
* WHEN...For the first Heat Advisory, until 8 PM EDT /7 PM CDT/
this evening. For the second Heat Advisory, from noon EDT /11
AM CDT/ to 8 PM EDT /7 PM CDT/ Wednesday.
* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat
illnesses to occur.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out
of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young
children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles
under any circumstances.
Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When
possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or
evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat
stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when
possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent
rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone
overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.
Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.
&&
1 of 3
Monroe players in action Tuesday during summer basketball at Monroe High School.
ALBANY — Summer basketball was in full force Tuesday at Monroe High School at the start of a two-day high school basketball marathon. Sixteen schools from around the area are competing in a summer session hosted Tuesday at Monroe and Wednesday at the schools in Lee County.
While serious stats were not collected, serious basketball did take place. Possibly the most intense games involved Valdosta, which played hard-fought games with Americus-Sumter and Westover.
The Wildcats, who edged out Lee County for the Region 1-AAAAAA title last season, were on their fast and very physical game. To start the day, they took Americus-Sumter to the limit, but the Panthers pulled off a 50-49 win when Devon Dowdell swished a long 3-pointer with 10 seconds left to play.
In the second game, Valdosta was just as intense and Westover led 26-22 at the half, but Valdosta's strong defensive play held the Patriots to only 11 second-half points and the Wildcats pulled off a 44-37 win.
Dougherty trailed Americus-Sumter at the half, but strong second-half play from Juwuan Jinks and Jaion Burns led the Trojans past the Panthers 42-36, The Trojans had only one game Tuesday.
Monroe had three games and the teams divided up with more experienced players on one team and the younger players on a second team. The older Tornadoes downed Cairo and the younger Tornadoes topped Mitchell County's divided team, but lost a heartbreaker to Miller County.
In the Miller County game, the Tornadoes trailed 5-4 before going on a 14-0 run and then led the entire game until there were just 49 seconds remaining in the game when the Pirates got free throws. The Tornadoes responded with a basket to take the lead back, but Miller County won the game on a long 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining on the clock.
In the Mitchell County vs. Cairo game, the Syrupmakers started out quick with a 4-0 lead, but the Eagles started using a full-court press and went on a 15-4 run to take over the lead. They never let up and beat the Syrupmakers 65-44.
Mitchell County didn't have that luck in the final game of the night against Westover. The Eagles couldn't find the bottom of the basket in the first half and didn't actually score for the first 18 minutes of the game. Westover led 18-4 at the half, but the Eagles looked much stronger in the second half and pulled back to a 43-33 final.
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PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) — Jon Rahm could have done without the stress he faced over the final two hours in the Mexico Open. It still was worth it to pick up his first victory since the U.S. Open last summer.
Rahm rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 14th hole to pull out of a four-way tie for the lead, and he had to make two tough pars and a finish more nervy than he expected.
The relief and satisfaction was evident when he tapped in for par on the final hole at Vidanta Vallarta for a one-shot victory. He pumped his arm and then pounded his fist downward, and at point he looked skyward and exhaled.
“Today was a battle,” Rahm said. “But I got it done.”
Tony Finau and Brandon Wu each closed with a 63, while Kurt Kitayama birdied the final hole from a back bunker for a 68. They tied for second.
Rahm had a couple of close calls in Mexico City when it was a World Golf Championship at Chapultepec. Now the Mexico Open, which has a history dating to 1944, is a regular PGA Tour event for the first time. And it got a popular winner.
Against one of the weaker fields of the year — Rahm at No. 2 was the only player from the top 15 in the world — the Spaniard was a heavy favorite and he played that way from his opening 64. He just didn’t feel any expectations.
“I like to think every time I tee it up I’m a favorite. I play to win,” Rahm said. “Fortunately, I got my seventh PGA Tour win. It was a pretty stressful weekend, all the way to the end.”
Staked to a two-shot lead going into the final round, he never trailed. But it was never easy.
Rahm’s had a one-shot lead after his lone bogey of the round on the tough par-4 10th.
Well ahead of him, Wu holed a 25-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole to join him at 16 under. Kitayama, playing in the final group with Rahm, got up-and-down from right of the green on the par-5 12th to tie. And then Finau went birdie-eagle-birdie to get in the mix and capped off his 63 with a birdie to make it a four-way tie.
“I really wanted to put together a nice week and I was able to do that this week and gave myself a chance to do something special right at the end,” Finau. “Making a 3 on 18 probably would have been a big deal, but making that putt for birdie, a lot of confidence builders on a day like today and I’ll carry that with me the rest of the season.”
Rahm never lost his patience. His chip left of the green on the par-5 14th raced 12 feet by the hole, but he hit his best putt of the round and made it for birdie for a one-shot lead.
His wedge to the 15th came up short and his chip ran 5 by the hole. He made that to stay in front, and then had to two-putt from 50 feet on the 16th for his par. Rahm missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 17th that would have given him room for error.
Still, the closing par 5 at Vidanta Vallarta is easy reachable, and Rahm birdied it the three previous times. This time, his fade stayed straight and instead of dropping into the bunker, it nestled in deep rough on a steep slope just above the sand. He did well to punch that out just over a waste area and into the fairway.
His approach to a back pin just trickled off the green, and he navigated the slick putt perfectly to a few inches. Instead of waiting for Kitayama and Cameron Champ to finish, Rahm quickly stepped in and closed the deal.
“I didn’t think a par 5 that requires a fade that I’d be stressing this much,” Rahm said. “It wasn’t my best putting weekend, but I stayed aggressive. I was confident in what I was doing. I have faith in every part of my game and it showed.”
Champ, who like Kitayama started the final round two shots behind, took himself out of the mix with a triple bogey on the par-4 eighth hole. He never recovered, shot 70 and finished three shots behind in a tie for sixth.
Rahm has 14 victories worldwide. He had gone 17 starts without winning, matching the longest such in is career. The victory moves him a little closer to Scottie Scheffler in his bid to reclaim the No. 1 ranking, and he’ll a have at the PGA Championship in three weeks.
The Spaniard has at least one victory in six full years as a pro.
___
More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/rahm-hangs-on-to-win-mexico-open-for-1st-win-since-us-open/ | 2022-05-02T20:40:23Z |
SEATTLE, Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Noble House Hotels & Resorts, Ltd., a hotel ownership and management group with a collection of 25 distinct and visually captivating properties, today announced the acquisition of 50% ownership in The Marquesa Hotel, and the award-winning Café Marquesa, in Key West, Florida. Current owners and operators of 35 years, Carol Wightman, Erik deBoer and Derek deBoer, will continue to own the remaining interest in the hotel. Noble House Hotels & Resorts will operate and manage the property going forward.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Marquesa Hotel is centrally situated near popular Duval Street and just one mile from the Atlantic Ocean and consists of a complex of carefully restored Victorian homes which span over two blocks of historic Old Town. The hotel features 44 beautifully appointed rooms, three sparkling swimming pools, lush tropical interior gardens, and lauded Café Marquesa – an iconic 80-seat restaurant that is consistently rated as Key West's finest small restaurant, delivering strategically hand-crafted menus curated by Chef Graham Dailey in a sophisticated atmosphere.
"We have long admired The Marquesa Hotel and Café Marquesa for their flawless reputation and impeccable guest experience. We are so proud to enter a partnership with owners Carol, Erik and Derek," said Jake Donoghue, CEO for Noble House Hotels & Resorts. "The addition of The Marquesa Hotel to the Noble House Hotels & Resorts portfolio reinforces our commitment to growth with on-brand, award-winning properties. We are excited to welcome the employees of The Marquesa to the Noble House family. Equally as excited are the team members of Marquesa's new sister properties located in the keys, Ocean Key Resort & Spa and Little Palm Island Resort & Spa. Adding our third Florida Keys property to the collection exhibits our passion and commitment to this beloved destination."
In 2022, Forbes honored the Best Hotels in Key West, highlighting The Marquesa Hotel as "The Best Boutique Hotel," while its new sister property, Ocean Key Resort & Spa, was showcased as "The Best Luxury Resort."
About The Marquesa Hotel
Conveniently located in the heart of the historic district of Old Town Key West, The Marquesa compound, with its two locations across the street from one another, offers 44 refined guest rooms and suites, three sparkling pools and lush interior gardens. Café Marquesa, an 80-seat award-winning restaurant situated adjacent to the hotel, features a delectable menu of Contemporary American cuisine, curated by Chef Graham Dailey and his expert culinary team. The Marquesa Hotel is a quiet retreat for those looking for luxury, privacy, excellent food and genuine hospitality. For more information, visit www.marquesa.com or call reservations at 305.292.1919.
About Noble House Hotels & Resorts
The Noble House Hotels & Resorts portfolio is a collection of 25 luxury and upscale hotels, resorts, and experiences across North America—all designed for discerning travelers seeking to escape the daily routine. Noble House can be trusted to unlock the most authentic experiences in the most compelling destinations. This promise is delivered through their carefully curated collection that pairs boutique local charm with consistent high service and comfort standards. All concepts within their collection offer immersive, active adventure experiences that bring out the best of their destinations. Headquartered in Seattle, their family-owned business philosophy creates value for each concept's community, environment, ownership, staff, and guests. The portfolio includes: the Napa Valley Wine Train; a collection of spas, marinas, and private residences throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; a range of beachfront resorts from California to Florida; luxury retreats in Jackson Hole, Wyo., British Columbia, and Colorado; and award-winning urban hotels in Seattle and San Francisco. For more information, visit www.noblehousehotels.com or call 877.NOBLE.TRIP.
Contact:
Brittany Timms
btimms@zimmerman.com
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SOURCE Noble House Hotels & Resorts, Ltd. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/noble-house-hotels-amp-resorts-adds-treasured-marquesa-hotel-its-award-winning-collection/ | 2022-08-25T19:26:42Z |
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WNC, a leading provider of investment, asset management and development services in the affordable housing industry, announced today the appointment of Michael Egidi as vice president of investor relations.
"We are pleased to welcome Michael Egidi to WNC," said Christine Cormier, executive vice president of fund management and investor relations. "Michael's extensive experience in the affordable housing space and sophisticated financial background will prove invaluable to WNC in our outreach and ongoing communications with our institutional investors and other strategic partners."
Egidi brings more than 12 years of affordable housing finance experience to his new role with WNC. Prior to joining the company, he worked as a director and team lead of multi-investor/equity originations and underwriting at a multinational financial services holding company. During a professional career that spans more than 20 years, Egidi has managed the origination, underwriting and closing of low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) multi-investor fund investments, and led fund level bridge loan facilities to support community development strategy, as well as Community Reinvestment Act investing and lending goals. He has managed client relationships with regional and national syndication partners and was involved in the underwriting and closing of more than $2 billion in LIHTC investments.
Egidi earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, a master's degree in business administration from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago and is a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.
About WNC
WNC, founded in 1971 and headquartered in Irvine, Calif., is a national investor in affordable housing and community development initiatives. The firm has acquired approximately $15.2 billion of assets totaling in excess of 1,700 properties in 48 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. WNC's investor base exceeds 19,500 institutional and retail clients, including Fortune 500 companies, multinational banks, and insurance companies. Additional information is available at www.wncinc.com.
Contact:
Damon Elder
Spotlight Marketing Communications
949.427.1377
damon@spotlightmarcom.com
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SOURCE WNC | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/29/michael-egidi-joins-wncs-investor-relations-group/ | 2022-08-29T22:02:49Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for CLBS, TMBR, ETNB, TCRT, and SOFI.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- CLBS: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=CLBS&prnumber=091420222
- TMBR: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=TMBR&prnumber=091420222
- ETNB: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=ETNB&prnumber=091420222
- TCRT: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=TCRT&prnumber=091420222
- SOFI: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=SOFI&prnumber=091420222
(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/2022/09/14/thinking-about-buying-stock-caladrius-biosciences-timber-pharmaceuticals-89bio-alaunos-therapeutics-or-sofi-technologies/ | 2022-09-14T15:02:39Z |
SHENZHEN, China, May 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ELEGOO, a leading company specializing in the research, development, and production of 3D printers, today launched the Saturn 2 8K MSLA Printer, the first 8K printer in its product portfolio, at a competitive price of US$500. It also unveiled a new series of 8K resins, its latest Mercury XS Bundle Washing and Curing machine, and the Neptune 3 FDM printer. The latest product lineup will be available for purchase from May 28, 2022, 2:00 PM UTC at ELEGOO Official Store.
ELEGOO's Saturn 2 8K is equipped with a gorgeous 8K 10-inch mono LCD screen, which the company has jointly developed with Innolux, a subsidiary of the industry-leading Foxconn Technology Group, a professional TFT-LCD panel manufacturer and a supplier of the Apple company. Measuring 51.5% larger than the Mars series' 6.6-inch screen, the Saturn 2 8K's screen delivers even more clarity and precision for 3D printing tasks. Plus, with a screen resolution reaching 7680*4320 pixels, Saturn 2 8K is more than capable of reproducing the exquisite details needed for realistic 3D models.
Recognizing the delicate nature of an 8K screen, ELEGOO's Saturn 2 8K has a replaceable 9H tempered film to guard against wear and tear. 9H tempered glass resists scratches from 9H pencils, the hardest standard grade of lead. As a result, the Saturn 2 8K is highly durable and has an extended screen life compared to other devices on the market.
Equipped with the industry's first combination optical design of FCLS (Fresnel Collimating Light Source), a patented technology that was independently developed by the ELEGOO R&D team, the Saturn 2 8K overcomes the large-angle problem of typical COB light sources and the light spot problem of matrix light sources by adopting the patented Fresnel lens, an optical lens design technique that limits the light angle under 5 degrees. This results in sharper and more realistic printed models.
Working with ELEGOO's new 8K standard and water washable resins, the Saturn 2 8K will deliver the best printing outcomes. In addition to the 8K resins, ELEGOO also introduced the new thermochromic resin, which changes from grey to purple at 50 degrees Celsius and returns to its original color when cooled.
ELEGOO also released new iterations of highly popular products in its portfolio. A step up from the popular Neptune 2, the Neptune 3 printer is priced at $209.99, making it the most affordable option among 3D printers with features of RSG (Resistance Strain Gauge) Auto Leveling System, Filament Runout/Clog Detector and taking less than 10 minutes to install. In tandem, ELEGOO has launched its new Mars 3 Pro LCD Printer and Mercury XS Bundle Clean and Cure machine, priced at $300 and $180 respectively — making them highly cost-effective 3D printing products.
Follow ELEGOO on social media for more updates:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ELEGOOOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elegoo/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Elegoo_Official
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ElegooOfficial/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elegoo_3d
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SOURCE Elegoo | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/26/elegoo-unveils-its-industry-first-8k-lcd-3d-printer-elegoo-saturn-2-8k/ | 2022-05-26T13:27:21Z |
Ford’s Mustang in recent generations has been making the transition from boulevard cruiser to bona fide sports car, and the seventh-generation ‘Stang revealed on Wednesday at the 2022 Detroit auto show looks set to finally cement this with an extensive racing program that will include a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The new Mustang is set to compete across a wide spectrum of racing series, including NASCAR, IMSA SportsCar Championship, and Australia’s Supercars series, as well as in various GT3 and GT4 competitions around the globe. With confirmation the Mustang will race at Le Mans, the World Endurance Championship can be added to that list. Le Mans is the premier event on the WEC calendar, similar to the 24 Hours of Daytona on the SportsCar Championship calendar, and has seen a Mustang compete in 1967 and 1997.
A new Mustang GT3 is being developed and will be eligible to compete in the WEC’s GT classes as soon as 2024, so the Mustang won’t be chasing outright victory in the Hypercar class. The Mustang GT3 will also be the basis for the race cars competing in the GT classes of the SportsCar Championship. This means it will compete against race cars based on the likes of the Aston Martin Vantage, Chevrolet Corvette, Mercedes-Benz AMG GT, and Porsche 911.
Ford hasn’t said whether it plans to field cars directly at Le Mans, or whether it will partner with a race team, similar to its partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing for the GT supercar’s successful run at Le Mans in recent years. It will run a factory team fielding two of the Mustang GT3s in the SportsCar Championship’s GTD Pro class.
Ford also plans to offer the Mustang GT3 to customer teams, meaning it could compete in other GT3 competitions around the globe.
The race car is being developed in partnership with Multimatic, the Canadian motorsports and engineering company that builds the GT for Ford, as well as the more recent Bronco DR racer. It will run a unique version of the familiar 5.0-liter V-8. The engine is being developed by Ford Performance and will be supplied by M-Sport, the British motorsport and engineering company responsible for recent Ford rally cars, including the Ford Puma-based car competing in the 2022 World Rally Championship.
The Mustang GT3 will also feature an unequal-length double-wishbone suspension front and rear, a rear-mounted transaxle gearbox, carbon-fiber body panels, and of course an aero package developed to meet GT3 rules.
Joey Hand, one of the class-winning drivers in Ford’s 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans campaign, will serve as a test and development driver for the program, alongside his current NASCAR duties.
The Mustang GT3 isn’t the only new Mustang racer in the works. Ford has also announced a Mustang Dark Horse R that could potentially compete in a new one-make series.
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- Ford wants to turn your truck and trailer into a giant R/C car | https://cw33.com/automotive/internet-brands/ford-mustang-set-for-le-mans-return-in-2024/ | 2022-09-15T14:59:45Z |
BHUBANESWAR, India, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), Bhubaneswar has won the prestigious UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize 2022 for its outstanding literacy programme based on the recommendations of an international jury.
The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize is sponsored by the Government of the Republic of Korea and recognizes contributions to mother language-based literacy development. KISS has received the award in the category of 'Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education programme'. The award carries an endowment of US$ 20,000, a medal and a diploma. KISS is a constituent of the KIIT Group of Institutions.
The award was presented at a global award ceremony organised by UNESCO in Côte d'Ivoire on 8 and 9 September 2022 to celebrate International Literacy Day.
The programme aims to tackle the challenges of poor retention of indigenous students in elementary schools due to classroom language barriers and teachers' incapacity to deal with multilingual and multicultural classrooms effectively.
Every year, the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes focus on a specific theme. This year, the spotlight was on Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces. KISS is the fifth institute from India and the first from Odisha to receive this international prize. It is also the third among the non-profit NGOs and first indigenous based organisation to be conferred with this award.
KISS, the largest institute for the indigenous students in the world, is credited with the adoption of innovative pedagogies as learning tools and bringing about a perceptible change in the socio-economic lives of the indigenous population through education. This recognition also brings the state of Odisha to prominence on the world map for its efforts at changing the education ecosystem. Moreover, it is also a big day of celebration for indigenous communities as it is truly an award for them.
KISS is a not-for-profit organisation headquartered in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It was established in 1992-93 by well-known educationist Dr Achyuta Samanta to empower the indigenous population through education. It is a fully free residential educational institution that provides holistic education, comprehensive skilling and sports empowerment.
The educational initiative at KISS comprises a school, a college and a university founded with the objective of providing food, education and empowerment to indigenous children.
"I thank UNESCO for recognizing our efforts and social innovations in the field of education, literacy and indigenous empowerment. In my childhood, I struggled to get proper education and now I put all my life and soul to provide holistic education to millions at margins," Dr. Samanta said in his message.
KISS has transformed the lives of 70,000 indigenous children (30,000 children pursuing education and 40,000 alumni) directly and about 700,000 lives in the indigenous communities indirectly. Its higher education wing, KISS Deemed-to-be University is the world's first university exclusively for indigenous students. KISS has in its course of evolution and function collaborated with various UN agencies and organs for the implementation of several initiatives related to education and empowerment. KISS has been in special consultative status with ECOSOC since 2015 and is affiliated with UNDPI.
Since its inception, KISS has been respecting the diversity of indigenous languages and dialects. It has consistently focused on imparting classroom teaching in the mother tongue at elementary levels before transitioning to a common language. This one-of-its-kind pioneering efforts of KISS took a concrete shape in the form of 'Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education' in 2013.
KISS, which adopted the Multilingual Education Programme through innovation sandbox, has set an example for other educational institutions and governments to impart classroom teaching in indigenous languages. It aims to tackle the challenges of poor retention of indigenous students in elementary schools due to classroom language barriers and teachers' incapacity to deal with multilingual and multicultural classrooms effectively. The programme is in a hybrid format with face-to-face and distance learning modules using low-tech solutions such as television, radio, and text messaging.
Media Contact:
Dr. Shradhanjali Nayak
director.pr@kiit.ac.in
+91 674 2725636
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1894670/KISS_Foundation.jpg
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1894669/Achyuta_Samanta_with_students.jpg
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1507512/KISS_Logo.jpg
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SOURCE KISS | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/kiss-wins-prestigious-unesco-literacy-prize-2022-mother-tongue-based-learning/ | 2022-09-08T15:20:27Z |
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., April 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Financial Group (CFG) announced today that it has acquired New Jersey-based William R. Seide Agency (Seide). The acquisition was effective April 1st.
Based in Riverdale, NJ, Seide is a full-service agency founded by current president William R. (Bill) Seide to service clients in the specialty niche space across the country. Bill Seide will continue to lead operations post-closing and will assist CFG in growing in the tri-state area.
"The opportunity to join CFG as an agency partner was very attractive to me," said Seide. "I was looking for a partner that allowed me to continue being an entrepreneur and combine ground floor growth potential. In CFG, I found that and more."
"I'm happy to welcome Bill and his team to CFG" said, Richard Braun, Founder and President of Choice Financial Group. "We are always looking for partners that fit our entrepreneurial culture and we are excited to join forces with Bill."
Bob Hilb, Head of M&A for CFG notes that "Bill and his team will be great partners for CFG. Their specialty niche focus along with their contacts in new carrier markets will be accretive to all on day one. I add my welcome to Bill and his whole team."
Seide represents the fifth acquisition for CFG since partnering with Northlane Capital Partners in October 2021.
About Choice Financial Group: Choice Financial Group is a leading insurance agency with institutional capital support from Northlane Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity firm managing more than $1 billion of committed equity capital. CFG is expanding its market presence through targeted acquisitions. CFG is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and has 17 offices in seven states.
For agency partnership opportunities, contact:
Bob Hilb, Head of M&A
804-564-9625
bob.hilb@choiceins.com
Richard Braun, President
757-416-5118
richard.braun@choiceins.com
For media inquiries, contact:
Mandy Berkowitz
mandy@theimagemarketinggroup.com
757-581-8116
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SOURCE Choice Financial Group | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/12/choice-financial-group-expands-into-new-jersey/ | 2022-04-12T13:35:15Z |
Iconic not-for-profit organization helped to pioneer CCRC model; plans continued growth and innovation in senior services
FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Acts Retirement-Life Communities, one of the nation's largest not-for-profit senior living organizations, is recognizing the 50th anniversary of its mission serving older adults with a series of celebratory activities and events taking place throughout the year.
"For 50 years, Acts has been driven by a singular mission of serving older adults with best in-class senior housing, services, and care in environments graced with loving-kindness," said Acts CEO Gerald T. Grant. "Our communities are the product of thousands of people who believed in and continue to embrace our mission and culture of loving-kindness which has helped Acts to flourish as one of the nation's premier senior living organizations."
About Acts Retirement-Life Communities
Headquartered in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, Acts is currently among the nation's largest continuing care retirement community (CCRC) organizations serving more than 10,000 residents in nine states. Acts communities are situated on sprawling campuses that feature a mix of independent living residences with multiple restaurants and many active lifestyle amenities and social activities. Higher levels of care including assisted living and skilled nursing residences are also available on-site to meet residents' changing needs. Acts' niche of merging independent living environments with high quality healthcare helps differentiate its brand from other senior housing options, enabling seniors to live comfortably and secure in one community as they age. Another unique aspect of Acts is its life care offering, which ensures higher levels of care without increasing costs to the resident.
The Beginning of Acts
Acts was founded by a pastor and members of a nondenominational church in suburban Philadelphia in the early 1970s. Inspired by biblical directives to care for seniors, their idea was to create a new kind of housing not readily available at the time where residents could enjoy an active and purposeful retirement lifestyle with the security of having quality skilled healthcare available on-site if it was ever needed. Using their own resources and talents, this group of visionaries built what today is known as Fort Washington Estates, which opened in 1972. The first Acts community was an immediate success and helped further the new model of housing for seniors called a CCRC, which has become a popular fixture in the senior housing landscape and is predominantly operated by faith-based, not-for-profit organizations.
The Acts Mission Grows
Over the ensuing decades, Acts has experienced steady growth and continued to evolve its services while expanding into other states through building new communities, affiliations, alliances, and sponsorship transitions. Today, Acts owns and operates a growing network of communities located throughout the eastern seaboard and is among the largest CCRC organizations in the country. Acts communities are in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. As a not-for-profit organization, Acts reinvests back into its communities for ongoing renovations and upgrades at approximately $133 million annually, and plans to continue exploring opportunities to grow its mission through alliances, affiliations, acquisitions and new development.
Senior Living Leadership
In the spectrum of aging services, Acts ranks as the third largest not-for-profit system according to the 2021 LeadingAge Ziegler 200. Acts has established itself as a force for innovation through its service delivery philosophy and wellness programs that have become widely embraced in the senior living field. Acts' commitment to improving the lives of seniors goes beyond its resident population through its Acts Center for Applied Research, which partners with leading educational and research organizations to explore issues related to healthy aging and ways to improve services for our nation's older adult population.
"Our faith-based principles have guided us well for 50 years, and we believe there is still much more to accomplish," said Acts President Karen I. Christiansen. "We look forward to many more years of delivering innovative senior services to help our residents live their best lives, empowering our employees to grow in their senior living careers, and working with our industry partners to help shape the future of aging services."
To learn more about the growth and success of Acts and its 50th anniversary celebration, including video testimonials shared by residents, employees and supporters visit: www.acts50.com
Contact: Michael Smith, msmith@actslife.org
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SOURCE Acts Retirement-Life Communities | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/acts-retirement-life-communities-celebrate-50th-anniversary-senior-living-leadership/ | 2022-06-08T16:37:49Z |
The Lakes Treatment Center is now in-network with Kaiser Permanente®, which provides healthcare insurance coverage to millions of Americans. Becoming in-network with Kaiser will allow the clinic to offer affordable care to even more people.
COPPERPOLIS, Calif., May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lakes Treatment Center is one of the most trusted addiction treatment centers in Northern California. It recently announced that it has become in-network with Kaiser Permanente®, also called just Kaiser in many settings.
Kaiser is one of the country's largest healthcare insurance providers. With the in-network status becoming official, The Lakes Treatment Center can now offer its personalized addiction treatment plans to more people due to increased treatment affordability. Depending on an individual's healthcare plan, most or all of the cost of addiction treatment at the clinic can be covered by the insurer.
It has always been a focus of The Lakes Treatment Center to ensure it provides only the best possible addiction treatment programs and therapies for people struggling with alcohol addiction and various drug addictions. Not only did the treatment center earn its licensure from the California Department of Health Care Services, but it has also been accredited by The Joint Commission.
To bring affordable addiction treatment plans to more people, The Lakes Treatment Center is not only in-network with Kaiser. It is also in-network with many other major healthcare insurance providers, including Aetna®, Anthem BlueCross®, Halcyon®, and First Health®.
Inquiring parties can visit https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/ for more information about healthcare insurance through Kaiser Permanente®. Additional information about The Lakes Treatment Center can be found by visiting https://www.thelakestreatmentcenter.com/.
Media Contact:
Travis Wilson
travis@lakestreatmentcenter.com
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SOURCE The Lakes Treatment Center | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/10/lakes-treatment-center-is-now-in-network-with-kaiser-permanente/ | 2022-05-11T03:34:27Z |
Mayor London Breed to Kick Off Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on May 20th; Highlights Include a Fully Redesigned Interior, Hand-Made Hot Fudge, and the World's Largest Pick & Mix of Ghirardelli Squares
SAN FRANCISCO, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company announced it will soon reopen its flagship Chocolate Experience Store, located in San Francisco's Ghirardelli Square. The space is designed to elevate the customer experience and provides new and exciting ways to celebrate the true craftmanship of chocolate making. Visitors can expect to be delighted by the delicate taste and aroma of fresh chocolate, warm waffle cones and hand-made hot fudge. San Francisco Mayor London Breed will attend the official ribbon cutting ceremony at a grand reopening celebration on May 20 starting at 11:30 a.m. PST.
"We are thrilled to unveil the Chocolate Experience Store to our community of chocolate lovers and hometown of San Francisco," said Justin Reese, VP of Retail and eCommerce at Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. "Our premium chocolate, the historic architecture and the stunning views, have made Ghirardelli Square a favorite San Francisco destination. The interior re-design brings a new vibrant experience to the classic space."
Reopening day festivities will include family friendly entertainment for all with live music, balloon art, and face painting. The first 170 lucky customers in line will receive a free World Famous Hot Fudge Sundae to celebrate the brand's 170th anniversary. Ghirardelli executives, Eight Inc. and Jamestown property management representatives, along with Kate Sofis, Executive Director of San Francisco's Office of Economic and Workforce Development, will join Mayor Breed in kicking off the event.
"Ghirardelli Square is one of our city's most beloved destinations that tourists and residents always come back to," said Mayor Breed. "We know that COVID had a significant impact on our tourism industry, and as we continue to recover, it is critical to establish new experiences for everyone to enjoy. Ghirardelli has helped bring people to San Francisco's waterfront for almost 130 years, and they will continue to do so with the reopening of their Chocolate Experience Store."
The renovated space sits within the Pioneer Woolen Mill building which was built in 1864 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. As guests walk through the Chocolate Experience Store, they will have the unique opportunity to watch Ghirardelli chocolatiers hand crafting the brand's signature hot fudge from only three ingredients: pure Ghirardelli chocolate, milk, and vanilla. Guests can also personalize a tin of signature chocolate squares selected from the brand's largest Pick & Mix yet and enjoy a World Famous Hot Fudge Sundae in the store's Alcatraz room while taking in the unobstructed and breathtaking view of San Francisco Bay.
Other store offerings include fresh chocolate bars made with almonds and hazelnuts roasted in-house and pure Ghirardelli chocolate flowing from tempering taps, ice cream served in hand-made waffle cones and bowls, and hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries. See the full store menu here.
The redesigned Chocolate Experience Store perfectly blends modern design elements, like a custom inlay of the Ghirardelli golden eagle and tile work from SF-based company Heath Ceramics, with core elements of the historic structure, like the original red brick walls and timber beams. Also newly on display are hand painted murals and a collection of vintage Ghirardelli advertising dating back to the company's beginnings in the mid-nineteenth century.
"In collaboration with the Ghirardelli team, we aimed to blend historic elements of the iconic space with new and engaging components of the Ghirardelli retail environment," said Edmond Kuan, managing principal of Bay Area-based design firm Eight Inc. "The space captivates visitors with incredible views, interactive features, and a bit of nostalgia—all a great backdrop for enjoying Ghirardelli chocolate."
The Chocolate Experience Store reopening marks the conclusion of phase one of three for the storied chocolate company's space renovations at its namesake Ghirardelli Square. The second phase of the project—a renovation of Ghirardelli's Original Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop—is slated to begin in January 2023 and wrap up by May. A pop-up store at the square in place during the renovation process has helped to limit disruption to the visitor experience and Ghirardelli's business operations.
The Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience Store is located at 900 North Point Street, San Francisco CA 94109. The store will be open Sunday through Thursday, 9:00 AM – 10:00 p.m. and Friday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. For updates on the renovation, please visit www.ghirardelli.com/StoreLocations-SanFranciscoSquare and for media assets please see here.
About The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
Ghirardelli is passionate about quality bean to bar chocolate, and all of the ways our fans enjoy it. Founded in San Francisco in 1852, we take pride in producing premium chocolate products with high quality ingredients. Ghirardelli is one of the few companies in America that controls the entire chocolate manufacturing process, from cocoa bean to finished product. This oversight of the manufacturing process combined with Ghirardelli's proprietary bean blend and unique methods of roasting and processing, ensures that you are rewarded with high quality products. Ghirardelli makes life a bite better! For more information, visit http://www.ghirardelli.com/.
About Eight Inc.
Founded in 1989, the globally recognized and award-winning strategic design firm Eight Inc. has been the forefront of innovation creating ground-breaking experiences for the most beloved brands. With studios in 11 locations, Eight Inc. is organized to provide a holistic understanding of the factors that drive the success of projects at all scales. Through design, Eight Inc. continues to investigate changes in attitudes and lifestyles, changes within the global community, as well as the social and architectural conditions that influence human interaction and aspirations.
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SOURCE Ghirardelli Chocolate Company | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/17/ghirardelli-chocolate-company-unveil-reimagined-flagship-chocolate-experience-store-san-francisco/ | 2022-05-17T17:39:31Z |
NEW YORK, July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Teladoc Health, Inc. ("Teladoc" or the "Company") (NYSE: TDOC) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and docketed under 22-cv-04687, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Teladoc securities between October 28, 2021 and April 27, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.
If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Teladoc securities during the Class Period, you have until August 5, 2022 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.
Teladoc provides virtual healthcare services in the U.S. and internationally through Business-to-Business and Direct-to-Consumer ("D2C") distribution channels. The Company offers its customers various virtual products and services addressing, among other medical issues, mental health through its BetterHelp D2C product, and chronic conditions.
Teladoc touts itself as "the first and only company to provide a comprehensive and integrated whole person virtual healthcare solution that both provides and enables care for a full spectrum of clinical conditions[.]" Despite recent market concerns over new entrants to the telehealth field, such Amazon.com, Inc. and Walmart Inc., the Company has continued to assure investors of the Company's dominant market position in the industry.
In fact, as recently as February 2022, Teladoc forecasted full year ("FY") 2022 revenue of $2.55 - $2.65 billion, as well as adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization ("EBITDA") of $330 - $355 million, on anticipated continued growth through its competitive advantages.
The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) increased competition, among other factors, was negatively impacting Teladoc's BetterHelp and chronic care businesses; (ii) accordingly, the growth of those businesses was less sustainable than Defendants had led investors to believe; (iii) as a result, Teladoc's revenue and adjusted EBITDA projections for FY 2022 were unrealistic; (iv) as a result of all the foregoing, Teladoc would be forced to recognize a significant non-cash goodwill impairment charge; and (v) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
On April 27, 2022, Teladoc announced its first quarter ("Q1") 2022 financial results, including revenue of $565.4 million, which missed consensus estimates by $3.23 million, and "[n]et loss per share of $41.58, primarily driven by [a] non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $6.6 billion or $41.11 per share[.]" Additionally, the Company revised its FY 2022 revenue guidance to $2.4 - $2.5 billion and adjusted EBITDA guidance to $240 - $265 million "to reflect dynamics we are currently experiencing in the [D2C] mental health and chronic condition markets." On a conference call with investors and analysts that day to discuss Teladoc's Q1 2022 results, Defendants largely attributed the Company's poor performance, revised FY 2022 guidance, and $6.6 billion non-cash goodwill impairment charge to increased competition in its BetterHelp and chronic care businesses.
On this news, Teladoc's stock price fell $22.48 per share, or 40.15%, to close at $33.51 per share on April 28, 2022.
Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com
CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
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SOURCE Pomerantz LLP | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/06/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-reminds-shareholders-with-losses-their-investment-teladoc-health-inc-class-action-lawsuit-upcoming-deadline-tdoc/ | 2022-07-06T02:46:12Z |
HONG KONG, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mecobit Solar, a global company with an emphasis on high-quality solar at an affordable price, announces product improvements to its Solar System products that power cryptocurrency miners and other existing miners. Mecobit Solar System products include a portable solar station, Solar Panel kits (complete), and Solar Unit M4000.
Mecobit solar system customers can now use backup energy during a grid outage to help keep indispensable appliances running or power things like home appliances, dryers, pool pumps, electric vehicle chargers, and even Cryptocurrency mining rigs.
Some cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, are created by a process called proof of work which requires computers to "mine" the currency by solving complex puzzles. Powering those computers involves large amounts of electricity. Bitcoin is infamous for wasting enough electricity to add 40 million tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere a year — but now, a growing cadre of miners around the world are developing green, and lucrative, new strategies worth a fortune all their own.
As the share of solar-powered hash rate seems likely to grow, many see the potential for renewable energy use in Bitcoin mining as a virtuous cycle — Mecobit provides unique incentives in Cryptocurrency mining, which propel operations to leverage the cheapest power possible and encourage more operations worldwide to convert to renewable energy sources, like solar.
As governments agree to reduce levels of carbon emissions and introduce additional incentives like investment tax credits, the share of mining operations using solar power will likely increase. And while solar power may be considered green and renewable, there are significant problems with solar, including the limits of sunlight hours and shipping costs. To help reduce shipping costs, Mecobit pays for shipping and import tariffs, enabling customers to acquire everything they need to get started with no further costs beyond the cost of the device itself.
About Mecobit
Mecobit was founded in 2015 with the goal of developing and marketing the world's solar-powered cryptocurrency miners, which can use either Ethash, SHA-256, or Scrypt technology. The company was the first solar-powered cryptocurrency mining enterprise in the world with the goal of revolutionizing the solar panel industry by providing more power at a more affordable price. Mecobit is headquartered in London, England, and has offices in cities across the world, including Hong Kong. The company's website, www.mecobit.com provides additional information on the company and its products.
CONTACT: Ben Lukas, ben.lukas@mecobit.com, +852-3001 1453
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SOURCE MECOBIT LIMITED | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/16/mecobit-starts-new-era-solar-powered-cryptocurrency-mining/ | 2022-08-16T12:38:30Z |
Michigan man gets 5 years in prison for role in Capitol riot
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Michigan man was sentenced on Friday to five years in federal prison for his role in the U.S. Capitol attack by a mob that disrupted Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.
Chief Judge Beryl Howell also sentenced Anthony Robert Williams, 47, of Southgate, Michigan, to three years of supervised release after his prison term and ordered him to pay $2,000 in restitution and a $5,000 fine, according to a U.S. Justice Department news release.
In June, a jury convicted Williams of a felony count of obstructing the Jan. 6, 2021, joint session of Congress for certifying the Electoral College vote. Jurors also convicted him of four related misdemeanor offenses.
Prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of five years and four months for Williams, who was arrested in Detroit in March 2021.
In a Facebook post three days after the riot, Williams called himself an “Operation Swamp Storm veteran” and referred to Jan. 6 as the “proudest day of my life.” He added that it “felt like the founding fathers were smiling down on us in that room, and I guarantee my dad and gramps, both vets, would be proud.”
“Williams’ participation in the riot was purposeful, extensive, enthusiastic, and remorseless,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
Outside the Capitol, Williams stole water bottles that police intended to use for decontaminating themselves from chemical spray, according to prosecutors. They said Williams entered the Capitol through the Senate Wing doors and joined other rioters in overwhelming police officers in the Crypt area.
“Williams advanced to the Rotunda where he celebrated with other rioters and smoked marijuana,” prosecutors wrote. “When the police tried to force Williams out of the Rotunda, he joined with other rioters and actively resisted and mocked the police.”
Williams’ attorneys requested a sentence of 15 months of incarceration.
“Mr. Williams has learned from his experience and from listening to the testimony at trial and during jury selection. He will not become involved in something like this ever again,” they wrote.
More than 870 people have been charged with federal crimes for the conduct on Jan. 6. More 260 of them have been sentenced, with roughly half of them receiving a term of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 10 years. Only five other Capitol riot defendants have been sentenced to a longer prison term than Williams.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/09/16/michigan-man-gets-5-years-prison-role-capitol-riot/ | 2022-09-16T20:40:23Z |
Eating a snack, going for a walk or scrolling through social media: No matter how you spend them, microbreaks of 10 minutes or less during work can increase vigor while decreasing fatigue, according to a meta-analysis published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE.
Researchers examined 22 studies from the past 30 years and determined short breaks improved worker well-being, which they defined as having energy to complete tasks without being exhausted by the end of the workday, said study author Irina Macsinga, associate professor in the psychology department at the West University of Timișoara in Romania.
Breaks during the workday are often seen as the worker being lazy or unproductive, which can make people feel guilty for taking them, Macsinga said. The goal of her report was to prove that short breaks are valuable for employees and organizations alike.
"It seemed quite unintuitive to have a full week and to wait for the weekend just to feel better, or to have a hard day at the office and to count the hours until evening," she said.
The type of work matters
The studies included in the analysis looked at how breaks of 10 minutes or less impacted either students in a laboratory setting or employees in a workplace setting, and originated from the United States, Netherlands, China, Austria, Germany, Australia, Brazil and Japan.
Microbreaks appeared to only positively affect workers doing certain kinds of tasks.
Study participants engaged in routine or creative work benefited from taking short breaks, according to the report.
Routine tasks are activities done with a high level of automation that don't require a person to use their full brain capacity. This can cause the mind to wander to other work or non-work-related to-dos, increasing the chances of a mistake, the analysis noted.
A break can decrease the risk of mistakes and refocus the worker's attention on the job at hand, according to the report.
Creative tasks require a person to search for information in their brain relevant to what they're doing while suppressing ideas that are not on topic, according to the analysis.
Short breaks allow the worker to focus on an activity that is different than the one they're working on, which can increase flexibility and improve creative performance, the study authors found.
However, cognitively demanding tasks, work that requires a high level and quantity of brain power, did not show significant performance improvement with microbreaks, according to the analysis.
The studies revealed that, for people in those situations, a short break could replenish vigor, but not fully replenish the mental resources needed to complete the task.
Not all breaks are created equal
Recovery activities that were unrelated to the job showed higher levels of emotional improvement compared with work-related breaks, according to the analysis.
Unrelated activity could include physical exercise, such as walking, which the researchers found to be associated with decreased fatigue and an increase in positive emotions. Watching a short video clip was linked to better recovery and performance, according to the analysis.
Work-related microbreaks like checking email or helping a colleague were associated with decreased sleep quality and well-being as well as increased negative mood, according to the report.
Whatever workers decide to do on their break, it should be something they enjoy, said Emily Hunter, professor and department chair at the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Hunter was not involved in the study.
In her research, she found people who participated in activities they preferred during their breaks were associated with a high recovery level after the break.
How often should you take a microbreak?
The analysis did not examine how often people should pause for microbreaks, but Macsinga recommended workers take them as frequently as they need to.
"When taking a short break when we feel the need to, we can notice that new ideas start to flow easily again," she said.
The frequency of breaks needed may depend on the type of work a person does, Hunter said.
Physically demanding work will have different break needs than cognitive work, she said. Creative tasks may also require longer breaks than repetitive activities, she added.
In her research, Hunter found short breaks often throughout the day generally were beneficial.
"Much like we need to keep drinking water to stay hydrated, we also need to take frequent, short breaks to stay focused," she said.
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Accudo® biostimulant wins Best Biostimulant Product category
PHILADELPHIA, June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC), an agricultural sciences company, was recognized with the top honor in the Best Biostimulant Product category at the 2022 World BioProtection Awards for its Accudo® biostimulant. Awards across nine categories recognized outstanding accomplishments in the field of biopesticides and their positive impact on crop protection at the World BioProtection Summit in Birmingham, UK.
Accudo® is a microbial biostimulant and strong root colonizer that enables growers to maximize crop quality and yield. The use of this unique and versatile biostimulant has demonstrated more than 15 percent yield increase, improved crop appearance and vigor, strong early establishment and enhanced crop development under select stress conditions.
"We are pleased that Accudo® biostimulant has been recognized with this prestigious award," said Dr. Bénédicte Flambard, global director of FMC Plant Health. "Biostimulants are important tools for growers and are foundational components in FMC's biologicals portfolio. Leveraging FMC's expertise and core capabilities, we are discovering and developing biologicals that can help crops overcome difficult growing conditions, fight pests and disease, and assist in regulating a plant's uptake of nutrients and water. FMC is helping growers around the globe witness the incredible benefits of biologicals while demonstrating how biologicals work hand-in-hand with synthetics in an integrated approach."
Accudo® biostimulant is currently available from FMC in South Korea, Greece, Turkey and Germany.
About FMC
FMC Corporation is a global agricultural sciences company dedicated to helping growers produce food, feed, fiber and fuel for an expanding world population while adapting to a changing environment. FMC's innovative crop protection solutions – including biologicals, crop nutrition, digital and precision agriculture – enable growers, crop advisers and turf and pest management professionals to address their toughest challenges economically while protecting the environment. With approximately 6,400 employees at more than 100 sites worldwide, FMC is committed to discovering new herbicide, insecticide and fungicide active ingredients, product formulations and pioneering technologies that are consistently better for the planet. Visit fmc.com to learn more and follow us on LinkedIn® and Twitter®.
Accudo is a trademark of FMC Corporation or an affiliate. Always read and follow all label directions, restrictions and precautions for use. Product listed may not be registered for sale or use in all states, countries or jurisdictions.
Statement under the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements, which are based on management's current views and assumptions regarding future events, future business conditions and the outlook for the company based on currently available information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. These factors include, among other things, the risk factors and other cautionary statements included within FMC's 2021 Form 10-K filed with the SEC as well as other SEC filings and public communications. FMC cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the above cautionary statement. FMC undertakes no obligation, and specifically disclaims any duty, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which they were made, except as otherwise required by law.
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SOURCE FMC Corporation | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/02/fmc-corporation-recognized-2022-world-bioprotection-awards/ | 2022-06-02T21:55:25Z |
Judge eyes shorter sentence for ex-NYC jails union boss
By LARRY NEUMEISTER
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — A judge says a former longtime union boss for the nation’s largest correction officers’ union may have gotten too harsh a prison sentence when he was given nearly five years behind bars for corruption. U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said in a ruling Friday that Norman Seabrook’s prison term might deserve a second look. He noted disparities in the sentence given to Seabrook, who is Black, and co-conspirators who are white. But he also said the former head of the New York City Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association did not deserve a new trial. Prosecutors said he accepted $60,000 in bribes in 2014 to funnel $20 million in union funds to a risky hedge fund. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/04/16/judge-eyes-shorter-sentence-for-ex-nyc-jails-union-boss/ | 2022-04-16T21:12:46Z |
First of three newly refurbished courts unveiled during Juneteenth celebration in Windiate Park
Court designed by Flint native Jamiersen Green celebrates the power of collaboration, transformation, and unity
FLINT, Mich., June 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The FlintNOW Foundation, created by Detroit Pistons owner and Flint native Tom Gores, is partnering with Genesee County Parks Commission and Flint native Jamiersen Green to renovate basketball courts in three parks throughout the county.
The first location, Windiate Park, was completed over the weekend, and the freshly painted court was unveiled during a Juneteenth celebration on Sunday. The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by representatives from all the organizations that worked together to complete the Windiate Park project, including: FlintNOW and the Detroit Pistons, Genesee County Parks Commission (GCPRC), Leader Quality, and Howard's Helping Hands.
"I've always believed the most impactful solutions come from people on the ground, in the community working together to make a difference," said Gores. "The tireless efforts of local residents to provide safe spaces for kids are truly admirable. I'm proud we could bring everyone together and leverage their vision and creativity to make Windiate Park a vibrant place for children to play."
Funding for the three park projects is provided in part by a $100,000 grant from the FlintNOW Foundation. In addition to the mural at Windiate Park, courts at William Durant Park and Riverside West Park will be resurfaced and rehabilitated over the next 18 months.
"Community voice and equity are the driving forces in the work that we do, and this collaboration put those factors front center," said Nancy Edwards, Recreation Programs and Grants Officer for Genesee County Parks. "Windiate Park represents so many things, but unity, transformation and hope are the main ingredients, and the new court design brings those elements to life. We are grateful to Tom Gores, FlintNOW, Jamiersen Green, and Shareka and the Howard family for their continued support of our parks and our community."
The idea for the parks program originated with Green, an artist and Flint native who founded Leader Quality, a multidimensional creative agency. Green has previously worked with the Pistons organization and approached the FlintNOW Foundation about working together.
The court mural unveiled Sunday in Windiate Park was designed by Green with input from community stakeholders, including Shareka Howard of Howard's Helping Hands.
"The hands on the court represent people from all cultures and genders, reaching together in common cause, which is to inspire and lift up the people of Flint," said Green. "Community and equality are the inspiration for this design, as well as the shared goal of ensuring all voices are heard across our city. I'm grateful for the collective efforts of FlintNOW, the Detroit Pistons, Genesee County, and Shareka Howard throughout this project."
In 2014, Howard and her organization, Howard's Helping Hands, adopted Windiate Park, with the goal of making the once vibrant park a safe place for children to play in again after years of downturn. Since then, Howard's Helping Hands has provided free activities at Windiate Park for adults and children of Genesee County, including sports training camps, co-ed flag football, fitness in the park, and a Winter Wonderland.
Throughout this project, Howard and her knowledge of this park and community has been instrumental in the execution of this renovation.
"This collaboration and the spirit of giving is what our community around the park represents, through all we have been through and continue to go through in the City of Flint," said Howard. "We are grateful for the opportunity to work together to create something positive. We know that as long as we stand together and work together, we will succeed and make life better for our children."
About FlintNOW Foundation
The FlintNOW Foundation (www.FlintNOW.org) was created by Tom Gores to provide private sector support for immediate relief efforts during the water crisis in Flint, Mich., and for long-term programs focused on economic development, nutrition and health care for residents of the city. FlintNOW partnerships include a $2 million pledge from Tom Gores and Consumers Energy to start the Flint Promise scholarship program, a $25 million economic development program launched with Huntington Bank, a healthy foods initiative created with the National Basketball Players Association and Michigan State University-Hurley Children's Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative, and numerous campaigns that have provided millions of dollars in support to local Flint charitable organizations.
About Genesee County Parks & Recreation Commission
The Genesee County Parks & Recreation Commission (GCPRC) owns and operates more than 11,000 acres of parkland, making it the largest county park system in the state of Michigan. Genesee County Parks is dedicated to quality recreational opportunities for everyone and preservation of natural resources. Our vision is that Parks Bring People Together and we accomplish that through Vision, Consistency, Customer Services, Integrity, Stewardship, and Teamwork. We serve all residents of Genesee County and visitors to our area. Keep Genesee County Beautiful (KGCB) became a program of the Genesee County Parks in 2016. KGCB was created in 2004 with the mission to encourage, educate, and engage the community in ongoing cleanup and beautification of Genesee County. KGCB's vision is beautiful, clean, and sustainable neighborhoods, parks and open spaces in Flint and Genesee County achieved through Individual Responsibility, Volunteer Action, and Partnerships. More information is available here https://geneseecountyparks.org/ and here https://geneseecountyparks.org/kgcb/.
About Jamiersen Green
With over 10+ years in the Culture & Creative industry Jamiersen has ideated, designed, directed, managed and executed major events & plans for mainstay brands and companies throughout the street culture industry. Through his experience he has obtained insight into the direction of culture, connections to various influencers and brands. Coupled with the knowledge on how to navigate and build sustainability, growth, and excitement through authentic marketing and experiences. Jamiersen's mission is to bring a new age of marketing and influence to the industry through serving brands and building generational influence. He commands excellence out of himself, and lives by the code "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart."
About Howard's Helping Hands
In 2014, Shareka Howard and her family adopted Windiate Park, with inspiration to make the once vibrant park a safe place for children to play in after years of downturn within the park. Howard's Helping Hands has been leading the way providing activities for free to children and adults within the community, including sports training camps, co-ed flag football, fitness in the park, and a Winter Wonderland. The organization also lends itself to assisting many organizations in Genesee County with sports development and mentorship programs. In looking for something to encourage community unity, family togetherness, and to uplift fathers in the area, Shareka and her family run an annual basketball tournament on Father's Day in honor of their pastor and mentor George Stevens of City Ministries. Windiate Park and the community around are all family and the heart and soul of Flint, Windiate Park is now one of the safest and most used parks in the City of Flint.
Media Contacts:
Dan Whelan
FlintNOW Foundation
dwhelan@platinumequity.com
310-282-9202
Clark Williams
Detroit Pistons
313-771-7591
cwilliams@pistons.com
Nancy Edwards
Keep Genesee County Beautiful
Genesee County Parks & Recreation Commission
nedwards@gcparks.org
810-209-6011
Jamiersen Green
Leader Quality
jamiersen@leaderqlty.com
Shareka Howard
Howard's Helping Hands
sharekahoward23@gmail.com
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SOURCE FlintNOW Foundation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/19/tom-gores-flintnow-foundation-joins-forces-with-flint-artist-local-advocates-parks-officials-renovate-basketball-courts-genesee-county/ | 2022-06-19T23:17:28Z |
4 children removed after 5 arrested in Kansas juvenile drug ring case
SAINT GEORGE, Kan. (WIBW) - Four children were removed from two homes after three adults and two teens were arrested in connection to an ongoing juvenile drug ring investigation in Saint George.
Around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 6, the Saint George Police Department says two search warrants were simultaneously served at 107 N Lincoln St. and 215 Kelly Ln.
Officers noted that the warrants were served in connection to an ongoing investigation into the distribution of marijuana, prescription pills and possibly fentanyl to teenagers throughout Pottawatomie Co.
According to SGPD, adults in the case are alleged to have used teens to distribute the illegal drugs on their behalf with small children present in both homes.
SGPD said five residents were arrested as a result of the search warrants:
- Dixie Rose Martin, 44, of Saint George
- Aggravated Endangering of a Child
- Contributing to a Child’s Misconduct
- Possession of Marijuana
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- Possession of Opiates
- Possession of Depressants
- No Kansas Drug Tax Stamp
- Adam Scot Tirak, 17, of Saint George
- Possession of Marijuana
- Endangering a Child
- Kaley Rena Hamilton, 30, of Saint George
- Distribution of Marijuana
- Possession of Marijuana
- Possession of a Stimulant
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- Aggravated Endangering of a Child
- Contributing to a Child’s Misconduct
- No Kansas Drug Tax Stamp
- Wesley Darell Cook, 23, of Saint George
- Possession of Marijuana
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- Aison Anderson Rodney, 18, of Saint George
- Possession of Marijuana
- Endangering a Child
Officers indicated that Rodney and Tirak were both released to a family member after questioning by law enforcement. The rest were booked into the Pottawatomie Co. Jail.
Officers also said that Martin, Hamilton and Cook are all being held without bond pending their first court appearance.
In addition to the arrests, SGPD noted that four children were also removed from both homes and placed into the care of the State of Kansas.
SGPD also said it would like to thank the Pottawatomie Co. Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Highway Patrol and Junction City Police Department for their help with a significant amount of manpower needed in the execution of the warrants.
Officers noted that the investigation remains ongoing and additional arrests are expected. Anybody with information about the crimes should call SGPD at 785-494-2556.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/07/07/4-children-removed-after-5-arrested-kansas-juvenile-drug-ring-case/ | 2022-07-07T18:40:42Z |
IRVINE, Calif., June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Predictive Health Diagnostics Company, Inc. ("PHDC" or "the Company"), a diagnostics platform company that develops, manufactures, and distributes specialty diagnostic tests combining science, technology, and proprietary analytics that detect diseases with significant unmet medical needs and support better therapeutic outcomes, today announced the appointment of Susie Lu as President of Laboratory Services for all Predictive Health Diagnostics Company businesses. Ms. Lu brings proven experience to PHDC and will oversee laboratory development and commercial operations of the laboratory.
Susie Lu has previously provided visionary direction for the operations, development, implementation, and sales support activities for institutions such as Columbia HCA Hospitals, UCSF, Stanford, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Mount Zion Hospital, UCLA, and Zhejiang University Medical School. She also built the Stanford University Outreach Laboratory from $0 to $300M in net revenue in 3 years. Her tradition of excellence with academic healthcare systems also includes the building of the first university blood donor center in North America on the UCLA campus, which saved UCLA millions in annual blood product purchases. Ms. Lu was also instrumental in the acquisition and integration of several ambulatory clinics in the greater Los Angeles area for the school-based clinics at UCLA.
"We're very excited to bring Susie on board with us in an official capacity," said PHDC CEO Matthew Nunez. "We've worked together for years, but this new partnership will give us an opportunity to work together directly and grow this company under our experienced and talented leadership team as we pursue our goals in healthcare service, diagnostics, and technological innovation."
Predictive Health Diagnostics Company (PHDC) is a leading specialty diagnostics development platform that develops, manufactures, and distributes unique medical diagnostic tests combining science, technology, and proprietary analytics that detect diseases with significant unmet medical needs and support better therapeutic outcomes. The Company's Morningstar Laboratories, a PHDC company, is a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified and College of American Pathologists (CAP)-accredited laboratory offering comprehensive and customized services based on Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulations and ISO 15189 standards. To learn more, visit PHDC at phdiagnostics.com, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, our industry, and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. We caution you therefore against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance.
Any forward-looking statement made by us in this document speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
Related Links
www.phdiagnostics.com
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SOURCE Predictive Health Diagnostics Company | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/17/predictive-health-diagnostics-company-welcomes-susie-lu-president-laboratory-services-all-company-businesses/ | 2022-06-17T16:57:30Z |
FDA puts strict limits on Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine
By Katherine Dillinger, CNN
The US Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that it is limiting the emergency use authorization of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Covid-19 vaccine to people 18 and older for whom other vaccines aren’t appropriate or accessible and those who opt for J&J because they wouldn’t otherwise get vaccinated.
The FDA said in a statement that the change is being made because of the risk of a rare and dangerous clotting condition called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) after receiving the vaccine.
“We’ve been closely monitoring the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine and occurrence of TTS following its administration and have used updated information from our safety surveillance systems to revise the EUA,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in the statement. “We recognize that the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine still has a role in the current pandemic response in the United States and across the global community. … Today’s action demonstrates the robustness of our safety surveillance systems and our commitment to ensuring that science and data guide our actions.”
The agency confirmed to CNN that the updated authorization also applies to booster doses.
The FDA says it has determined that the benefits of the J&J vaccine outweigh the risks for certain people. Examples of people who may still get the vaccine include:
- Those who had a severe allergic reaction to an mRNA vaccine such as those from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna
- Those with personal concerns about the mRNA vaccines who would remain unvaccinated without the J&J vaccine
- Those with limited access to mRNA Covid-19 vaccines
As of Thursday, more than 18.7 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the US, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those who are considered fully vaccinated, 7.7% got this vaccine.
After a meeting in December, the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee issued an updated recommendation on Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, saying it makes a “preferential recommendation for the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines over the Janssen adenoviral-vectored COVID-19 vaccine in all persons aged ≥18 years in the United States.”
The committee cited the same concerns over TTS.
Both the CDC and the FDA previously recommended a pause in the use of this vaccine over reports of TTS. The pause was lifted, but that move came with a warning over the rare clotting events.
Johnson & Johnson said in a statement at the time, “The safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority. We are aware of an extremely rare disorder involving people with blood clots in combination with low platelets in a small number of individuals who have received our COVID-19 vaccine. … We have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities, and we strongly support the open communication of this information to healthcare professionals and the public.”
In an updated fact sheet on the vaccine, the FDA says that 15% of TTS cases have been fatal.
The agency’s updated analysis of the vaccine includes cases reported to its Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) database through March 18. The FDA says it has confirmed 60 cases of TTS, including nine deaths.
Overall, the risk of TTS is extremely rare: about three cases for every million doses of vaccine administered. The highest rate of TTS has been in women 30 to 49 years of age. About eight cases per 1 million doses of vaccine administered have been in women in this age group.
Cases of TTS typically begin one or two weeks after vaccination. Symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, leg swelling, persistent abdominal pain, neurological symptoms like headaches or blurred vision, or red spots just under the skin called petechiae beyond the site of vaccination.
The new warning on the vaccine’s fact sheet says “The Janssen Covid-19 vaccine can cause thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) which may be life-threatening.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Brenda Goodman and Amanda Sealy contributed to this report. | https://localnews8.com/health/coronavirus/2022/05/05/fda-puts-strict-limits-on-johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine/ | 2022-05-05T23:58:01Z |
Unlicensed massage therapist charged with sexually battering client, police say
RUSKIN, Fla. (Gray News) - A man in Florida is facing four counts of sexual battery after he victimized a massage client, according to police.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) said Jose Garcia, 68, claimed to be a massage therapist and has been providing massage services for at least 12 years out of his home in Ruskin, about 27 miles south of Tampa. However, detectives found no evidence that Garcia is a licensed massage therapist. Garcia claimed he received his training in Mexico.
According to the HCSO, a woman suffering from back pain contacted Garcia on March 29 about receiving a massage. The woman booked an appointment with him and drove to his home for the service. Officials said Garcia then sexually battered the victim during the massage.
The HCSO said Garcia admitted to the crimes. He is facing four counts of sexual battery, but more charges could be forthcoming.
Most of Garcia’s clients only speak Spanish, but the HCSO said they have “talented, caring, and bilingual deputies” who are ready to help more potential victims if they come forward.
“This is a man who took advantage of people who came to him seeking help for their ailments,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “Our fear now is that there are more victims out there who may not speak English or know they can come forward to report these crimes.”
Detectives are asking anyone who feels they are a victim of Garcia to contact the HCSO at 813-247-8200.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/04/07/unlicensed-massage-therapist-charged-with-sexually-battering-client-police-say/ | 2022-04-07T22:35:22Z |
WILLOW PARK, Texas, July 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ProFrac Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: PFHC) ("ProFrac" or the "Company") announced today that it successfully completed its acquisition of SP Silica of Monahans, LLC, and SP Silica Sales, LLC (collectively, "Monahans"), the West Texas subsidiaries of Signal Peak Silica, for approximately $90 million.
Matthew D. Wilks, ProFrac's Executive Chairman, stated, "We are excited to add the Monahans mine to our portfolio that when combined with our Kermit and La Mesa mines will provide ProFrac with close proximity sand supply to almost every well in West Texas. This increases our efficiency in the region through our ability to reduce truck traffic, fuel consumption and emissions, which helps manage our costs in this inflationary environment."
In addition, ProFrac entered into an amendment to that certain Term Loan Credit Facility (the "Term Loan Credit Facility"), increasing the size of the Term Loan Credit Facility from $302.4 million outstanding as of July 20, 2022, to $452.4 million outstanding with the presently uncommitted option to obtain commitments for potentially an additional $100 million of delayed draw loans (the "Option") before the earlier to occur of (i) the consummation of the previously announced agreement to acquire U.S. Well Services, Inc. and (ii) March 31, 2023. The maturity date with respect to the Term Loan Credit Facility remains the same at March 4, 2025.
ProFrac used proceeds from the increased Term Loan Credit Facility to fund the Monahans acquisition, and anticipates using the balance of the proceeds and operating cash to facilitate the acquisition of U.S. Well Services Inc., to pay outstanding debt under the Company's ABL Credit Facility and/or for other general corporate purposes. In connection with upsizing the Term Loan Credit Facility, the ABL Credit Facility was revised to add an uncommitted $100 million Incremental Facility (the "Incremental Facility"), under the terms of which existing lenders can make additional loans (in their sole discretion) under, or new lenders can join, the Incremental Facility and increase the potential size of the ABL Credit Facility from $200 million to $300 million, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions.
Piper Sandler & Co. served as financial advisor to ProFrac on the financing and Brown Rudnick LLP acted as ProFrac's legal counsel on the financing.
Piper Sandler & Co. also served as the exclusive financial advisor to ProFrac on the Monahans acquisition and Winston & Strawn LLP acted as ProFrac's legal counsel on the transaction. Evercore served as exclusive financial advisor to Signal Peak Silica and Sidley Austin LLP acted as Signal Peak Silica's legal counsel on the transaction.
About ProFrac Holding Corp.
ProFrac Holding Corp. is a growth-oriented, vertically integrated and innovation-driven energy services company providing hydraulic fracturing, completion services and other complementary products and services to leading upstream oil and gas companies engaged in the exploration and production ("E&P") of North American unconventional oil and natural gas resources. Founded in 2016, ProFrac was built to be the go-to service provider for E&P companies' most demanding hydraulic fracturing needs. ProFrac is focused on employing new technologies to significantly reduce "greenhouse gas" emissions and increase efficiency in what has historically been an emissions-intensive component of the unconventional E&P development process. For more information, please visit the ProFrac's website at www.pfholdingscorp.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements included in this press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, forward-looking statements are accompanied by words such as "may," "should," "would," "continue," "expect," "intend," "will," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "predict," "plan," "future," "outlook," or similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends that are not statements of historical fact, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or the Company's future financial or operating performance. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of ProFrac's management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding: the Company's strategies and plans for growth; the Company's positioning, resources, capabilities, and expectations for future performance; market and industry expectations; the Company's potential acquisition of U.S. Well Services, Inc.; the Company's estimates with respect to the profitability and utilization of its fleets; expectations regarding near-term and long-term growth, and the attendant impact on the Company's future revenues, margins, free cash flow and through-cycle positioning; the potential to return cash to shareholders; any financial or other information based upon or otherwise incorporating judgments or estimates relating to future performance, events or expectations; any estimates and forecasts of financial and other performance metrics; and the Company's outlook and financial and other guidance. Such forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions made by the Company's management as of the date hereof and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only, and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of ProFrac. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to achieve anticipated benefits of the transactions, including risks related to integrating Monahans and its personnel; the Option is presently uncommitted and there is no assurance that the Company will find any lenders willing to participate in the Option; there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to find any lenders to participate in the Incremental Facility; the Company's ability to deploy capital and the proceeds of the loans in a manner that furthers the Company's growth strategy, as well as the Company's general ability to execute its business plans; the Company's ability to complete the acquisition of U.S. Well Services, Inc., which is subject to the satisfaction of closing conditions; if completed, the ability of the Company to achieve the anticipated benefits of the U.S. Well Services Inc. acquisition without experiencing unexpected costs or other consequences; industry conditions, including fluctuations in supply, demand and prices for the Company's products and services; global and regional economic and financial conditions; the effectiveness of the Company's risk management strategies the future financial performance of ProFrac following the transactions; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the documents of ProFrac filed, or will file, with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The foregoing list of risks is not exhaustive.
If any of these risks materialize, or our assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. Nothing in this press release should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward looking statements will be achieved, including without limitation any expectations about the Company's operational and financial performance or achievements through and including 2022. There may be additional risks about which the Company is presently unaware or that the Company currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its assessments to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it expressly disclaims any duty to update these forward-looking statements, except as otherwise required by law. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.
Participants in the Solicitation
In connection with the proposed transaction referenced above between ProFrac and U.S. Well Services, Inc. ("USWS"), ProFrac and USWS and their respective executive officers and directors may be deemed, under SEC rules, to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the officers and directors of ProFrac is included in ProFrac's final prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) with the SEC on May 16, 2022. Information regarding the officers and directors of USWS is included in USWS' Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on April 20, 2022, as amended from time to time, with respect to the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of USWS and in USWS' Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 4, 2022. Additional information about ProFrac's directors and executive officers and a description of their interests in ProFrac and the proposed transaction will be included on a registration statement on Form S-4 to be filed by ProFrac, which will include a proxy statement/prospectus (the "Proxy Statement") and an information statement (the "Information Statement" and, together with the Proxy Statement, the "Proxy Materials"). More detailed information regarding the identity of the potential participants, and their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be set forth in the Proxy Materials and other materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction.
No Offer and Non-Solicitation
This press release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the potential transaction and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of ProFrac, USWS or the combined company, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
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SOURCE ProFrac Holding Corp. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/25/profrac-holding-corp-completes-acquisition-west-texas-sand-operations-related-upsize-its-term-loan/ | 2022-07-25T23:45:12Z |
MIAMI, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hemisphere Media Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: HMTV) ("Hemisphere" or the "Company"), a leading pure-play U.S. media company targeting the high growth U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets with prominent broadcast, cable television and digital content platforms, today announced that its stockholders approved the acquisition of the Company by a subsidiary of Gato Investments LP ("Gato"), a portfolio investment of Searchlight Capital Partners, L.P. ("Searchlight").
The final voting results will be filed in a Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Subject to the terms of the definitive merger agreement announced on May 10, 2022, the Company's stockholders will receive $7.00 per share in cash. The Company expects to announce consummation of the merger within the coming days, subject to the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions. Upon closing of the transaction, the Company's common stock will no longer be listed on the Nasdaq stock market.
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21 E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements about the potential benefits of the proposed acquisition, anticipated growth rates, the Company's plans, objectives, expectations, and the anticipated timing of the closing of the proposed transaction. When used in this communication, the words "believes," "estimates," "plans," "expects," "should," "could," "outlook," "potential," "forecast," "target" and "anticipates" and similar expressions as they relate to the Company or its management are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions about future events and are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the views, beliefs, projections and estimates expressed in such statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, those discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 16, 2022, and the following: (1) the timing, receipt and terms and conditions of any required governmental or regulatory approvals of the proposed transaction that could reduce the anticipated benefits of or cause the parties to abandon the proposed transaction; (2) risks related to the satisfaction of the conditions to closing (including the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals or the necessary approvals of the Company's stockholders) in the anticipated timeframe or at all; (3) the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of the Company's common stock; (4) disruption from the proposed transaction making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships, including retaining and hiring key personnel and maintaining relationships with the Company's customers, vendors and others with whom it does business; (5) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the proposed transaction agreement entered into in connection with the proposed transaction; (6) risks related to disruption of management's attention from the Company's ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction; (7) significant transaction costs; (8) the risk of litigation and/or regulatory actions related to the proposed transaction or unfavorable results from currently pending litigation and proceedings or litigation and proceedings that could arise in the future; (9) other business effects, including the effects of industry, market, economic, political or regulatory conditions; (10) the ability to meet expectations regarding the timing and completion of the proposed transaction; (11) information technology system failures, data security breaches, data privacy compliance, network disruptions, and cybersecurity, malware or ransomware attacks; and (12) changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, which could exacerbate any of the risks described above. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company. Each such statement speaks only as of the day it was made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or to revise any forward-looking statements. The factors described above cannot be controlled by the Company.
About Hemisphere Media Group, Inc.
Hemisphere Media Group, Inc. (HMTV) is the only publicly traded pure-play U.S. media company targeting the high-growth U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets with leading television, streaming and digital content platforms. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Hemisphere owns and operates five leading U.S. Hispanic cable networks, two Latin American cable networks, the leading broadcast television network in Puerto Rico, the leading Spanish-language subscription streaming service in the U.S., a Spanish-language content distribution company and has an ownership interest in a leading broadcast television network in Colombia.
About Searchlight
Searchlight is a global private investment firm with over $10 billion in assets under management and offices in New York, London and Toronto. Searchlight seeks to invest in businesses where its long-term capital and strategic support accelerate value creation for all stakeholders. For more information, please visit www.searchlightcap.com.
Contacts:
Edelman Smithfield for Hemisphere Media Group
Ashley Firlan
917-640-4196
Ashley.Firlan@edelmansmithfield.com
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SOURCE Hemisphere Media Group, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/hemisphere-media-group-stockholders-approve-acquisition-by-gato-investments-lp-portfolio-investment-searchlight-capital-partners-lp/ | 2022-09-08T21:21:44Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vincent Camarda Scholarship for Finance Students is open for qualified students to apply. The scholarship is available for students who are enrolled in certified universities in the United States and studying to become finance specialists in the future. High school students looking to continue their education in pursuit of a business degree can also apply. The scholarship will be awarded to one lucky student based on an essay competition. Applicants are required to write an outstanding essay, that is not more than 1000 words, answering an essay question. One lucky student will be awarded a total of $1,000 to assist with tuition fees. All qualified students are advised to apply for the scholarship by submitting their creative essay no later than December 15, 2022. The winner of the scholarship will be announced on January 15, 2023. To apply for the scholarship, students are required to submit their full essay to apply@vincentcamardascholarship.com. Along with the creative essay, students should provide their full name, phone number, address, email address, the name of the school they are currently attending, their graduation date, a short personal biography, and their GPA as well.
To become a finance specialist, education must be in play. Education will not only shape your career but also aid your success. Unfortunately, not all students out there who dare to dream to become financial analysts in the future have had the chance to study and fulfil their dreams; this is because of financial constraints and hardships that many have to face. Lack of funds has made many students give up on their dreams to settle for scholar jobs. Some students have been forced to work part-time or full-time just to raise money for their education. No one understands the financial struggles that students studying to become future financial professionals have more than Vincent Camarda.
The person behind the scholarship, Vincent Camarda, is a financial professional and has spent many years of his career as a financial advisor. He has first-hand experience of how it can be a struggle as a student studying on the road to becoming a financial professional especially financially. He wants to give back to the next generation by offering his scholarship to the most deserving student.
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SOURCE Vincent Camarda Scholarship | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/06/vincent-camarda-scholarship-finance-students-providing-funds-next-generation/ | 2022-09-06T19:10:23Z |
Over Two Years of Data Detail Telehealth's Evolution throughout the Pandemic
NEW YORK, June 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has undergone notable growth. It has been used for a wide array of health conditions and services that were overwhelmingly rendered in an office setting prior to COVID-19's emergence; these include mental health conditions, which have remained the most common telehealth diagnosis nationally throughout the pandemic. These and other findings on the changing nature of telehealth can be found in FAIR Health's new data brief released today, The Evolution of Telehealth during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multiyear Retrospective of FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker.
The newly released study provides a window into telehealth's changing contours using over two years of private healthcare claims data from FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, a free, online tool that has tracked month-to-month changes in telehealth since the spring of 2020. Focusing on the period from January 2020 to March 2022, the brief reports on monthly changes in telehealth's utilization, top diagnoses and top procedure codes—in addition to other descriptive aspects of this venue of care—at national and regional (Midwest, Northeast, South, West) levels. Supported by infographics with vivid data visualizations, the brief also shows how the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker itself has evolved to meet the needs of healthcare stakeholders.
Among the key findings:
- From March 2019 to March 2020, the percentage of national telehealth claim lines when compared to all medical services increased 4,347 percent.1 The increase was even greater from April 2019 to April 2020 (8,336 percent).
- The top five telehealth diagnoses nationally in spring 2020 indicated that telehealth was being used for conditions that had not been among the top five the year before, including hypertension, joint/soft tissue diseases and issues, and developmental disorders.
- In November 2020, COVID-19 appeared for the first time on one of the regional lists of top five telehealth diagnoses, ranking fourth in the Midwest; in December 2020, COVID-19 emerged as a top telehealth diagnosis nationally and in every region.
- For 6 of the 12 months of 2021, telehealth utilization fell from the level of utilization in the prior month. Nevertheless, it remained much higher than before the pandemic. In December 2021, telehealth claim lines accounted for 4.9 percent of medical claim lines nationally, compared to 0.2 percent in December 2019.
- Many changes in telehealth utilization were likely related to the course of the pandemic. For example, in spring and summer 2021, telehealth claim lines dropped as vaccination levels increased. In fall and winter 2021, however, telehealth utilization rose again as the Delta and Omicron variants led to increased COVID-19 cases.
- Mental health conditions have been the most common telehealth diagnosis nationally throughout the pandemic. Consistent with that finding, in January 2022, social worker was the provider specialty rendering the most telehealth services (most commonly, psychotherapy) nationally and in every region but the West. In every region, as in the nation as a whole, three of the top five provider specialties were related to mental health: social worker, psychiatrist and psychologist.
- In January 2022, CPT®2 90837, one hour of psychotherapy, ranked highest among telehealth procedure codes nationally and in every region.
FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd stated: "In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has become a material component of the nation's healthcare system. We hope that this brief provides actionable and relevant insights to healthcare stakeholders—including policy makers, researchers, payors, providers and consumers—seeking to better understand telehealth as it continues to evolve."
On Wednesday, June 22, from 2 to 3 pm ET, Ms. Gelburd will host a webinar entitled "Telehealth Utilization Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Two-Year Retrospective," which will provide insights on telehealth's evolution since winter 2020 using FAIR Health's comprehensive collection of telehealth data. Click here to register for the free, one-hour webinar.
For the new brief, click here.
Follow us on Twitter @FAIRHealth
FAIR Health is a national, independent nonprofit organization that qualifies as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code. It is dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through data products, consumer resources and health systems research support. FAIR Health possesses the nation's largest collection of private healthcare claims data, which includes over 36 billion claim records and is growing at a rate of over 2 billion claim records a year. FAIR Health licenses its privately billed data and data products—including benchmark modules, data visualizations, custom analytics and market indices—to commercial insurers and self-insurers, employers, providers, hospitals and healthcare systems, government agencies, researchers and others. Certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a national Qualified Entity, FAIR Health also receives data representing the experience of all individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare Parts A, B and D; FAIR Health includes among the private claims data in its database, data on Medicare Advantage enrollees. FAIR Health can produce insightful analytic reports and data products based on combined Medicare and commercial claims data for government, providers, payors and other authorized users. FAIR Health's systems for processing and storing protected health information have earned HITRUST CSF certification and achieved AICPA SOC 2 compliance by meeting the rigorous data security requirements of these standards. As a testament to the reliability and objectivity of FAIR Health data, the data have been incorporated in statutes and regulations around the country and designated as the official, neutral data source for a variety of state health programs, including workers' compensation and personal injury protection (PIP) programs. FAIR Health data serve as an official reference point in support of certain state balance billing laws that protect consumers against bills for surprise out-of-network and emergency services. FAIR Health also uses its database to power a free consumer website available in English and Spanish, which enables consumers to estimate and plan for their healthcare expenditures and offers a rich educational platform on health insurance. An English/Spanish mobile app offers the same educational platform in a concise format and links to the cost estimation tools. The website has been honored by the White House Summit on Smart Disclosure, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), URAC, the eHealthcare Leadership Awards, appPicker, Employee Benefit News and Kiplinger's Personal Finance. FAIR Health also is named a top resource for patients in Dr. Marty Makary's book The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Care—and How to Fix It and Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal's book An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back. For more information on FAIR Health, visit fairhealth.org.
Contact:
Rachel Kent
Senior Director of Marketing
FAIR Health
646-396-0795
rkent@fairhealth.org
1 A claim line is an individual service or procedure listed on an insurance claim.
2 CPT © 2021 American Medical Association (AMA). All rights reserved.
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SOURCE FAIR Health | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/14/persistent-demand-mental-healthcare-via-telehealth-during-covid-19-pandemic-according-new-fair-health-study/ | 2022-06-14T14:53:00Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for SAVA, ALLR, NIO, RBLX, and VRNA.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- SAVA: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=SAVA&prnumber=082620221
- ALLR: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=ALLR&prnumber=082620221
- NIO: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=NIO&prnumber=082620221
- RBLX: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=RBLX&prnumber=082620221
- VRNA: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=VRNA&prnumber=082620221
(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.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/26/thinking-about-buying-stock-cassava-sciences-allarity-therapeutics-nio-roblox-or-verona-pharma/ | 2022-08-26T13:21:20Z |
Fourteen innovators in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia to receive seed funding from a pool of over $1M, mentorship and more to advance health equity solutions
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., June 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After an extensive search for the top changemakers in six key U.S. cities, Johnson & Johnson today announced the 14 awardees of its Health Equity Innovation Challenge. The awardees, who possess lived experience and a deep understanding of the communities they serve, were selected for their work in generating solutions to help close racial health and mortality gaps in six cities where Black and Brown individuals experience significant health inequities: Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City and Philadelphia.
The Health Equity Innovation Challenge was created by Johnson & Johnson as a part of the company's "Our Race to Health Equity," a bold, aspirational commitment to help eradicate the public health threats of racial and social injustices by eliminating health inequities for people of color. The Challenge aims to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and socioeconomic impact by supporting innovative solutions from local entrepreneurs, start-ups, innovators, and community-based organizations that have the potential to advance health equity.
Selected from a pool of more than 180 applicants by an independent judging committee, each awardee is receiving seed funding from a pool of more than $1 million from Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., mentorship from renowned entrepreneurs and public health experts, and access to the Johnson & Johnson - JLABS ecosystem, which includes networking opportunities and more, to advance their innovations. One such awardee, Resilience Force, is focused on reducing recidivism and improving health outcomes by providing continuity of care and other reintegration resources for formerly incarcerated individuals.
"Locked away and mostly forgotten, incarcerated individuals suffer poorer health outcomes and lasting emotional and psychological trauma," said Anjali Niyogi, founder and director of Formerly Incarcerated Transitions (FIT) Clinic. "The Challenge funds will enable us to equip the justice-involved population with tools for success by increasing access to reentry peer support groups, holistic medical services, and educational materials about community-based health systems."
Finalists of the Health Equity Innovation Challenge were selected by Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and an independent panel of judges, including Uché Blackstock, M.D., Founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity; Helene Gayle, M.D., President and CEO of Chicago Community Trust; Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., University Professor at the University of Connecticut and CEO of the Connecticut Convergence Institute; Thomas LaVeist, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University; Eddie Martinez, Executive Director of the Latino Equality Alliance; Herman Moore, Owner, CEO and Chairman of Team 84 and former Detroit Lions Wide Receiver; and Kiera Smalls, Co-Founder of Strides and Executive Director of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition.
"Innovation plays a key role in addressing health inequities, but that innovation doesn't always come from a big company like Johnson & Johnson. The individuals that are living, breathing, and experiencing these inequities know what they are and why they are happening, and they have great ideas for how to solve them," noted Seema Kumar, Global Head, Office of Innovation, Global Health and Scientific Engagement at Johnson & Johnson. "We are incredibly grateful to all of the innovators and the impact they're making for under-resourced communities across the country – from stimulating diversity in science and healthcare, to reducing barriers to better health outcomes and affordable care – and so much more."
Additional information on the 2021 Challenge awardees and their community-based innovations can be found below. For more information on the Johnson & Johnson Health Equity Innovation Challenge and the 2021 awardees' stories, please visit www.jnj.com/health-equity-innovation-challenge.
Chicago, IL Awardees
- A program from the Allergy & Asthma Network, Not One More Life – Trusted Messengers Program, sends physicians, nurses and educators to places of worship to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, asthma, and COPD in Black and Latinx communities. To date, the pilot has successfully screened over 1,000 patients, and Challenge funds will be used to expand programming through live events and educational materials.
- CommunityHealth has piloted hybrid in-person and telehealth-powered microsite clinics in under-resourced neighborhoods to provide free, convenient, comprehensive healthcare to people who otherwise would not have access to quality care. Challenge funds will support the opening of an additional microsite clinic in Chicago's Little Village, a predominantly Latinx neighborhood with a high population of uninsured individuals.
Detroit, MI Awardees
- The Black Mothers' Breastfeeding Association (BMBFA) is combating racial disparities in infant and maternal mortality and, in turn, working to improve birth and maternal health outcomes for Black families with its innovative digital tool, the BMBFA B'Right Hub. Challenge funds will allow BMBFA to expand the reach and scope of its interactive app and web-based tool with a focus on five overarching categories: breastfeeding, prenatal care, postpartum care, immunizations and well-baby visits.
- Sixty-three million people in the U.S. live in dental deserts. KARE Mobile has piloted one-chair, mobile dentistry vans that expand access to quality oral care for under- and uninsured communities while simultaneously empowering young dentists to pursue cost-effective practice ownership through a franchise business model. Funds will be used to expand these services to Detroit, MI in collaboration with community partners.
Los Angeles, CA Awardees
- Using a deep understanding of lived Latinx experiences and the importance of weaving culture into mental health interventions, Conscious Cultura is developing a digital platform that provides youth, educators and communities with evidence-based programs that advance well-being and equity. Challenge funds will be used to deliver the Conscious Cultura program in-person to youth and educators within the Los Angeles Unified School District as research and development to design technology and create content that meets the needs of the local schools and communities.
- In Los Angeles, Black and Latinx children are more likely to miss a day of school than their White peers due to asthma. SmartAirLA is combatting asthma-related hospitalizations, illness and air pollution exposure to improve quality of life for communities of color. Challenge funds will support expansion of their digital FightAsthma Tracker at community asthma education programs, and safety-net health clinics and hospitals.
- By building the capacity of barbershops to function as trustworthy point-of-care venues, TRAP Medicine is providing free, quality onsite healthcare services and education to address health disparities, mental health inequities and other preventable conditions among Black men. Challenge funds will be used to pilot a standalone Barbershop Wellness Hub, where men ages 18-35 can access a range of medical, mental health, and wraparound services. During this period TRAP Medicine will also work to identify pathways to scale this model to other areas throughout the state and country.
New Orleans, LA Awardees
- To address the 15- to 25-year life expectancy gap between White and Black New Orleanians, Ashé Cultural Art Center's I Deserve It! is training artists and culture bearers to serve as community health workers that deliver health messaging, resources and education to residents of neighborhoods with poor health outcomes. Challenge funds will be used to train and hire additional artists and creatives to serve as community health workers.
- Led by formerly incarcerated individuals who intimately understand the challenges of transitioning back into society, the Formerly Incarcerated Transitions (FIT) Clinic and Formerly Incarcerated Peer Support Group (FIPS) aim to reduce recidivism and improve health outcomes by providing continuity of care, free health services, and reintegration resources for the formerly incarcerated. Challenge funding will be used to support staff salaries and implement pre-release health systems education.
- Resilience Force is a job development and crisis response organization that retrains under- or unemployed New Orleanians from the hospitality industry as community health workers in jobs that support immediate and long-term community recovery. Challenge funds will allow for additional training, health and employment benefits, technology support and the deployment of more community health workers.
New York City, NY Awardee
- The Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health launched Beyond the Stigma, a youth-based, peer-to-peer training model to deliver a culturally tailored curriculum that breaks societal and cultural stigmas around mental health and wellness. Challenge funds will support expansion of the organization's curriculum models to address new and additional topics with youth, such as racial trauma, suicide, masculinity, identity and more.
Philadelphia, PA Awardees
- eCLOSE Institute is inspiring diversity in science through STEM education and job training for students from under-resourced schools. Their classroom-based programming brings teachers, scientists and students together to investigate solutions that address the health issues prevalent in their own communities. Challenge funds will allow them to expand research experiences for students at 10 new schools.
- Philadelphia's pregnancy-related death and infant mortality rates exceed the national average, but Maternity Care Coalition is addressing these inequities, improving birth outcomes, and increasing access to culturally connected and competent perinatal healthcare for Black and Brown families. Since its creation, the Perinatal Community Health Worker Program has trained a diverse network of over 200 perinatal community health workers, and funding will help create an additional training cohort to support even more local families of color.
- Technology start-up Viora Health is creating a personalized engagement solution to address social and behavioral determinants for conditions like pre-diabetes, diabetes and obesity, which significantly impact communities of color. Challenge funds will extend solutions to additional conditions, including hypertension, to help combat the barriers that prevent the proper management of health conditions.
About Johnson & Johnson
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress. That's why for more than 130 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. Today, as the world's largest and most broadly-based healthcare company, we are committed to using our reach and size for good. We strive to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. We are blending our heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity. Learn more at www.jnj.com. Follow us at @JNJNews.
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SOURCE Johnson & Johnson | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/14/top-local-changemakers-addressing-health-equity-gaps-across-us-named-johnson-amp-johnson-health-equity-innovation-challenge-awardees/ | 2022-06-14T13:24:06Z |
House panels probe gov’t use of facial recognition software
By FATIMA HUSSEIN and FARNOUSH AMIRI
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two House committees have launched an investigation into the government’s use of facial recognition software. The technology was most recently used by the Internal Revenue Service, but that was stopped after lawmakers and privacy advocates raised concerns. Critics of the software say databases could become a target for cyberthreats. They also express concerns about how the information could be used by other government agencies. In a letter to the CEO of ID.me, the lawmakers request documents and information related to the company’s contracts with 10 federal agencies and 30 state governments for use of its facial recognition technology. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/04/14/house-panels-probe-govt-use-of-facial-recognition-software/ | 2022-04-14T19:14:45Z |
Officials: Woman charged with murder claimed home intruder shot her husband in bed
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV/Gray News) - A Missouri woman has been charged with murder after authorities said she shot her husband in their bed before hiding the gun and pretending there had been a break-in.
Police in Kansas City said they responded to a home early Thursday morning in response to a shooting. When they arrived, they found 40-year-old Melanie Biggins attempting CPR on her dead husband, who was lying in a pool of his own blood in the couple’s bed, according to KCTV.
Police said Biggins told them the sound of a gun shot had awakened her from sleep and she saw her husband, Etienne McEwan, had been shot. She said she did not see who fired the shot.
She told police she went downstairs, saw the front door was open and then got on the phone to call 911 before attempting CPR on her husband.
When police investigated the scene, they said they found a pillow and blanket on the floor with a bullet hole in them, as well as a bullet fragment.
They also said they found a handgun case in the closet and a purple and black .38 Special handgun underneath a bunk bed in the next room.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Biggins told police her husband’s rifle in the closet was the only gun in the house and didn’t have an explanation for the handgun when asked about it.
Court documents say Biggins had told investigators she and the victim were married, but “due to financial problems, she had been in an intimate relationship with another man for a year and a half.” She also said she wanted to get divorced from her husband, but that it was not an option due to their financial struggles, the documents say.
Detectives said they traced the handgun back to records which showed Biggins had bought the gun at a pawn shop in Independence, Missouri, in July.
The Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office determined McEwan died from a gunshot wound to the back of his head.
Prosecutors charged Biggins with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. She is being held on a $50,000 bond.
Copyright 2022 KCTV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/09/04/officials-woman-charged-with-murder-claimed-home-intruder-shot-her-husband-bed/ | 2022-09-04T22:50:51Z |
Upgrading Outdated Cumulus Linux Deployment Allowed 2600Hz To Retain Hardware Systems With Full Support
PALO ALTO, Calif., July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 2600Hz is a telecom services provider delivering cloud communications solutions to MSPs, ISPs, and telecom resellers. 2600Hz's platform KAZOO modernizes how businesses provide communications services to their customers. Whether it be voice, mobile, video, fax or SMS, 2600Hz simplifies and opens the cryptic black box of telecom.
2600Hz is privately held and is based in the San Francisco Bay area, with international offices.
2600Hz had standardized on Edgecore equipment with Cumulus Linux before NVIDIA acquired Cumulus and stopped supporting Broadcom. 2600Hz wanted to stay on an open networking platform to avoid lock-in. Upgrading to a Pica8 solution allowed 2600Hz to retain their hardware system of choice, and enabled a logical path to upgrade for future expansion.
After a short evaluation, 2600Hz initially upgraded a small cluster from Cumulus to PicOS, and over time have transitioned 3 sites to PicOS. Pica8 spine/leaf software switches are deployed using Edgecore Open Network Platform in three Data Centers: New Jersey, Chicago and Sunnyvale
2600Hz uses PicOS in both Top-of-Rack (TOR) and aggregation switches. The use cases are standard Data Center Networks where the TOR uses an MLAG configuration for high availability and the aggregation layer requires L3 routing. For the TOR layer, the MLAG must provide maximum LACP flexibility, including LACP fallback and fast mode, to enable PXE boot and fast fail over handling for various servers.
When asked about the decision process of choosing Pica8 during the evaluation stage, Tyler Kiziah, 2600Hz DevOps Manager, pointed out that support of open networking standards was crucial. PicOS is a Linux based NOS running on an unmodified Debian Linux. "Orchestration with Ansible was the decisive factor in choosing Pica8. It is very similar to Juniper Junos. Anyone with Junos experience will easily make the transition to PicOS with minimal training," said Kiziah.
Kiziah also shared his experience migrating from Cumulus Linux to PicOS. The migration itself was done easily, and usability was intuitive. He highlighted the role of Pica8 Support in the transition process: "Pica8 Support has been extremely helpful to introduce features that the network depends on. LACP Fall Back is an example. This made the transition from Cumulus to Pica8 easier," said Kiziah.
2600Hz has been running Juniper Junos, so the minimal learning curve between the two was especially important.
Additionally, "PicOS integrates with 2600Hz's product offerings such as Self Sign-up; PicOS is very easy to use," said Kiziah.
ROI will become greater over time with tighter integration of Pica8. For example, they are considering Pica8's AmpCon™ Network Controller for automation to eliminate manual changes and other mundane routine tasks.
Pica8 is the industry's open networking software alternative to Cisco, Juniper and Arista for the enterprise. Pica8's AmpCon™ Network Controller for centralized management and automation and PicOS® Software Switches for networking and security have successfully replaced Cisco DNA Center and Catalyst Switches and competing Juniper and Arista solutions for campus, data center and distributed site networks within Fortune 500 enterprises. Pica8 software is deployed at over 1,000 customers in over 40 countries. For more information, visit www.pica8.com.
Joseph Kwak for Pica8
408-370-0100
press@pica8.com
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SOURCE Pica8 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/14/cloud-based-solution-provider-2600hz-chooses-pica8-their-data-centers/ | 2022-07-14T16:47:57Z |
MONTREAL, June 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Aifred Health, an award-winning digital healthcare company, today announced the treatment of the first patient in its 350 patient North American Clinical Trial. This clinical trial, a world-first in the treatment of mental health using an AI-based clinical decision support tool, was designed with input from US and Canadian regulatory authorities to validate Aifred's AI platform for use with patients suffering from moderate to severe depression.
The trial is being conducted at up to 12 U.S. and Canadian centres of excellence for depression treatment including Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals where Aifred is a VA research partner. Aifred expects to complete enrollment in 2022 and report top-line results in mid 2023.
Aifred's technology was developed using high quality clinical data from clinical trials evaluating therapeutic treatments of depression and is not reliant on any external test inputs. Aifred's software was developed with and for treating physicians (family doctors and psychiatrists) who today have limited tools to personalize the therapeutic choice for patients, leading to what is for many patients a lengthy and painful trial-and-error process. Aifred's software is intended to support clinical decision making and improve this experience for patients and clinicians alike.
Commenting on the trial initiation, Marina Massingham, Aifred President & CEO, noted: "We are incredibly happy to begin our North American regulatory approval trial. Since our technology placed #1 in North America and #2 in the world in the IBM Watson AI XPRIZE, our staff has been working tirelessly to complete the work needed to initiate and complete this clinical trial which will provide clinicians across North America with a much-needed tool. We are working with and being advised by some of the leading experts and centers of excellence for the treatment of depression in North America and are gratified by their support and enthusiasm as we seek to tackle the key problem of improving depression treatment, for the benefit of patients, families, employers, and healthcare systems."
Dr. David Benrimoh, Chief Scientific Officer, Aifred Health, added: "We have been collaborating with clinicians and clinical centres for more than 3 years to inform and guide our development of a decision support tool that will integrate into clinical workflow and be used by treating physicians to positively impact care. If the clinical trial validates our hypothesis, I expect the rapid adoption of Aifred's technology across North America, as the advantages for the patients, doctors, and hospitals are crystal clear."
Physicians and patients who are interested in receiving additional information about this landmark clinical trial can consult: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04655924
Aifred Health, a Montreal-based digital healthcare company, is delivering clinician-focused solutions for the treatment of mental health including a world-class AI approach to providing clinical decision support in mental health. In June 2021 Aifred's AI technology placed # 1 in North America and #2 in the world in the global IBM WATSON AI XPRIZE. Aifred initiated its regulatory approval clinical trial for decision support in major depression in Q2 2022 and has begun work to extend its technology to a second indication in mental health. Aifred's current clinical trial received financial support from the Brain Canada Foundation.
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SOURCE Aifred Health Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/20/aifred-health-treats-1st-patient-north-american-regulatory-approval-clinical-trial/ | 2022-06-20T12:40:08Z |
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world's digital infrastructure companyTM, today announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $3.10 per share on its common stock. The quarterly common stock dividend will be paid on September 21, 2022 to shareholders of record on August 17, 2022.
About Equinix
Equinix (Nasdaq: EQIX) is the world's digital infrastructure company, enabling digital leaders to harness a trusted platform to bring together and interconnect the foundational infrastructure that powers their success. Equinix enables today's businesses to access all the right places, partners and possibilities they need to accelerate advantage. With Equinix, they can scale with agility, speed the launch of digital services, deliver world-class experiences and multiply their value.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from expectations discussed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, the challenges of acquiring, operating and constructing IBX data centers and developing, deploying and delivering Equinix products and solutions; unanticipated costs or difficulties relating to the integration of companies we have acquired or will acquire into Equinix; a failure to receive significant revenues from customers in recently built out or acquired data centers; failure to complete any financing arrangements contemplated from time to time; competition from existing and new competitors; the ability to generate sufficient cash flow or otherwise obtain funds to repay new or outstanding indebtedness; the loss or decline in business from our key customers; risks related to our taxation as a REIT; and other risks described from time to time in Equinix filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see recent Equinix quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which are available upon request from Equinix. Equinix does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.
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SOURCE Equinix, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/27/equinix-declares-quarterly-dividend-its-common-stock/ | 2022-07-27T21:46:41Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of Outset Medical, Inc..
Shareholders who purchased shares of OM during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointment. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.
CONTACT US HERE:
CLASS PERIOD: This lawsuit is on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased Outset Medical common stock between September 15, 2020, and June 13, 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) the Company's flagship product, Tablo Hemodialysis System ("Tablo"), would require an additional 510(k) application to be filed with The United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"), as defendants had "continuously made improvements and updates to Tablo over time since its original clearance"; (2) as a result, the Company could not conduct a human factors study on a cleared device in accordance with FDA protocols; (3) the Company's inability to conduct the human factors study subjected the Company to the likelihood of the FDA imposing a "shipment hold" and marketing suspension, leaving the Company unable to sell Tablo for home use; and (4) as a result, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and /or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
DEADLINE: September 6, 2022 Shareholders should not delay in registering for this class action. Register your information here: https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/outset-medical-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=30695&from=4
NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of OM 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 September 6, 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.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/10/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-outset-medical-inc-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-6-2022-nasdaq-om/ | 2022-08-10T10:18:41Z |
The Venezuelan Super-Premium Rum brand received a 92 point rating, adding to their growing list of gold medals and accolades.
EL CONSEJO, Venezuela, July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At the 2022 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, SANTA TERESA 1796 was awarded a 92 point rating (certified as an excellent and highly recommended rum) and the Tried and True award.
A product of the artisanal Solera Method, SANTA TERESA 1796 is created with a complex blend of rums aged for up to 35 years. The Solera Method, adopted from Spanish Sherry producers, ensures that every bottle of Santa Teresa 1796 features some of the very first "Ron Madre" or Mother Rum. Since the barrels were first filled in 1992, the Solera casks have never fully emptied. Instead, each time a bottle is drawn, the Solera is topped up with a slightly younger rum blend, guaranteeing that every bottle has exceptional richness and a little bit of our Mother Rum. A credit to the rum's meticulous craftsmanship, this award celebrates the product's over 220 years of production on the Hacienda Santa Teresa.
Recognized as one of the most prestigious judges of the spirits industry, the Ultimate Spirits Challenge has given SANTA TERESA 1796 its stamp of approval, noting its rich taste and aroma. Tasters were drawn in by the scent of caramel and baking spices and hooked by the bold and smooth finish. The unique flavor was another selling point, with the competition highlighting the taste of, "burnt sugar, cigar box spice, dark chocolate, and dried plantain chips."
This award comes on the heels of the announcement of several other accolades awarded to SANTA TERESA 1796. The brand was awarded several gold medals at the International Spirits Challenge, The Spirits Business Rum & Cachaca Masters, the USA Spirits Ratings, the Berlin International Spirits Competition, Virtus Lisboa, and the London Spirits Competition as well as the Chilled 100 Bartender Seal of Approval with the signature dark rum receiving a 95 point rating.
SANTA TERESA is an independent, family-owned distillery in Venezuela built on over 220 years of tradition and unexpected thinking in blended and aged rums, making it the third oldest rum producer in the world. Steeped in tradition, every SANTA TERESA product is sourced from their single-estate, the Hacienda Santa Teresa.
"We are incredibly excited to see SANTA TERESA 1796 receiving recognition by all of these wonderful agencies. As the rum market continues to expand, these accolades are a testament to our centuries long heritage, commitment to fine craftsmanship and dedication to producing only the finest rum possible. These endorsements also solidify SANTA TERESA 1796's place as both a staple spirit and a premium base for a cocktail. Throughout the past year, our consumer base has continued to grow and we're looking forward to expanding to an even larger audience in the upcoming year," said Edwin Hincapie, Brand Director, SANTA TERESA 1796.
For more information and to purchase SANTA TERESA 1796, visit https://www.santateresarum.com/.
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ENJOY RESPONSIBLY.
©2022. SANTA TERESA IS A TRADEMARK.
About SANTA TERESA
SANTA TERESA is an independent, family-owned rum brand. The single-estate source of SANTA TERESA, the Hacienda Santa Teresa, has been owned by the Vollmer family for over 200 years. To celebrate the bicentennial of the Hacienda, Alberto J. Vollmer embarked on a challenge to elaborate the best crafted rum in the world, and the result was SANTA TERESA 1796. From the Solera method to the bottling system to the hand applied wax seal, every bottle of SANTA TERESA 1796 is unique. A rich, refined and unexpectedly dry rum, SANTA TERESA 1796 features notes of tobacco, leather, dark chocolate and molasses, making it the ideal spirit for those looking to discover new flavors.
For press inquiries:
Nike Communications
Zara Biggs, zbiggs@nikecomm.com
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SOURCE Santa Teresa 1796 | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/santa-teresa-1796-lauded-ultimate-spirits-challenge/ | 2022-07-19T18:02:49Z |
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carolina goalie Antti Raanta left the Hurricanes’ playoff game against the Boston Bruins in the first period Wednesday night after David Pastrnak struck him in the head with a gloved hand.
Raanta was playing the puck when Pastrnak skated in and hit Raanta in the helmet with his right glove as he went by. Raanta went down, with team medical staff holding a towel to his face to stop bleeding from an apparent mouth injury after the play in Game 2.
Raanta was helped off and replaced by rookie Pyotr Kochetkov at the 7:47 mark. The Hurricanes ruled him out for the night during the first intermission with what was described only as an upper-body injury.
Pastrnak was originally called for a 5-minute major, though that was changed to a 2-minute goaltender interference call to loud boos from a fuming Carolina crowd. Those boos followed Pastrnak the moment he came out of the penalty box, too.
Carolina’s goaltender position and been a concern coming into the series with No. 1 netminder Frederik Andersen still sidelined by a lower-body injury from late in the regular season. But Raanta had 35 saves in the 5-1 win in Game 1 for earning his first playoff start.
Raanta’s exit pushed Carolina deeper into its roster for this one. Kotchetkov went 3-0 in the regular season, getting work after Andersen’s injury followed by a brief scare for Raanta and showing promise.
The Hurricanes have rookie Jack LaFontaine as the emergency backup goaltender, with the 24-year-old having two career NHL games on his resume.
Raanta’s exit came a day after Pittsburgh’s Louis Domingue came on in relief of starter Casey DeSmith due to a lower-body injury in the middle of the second overtime against the New York Rangers. Domingue turned away all 17 shots he faced in a triple-OT victory.
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Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap
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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/carolinas-raanta-out-of-game-2-after-pastrnaks-hit-to-head/ | 2022-05-05T05:07:24Z |
Engagement and visualization are highly valued amongst meeting hosts and attendees in the era of virtual and hybrid work, report shows
SAN FRANCISCO and AMSTERDAM, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Miro, the online platform accelerating innovation through visual collaboration, announced it was named a Customer's Choice in the 2022 Gartner Peer Insights 'Voice of the Customer': Meeting Solutions. Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice distinctions recognize vendors and products that are highly rated by their customers. Miro earned an overall rating of 4.6 out of a possible 5 stars, making it the highest-rated meeting solution in existing customer satisfaction as reviewed by 197 users, 97% of whom said they would recommend it.
Miro's collaboration platform enables users to work together in real-time, bringing the shared, visual nature of whiteboarding to virtual meetings and workshops. One Strategic Partner Manager who reviewed Miro for Gartner Peer Insights said "The availability to work together on Miro in real-time allowed us to cooperate and be in the same room like in real life."
The experience of visual collaboration improves meeting engagement, and helps turn input from attendees into actionable plans for projects. Another Miro user, a Staff Engineer and Architect, said in their review, "I have never seen a tool nor process that so quickly and effectively gathers feedback from so many people and synthesizes it into actionable data."
"In today's hybrid environments, a meeting solution that keeps teams engaged is essential in driving innovation and in helping to maintain company culture," said Andrey Khusid, Miro co-founder and CEO. "Customer delight is at the heart of everything we do at Miro, and our community of 35+ million users is the greatest source of inspiration, and is strong recognition of the positive impact we believe our product has in changing the way people come together to work and collaborate."
To create the Voice of the Customer report, Gartner aggregates reviews and ratings of software solutions by IT professionals and verified end-users. Each solution is evaluated based on customer experience and satisfaction at all stages of adoption, from evaluation to deployment to usage and service. We believe being named a Customers' Choice highlights that in addition to being the leading online whiteboard, the flexibility of Miro's platform allows it to provide deep, transformational value in mission-critical use cases like online meetings.
Gartner, Gartner Peer Insights 'Voice of the Customer': Meeting Solutions, Peer Contributors, 30 March 2022
Gartner® and Peer Insights™ are trademarks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Gartner Peer Insights content consists of the opinions of individual end users based on their own experiences, and should not be construed as statements of fact, nor do they represent the views of Gartner or its affiliates. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in this content nor makes any warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this content, about its accuracy or completeness, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
Miro is an online, visual collaboration platform designed to unlock creativity and accelerate innovation among teams of all kinds. The platform's infinite canvas enables teams to lead engaging workshops and meetings, design products, brainstorm ideas, and more. Miro, co-headquartered in San Francisco and Amsterdam, serves more than 35M users worldwide, including 99% of the Fortune 100. Miro was founded by Andrey Khusid and Oleg Shardin in 2011 and currently has more than 1,500 employees in 11 hubs around the world. To learn more, please visit https://miro.com.
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SOURCE Miro | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/miro-named-2022-gartner-peer-insights-customers-choice-meeting-solutions/ | 2022-07-21T11:24:19Z |
NEW YORK, July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Dentsply Sirona Inc. (NASDAQ: XRAY) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws.
This lawsuit is on behalf of all persons or entities that purchased Dentsply's common stock between June 9, 2021, and May 9, 2022.
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: August 1, 2022
No obligation or cost to you.
Learn more about your recoverable losses in XRAY:
https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/dentsply-sirona-inc-loss-submission-form-2?id=29467&from=4
Dentsply Sirona Inc. NEWS - XRAY NEWS
CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: According to the filed complaint, defendants orchestrated a scheme to inflate Dentsply's revenue and earnings by manipulating the Company's accounting for a distributor rebate program so that senior executives would be eligible for significant cash and stock-based incentive compensation. In order to facilitate this scheme, Dentsply and its executives made numerous false and misleading statements to investors during the class period. As a result of defendants' misrepresentations, Dentsply's common stock traded at artificially inflated prices during the class period.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in Dentsply you have until August 1, 2022 to petition the court for lead plaintiff status. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
NO COST TO YOU: If you purchased Dentsply securities during the relevant period, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket fees.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FINANCIAL INTERESTS: For additional information about the XRAY lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/dentsply-sirona-inc-loss-submission-form-2?id=29467&from=4.
J. Klein, Esq. represents investors and participates in securities litigations involving financial fraud throughout the nation. The Klein Law Firm is a boutique litigation firm with experience in a wide range of areas including securities law, corporate finance and commercial litigation. Since 2011, our experienced attorneys have achieved superior results for our clients with a personalized focus. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
J. Klein, Esq.
Empire State Building
350 Fifth Avenue
59th Floor
New York, NY 10118
jk@kleinstocklaw.com
Telephone: (212) 616-4899
www.kleinstocklaw.com
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SOURCE The Klein Law Firm | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/05/xray-alert-klein-law-firm-announces-lead-plaintiff-deadline-august-1-2022-class-action-filed-behalf-dentsply-sirona-inc-shareholders/ | 2022-07-05T10:04:03Z |
HOUSTON, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fuddruckers Restaurants, serving guests the World's Greatest Hamburgers® since 1980, today announced the launch of two new Fudds Cares initiatives to help support local elementary education in the greater Houston area. Books for Burgers, a new Fuddruckers Cares program, is designed to promote and encourage kids to read by rewarding a free kid's meal. Customers can pick up a Back to School Bookmark at any of the eight participating Fuddruckers locations in the greater Houston area. As students finish reading a book, their teacher or guardian initials the Fuddruckers bookmark and after six books are read, students bring the completed Bookmark into the nearest participating Fuddruckers and get a Free Kid's Meal with the purchase of an adult meal.
Fuddruckers is also proud to announce a new partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston to collect and donate school supplies to benefit local elementary students.
Nicholas Perkins, Chief Executive Officer of Fuddruckers commented, "Fuddruckers Cares represents our philanthropic programs and efforts to help support and work with our local communities. We are very pleased with our new program to reward student reading and we are proud of our new partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston to supply donated school supplies to benefit local students."
Perkins continued, "At Fuddruckers, our mission is to inspire guests to build their own World's Greatest Hamburgers and experience by delivering uncompromising quality and in-your-face freshness. In addition, we are heavily invested in our local communities, our employees and our customers to assist in programs that benefit the entire community, which is exactly the aim of these two new programs."
Participating Fuddruckers Locations in the Greater Houston Area:
Texas
- Houston: 2400B South MacGregor Way
- Houston: 7250 Highway 6 North
- Houston: 3929 Southwest Freeway
- Houston: 13010 North West Freeway
- Houston: 7511 FM 1960 West
- Kingwood: 4360 Kingwood Drive
- Stafford: 11445 Fountain Lake Drive
- Tomball: 8510 Creekside Forest Drive
About Fuddruckers
Making the world happy, one great burger at a time. Fuddruckers has been serving the World's Greatest Hamburgers® since 1980. The Fuddruckers mission is to inspire guests to build their own World's Greatest Hamburgers and experience by delivering uncompromising quality and in-your-face freshness. As a national restaurant company, Fuddruckers is proud to be the only 100 percent African American owned hamburger franchises in the U.S. with more than 92 restaurants across the country.
Today, Fuddruckers is still the only gourmet hamburger experience that is totally customizable, allowing you to have the power to "create your crave." To learn more, visit https://www.fuddruckers.com/
LinkedIn: Fuddruckers / Facebook: Fuddruckers / Twitter: @Fuddruckers / Instagram: @Fuddruckers / TIKTOK: @Worldsgreatesthamburgers
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston: All donated school supply items to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston. For more information on membership, check out www.bgcgh.org
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston - 70th Anniversary
Our mission is to inspire and enable all youth, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. Our vision is to put success within reach for our Club members and keep them on track to graduate high school. We help them realize a positive plan for the future that includes good character, citizenship, workforce readiness and a healthy lifestyle. Each year, more than 35,000 youth ages 6 to 17 walk through our doors for our after-school and summer programs. At our Clubs, youth are provided meals, strong role models, homework assistance, organized athletics, character development and access to the arts.
BGCGH Social media handles
Instagram: @bgchouston / Twitter: @bgcghouston / Facebook: @BGCHouston / Hashtag #BGCGH
Fuddruckers Contact:
Dennard Lascar
Rick Black / Ken Dennard
FUDDS@dennardlascar.com
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SOURCE Fuddruckers | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/07/fuddruckers-cares-launches-new-kids-reward-program-partners-with-boys-amp-girls-clubs-greater-houston-support-local-elementary-education/ | 2022-07-07T21:31:09Z |
Closures Due to Limited Interest Since Launch
NEW YORK, Aug. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to the their inability to attract sufficient investment assets, the Board of Trustees of the Direxion Shares ETF Trust has decided to liquidate and close seven ETFs (each, a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds"), based on the recommendation of the funds' adviser, Rafferty Asset Management, LLC. As a result, the Board concluded that liquidating and closing the Funds would be in the best interest of the Funds and their shareholders. The Funds closing are as follows:
The Funds will cease trading on the NYSE Arca, Inc. ("NYSE") and will be closed to purchase by investors as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE on September 23, 2022 (the "Closing Date"). The Funds will not accept purchase orders after the Closing Date.
Shareholders may sell their holdings in a Fund prior to the Closing Date and customary brokerage charges may apply to these transactions. However, from September 23, 2022 through September 30, 2022 (the "Liquidation Date") shareholders may only be able to sell their shares to certain broker-dealers and there is no assurance that there will be a market for a Fund's shares during this time period. Between the Closing Date and the Liquidation Date, each Fund will be in the process of closing down and liquidating its portfolio. This process will result in a Fund increasing its cash holdings and, as a consequence, not tracking its underlying index, which is inconsistent with each Fund's investment objective and strategy.
On or about the Liquidation Date, each Fund will liquidate its assets and distribute cash pro rata to all shareholders who have not previously redeemed or sold their shares. These distributions are taxable events. In addition, these payments to shareholders may include accrued capital gains and dividends. As calculated on the Liquidation Date, each Fund's net asset value will reflect the costs of closing the Fund. Once the distributions are complete, the Funds will terminate.
Direxion equips investors who are driven by conviction with ETF solutions built for purpose and fine-tuned for precision. These solutions are available for a broad spectrum of investors, whether executing short-term tactical trades, or investing in thematic strategies. Direxion's reputation is founded on developing products that precisely express market perspectives and allow investors to manage their risk exposure. Founded in 1997, the company has approximately $20.7 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2022. For more information, please visit www.direxion.com.
There is no guarantee that the Funds will achieve their investment objectives.
For more information on all Direxion Shares daily leveraged ETFs, go to www.direxion.com, or call us at 866.301.9214.
Leveraged and Inverse ETFs pursue daily leveraged investment objectives, which means they are riskier than alternatives which do not use leverage. They seek daily goals and should not be expected to track the underlying index over periods longer than one day. They are not suitable for all investors and should be utilized only by sophisticated investors who understand leverage risk and who actively manage their investments.
An investor should carefully consider a Fund's investment objective, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. A Fund's prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other information about the Direxion Shares. To obtain a Fund's prospectus and summary prospectus call 866-716-0735 or visit our website at direxion.com. A Fund's prospectus and summary prospectus should be read carefully before investing.
Direxion Shares Risks – An investment in the ETFs involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. The ETFs are non-diversified and include risks associated with concentration that results from an ETF's investments in a particular industry or sector which can increase volatility. The use of derivatives such as futures contracts and swaps are subject to market risks that may cause their price to fluctuate over time. The ETFs do not attempt to, and should not be expected to, provide returns which are a multiple of the return of their respective index for periods other than a single day. For other risks including leverage, correlation, daily compounding, market volatility and risks specific to an industry or sector, please read the prospectus.
Distributor: Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
CONTACT: Douglas Hesney, SVP
Ditto Public Relations
doug@dittopr.co
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SOURCE Direxion | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/26/direxion-closing-seven-etfs/ | 2022-08-26T21:33:08Z |
US wins latest legal battle to seize Russian yacht in Fiji
By NICK PERRY
Associated Press
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The United States on Friday won the latest round of a legal battle to seize a $325-million Russian-owned superyacht in Fiji, with the case now appearing headed for the Pacific nation’s top court.
The case has highlighted the thorny legal ground the U.S. finds itself on as it tries to seize assets of Russian oligarchs around the world. Those intentions are welcomed by many governments and citizens who oppose the war in Ukraine, but some actions are raising questions about how far U.S. jurisdiction extends.
Fiji’s Court of Appeal on Friday dismissed an appeal by Feizal Haniff, who represents the company that legally owns the superyacht Amadea. Haniff had argued the U.S. had no jurisdiction under Fiji’s mutual assistance laws to seize the vessel, at least until a court sorted out who really owned the Amadea.
Haniff said he now plans to take the case to Fiji’s Supreme Court and will apply for a court order to stop U.S. agents sailing the Amadea from Fiji before the appeal is heard.
As part of its ruling, the appeals court ordered that its judgment not take effect for seven days, presumably to give time for any appeals to be filed.
The U.S. argues that its investigation has found that behind various fronts, the Cayman Islands-flagged luxury yacht is really owned by the sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, an economist and former Russian politician.
Kerimov made a fortune investing in Russian gold producer Polyus, with Forbes magazine putting his net worth at $16 billion. The U.S. first sanctioned him in 2018 after he’d been detained in France and accused of money laundering there, sometimes arriving with suitcases stuffed with 20 million euros.
The FBI linked the Amadea to the Kerimov family through their alleged use of code names while aboard and the purchase of items like a pizza oven and a spa bed. The ship became a target of Task Force KleptoCapture, launched in March to seize Russian oligarchs’ assets to pressure Russia to end the war.
The 106-meter (348-foot) long vessel, about the length of a football field, features a live lobster tank, a hand-painted piano, a swimming pool and and a large helipad.
Haniff, who represents paper owner Millemarin Investments, argues the owner is another wealthy Russian who doesn’t face sanctions, Eduard Khudainatov. He’s the former chairman and chief executive of Rosneft, the state-controlled Russian oil and gas company.
The U.S. acknowledges that paperwork appears to show Khudainatov is the owner but say he’s also the paper owner of a second and even larger superyacht, the Scheherazade, which has been linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The U.S. question whether Khudainatov could really afford two superyachts worth a total of more than $1 billion.
“The fact that Khudainatov is being held out as the owner of two of the largest superyachts on record, both linked to sanctioned individuals, suggests that Khudainatov is being used as a clean, unsanctioned straw owner to conceal the true beneficial owners,” the FBI wrote in a court affidavit.
The U.S. claims Kerimov secretly bought the Amadea last year through shell companies. The FBI said a search warrant in Fiji turned up emails showing that Kerimov’s children were aboard the ship this year and that the crew used code names — G0 for Kerimov, G1 for his wife, G2 for his daughter and so on.
The FBI said crew members discuss a possible “upcoming G0 guest trip” noting he wants the quickest jet skis available — so they’ll need to buy new jet skis.
In his appeal, Haniff argues the U.S. case is based on hearsay and rumors spread by unnamed crew members, and there’s no evidence that Khudainatov couldn’t afford an investment in two superyachts.
The yacht remains berthed at Lautoka harbor in the heart of Fiji’s sugar cane region. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national/2022/05/26/us-wins-latest-legal-battle-to-seize-russian-yacht-in-fiji-2/ | 2022-05-27T07:59:03Z |
NEW YORK, July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WeWork (NYSE: WE), a leading global flexible space provider, today announced the official debut of WeWork Workplace, a new space management solution built in partnership with Yardi, the leading provider of real estate software. WeWork Workplace provides companies with a universal platform that enables inventory management across office spaces, enhanced employee experiences and space optimization through insights and analytics.
The proliferation of remote and hybrid work models – vastly accelerated as a result of the pandemic – has created new opportunities for both employers and employees to fundamentally rethink the office and how we engage with it. WeWork Workplace marries space, asset and people management capabilities, removing guesswork from designing a strategic work model by providing actionable data to inform decision making in real time. As a result, the software aims to help employers reduce real estate costs, while empowering employees to more purposefully engage with the spaces they choose and create more meaningful physical connections.
WeWork Workplace is the only product in the market that can combine all space types (privately leased/owned, WeWork and WeWork shared/affiliate) within a single experience. Additionally, companies that may need overflow space will have the option to enable access to WeWork and WeWork affiliated locations for their employees globally.
"Businesses today must solve for bringing flexible work models to life – optimizing their spaces without sacrificing the culture, collaboration and productivity that happens in-person. This is what we aim to deliver with WeWork Workplace," said Scott Morey, WeWork's President of Technology & Innovation. "Combining our advantages in scale, speed and access to flexible spaces, with Yardi's industry-leading software and tech capabilities, WeWork Workplace doesn't stop at desk booking or at backend insights – it aims to solve for a dynamic, constantly evolving future of work."
A One-Stop-Shop Solution
WeWork Workplace combines the capabilities needed, in one place, to help build, manage and evolve any office space strategy. The software aims to help businesses:
- Enhance employee experience across an entire portfolio. Dynamic, collaboration focused features built in – interactive floor maps, team booking capabilities, overflow booking automation, visitor management, company announcements and calendar integration, make engagement with the office more intentional and impactful.
- Manage and optimize all spaces regardless of asset type or geographic location. Universal portfolio management – across all asset types – enables office space strategies centered on utilization. Create user groups, spatial zones and navigate capacity and overflow management.
- Future proof real estate strategies through actionable insights. Make decisions with confidence through access to stronger, more accurate data. Instantly look into daily and building level data, or view trends over time, such as booking to occupancy ratio, including the ability to sort by property type.
Designed to offer a frictionless office experience for companies of all sizes, helping to maximize their spaces for collaboration and innovation, WeWork Workplace is uniquely positioned to enable companies and their people to continuously adapt to a flexible world of work.
To learn more about WeWork Workplace, and to sign up for a live demo, visit: https://www.wework.com/solutions/wework-workplace
About WeWork
WeWork Inc. (NYSE: WE) was founded in 2010 with the vision to create environments where people and companies come together and do their best work. Since then, we've become one of the leading global flexible space providers committed to delivering technology-driven turnkey solutions, flexible spaces, and community experiences. For more information about WeWork, please visit us at wework.com.
About Yardi
Yardi develops and supports industry-leading investment and property management software for all types and sizes of real estate companies. With over 8000 employees, Yardi is working with our clients globally to drive significant innovation in the real estate industry. For more information on how Yardi is Energized for Tomorrow, visit yardi.com.
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/737275/Yardi_Logo.jpg
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1861664/WeWork_Workplace.jpg
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SOURCE Yardi | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/wework-debuts-wework-workplace-software-help-companies-employees-navigate-new-world-work/ | 2022-07-19T12:03:03Z |
SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumentum Holdings Inc. ("Lumentum") today announced that company management is currently scheduled to participate in the following investor events:
Institutional investors interested in participating in these events should contact their representative at these firms.
About Lumentum
Lumentum (NASDAQ: LITE) is a market-leading designer and manufacturer of innovative optical and photonic products enabling optical networking and laser applications worldwide. Lumentum optical components and subsystems are part of virtually every type of telecom, enterprise, and data center network. Lumentum lasers enable advanced manufacturing techniques and diverse applications including next-generation 3D sensing capabilities. Lumentum is headquartered in San Jose, California with R&D, manufacturing, and sales offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.lumentum.com and follow Lumentum on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Contacts:
Investors: Kathy Ta, 408-750-3853; investor.relations@lumentum.com
Media: Sean Ogarrio, 408-546-5405; media@lumentum.com
Category: Financial
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SOURCE Lumentum | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/lumentum-announces-upcoming-investor-events/ | 2022-08-22T20:49:17Z |
NEW YORK, May 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Meta Platforms, Inc. f/k/a Facebook, Inc. ("Meta" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: FB). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.
The investigation concerns whether Meta and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.
In June 2020, Apple Inc. ("Apple") announced significant changes to the iOS operating software that runs iPhones (and iPads). These changes would essentially cut off Meta's Facebook platform and its sister services from almost all the tracking and targeting abilities and information necessary to sell targeted ads as they had done for many years. Then, on February 2, 2022, Meta released weak Q4 2021 financial results and provided disappointing 2022 revenue guidance. During the related earnings call, the Company disclosed that its mitigation efforts in fact had not rendered the effects of the iOS changes "manageable." Instead, Meta's advertising business would suffer a shattering $10 billion revenue hit from the iOS privacy changes. Meta also attributed its weak results and guidance on the slowing user growth due to competition from TikTok.
Following these admissions, Meta's stock price fell $85.24 per share, or 26.39%, to close at $237.76 per share on February 3, 2022.
Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com
CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
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SOURCE Pomerantz LLP | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/03/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-investigates-claims-behalf-investors-meta-platforms-inc-fka-facebook-inc-fb/ | 2022-05-03T06:56:41Z |
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- California Governor Gavin Newsom took action to uncover why Californians are paying so much for their gasoline when he signed legislation today requiring oil refiners to disclose their profits from refining oil into gasoline monthly.
SB 1322 (Allen), the Oil Refiner Price Disclosure Act, will require the state's oil refiners to report monthly on the cost of the crude oil they buy, the wholesale price of the gasoline they sell, and their profits made per gallon.
Californians are now paying $1.49 more per gallon for gasoline than US drivers, according to the most recent report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. While refiners blame added taxes and environmental regulation, those costs add only 60 cents per gallon.
"For far too long, refiners in our state have been able to keep their profit margins under wraps," said Senator Ben Allen, the bill's author. "I am very pleased by Governor Newsom's signing of SB 1322, finally giving California drivers more information about why they are paying so much at the pump amidst record gains by oil companies."
"The Governor today took the first step towards dealing with the excess profits California's oil refiners appear to be making based on their investor reports," said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. "Oil refiner transparency about their profits and costs is critical to the legislature having the information it needs to take action against unreasonable, excess profits. We applaud Governor Newsom for signing the toughest oil refiner transparency law in the nation."
The current price spike in California is the result of limited refinery capacity issues in California and problems at the refineries. Since five refiners control the market, they profit from every hiccup in production. California refiners are not currently required to report their profits monthly, but many do report their regional profits to investors on a quarterly basis.
In just the second quarter of 2022, California's five big oil refiners reported unprecedented windfall profits that topped $26 billion—making from three to ten times more in profits per gallon off their West Coast operations from April through June than they did in the same period last year.
A review of profit reports conducted by Consumer Watchdog found that profits per gallon from West Coast operations registered highest among each refiner's reported regions across the United States and world.
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SOURCE Consumer Watchdog | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/16/gov-newsom-signs-into-law-legislation-requiring-ca-oil-refiners-report-their-profits-per-gallon-says-consumer-watchdog/ | 2022-09-17T00:25:50Z |
The world is getting crazier by the day. Only a few days ago, a man in Atlanta shot and killed one Subway employee and severely wounded another because they put too much mayonnaise on his Subway sandwich.
Now I don’t mean to make light of the situation, but too much mayonnaise is, no doubt, a serious situation. And it is a growing problem across the nation of not just oversupplying mayonnaise but also too much ketchup, not enough mustard, onions on a no-onion burger, on and on it goes.
I can state without question that if incorrect fast food orders begin to result in shootings across the nation, working at McDonalds will soon be more dangerous than being a Navy Seal. Each fast food place now has its own issues with orders. McDonald’s cannot make a burger without cheese. You can say, “I do not want cheese on my burger. NO cheese, please. Absolutely do not put cheese on this burger.” And they will respond by saying, “Would you like cheese on your burger?”
I recently ordered a cheeseburger with only ketchup at Dairy Queen. The reply was, “Would you like cheese on this cheeseburger?” I was tempted to say “No, I prefer a cheeseburger without cheese. That is why I ordered a cheeseburger. I could have just ordered a hamburger, but cheeseburgers without cheese are so much better.”
Along with this bit of confusion, most fast food places decide if you say “I want only ketchup” that you actually mean “I love ketchup. Please slather the entire burger with as much ketchup as you can possibly pour on it. I want it to drip down my arm, onto my tie, and preferably down into the crevices of my seat.”
Hardee’s recently told me, when I asked if I could order a roast beef sandwich that they did not have roast beef sandwiches. This surprised me since I had just received a flyer in the mail talking about their great new roast beef sandwiches. I told the lady about the flyer and she replied, “We ain’t got no roast beef up in here.” Well now, I guess that explains that.
I recently ordered a cheeseburger and fries at Wendy’s and got down the road only to discover I had only a bowl of chilli. Luckily I ordered at the drive-thru or we might be reading about me in the headlines. In truth, these fast food folks have a tough job. Hungry people are not very reasonable. The Snickers commercials have it right. You just aren’t you until you’ve had something to eat. I’d rather smart off to a group of drunk bikers than to smart off to a group of 75-year-old nursing home patients who haven’t been served lunch yet.
When I was a child, if you ordered at a fast food place you got what they served, how they served it. There was no special order. If you didn’t want onions, then by God scrape them off once you got the burger. But now we are a nation of coddled individuals, of which I am now one.
How dare Chick-fil-A fail to remove the pickle on my chicken sandwich, which seldom ever occurs. Chick-fil-A employees should actually work at pharmacies. You would never worry about getting the wrong medicine or the wrong dose. On the other hand, if McDonald’s employees worked at the pharmacy, the CVS parking lot would be strewn with dead bodies.
Oh well, I hope the wrong order, over-reaction, syndrome does not become commonplace. If it does, the employees will have to start wearing full combat gear. But for now, I’d like a cheeseburger ... without cheese, please. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/t-gamble-hold-the-cheese-on-that-cheeseburger/article_0a2719c8-f7b1-11ec-bb89-cb6cfa53b0a1.html | 2022-06-29T23:05:13Z |
BURLINGTON, Vt., June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In the wake of a recent spate of hateful, anti-trans legislation in states across the nation, Ben & Jerry's has launched a billboard campaign to stand in solidarity with trans youth and their families who have been targeted by the latest wave of attempted new laws. In partnership with the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), the billboards are targeting four states: Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Virginia, all of which have introduced anti-trans legislation in recent months. The message on the billboards, placed within each state's capital, reads "We Stand with Trans Youth and Those Who Love Them."
"At a time when many politicians are criminalizing access to health care for trans youth — in addition to other efforts to marginalize them — we felt it important to make a public stand in support for them and their friends and families. We see them, we hear them, we stand with them," said Maroni Minter, US Activism Manager for Ben & Jerry's. "After years and years of progress in the LGBTQ+ and trans community, this wave of regressive legislation is trying to take us backwards not forward. In the face of this reality, it is more important than ever that we not remain silent."
This initiative, launching May 23rd, is part of Ben & Jerry's ongoing body of work around advancing justice for those in the LGBTQ+ community, and is in collaboration with their long-time partner, the National Center for Transgender Equality, who have asked for businesses to stand up loudly and clearly in support of the trans community at this time.
"Through no fault of their own, transgender youth are under attack by some of the most powerful people in the states where they live," said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, Executive Director of the NCTE. "Transgender kids deserve to be seen, to be loved, and to be treated with respect. These laws will cause tremendous pain to many families, and even worse, they give permission to other people to harass and discriminate against transgender people. There will be lasting consequences on young people and their families, who are all just trying to live their lives. These laws are mean, hateful, and aimed directly at kids. We are grateful to Ben & Jerry's for standing with transgender young people and their families, and for reminding us all that we are not alone."
On top of the four states included in the campaign, 31 other states have seen legislative activity that seeks to marginalize the transgender community, most specifically designed to affect trans youth. Additionally, Ben & Jerry's will also be placing a newspaper ad in their home state of Vermont. The state has been dealing with its own spate of anti-LGBTQ+ activity, including the recent murder of a trans woman, vandalism of a local LGBTQ+ community center, and hateful messages targeting local school staff for hosting workshops about gender equity.
About Ben & Jerry's
Ben & Jerry's is an aspiring social justice company that believes in a greater calling than simply making and selling the world's best ice cream. The company produces a wide variety of super-premium ice cream and Non-Dairy/vegan desserts using high-quality ingredients and lots of big chunks and swirls. As a certified B Corp, Ben & Jerry's incorporates its vision of Linked Prosperity into its business practices via values-led sourcing initiatives when purchasing ingredients. Ben & Jerry's is distributed in over 35 countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchised Scoop Shops, and via on-demand delivery services. Ben & Jerry's, a Vermont corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Unilever, operates its business on a three-part Mission Statement emphasizing product quality, a fair financial return, and addressing issues of social, racial, and environmental injustice around the globe. The Ben & Jerry's Foundation, guided by Ben & Jerry's employees, granted $3.7MM in 2021 to support progressive, justice-focused grassroots organizing around the country. For up-to-date information visit benjerry.com.
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SOURCE Ben & Jerry's | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/02/ben-amp-jerrys-national-center-transgender-equality-launch-multi-state-billboard-campaign-support-trans-youth-face-anti-trans-legislation/ | 2022-06-02T18:59:40Z |
The Keller girls lacrosse team has been on fire all season. With strong wins over their opponents, they have definitely made a mark for themselves in high school lacrosse. VYPE DFW was at their recent game against Rockwall where the Keller girls dominated the field and left nothing to be desired for the fans.
The Keller girls lacrosse team posted a 22-12 victory over Rockwall. Check out the highlights from the game below:
Highlight film created by Ibifiri Jamabo. | https://cw33.com/sports/highlight-video-keller-girls-lacrosse-defeats-rockwall/ | 2022-04-08T19:26:36Z |
FREDERICK, Md., June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Regent Education, the leading provider of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions that simplify the financial aid process for higher education institutions offering traditional and nontraditional enrollment models, today announced a significant addition to its portfolio. With the launch of Regent Fund, institutions now have an intelligent, automated, two-way-integrated scholarship management solution that not only ensures that they award every available dollar but also streamlines the scholarship management process.
Financial Aid leaders and Scholarship Managers today are tasked with the high-stakes and highly visible responsibility of optimizing scholarship dollars. They're under pressure from donors and enrollment teams alike to accelerate 'every dollar out' to increase enrollment, ensure student success, and maintain donor relationships. They're also challenged by complex eligibility and awarding rules, decentralized student data, manual processes, multiple stakeholders, and under-resourced staff.
For administrators looking to optimize scholarship management, Regent Fund fully automates and streamlines the scholarship management process from application to eligibility to awarding to reporting. Regent Fund accelerates optimal awarding and minimizes staff workload by leveraging extensive two-way data integration, automated workflows, and built-in logic. Specific benefits include:
- Expand student access to all available scholarship funds – Regent Fund's unified smart form is configured to streamline the application process across all your scholarship programs. Proactive communications ensure that students stay on track to complete the process.
- Intelligently harness diverse data sets to identify qualifying students based on complex eligibility criteria – Regent Fund integrates multiple, disparate data sets from student scholarship applications, ISIRs, your SIS, and other institutional data to give you a more complete picture of the applicant pool.
- Use powerful sorting and weighting capabilities to prioritize recipients for limited funds – Regent Fund's highly configurable and intelligent matching, ranking, prioritization, and selection capabilities enable you to award scholarships in an automated, configurable, and intelligent way.
- Leverage automated, two-way integration to quickly reattribute unused scholarship dollars to additional eligible students – Regent Fund's automated, two-way integration capabilities synchronize Regent fund data with award amount updates made in your FAM, SIS, AR, or other system – you can quickly reattribute unused, cancelled, or unaccepted scholarship dollars to new recipients.
- Increase visibility to donors and stakeholders into how scholarship funds are being spent and their impact – Regent Fund's queries, dashboards, and reports increase your visibility into the full scholarship management lifecycle; help you understand where you are with your awarding; and enable you to share results and insights with donors and stakeholders.
"William Jessup University offers diverse sources of scholarship funding to help our students pay for college, each scholarship with its own unique criteria and processes. We are tremendously excited about the prospects of what Regent Fund means to our ability to maximize the distribution of available funds and minimize the workload of our financial aid office to do so," said John Swan, Director of Student Financial Services at William Jessup University, who has participated in Regent Education's "Early Adopter" product-feedback sessions.
"Regent Fund is the next natural progression of financial aid automation, and we're excited to add this innovation to the Regent Education Suite of solutions. We're especially excited to enable Financial Aid leaders and Scholarship Managers to manage the complex scholarship process and ensure that they award all available dollars to their learners more efficiently," said Jim Hermens, CEO of Regent Education.
Regent Education is the leading provider of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions that automate and simplify the financial aid process for higher education institutions offering traditional and nontraditional enrollment models. Regent's solutions encompass the automation of financial aid management, verification processes, student financial planning, scholarship management, and state financial aid applications. These solutions offer institutions an unprecedented ability to automate the financial aid process to increase efficiency, mitigate compliance risks, expand enrollment, improve the student experience, and enhance financial management and financial aid lifecycle visibility. Since its inception, Regent has packaged and delivered $5 billion in financial aid to more than 250,000 students. For more information, visit https://regenteducation.com/.
Regent Education
Diane Eves, Marketing Director
(301) 662-5592 or marketing@regenteducation.com
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SOURCE Regent Education | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/regent-education-announces-new-intelligent-automated-two-way-integrated-scholarship-management-solution-that-helps-institutions-award-every-available-dollar/ | 2022-06-23T13:25:40Z |
THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Sept. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During Huntsman's (NYSE: HUN) second quarter earnings conference call, the Company provided third quarter adjusted EBITDA guidance of between approximately $310 million and $355 million, excluding Textile Effects. The Company now expects third quarter adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations to be between $260 million and $280 million. As previously announced, Huntsman will begin reporting Textile Effects as discontinued operations following the announced agreement to sell the division to Archroma, a portfolio company of SK Capital Partners.
Peter Huntsman, Chairman, President, and CEO commented:
"Huntsman is feeling the same pressures as others in the industry as we are being impacted by persistent and extraordinary cost of energy in Europe, together with lower than expected demand across segments in our portfolio, primarily within Polyurethanes and Performance Products. The economy in China continues to lag our expectations due to continued Covid-related lockdowns. While the United States remains our most resilient market, demand in residential housing has slowed.
"We remain on track to exceed our previously announced cost optimization and synergy program and expect to deliver an annualized run rate of approximately $170 million by year-end. Given the current operating environment, we are evaluating further cost reduction and optimization opportunities and we are actively moving product into Europe from our facilities in the United States and Asia."
About Huntsman:
Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals with 2021 revenues of approximately $8 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 70 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 9,000 associates within our four distinct business divisions. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company's website at www.huntsman.com.
Social Media:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Huntsman_Corp
Facebook: www.facebook.com/huntsmancorp
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/huntsman
Forward-Looking Statements:
Certain information in this release constitutes 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. These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations. The forward-looking statements in this release are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances and involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company's operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Huntsman companies' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Significant risks and uncertainties may relate to, but are not limited to, volatile global economic conditions, cyclical and volatile product markets, disruptions in production at manufacturing facilities, reorganization or restructuring of Huntsman's operations, including any delay of, or other negative developments affecting the ability to implement cost reductions, timing of proposed transactions, and manufacturing optimization improvements in Huntsman businesses and realize anticipated cost savings, and other financial, economic, competitive, environmental, political, legal, regulatory and technological factors. The company assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by applicable laws.
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SOURCE Huntsman Corporation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/16/huntsman-updates-third-quarter-2022-outlook/ | 2022-09-16T12:37:55Z |
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) announced today that it has named Kate Healy, a financial services executive with substantive experience in workforce programs, as Managing Director for CFP Board Center for Financial Planning ("Center").
Healy is one of the financial services industry's most recognized advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion, and is an authority on workforce sustainability. In this position, she will lead the Center's strategic direction to elevate the financial planning profession through programs in diversity and inclusion, workforce development and knowledge creation. She will also lead fundraising efforts to ensure the ongoing viability and success of these programs.
Based in CFP Board's Washington, D.C. headquarters, she will report to CFP Board Chief Executive Officer Kevin R. Keller, CAE. She joins the organization on September 1.
"Kate is a respected leader in the financial planning profession and has been a valuable contributor of her time and talent to the Center since its inception in 2015," said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. "Her decades of experience in financial services and nonprofit organizations will facilitate the excellent work of the Center in creating a more diverse and sustainable financial planning profession."
Healy joins CFP Board after 13 years at TD Ameritrade Institutional where she most recently was Managing Director for Generation Next, leading advocacy efforts to expand the number of diverse advisors in critical market segments. She facilitated a record increase of women, Black and Hispanic CFP® professionals through partnerships with academia and industry, while strengthening educational efforts for students and advisory firms. Prior to TD Ameritrade, Healy spent 20 years in financial services marketing and program development roles in a variety of business models.
"I have enjoyed my nearly decade-long volunteer experiences with CFP Board, first as an inaugural member of the Women's Initiative in 2013 and then with the launch of the Center serving on several of its advisory groups. This opportunity seemed like a natural career progression to build upon my passion for workforce and diversity issues," said Healy. "I am excited to join CFP Board and work closely with the Center's many volunteers, dedicated staff, firm partners and other stakeholders to build the 21st century financial planner workforce."
Healy recently served as Board Chair for the Foundation for Financial Planning. The Foundation is the nation's leading charity devoted to expanding access to pro bono financial planning for people in crisis or need. She currently serves on the executive committee of the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation, which recognizes advisors and firms making a difference by donating time and money to charitable causes in communities across the country and around the world.
She has contributed to leading financial publications, including Barron's, InvestmentNews, Financial Planning, WealthManagement, ThinkAdvisor and the Financial Planning Association's NexGen Planner. She has received numerous trade and organization awards and recognitions including 2019 "Savvy Ladies" Change Maker Award, 2018 WealthManagment.com Ten to Watch, 2016 Investment Advisor IA 25 New Influencers and 2015 InvestmentNews Women to Watch.
Healy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the Rutgers College, New Brunswick, NJ, and an Executive Certificate from SIFMA Securities Industry Institute at The Wharton School, Philadelphia, PA.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board sets standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CFP® certification – one of the most respected certifications in financial services – so that the public has access to and benefits from competent and ethical financial planning. CFP Board, along with its Center for Financial Planning, is committed to increasing the public's awareness of CFP® certification and access to a diverse, ethical and competent financial planning workforce. Widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planning, CFP® certification is held by nearly 93,000 people in the United States.
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SOURCE Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/cfp-board-appoints-financial-services-executive-workforce-authority-kate-healy-managing-director-cfp-board-center-financial-planning/ | 2022-08-03T14:42:43Z |
Homeownership company partners with Coldwell Banker Heritage to level the playing field for Ohioans looking to purchase their dream home
NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ribbon, the homeownership company, today announces its expansion into Ohio, empowering homebuyers with the opportunity to write RibbonCash Offers which create unique opportunities to give everyday buyers an advantage in today's red hot real estate market.
Homeownership and the opportunity to create generational wealth are baked into the American dream, but Wall Street investors combined with lower inventory and rising prices, are making that dream harder to achieve. Cincinnati and Columbus both saw a remarkable rise in investor purchases - made with a traditional all-cash offer - with 46.5% and 31.6%, respectively, with around one of every six homes in these markets going to an investor in the last quarter of 2021.
According to Columbus Realtors, 21 percent of buyers paid all cash in 2021, increasing 5% year-over-year. In the first two months of 2022, the share of cash purchases increased to 24.3%. Home prices statewide were up 11.7% year-over-year in February while the number of homes sold rose 1% and the number of homes for sale fell 26.1%, according to Redfin. Key markets like Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus have all seen a decrease in the number of days a home stays on the market and increased investor activity.
Add in struggles with a vicious cycle of increasing rent that prevents buyers from saving for a home, and many people – particularly people of color, veterans and other underserved communities – are left feeling they'll never be able to buy a home.
"While home buyers see the increasing prices of homes as a result of decreasing inventory as a challenge to their own dream of homeownership, institutional investors see the gold mine of giving people no choice but to rent –moving equity out of these communities," said Shaival Shah, co-founder and CEO of Ribbon.
"Our goal is to make homeownership achievable for all by empowering them with the monetary and local community resources they need to create competitive offers while making the journey to homeownership easier and more enjoyable."
With a focus on building community, Ribbon gives buyers, sellers and agents the advantage of certainty and predictability. RibbonCash Offers provide a better chance to win the home than traditional cash offers because they are guaranteed to close with backing by Ribbon. Homebuyers can waive mortgage, appraisal and home sale contingencies through the power of an all cash-offer on their dream home. Ribbon holds agent and loan officer webinars weekly.
Connecting Ribbon's powerful all-cash offers with Coldwell Banker Heritage's extensive knowledge of the Ohioan community will enable everyday buyers to become a competitive force against challenging marketing conditions and an increasing investor presence.
"Part of what we love most about partnering with Ribbon is knowing how hard they work to meet each and every client's unique needs, just as our real estate agents do each and every day," said Ron Sweeney, Managing Partner of Coldwell Banker Heritage in Ohio. "Buyers get a chance to connect with someone they can meet in person and who knows the community while still being empowered with the competitive tools of a large international organization. Every aspect of this process becomes smoother for the buyer, the seller and our agents."
"Coldwell Banker Heritage was a natural fit as a partner because they funnel more than 50 years of industry knowledge down to each of their 525 agents in Ohio," said Shah. "We're pleased to work alongside their agents and create opportunities to build up the very communities they work in."
In addition to Ohio, Ribbon operates in the Midwest, South, along the East Coast, and the Great Plains, with plans to expand to half of the U.S. by the end of 2022. For more information about Ribbon, visit www.ribbonhome.com.
About Ribbon:
Founded in 2017 in New York and Charlotte, Ribbon is on a mission to make homeownership achievable. Ribbon allows everyday families to compete on a level playing field with high-net-worth individuals and institutional buyers by upgrading their offers to winning RibbonCash Offers. As the leading real estate technology platform, Ribbon empowers agents, brokerages, and lenders to create a world-class experience for home buyers and sellers through powerful financial products and digital workflow software. Visit ribbonhome.com.
About Coldwell Banker Heritage:
Coldwell Banker Heritage is locally owned and operated in Southwest Ohio and was established in 1967. They have been the number one real estate firm in the region since 1974 and supports over 500 real estate agents. To learn more about Coldwell Banker Heritage, visit ColdwellBankerIsHome.com.
The Coldwell Banker brand is the oldest and most established residential real estate franchise system in North America. In fact, in many ways it was the original real estate "start up." Founded by young entrepreneurs Colbert Coldwell in 1906 and later Benjamin Banker, Coldwell Banker changed the way people bought and sold homes across America, ultimately becoming one of the most trusted real estate brands in the world. More than 100 years later, the Coldwell Banker network is still continuously recognized for its innovation and leadership across 3,000 offices in 49 countries and territories.
Media Contact:
Charlie Ozuturk
Communications @ Ribbon
charlie.ozuturk@ribbonhome.com
732.552.5080
Media Contact:
Rachel Ennis
Coldwell Banker Heritage
rachel.ennis@coldwellbanker.com
937.789.7343
Media Contact:
BLASTmedia for Ribbon
ribbon@blastmedia.com
317.806.1900
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SOURCE Ribbon | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/07/ribbon-launches-ohio-expanding-empowerment-homebuyers-midwest/ | 2022-06-07T14:12:29Z |
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Democrats say they have secured the votes to pass major legislation called the Inflation Reduction Act after they struck a deal with Senator Kyrsten Sinema.
Senator Sinema demanded changes to the bill in exchange for her vote, forcing Democrats to cut a provision that closed a tax loophole allowing hedge fund and investment managers to pay lower taxes.
“Senator Sinema said she would not vote for the bill, not even move to proceed unless we took it out,” Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said.
But Senate Majority Leader Schumer says Democrats added a new tax on corporate stock buybacks, and a provision for a minimum corporate tax rate of 15% also remains in the package, all designed to reduce the federal deficit.
“We’re now one step closer to enacting this historic legislation into law,” Schumer said.
President Biden says the bill will fight inflation and “Will lower prescription drug costs by giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices.”
The package will also extend Affordable Care Act tax credits to avert a 25% hike in premiums.
But the bill is also about slowing climate change by spending $369 billion on renewable energy and tax credits for electric cars and other energy-saving measures.
While Democrats call the bill the Inflation Reduction Act, Republican Roger Wicker (R-MS) says that would not pass truth in labeling laws.
“This is not going to reduce inflation, what it’s going to do is tax job creators,” Wicker said.
Republicans promise to fight back in a special session of the senate this weekend.
“We’re going to do everything we can, as I have said before, to defeat this bill and we’ll be offering a lot of amendments,” Senator John Thune (R-SD) said.
While Republicans cannot stop the legislation if all Democratic senators, including Sinema, vote yes, Senator Lindsey Graham says they intend to drag out the process. | https://cw33.com/news/washington-dc-bureau/republicans-vow-to-fight-inflation-reduction-act-after-democrats-secure-votes/ | 2022-08-06T01:23:52Z |
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The Venezuelan opposition group backed by the United States will file a complaint with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for the physical attack its leader suffered over the weekend during a visit to a rural community as part of a tour meant to unite his party and allies.
Juan Guaidó on Tuesday blamed the altercation on President Nicolas Maduro, presenting photos from Saturday’s attack that he said showed associates of Venezuela’s ruling party.
“What those of us who are here are not going to do is get used to that language of hate, to the violence perpetrated by the dictatorship,” Guaidó said at a news conference. “We are not only going to denounce (the attack) in institutions today hijacked by the dictatorship, but in the corresponding international institutions.”
Venezuela’s judicial system has effectively become a branch of the executive, playing a decisive role in Venezuelan politics with a host of unfavorable sentences against critics of the socialist government.
A photo released after Satuday’s attack showed Guaidó being held back as people gather around him and someone rips his shirt off. He said at least two people were injured; one has a wrist injury and another has a concussion.
The altercation happened at a plant nursery in San Carlos, a community about 168 miles (270 kilometers) southwest of Caracas, the capital, during a gathering of opposition leaders. Guaidó is touring the country as his party and allies organize for a planned 2023 primary election.
Maduro, who on Tuesday arrived in Qatar as part of a multi-stop trip in Europe and Asia, has made no comments on the attack. Diosdado Cabello, leader of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela, on Monday suggested the attack involved members of Voluntad Popular, Guaidó’s party.
“Do not blame us. Where they pass through, they generate violence,” Cabello said referring to the opposition party. “They themselves are the ones who generate their acts of violence, their fights, and then, they want to blame the rest of Venezuela.”
The incident took place a week after Guaidó’s supporters were met by a barrage of flying plastic chairs and fisticuffs from Maduro allies in the western city of Maracaibo.
The U.S. and other nations recognize Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president. They withdrew recognition of Maduro after accusing him of rigging his 2018 re-election as president.
At the time, Guaidó drew enormous crowds of backers into the streets, but much of the momentum has evaporated.
Since Saturday, officials in the U.S. and other countries that back Guaidó have demanded that the attack on the opposition leader be investigated.
___
Associated Press writer Shaylim Valderrama contributed to this report. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/venezuelan-opposition-to-file-complaint-for-attack-on-leader/ | 2022-06-15T01:07:42Z |
The House Jan. 6 committee held a surprise hearing Tuesday delivering alarming new testimony about Donald Trump’s angry, defiant and vulgar actions as he ignored repeated warnings against summoning the mob to the Capitol and then refused to intervene to stop the deadly violence as rioters laid siege.
Witness Cassidy Hutchinson, a lesser-known former White House aide, refused to join those in Trump’s circle staying silent and provided first-hand knowledge of what she saw and heard in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection, a proximity to power that gives stunning new details in the panel’s year-long investigation.
With calm, detailed recollections, Hutchinson testified that a defiant Trump was told there were guns and other weapons in the rally crowd at the White House, but sent his supporters to the Capitol anyway and even sought to physically pry the steering wheel from his presidential motorcade driver so he could join them.
Trump was clinging to his false claims of voter fraud and refusing to concede the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden as Congress was preparing to certify the results.
Before joining the White House, Hutchinson had worked in some of the most conservative Republican offices on Capitol Hill. She was hired as special assistant to the president and promoted up as principal aide to Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Highlights from the sixth hearing:
ANGRY, DEFIANT, VULGAR TRUMP
Trump was angry and defiant on the morning of Jan. 6, as he assessed the size of the crowd for his “Stop the Steal” rally in front of the White House, upset that not everyone who had answered his summons to come to Washington could get in to see him because of the security lines.
Told that guns, knives, brass knuckles and other weapons were being confiscated from the security screenings, Trump didn’t care. “They’re not here to hurt me,” the president said. He wanted to take away the magnetometer stations to allow more people inside the grounds, regardless of their weaponry.
“Take the effing mags away,” an agitated Trump ordered security personnel moments before taking the stage, Hutchinson recalled.
WHITE HOUSE LAWYERS WORRY OF CRIMES
Trump’s lawyers at the White House were trying to tamp down the president’s speech to the crowd he had summoned for Jan. 6, and they were trying to stop his plans to go to the Capitol that day when Congress would be certifying the election results for Biden’s victory.
Hutchinson testified that lawyer Eric Herschmann said it “would be foolish” to include some of the language the defeated president wanted to add to his speech — comments like fighting for Trump, or him telling the crowd “I’ll be there with you.” Herschmann warned such language shouldn’t be included for legal concerns and because of the optics it would portray.
That language ultimately was used by Trump as he rallied the crowd to “fight like hell” and promised he would join them at the Capitol.
Days before Jan. 6, White House counsel Pat Cipollone suggested there were “serious legal concerns” if Trump went to the Capitol with the crowd, Hutchinson recalled.
“We need to make sure this doesn’t happen,” she recalled Cipollone saying in the run-up to the rally.
The morning of Jan. 6, Cipollone restated his concerns that if Trump did go to the Capitol to intervene in the certification of the election, “We’re going to get charged with every crime imaginable.”
Hutchinson then described what happened after the rally as Trump climbed into the presidential SUV, as relayed to her later by Trump’s deputy chief of staff for operations, Tony Ornato.
Trump, inside the vehicle, tried to pry the steering wheel away from the driver, Bobby Engel, demanding to be taken to the Capitol.
Told to take his hand off the wheel, “Mr. Trump then used his free hand to lunge toward Bobby Engel,” Hutchinson said holding her left hand to her throat to indicate what Trump did.
Engel was in the room as Ornato relayed the encounter and did not dispute it, she said.
PROXIMITY TO POWER, AND KETCHUP
The hearing opened with a calm, even-spoken Hutchinson explaining her job responsibilities advising Meadows, often handling his cell phones, as the committee showed an architectural rendering of the layout of the West Wing.
Hutchinson’s office was situated between the Oval Office on one side and Meadow’s office at the end of the hall on the other. Hers was also next to that of the vice president’s staff.
She had an upfront view of conversations across the offices and beyond.
Hutchinson described fielding a desperate phone call as she stood backstage at Trump’s rally that day from House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, who was upset that Trump had sent the crowd to the Capitol when she had promised they would not go.
She also told of helping the White House staff mop up ketchup off the walls of the Oval Office dining room after Trump, learning that his attorney general, William Barr, told The Associated Press there was no fraud on a scale to tip the presidential election, apparently hurled a plate of food at the wall.
In one gripping scene Hutchinson recalled walking with Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani out of the White House when he asked if she was “excited about the 6th.”
“We’re going to the Capitol, it’s going to be great, the president’s going to be there, he’s going to look powerful,” she recalled Giuliani saying.
When she returned inside and told Meadows of that conversation, he told her a lot was going on.
“Things might get real, real bad,” Meadows told her, she recalled.
‘HANG MIKE PENCE’; TRUMP TWEETS
As the mob laid siege to the Capitol, lawyers and some others at the White House wanted Trump to do something to quell the mounting violence.
A makeshift gallows had been erected on the National Mall, as rioters roamed the halls searching for congressional leaders and taunting “Hang Mike Pence.” The House and Senate had abruptly halted the proceedings, lawmakers whisked to undisclosed locations for safety.
Hutchinson recalled the conversations inside the Oval Office as she brought Meadows a phone call and later as the White House lawyers implored the chief of staff to get Trump to act.
“You heard it,” Meadows told Cipollone, she recalled. “He thinks Mike deserves it. He doesn’t think they’re doing anything wrong.”
Trump then tweeted in the midst of the siege that Pence didn’t have the courage to do what he wanted — reject the electors from the battleground states, stopping Biden’s election. Hutchinson described the wave of sadness that hit her.
“As a staffer that works always to represent the administration to the best of my ability to showcase the good things he had done for the country, I remember feeling frustrated, disappointed … I was really sad,” she testified.
“As an American, I was disgusted. It was unpatriotic. It was un-American. We were watching the Capitol building get defaced over a lie.”
PARDONS, 25TH AMENDMENT
Hutchinson described the thinking at the White House that day as falling into three groups — those who wanted Trump to take action, others toeing the line knowing Trump didn’t want to call off the rioters, and a “deflect and blame” group who tried to pin the violence on non-Trump supporters.
Meadows, she said, was in the deflect-and-blame category, but eventually took a more neutral stance.
She had recalled how on the eve of Jan. 6, Meadows wanted to join Giuliani and other Trump allies who had arranged a “war room” at the Willard Hotel to fight for his presidency. She advised her boss she didn’t think it was appropriate for the White House or its chief of staff to be involved.
Those closest to Trump, including his daughter Ivanka Trump and son, Don, Jr., were imploring staff to have the president take action to curb the violence, the committee has said.
The committee produced evidence that Cabinet secretaries were considering invoking the Constitution’s 25th amendment, which has never been used, to remove the president from office.
Trump was finally convinced to deliver a speech the next day trying to calm the nation.
But Trump also tried unsuccessfully to add to his speech that those involved would be pardoned by him for their actions to avoid criminal prosecution.
Asked if Giuliani was interested in a presidential pardon related to Jan. 6, Hutchinson said he was.
And Meadows? “Mr. Meadows did seek that pardon,” she testified of her former boss.
A person familiar with the matter denied that Meadows had ever sought a pardon.
‘WE ARE ALL IN HER DEBT’
The Jan. 6 committee was not expected to meet again until July, but called Tuesday’s surprise hearing to receive Hutchinson’s testimony.
Chairman Bennie Thompson and vice-chair Liz Cheney both said it was not easy for the former staffer to come forward, noting that many others have defied the panel’s request for information.
“We are all in her debt,” said Cheney, R-Wyo.
Cheney then laid out in chilling detail the kinds of calls and messages some witnesses have told the committee they received before testifying — implying a potential form of witness tampering Cheney said is of serious concern.
One witness said they were told as long as they continued to be “a team player” they could remain in Trump world’s good graces. They were reminded that Trump does read transcripts.
Another witness received a call from someone who said a person was aware they were having their deposition the next day and “he wants me to let you know he’s thinking about you, he knows you’re loyal, you’re going to do the right thing.”
Said Cheney: “I think most Americans know that attempting to influence witnesses to testify untruthfully presents very serious concerns.”
The panel does not have the power to charge Trump with any crimes, but the Justice Department is closely watching the proceedings as its own investigation intensifies.
Trump decried Hutchinson’s testimony on social media, saying: “A Total Phony!!!”
Thompson, D-Miss., said the committee’s work will continue and he encouraged others to step forward.
“If you heard this testimony today and suddenly remember things you couldn’t previously recall or there are some details you would like to clarify … Our doors remain open,” he said.
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Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri, Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Nomaan Merchant contributed to this report. | https://cw33.com/news/politics/ap-politics/1-6-takeaways-angry-trump-dire-legal-warnings-and-ketchup/ | 2022-06-29T02:42:51Z |
The longstanding relationship is bolstered with investment in futureproof technology that will enable flexibility and agility in service delivery across the Middle East and Africa
HERNDON, Va., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ST Engineering iDirect, a global leader in satellite communications, has today signed a multi-million dollar contract with leading regional satellite operator, Türksat, for the ground systems required to run a variety of services over the Türksat 5B satellite. ST Engineering iDirect will provide multiple Dialog® XIF hubs and 5,000 remotes, enabling Türksat to augment services to various markets including government, enterprise, mobility and cellular backhaul across 30 beams, providing the best connectivity experience from low data rates all the way to very large throughputs of over 1 Gbps for the most demanding applications.
The new installations will ensure that Türksat can run its satellite networks more efficiently, easily and rapidly adapt their existing networks or build new ones through ST Engineering iDirect's Network Management System (NMS) that allows services, capacity, terminals and beams to be scaled in an instant, fully automated and orchestrated way. Based on the latest DVB-S2X technology and Mx-DMA® MRC technology, Türksat can also maximize the benefits of the powerful 5B HTS by leveraging the highest efficiencies and throughputs of the DVB-S2X waveform as well as optimize the return link with Mx-DMA MRC. Both platform and remotes can provide the flexibility, multi-service capability and scalability to cater to Türksat's HTS business today and as it expands in the future.
"The latest satellite of our fleet, Türksat 5B, will greatly increase our current coverage and bandwidth over Ka HTS," said Selman Demirel, Vice President of Satellite Operations at Türksat. "This will enable Türksat to extend broadband services over many regions including Middle East, Africa, as well as major maritime and airtime routes. The partnership with ST Engineering iDirect in this expansion is very important for Türksat to provide seamless, cost-effective and flexible services to current and prospective customer needs in a very broad and rapidly improving market. The Dialog XIF Hub with flexibility, multi-service capability and scalability will be a key asset for Türksat for these active markets. Therefore, we truly appreciate this new contract to strengthen our strategic partnership."
"We are thrilled that our technology has once again been selected by Türksat to enable their expanding operations," said Tajani Bouqentar, Vice President, Middle East, ST Engineering iDirect. "The selection of our Dialog platform means that Türksat now operates their services over our full hub portfolio. With the multi-service, futureproof nature of the Dialog hub platform and modem portfolio, Türksat can accommodate current and future business opportunities by providing the flexibility, multi-service capability and scalability required. We are dedicated to enabling Türksat's business development and supporting them as their capabilities evolve."
Launched in December 2021, the Türksat 5B satellite provides data communication and broadcasting services over a wide coverage area that reaches the entire Middle East, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, North Africa, East Africa, South Africa and Nigeria. It also provides customized services to airlines and commercial ship operators around the world via its Ka-band beams. Commencement of the new services is expected in Q3 2022.
For more information about ST Engineering iDirect, please visit: https://www.idirect.net/
ST Engineering iDirect, a subsidiary of ST Engineering, is a global leader in satellite communications (satcom) providing technology and solutions that enable its customers to expand their business, differentiate their services and optimize their satcom networks. Through the merger with Newtec, a recognized industry pioneer, the combined business unites over 35 years of innovation focused on solving satellite's most critical economic and technology challenges and expands a shared commitment to shaping the future of how the world connects. The product portfolio, branded under the names iDirect and Newtec, represents the highest standards in performance, efficiency and reliability, making it possible for its customers to deliver the best satcom connectivity experience anywhere in the world. ST Engineering iDirect is the world's largest TDMA enterprise VSAT manufacturer and is the leader in key industries including broadcast, mobility and military/government. In 2007, iDirect Government was formed to better serve the U.S. government and defense communities. For more information on our platforms please visit www.idirect.net.
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SOURCE ST Engineering iDirect | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/st-engineering-idirect-trksat-strengthen-strategic-partnership-with-contract-provision-ground-systems-trksat-5b/ | 2022-08-23T08:24:53Z |
WORLD LEADERS IN SCIENCE, HEALTHCARE, ACADEMIA, BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT DISCUSS ISSUES AND RAMIFICATIONS OF LONG COVID
BALTIMORE, July 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Virus Network (GVN), a coalition of world leading medical virology research centers, yesterday concluded a two-day gathering on the 'Science of Long COVID.' The first-of-its-kind conference reviewed the wealth of cohort data on long COVID, constructed a framework to characterize and define the conditions, and identified the most critical and urgent areas of research needed to better understand, diagnose, and treat this developing public health crisis.
"There is no doubt that long COVID has proven to be as nightmarish as we feared, but what we heard over the past two days reassured us that our colleagues from the global scientific community are ready to come together to rise to the challenge. To do that effectively, the scientists of the GVN and those who participated in the conference call upon governments, foundations, and other institutions worldwide to commit the billions of research dollars required to address the catastrophe of long COVID," said Prof. Christian Bréchot, M.D., Ph.D., GVN President and Associate Vice President for International Partnerships and Innovation at the University of South Florida.
Across the globe, nearly half of COVID-19 survivors struggle with persistent symptoms four months or more after diagnosis and are colloquially referred to as long COVID or long haulers. Conference speakers from around the world focused on the vast public health implications of this highly prevalent condition. During the proceedings, they outlined approaches to and research of this complex phenomenon that has already cost Americans alone an estimated $50 billion annually in lost income, a data point that could translate to $200 billion or more of lost income around the globe.
"The prevalence of long COVID is staggering," said Robert Gallo, M.D., Co-founder and Scientific Chair of the GVN and Director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "Two years into the pandemic, we have concrete and irrefutable proof from cohort studies following individuals as they experience a litany of symptoms—memory problems, relentless fatigue, difficulty breathing, cardiac concerns, insomnia and more. What we lacked, and what this conference achieved, is a data-driven and scientific baseline that helps scientific, policymaking and healthcare stakeholders to understand and approach the underlying aspects of long COVID and consequently arrive at a global research framework."
As part of the process to establish a global research framework, the conference presented key scientific and clinical evidence on long COVID's far-ranging global impact:
- 243 million long COVID cases worldwide with a disproportionate burden affecting females (49% versus 37% for men); continental differences (Asia 51% of COVID cases becoming long COVID, Europe 44%, U.S. 31%); and lasting elevated risk levels among long COVID survivors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
- Striking clinical parallels exist between "COVID-fog" and "chemo-fog," with the whole-body inflammation in both causing changes to brain circuitry and cognitive impairment. Different cytokines—immune hormones that affect immune and other cells—may be promising biomarkers, and even therapeutic targets, to measure long COVID's effects in the body and ameliorate long COVID disease.
- 30-50% of long haulers report breathlessness and 10-20% report cough. More severe lingering effects of long COVID on the respiratory system include damage and scarring of lung tissue. These changes are not necessarily predicted by the severity of the disease or whether a patient was hospitalized. Vaccination has reduced the numbers of individuals with long COVID respiratory disease, while new COVID variants show milder effects.
- Risk factors for long COVID include Type 2 Diabetes, SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia, Epstein-Barr virus viremia, microclots, protein misfolding, and both pre-existing and disease-specific autoimmunity. These associations are most detectable at the time of diagnosis, emphasizing the need for early disease measurements to advance understanding.
"Despite the fact that enormous numbers of people are suffering from persistent symptoms after recovering from Covid, it's been very difficult to define a syndrome to even start to consider how to make a difference. The conference was a great chance to bring together scientists and clinicians to brainstorm about the best future approaches, "said Eric Rubin, M.D., Ph.D., Editor in Chief, New England Journal of Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The GVN is committed to fostering true collaboration among virologists, medical specialists, governments, and non-governmental organizations alike to combat long COVID's critical threat to international health. The conference wrapped up with a call to action for governments and funding agencies to allocate resources to strengthen scientific training and response mechanisms across these priority focus areas:
- Conduct large scale data analysis on existing cohort studies. Bring the scientific community together to share insights and use artificial intelligence to advance understanding.
- Acknowledge the effect of time. Research cannot be relegated to studying the effects of ancestral strains of the virus prior to the availability of vaccines. We need diverse samples from patients infected by all subvariants, segmented by whether or not they were vaccinated and whether or not they had prior infection.
- Transition to interventional clinical trials. A substantial amount of observational data exists on long COVID, documenting an effect on different organ systems in varying degrees of severity for a range of times. We now must move to understand the risks and benefits of treatment within those ranges of time and the best biomarkers to track them. We will need innovative trial designs to move swiftly from early phase studies to large scale clinical trials.
- Linkage of people living with Long COVID to research activities. We recognize the desperation and frustration of people living with Long COVID and echo their calls for urgent investment in scientific and clinical research so that we can inform the design of much-needed clinical services, identify better diagnostic tests as well as optimal models of care, and discover treatment options for Long COVID.
The GVN and the leads of its long COVID Task Force agree that long COVID is an opportunity to create a cohesive, global public health response unlike any other historical effort. To better arm policymakers and decision-makers in prioritizing funding for research and interventions, we've mapped out in a clinical framework assessing how the virus preys on pre-existing conditions and interacts with our biological mechanisms, resulting in clinical manifestations. More than 243 million people worldwide have or had long COVID. The scientific pursuit of solutions will require adequate funding and a continued commitment to information sharing, which is why the GVN commits to convening regular global conferences to continue this urgent discussion.
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is essential and critical in the preparedness, defense and first research response to emerging, existing and unidentified viruses that pose a clear and present threat to public health, working in close coordination with established national and international institutions. It is a coalition comprised of eminent human and animal virologists from 69 Centers of Excellence and 11 Affiliates in 37 countries worldwide, working collaboratively to train the next generation, advance knowledge about how to identify and diagnose pandemic viruses, mitigate and control how such viruses spread and make us sick, as well as develop drugs, vaccines, and treatments to combat them.
No single institution in the world has expertise in all viral areas other than the GVN, which brings together the finest medical virologists to leverage their individual expertise and coalesce global teams of specialists on the scientific challenges, issues and problems posed by pandemic viruses. The GVN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visit www.gvn.org. Follow us on Twitter @GlobalVirusNews
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SOURCE Global Virus Network | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/22/global-virus-network-gvn-convenes-first-of-its-kind-conference-evaluate-public-health-magnitude-long-covid-define-global-research-roadmap-address-crisis/ | 2022-07-22T13:16:52Z |
Britney Spears marries Sam Asghari in California
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears has married her longtime partner Sam Asghari at a Southern California ceremony that came months after the pop superstar won her freedom from a court conservatorship.
Asghari’s representative Brandon Cohen confirmed the couple’s nuptials. He said: “I am very ecstatic this day has come, and they are married. I know he wanted this for so long. He is so caring and supportive every step of the way.”
The wedding happened nine months after the pair were engaged and nearly seven months after Spears’ conservatorship ended. While seeking an end to the court case that controlled many aspects of her life, Spears expressed her desire to marry Asghari and have children.
Spears got pregnant earlier this year, but experienced a miscarriage in March.
The couple met on the set of the “Slumber Party” music video in 2016.
The wedding day was not without unexpected drama — Spears’ first husband was arrested after attempting to crash their wedding.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Capt. Cameron Henderson said officers responded to a trespassing call after 2 p.m. Thursday. He says the pop singer’s first husband, Jason Alexander, was detained at the site of the ceremony.
Henderson says Alexander was arrested after officers noticed he had a warrant for his arrest in another county.
Alexander went on his Instagram live when he approached the event security. In what appeared to be a mostly empty but decorated room, he told them Spears invited him.
“She’s my first wife, my only wife,” said Alexander, who was briefly married to Spears — his childhood friend — in 2014. Their marriage lasted only 55 hours.
Spears was previously married to Kevin Federline, with whom she shares two sons, ages 14 and 15.
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AP Entertainment Writer Ryan Pearson contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/06/10/britney-spears-marries-sam-asghari-california/ | 2022-06-10T05:24:01Z |
The community center strives to grow its legacy of youth-led activism through access and opportunities for children in New York City and across the nation
NEW YORK, April 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, New York-based nonprofit youth development and social justice organization The Brotherhood Sister Sol (BroSis) is proud to announce the opening of their new headquarters in Harlem. After a decade of planning, The Brotherhood Sister Sol welcomes youth members and staff into their new state of the art facility which will serve as a hub for ideating policies that positively impact society. Thoughtfully designed by Urban Architectural Initiatives, this center will further carry out BroSis' mission and allow young people to grow, be affirmed, and claim their identity and voice.
"We are so excited to have completed our new home – a true beacon for our community, a space that will allow us to expand our work in the intersectional areas of educating, organizing and training and a building that will be a model for the nation," said Khary Lazarre-White, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Brotherhood Sister Sol. "The construction effort has been a very difficult and involved process – the journey has been a long one and we celebrate its completion. This new center for our work is seven floors of space, 22,000 square feet, a temple for our mission - an educational, contemplative, protective and practical home."
For more than 25 years, The Brotherhood Sister Sol has been at the forefront of social justice, educating, training and organizing to challenge inequality and champion opportunity for all. With a focus on Black and Latinx youth, BroSis is where young people own the power of their history, identity and community to create the future they want to see. The opening of this new 22,000 square foot capital project provides critical support to one of the leading citywide youth development organizations in New York City.
"The Brotherhood Sister Sol is one of the most unique youth development organizations in the country," said Harry Belafonte, artist and humanitarian. "I know their work well and they teach young people to become social change makers, activists, artists, and to succeed in life. Their work is transformational and their new building in Harlem will allow for the further development of an essential institution that works every day for equity, equality, and opportunity."
Designed by MWBE architectural firm Urban Architectural Initiatives, constructed by a joint partnership between Racanelli Construction and APEX Building Group, also an MWBE, and with the owner's representative Gilbane Building Company, this new building serves as a national model for youth development.
"The new center was designed to promote BroSis' mission in creating positive environments where kids can grow, be affirmed, and develop a sense of belonging," said Anthony K. Shitemi, Urban Architectural Initiatives Principal. "From the floor to the ceiling, every square foot of the center was thoughtfully conceptualized for maximum use. The most important aspect of the new Center is less the objects that fill it, more the formed space in which a multitude of activities will take place and in which young lives will take shape."
The Brotherhood Sister Sol's headquarters is reserved exclusively for community educational use to support its ongoing mission. The space includes a variety of thoughtful elements aimed to support youth development, including a double-height play area and half-court basketball court located on the roof, a greenhouse, and spaces for meditation, arts, counseling, reflection, group meetings, and presentations. An ultramodern space for the community, the new building also reuses bricks and terracotta from its former building, in an ode to Harlem's historic architecture.
"The Brotherhood Sister Sol provides critically-needed space for young individuals to learn, organize, and grow, and we are proud to have played a role in building this center to help continue that tradition," said Brennan Gilbane Koch, Director of Client Relations, Gilbane Building Company. "The BroSis mission of cultivating the next generation of thoughtful, passionate, and forward-thinking leaders dovetails with Gilbane's own values of integrity, caring, and, above all, dedication to excellence. We look forward to the new headquarters serving as a hub for championing equity, inclusion, and opportunity for our young people."
"We are so proud to have been part of such an exciting endeavor and historic moment for The Brotherhood Sister Sol. From the onset, this was not just another construction project for us, we knew what it was going to mean for the community," said Robert Horsford, President of Apex Building Company and Nicholas Racanelli, President of Racanelli Construction. "Everyone involved poured their hearts and souls into bringing this to a successful conclusion. Despite its unique challenges, the building's visionary design elements and quality construction will stand the test of time and have a huge impact on all those who enter it. Congratulations to everyone involved in making this dream come true!"
BroSis' ongoing mission includes holistic and long-term support services to youth who range in ages eight to twenty-two that include educational support, long-term mentorship, addressing food insecurity, mental healthcare, financial assistance, and more. This building provides an expanded space to accommodate the growing demand of the organization's services both for the local community and on a national scale.
"The Brotherhood Sister Sol has supported, uplifted, and empowered young New Yorkers for more than a quarter century," said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "Finally, they can do that essential work in their new headquarters — a space that I'm sure will quickly become a community hub for growth, education, sport, and all types of youth development. BroSis has become an essential and integral part of Harlem and New York City, and this space is worthy of their vital work."
"Congratulations on your new home, Brotherhood Sister Sol! This new facility will allow you to continue the crucial work of creating a safe space for inspiration and growth for our city's youth," said Brad Lander, NYC Comptroller. "Your decades-long work of uplifting and empowering youth of color has built lasting relationships and helped thousands of young people become the best version of themselves. I wish you continued success and look forward to our ongoing partnership."
"The Brotherhood Sister Sol is a brilliant institution, and I'm thrilled their new home reflects the light and power they bring to the community," said Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President. "For generations to come, this space will provide critical support services and a sense of belonging to Upper Manhattan's youth. Countless lives will be transformed here."
The organization's wrap-around programming provides four to six-year rites of passage programming, after school care, school and home counseling, summer camps, job training, college preparation, employment opportunities, community organizing training, and urban gardening. Since the onset of the pandemic, The Brotherhood Sister Sol has additionally addressed food insecurity and distributed over 1,000,000 meals to youth members and the surrounding community through 100 weekly food distributions. The new headquarters location will further support the organization's ongoing efforts in supporting youth and the rising generation.
"In October of 2018, I joined Khary Lazarre-White, Jason Warwin, colleagues, and community members to break ground on the new home for The Brotherhood Sister Sol, and supported construction with allocations from the Borough President's office," said Gale A. Brewer, New York City Council Member. "BroSis has an incredible track record of empowering youth and the quality of their service to young people is unmatched. I am delighted to see the new space open, and look forward to continuing my work with the organization to impact meaningful change."
"Summer and afterschool enrichment programs like those offered by The Brotherhood Sister Sol changed my life when I was growing up – they helped me succeed in school, exposed me to new ideas, and provided mentorship and opportunity," said Shaun Abreu, New York City Council Member. "I couldn't be happier for the kids who will come to the new BroSis space to learn, have fun, and grow into the future leaders they are meant to be."
"Today marks a new chapter for The Brotherhood Sister Sol and the social justice movement in NYC and beyond. Rooted in the Northern Manhattan community, BroSis' new home is a beacon for what dignified, holistic, and transformative spaces should be for our youth," said Carmen De La Rosa, New York City Council Member. "I congratulate BroSis on their many years of success and the grand opening of their historic new building. As the Councilmember for District 10, I look forward to working together to ensure Black and Latinx young people are able to thrive in their communities and in their own lives."
For more information, please visit https://brotherhood-sistersol.org/ and follow The Brotherhood Sister Sol on social media @BroSis512.
For over 25 years, the Brotherhood Sister Sol (BroSis) has been at the forefront of social justice, educating, training and organizing to challenge inequality and champion opportunity for all. With a focus on Black and Latinx youth, BroSis is where young people own the power of their history, identity and community to create the future they want to see. Through around-the-clock supports, wraparound programming and far-reaching opportunities, BroSis makes space for young people to transform their lives and their communities. By training educators across the nation and around the world and organizing a community of change agents, BroSis builds on its legacy of youth-led activism to realize a more just and equitable future.
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SOURCE The Brotherhood Sister Sol | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/08/nonprofit-organization-brotherhood-sister-sol-opens-new-state-art-headquarters-harlem/ | 2022-04-08T14:41:21Z |
Small Batch Premium Tulchan Gin™ Hails From Scotland
NEW YORK, July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stoli Group, the leading global ultra-premium spirits and wine company, announced the official global launch of their super-premium gin from Scotland. Taking its name from Tulchan Estate in Scotland, Tulchan Gin™ is a small batch gin distilled in Speyside, with flavors inspired by the terroir of the Estate located on the banks of the River Spey.
"We are delighted to bring a slice of our wondrous estate to your glass," commented Damian McKinney, CEO of Stoli Group, in making the announcement. "Distilled in Speyside, in the heart of whisky country, we're looking forward to introducing Tulchan Gin to whisky drinkers as well as gin lovers throughout the world."
Born on one of the most admired estates in Scotland, Tulchan Gin™ is inspired by its natural surroundings with botanicals including sloe berries, elderflower and blackberry leaves which are found on the Tulchan Estate. One unusual botanical is asparagus, which provides the gin with a bitter edge and unusually long finish. The distillation takes place in Speyside using the Estate's recipe.
Tulchan Gin™ is presented in a luxury embossed blue glass bottle with the official Tulchan estate tartan running down the side, reflecting the gin's Scottish heritage. The label on the front of the bottle includes an illustration of the Estate mascot The Grouse Piper playing the bagpipes and the wooden cork stopper has a Scottish thistle stamp. Tulchan Gin™ is a full bodied, juniper forward London Dry gin elevated with the Scottish botanicals that shine through
Tulchan Gin™ is part of the Stoli Group portfolio of spirits brands and is distributed in the UK by Indie Brands, part of Amber Beverage UK and distributed globally through the Stoli Group. Tom Jones, Ultra Premium Spirits Ambassador, will be working with trade accounts and retailers to support the launch of the brand in the UK and around the world. Tom is based in Scotland and is a regular visitor to Tulchan Estate.
Tulchan Gin™ will be available initially in the UK and US and will be rolling out to Latin America, the Caribbean, Panama, the Dominican Republic in 2022. Next year Tulchan Gin's distribution will expand to include Italy, Kenya, South Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Style: fresh, crisp and smooth
Nose: floral and gentle juniper
Taste: herbal juniper,sweet blend of candied citrus peel, resin, cardamom, liquorice and coriander
Finish: medium in length with kumquat and lemon curd tones
Tulchan Tonic
50 ml Tulchan Gin™ | 100 ml Fever Tree Tonic
RRP: from £39.99 for a 70cl bottle. ABV: 45%
Website: www.tulchangin.com
Instagram: @tulchangin
Tulchan Estate is located in East Scotland in the heart of Speyside, an area famous some of the world's best Scotch whiskies. The Victorian hunting lodge has played host to many royal guests, reflecting its reputation as one of the leading sporting estates in Scotland. Surrounded by 22,000 acres of moors, lakes and valleys, Tulchan Estate captures the essence of Scotland itself, as does the gin that carries its name.
Stoli® Group was established in 2013 and is responsible for the production, management, and distribution of a global spirits and wines portfolio. Mainly known for the Stoli® Vodka brand, Stoli Group has expanded to appeal to luxury on-premise and more sophisticated global consumers. Signature brands are: Stoli® Vodka, elit™Vodka, Bayou® Rum, Kentucky Owl™, Villa One™, Gator Bite™ Rum Liqueurs, Cenote™ Tequila, Tulchan Gin™, Se Busca™ Mezcal and Stoli Group's wine division, Tenute del Mondo®. With a presence across a network of more than 176 markets, Stoli Group works with a passionate team of 200 distributors around the world. Headquartered in Luxembourg, Stoli has production facilities in Spain, Italy, Argentina, and the United States, some of which are steeped in history dating back to the early part of the last century. For more information, visit stoli-group.com.
For trade sales enquiries please contact: sales@amberbev.com
For further information or hi res images, please contact Charlotte Edwards or Rebecca Tudor at MPR Communications:
charlotte@mprcommunications.co.uk +44 7811070711
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SOURCE Stoli Group | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/28/stoli-launches-tulchan-gin-worldwide/ | 2022-07-28T13:08:28Z |
Man arrested after teenage girl hit by propeller after going overboard on boat
Published: Jul. 5, 2022 at 10:14 AM CDT|Updated: 50 minutes ago
LIVINGSTON PARISH, La. (WAFB/Gray News) – A teenage girl was killed Monday after falling off a pontoon boat into the Blind River.
According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Madison Bradley, 17, and another male passenger were riding on the bow of the boat in front of the protective rail when they hit a wake from a passing vessel.
Both Bradley and the man were knocked into the water.
Authorities say Bradley did not resurface and suffered severe propeller strikes.
The man had minor injuries and should be OK.
The boat operator was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide, driving a vessel while impaired and reckless operation of a vessel.
Copyright 2022 WAFB via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/07/05/man-arrested-after-teenage-girl-hit-by-propeller-after-going-overboard-boat/ | 2022-07-05T16:06:36Z |
The all-oral, once-daily combination regimen also demonstrates the potential of immune restoration in this patient population
VIENNA, June 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson today announced new and updated results from the Phase 2 CAPTIVATE study evaluating IMBRUVICA® (ibrutinib) in combination with venetoclax (I+V) as a potential fixed-duration (FD) treatment in adult patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). Updated data from the FD cohort with three years of follow-up shows that I+V continues to demonstrate deep and durable responses and clinically meaningful progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in the first-line treatment setting. New data will be presented from the minimal residual disease (MRD) cohort, which suggests immune restoration with this combination. These data will be presented during the 2022 European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Congress taking place in Vienna, Austria June 9-12 (Abstracts #S144 and #P669).
"These promising data highlight the complementary mechanism of action between ibrutinib and venetoclax in a fixed-duration combination regimen," said Carol Moreno, M.D., Ph.D., Consultant Hematologist, Hospital de la Santa Creu Sant Pau, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, and study investigator.† "The CAPTIVATE study suggests that this combination may have the potential to provide treatment-free remissions for patients and effectively eradicate CLL cells and help to restore normal B cells to healthy donor levels in patients with previously untreated CLL/SLL."
The Phase 2 CAPTIVATE (PCYC-1142) study (NCT02910583) – sponsored by Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company, and Janssen Biotech, Inc. – enrolled 323 patients with previously untreated CLL/SLL who were younger than 70 years, including patients with high-risk disease, in two cohorts: an FD cohort where all patients stopped therapy after 12 cycles of the combination, regardless of MRD status; and an MRD-guided cohort where treatment duration was guided by the patients' MRD status after 12 cycles of I+V combination (patients who met criteria for confirmed undetectable minimal residual disease [uMRD] were randomized 1:1 to placebo or IMBRUVICA®; patients who did not meet uMRD criteria were randomized to IMBRUVICA® or I+V).1,2
Three-Year Follow-Up Data from the FD Cohort of the Phase 2 CAPTIVATE (PCYC-1142) Study of IMBRUVICA®-Based Combination Regimen in Previously Untreated Patients with CLL/SLL (Abstract #P669)1
After an additional year of follow-up data from the FD cohort of CAPTIVATE, I+V continues to demonstrate deep, durable responses and clinically meaningful PFS, including in patients with del(17p)/TP53 mutated or unmutated immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (IGHV).1 The clinical data underscore the distinct and complementary modes of action of IMBRUVICA® and venetoclax (a BCL-2 inhibitor).1 IMBRUVICA® has been shown to mobilize CLL cells out of lymph nodes and other lymphoid niches and into peripheral blood where they are more susceptible to venetoclax-induced apoptosis, eliminating dividing and resting CLL cells.1
Key findings from the Phase 2 CAPTIVATE FD cohort study include:
- At a median follow-up of 38.7 months, the 36-month PFS rate was 88 percent for all treated patients, 80 percent for patients with del(17p)/TP53 mutated and 86 percent for unmutated IGHV patients (95 percent Confidence Interval [CI]).1
- With an additional year of follow-up, no additional OS events occurred. The 36-month OS rate was 98 percent, overall (95 percent CI).1
- The complete response (CR) rate was 57 percent (n=159; 95 percent CI, 50-65) and consistent across high-risk subgroups.1
- Median duration of CR was not reached (n=91); the 24-month landmark estimate for duration of CR was 94 percent. Median duration of response was not reached for responding patients (n=153).1
- Seventy-nine percent of patients (n=125) achieved undetectable uMRD at any time in the peripheral blood (PB) and/or bone marrow.1
- Of patients with uMRD in PB at three months posttreatment, 78 percent (66/85) of evaluable patients maintained uMRD through 12 months posttreatment.1
- All patients are currently off treatment.1 Frequently occurring treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) (period from first dose until 30 days after the last dose of study treatment) were primarily Grade 1/2 in severity with the exception of neutropenia.1 Median time to onset of frequently occurring TEAEs generally occurred within four months (87-100 percent).1 The median time to resolution or improvement ranged from 16.5 days (diarrhea) to 42.5 days (arthralgia).1 No new serious adverse events or secondary malignancies have been reported since the primary analysis.1
- Twelve patients who progressed after FD treatment with I+V have been retreated with single-agent IMBRUVICA®; 11 of the 12 patients were evaluable for response, with 10 responding.1
New Data from the MRD-Guided Cohort of the Phase 2 CAPTIVATE (PCYC-1142) Study of IMBRUVICA®-Based Combination Regimen Evaluating Immune Restoration in Previously Untreated Patients with CLL/SLL (Abstract #S144)2
Data on the changes over time in the cellular immune profile in patients with CLL/SLL treated with the I+V combination and age-matched healthy donors were featured in an oral presentation at EHA. The FD regimen of I+V in the confirmed uMRD placebo arm effectively eradicated CLL cells to healthy donor levels and enabled sustained regeneration of normal B cell counts.2
Immune restoration was evaluated in 79 previously untreated patients with CLL/SLL enrolled in the MRD cohort by monitoring changes over time in the cellular immune profile of patients treated with I+V combination regimen and compared to 20 age-matched healthy donors.2
Key findings from this analysis include:
- Patients with confirmed uMRD (n=40) had a significantly more pronounced decrease in circulating CLL cell count than patients with uMRD not confirmed (n=39).2
- From Cycle 16 – 29, patients with Confirmed uMRD (n=40) had cell counts similar to those of healthy donors (≤0.8 cell/μL).2
- Normalization of critical immune cells, including T-cell subsets, classical monocytes, and dendritic cell counts was observed in this population.2
"These new clinical and immune results from the CAPTIVATE study add further evidence of the promise of IMBRUVICA in a fixed-duration regimen for previously untreated CLL patients," said Craig Tendler, M.D., Vice President, Late Development and Global Medical Affairs, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. "IMBRUVICA has become a standard of care in CLL treatment, and we continue to explore novel combinations such as I+V which may offer the option of off-treatment, disease-free intervals for patients with B-cell malignancies."
The CAPTIVATE study is part of a comprehensive development program exploring the potential of IMBRUVICA®-based FD therapy. Janssen continues to evaluate the I+V combination regimen and its potential to provide a FD treatment option for patients living with CLL/SLL. Recently, The New England Journal of Medicine Evidence published the primary analysis from the Phase 3 GLOW study, which evaluated the safety and efficacy of the I+V combination in older or unfit patients with CLL/SLL, and showed that the combination demonstrated superior PFS and deeper sustained responses compared to chemoimmunotherapy in first-line CLL.3
About IMBRUVICA®
IMBRUVICA® (ibrutinib) is a once-daily oral medication that is jointly developed and commercialized by Janssen Biotech, Inc. and Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie company. IMBRUVICA® blocks the Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) protein, which is needed by normal and abnormal B cells, including specific cancer cells, to multiply and spread. By blocking BTK, IMBRUVICA® may help move abnormal B cells out of their nourishing environments and inhibits their proliferation.4,5,6
IMBRUVICA® is approved in more than 100 countries and has been used to treat more than 250,000 patients worldwide. There are more than 50 company-sponsored clinical trials, including 18 Phase 3 studies, over 11 years evaluating the efficacy and safety of IMBRUVICA®.
IMBRUVICA® was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2013, and today is indicated for adult patients in six disease areas, including five hematologic cancers. These include indications to treat adults with CLL/SLL with or without 17p deletion (del17p), and adults with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM), and adult patients with previously treated mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)*, as well as to treat adult patients with previously treated marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) who require systemic therapy and have received at least one prior anti-CD20-based therapy*, and adult patients with previously treated chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after failure of one or more lines of systemic therapy.7
*Accelerated approval was granted for MCL and MZL based on overall response rate. Continued approval for MCL and MZL may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.
Since 2019, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), recommends ibrutinib (IMBRUVICA®) as a preferred regimen for the initial treatment of CLL/SLL and has Category 1 treatment status for treatment-naïve patients without deletion 17p/TP53 mutation and as a preferred treatment for treatment-naïve patients with deletion 17p/TP53 mutation. The NCCN Guidelines® also recommend IMBRUVICA®, with or without rituximab, as a preferred regimen for the treatment of relapsed/refractory MCL, as a Category 1 preferred regimen for both untreated and previously treated WM patients, and as a preferred regimen for relapsed/refractory MZL.8
For more information, visit www.IMBRUVICA.com.
IMBRUVICA® IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
Hemorrhage: Fatal bleeding events have occurred in patients who received IMBRUVICA®. Major hemorrhage (≥ Grade 3, serious, or any central nervous system events; e.g., intracranial hemorrhage [including subdural hematoma], gastrointestinal bleeding, hematuria, and post procedural hemorrhage) occurred in 4.2% of patients, with fatalities occurring in 0.4% of 2,838 patients who received IMBRUVICA® in 27 clinical trials. Bleeding events of any grade including bruising and petechiae occurred in 39%, and excluding bruising and petechiae occurred in 23% of patients who received IMBRUVICA®, respectively.
The mechanism for the bleeding events is not well understood.
Use of either anticoagulant or antiplatelet agents concomitantly with IMBRUVICA® increases the risk of major hemorrhage. Across clinical trials, 3.1% of 2,838 patients who received IMBRUVICA® without antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy experienced major hemorrhage. The addition of antiplatelet therapy with or without anticoagulant therapy increased this percentage to 4.4%, and the addition of anticoagulant therapy with or without antiplatelet therapy increased this percentage to 6.1%. Consider the risks and benefits of anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy when co-administered with IMBRUVICA®. Monitor for signs and symptoms of bleeding.
Consider the benefit-risk of withholding IMBRUVICA® for at least 3 to 7 days pre- and post-surgery depending upon the type of surgery and the risk of bleeding.
Infections: Fatal and non-fatal infections (including bacterial, viral, or fungal) have occurred with IMBRUVICA® therapy. Grade 3 or greater infections occurred in 21% of 1,476 patients who received IMBRUVICA® in clinical trials. Cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) have occurred in patients treated with IMBRUVICA®. Consider prophylaxis according to standard of care in patients who are at increased risk for opportunistic infections. Monitor and evaluate patients for fever and infections and treat appropriately.
Cardiac Arrhythmias, Cardiac Failure and Sudden Death: Fatal and serious cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac failure have occurred with IMBRUVICA®. Deaths due to cardiac causes or sudden deaths occurred in 1% of 4,896 patients who received IMBRUVICA® in clinical trials, including in patients who received IMBRUVICA® in unapproved monotherapy or combination regimens. These adverse reactions occurred in patients with and without preexisting hypertension or cardiac comorbidities. Patients with cardiac comorbidities may be at greater risk of these events.
Grade 3 or greater ventricular tachyarrhythmias were reported in 0.2%, Grade 3 or greater atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter were reported in 3.7%, and Grade 3 or greater cardiac failure was reported in 1.3% of 4,896 patients who received IMBRUVICA® in clinical trials, including in patients who received IMBRUVICA® in unapproved monotherapy or combination regimens. These events have occurred particularly in patients with cardiac risk factors including hypertension and diabetes mellitus, a previous history of cardiac arrhythmias, and in patients with acute infections.
Evaluate cardiac history and function at baseline, and monitor patients for cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac function. Obtain further evaluation (e.g., ECG, echocardiogram) as indicated for patients who develop symptoms of arrhythmia (e.g., palpitations, lightheadedness, syncope, chest pain), new onset dyspnea, or other cardiovascular concerns. Manage cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac failure appropriately, follow dose modification guidelines, and consider the risks and benefits of continued IMBRUVICA® treatment.
Hypertension: Hypertension occurred in 19% of 1,476 patients who received IMBRUVICA® in clinical trials. Grade 3 or greater hypertension occurred in 8% of patients. Based on data from 1,124 of these patients, the median time to onset was 5.9 months (range, 0.03 to 24 months). Monitor blood pressure in patients treated with IMBRUVICA®, initiate or adjust anti-hypertensive medication throughout treatment with IMBRUVICA® as appropriate, and follow dosage modification guidelines for Grade 3 or higher hypertension.
Cytopenias: In 645 patients with B-cell malignancies who received IMBRUVICA® as a single agent, grade 3 or 4 neutropenia occurred in 23% of patients, grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia in 8% and grade 3 or 4 anemia in 2.8%, based on laboratory measurements. Monitor complete blood counts monthly.
Second Primary Malignancies: Other malignancies (10%), including non-skin carcinomas (3.9%), occurred among the 1,476 patients who received IMBRUVICA® in clinical trials. The most frequent second primary malignancy was non-melanoma skin cancer (6%).
Tumor Lysis Syndrome: Tumor lysis syndrome has been infrequently reported with IMBRUVICA®. Assess the baseline risk (e.g., high tumor burden) and take appropriate precautions. Monitor patients closely and treat as appropriate.
Embryo-Fetal Toxicity: Based on findings in animals, IMBRUVICA® can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with IMBRUVICA® and for 1 month after the last dose. Advise males with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during the same time period.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
B-cell malignancies: The most common adverse reactions (≥30%) in patients with B-cell malignancies (MCL, CLL/SLL, WM and MZL) were thrombocytopenia (54.5%)*, diarrhea (43.8%), fatigue (39.1%), musculoskeletal pain (38.8%), neutropenia (38.6%)*, rash (35.8%), anemia (35.0%)*, and bruising (32.0%).
The most common Grade ≥ 3 adverse reactions (≥5%) in patients with B-cell malignancies (MCL, CLL/SLL, WM and MZL) were neutropenia (20.7%)*, thrombocytopenia (13.6%)*, pneumonia (8.2%), and hypertension (8.0%).
Approximately 9% (CLL/SLL), 14% (MCL), 14% (WM) and 10% (MZL) of patients had a dose reduction due to adverse reactions. Approximately 4-10% (CLL/SLL), 9% (MCL), and 7% (WM [5%] and MZL [13%]) of patients discontinued due to adverse reactions.
cGVHD: The most common adverse reactions (≥20%) in patients with cGVHD were fatigue (57%), bruising (40%), diarrhea (36%), thrombocytopenia (33%)*, muscle spasms (29%), stomatitis (29%), nausea (26%), hemorrhage (26%), anemia (24%)*, and pneumonia (21%).
The most common Grade 3 or higher adverse reactions (≥5%) reported in patients with cGVHD were pneumonia (14%), fatigue (12%), diarrhea (10%), neutropenia (10%)*, sepsis (10%), hypokalemia (7%), headache (5%), musculoskeletal pain (5%), and pyrexia (5%).
Twenty-four percent of patients receiving IMBRUVICA® in the cGVHD trial discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions. Adverse reactions leading to dose reduction occurred in 26% of patients.
*Treatment-emergent decreases (all grades) were based on laboratory measurements.
DRUG INTERACTIONS
CYP3A Inhibitors: Co-administration of IMBRUVICA® with strong or moderate CYP3A inhibitors may increase ibrutinib plasma concentrations. Increased ibrutinib concentrations may increase the risk of drug-related toxicity. Dose modifications of IMBRUVICA® are recommended when used concomitantly with posaconazole, voriconazole, and moderate CYP3A inhibitors. Avoid concomitant use of other strong CYP3A inhibitors. Interrupt IMBRUVICA® if strong inhibitors are used short-term (e.g., for ≤ 7 days). Avoid grapefruit and Seville oranges during IMBRUVICA® treatment, as these contain strong or moderate inhibitors of CYP3A. See dose modification guidelines in USPI sections 2.3 and 7.1.
CYP3A Inducers: Avoid coadministration with strong CYP3A inducers.
SPECIFIC POPULATIONS
Hepatic Impairment (based on Child-Pugh criteria): Avoid use of IMBRUVICA® in patients with severe hepatic impairment. In patients with mild or moderate impairment, reduce recommended IMBRUVICA® dose and monitor more frequently for adverse reactions of IMBRUVICA®.
Please click here to see the full Prescribing Information.
About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
At Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular, Metabolism, & Retina; Immunology; Infectious Diseases & Vaccines; Neuroscience; Oncology; and Pulmonary Hypertension.
Learn more at www.janssen.com. Follow us at @JanssenGlobal and @JanssenUS. Janssen Research & Development, LLC and Janssen Biotech, Inc. are part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.
†Dr. Moreno has served as a paid consultant to Janssen; she has not been paid for any media work.
Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding product development and the potential benefits and treatment impact of IMBRUVICA® (ibrutinib). The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Research & Development, LLC or any of the other Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2022, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in Johnson & Johnson's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.
1 Moreno C., et al. Fixed-Duration Ibrutinib + Venetoclax for First-Line Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma: 3-Year Follow-Up From the FD Cohort of the Phase 2 CAPTIVATE Study. 2022 European Hematology Association Annual Congress. June 9-12, 2022.
2 Soloman I., et al. Immune Restoration and Synergistic Activity With First-Line Ibrutinib Plus Venetoclax: Translational Analyses of CAPTIVATE Patients with CLL. 2022 European Hematology Association Annual Congress. June 9-12, 2022.
3 Kater, A., et al. Fixed-Duration Ibrutinib-Venetoclax in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Comorbidities. NEJM Evidence. 2022. Accessed June 2022 https://doi.org/10.1056/evidoa2200006
4 Genetics Home Reference. Isolated growth hormone deficiency. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/isolated-growth-hormone-deficiency. Accessed June 2022.
5 Turetsky A, et al. Single cell imaging of Bruton's tyrosine kinase using an irreversible inhibitor. Scientific Reports. 2014;6:4782.
6 de Rooij MF, Kuil A, Geest CR, et al. The clinically active BTK inhibitor PCI-32765 targets B-cell receptor- and chemokine-controlled adhesion and migration in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Blood. 2012;119(11):2590-2594.
7 IMBRUVICA® U.S. Prescribing Information, May 2022.
8 NCCN® Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma V2.2022. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Accessed June 2022.
Media Inquiries:
Christie Corbett
+1 857-636-0211
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SOURCE Janssen Oncology | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/10/new-imbruvica-ibrutinib-data-fixed-duration-combination-regimen-presented-eha-2022-shows-deep-durable-response-three-years-untreated-chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia/ | 2022-06-10T12:50:43Z |
NEWGEN HR PLATFORMS LEVERAGING ETHICAL AI, IT TALENT MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY TOOLS HELP LEADERS BETTER SOURCE, RESKILL AND INSPIRE MORE SOCIAL IMPACT OUTCOMES
MILWAUKEE, May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 6th consecutive year, ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) is back as the official HR partner of Viva Technology (Viva Tech), joining top business leaders, thinkers, investors & researchers for an impactful four-day event that will explore the future of work and the world's sustainable employment opportunities. Held in Paris from June 15-18, 2022, ManpowerGroup's #WorkingToChangeTheWorld Lab, strongly reinforces its ESG commitments*, and serves as a catalyst for conversations about workplace transformation and all that is possible from a sustainable employment perspective. What's more, throughout the event, its Talent Center will host a series of job coaching events, and ManpowerGroup's Startup Challenge will spotlight 21 finalists as they pitch their transformational ideas related to hybrid work, sustainability, and cutting-edge tech.
"In this new world of work, future-proofing talent management strategies is more critical than ever, as is being intentional about the company's social and environmental ambitions," said Alain Roumilhac, president of ManpowerGroup France. "For the past couple of years, digital transformation has accelerated at an unprecedented pace, and we really need to embrace this technology to achieve sustainable outcomes. This includes measuring and reducing our climate impact, as well as using ethical AI to eliminate bias and boost diversity. This is how we can ensure under-represented people gain access to good employment opportunities and how leaders can mobilize their workers to make progress toward corporate sustainability goals."
Featured Tracks: What's On Show @ #WorkingtoChangetheWorld Lab
The Start-up Challenge
21 Innovative start-ups, selected from a group of more than 200 companies this year will pitch their innovations around digital transformation, skills development, and sustainable employment. Start-ups in the lab are solving the following HR Challenges:
Digital Workplace Transformation: Anywhere, Anytime
Increasing hybrid work and technology fueled transformation means companies need specialist IT talent at record levels and skills needs are changing fast too. Experis, ManpowerGroup's IT resourcing and project solutions business, is supporting companies in sourcing and deploying cutting-edge IT talent for effective, multi-device, secure digital workspace environments (no matter where they are) while fostering user productivity accessibility and collaboration.
Manpower MyPath and Experis Academies – providing Personalized Career Paths ManpowerGroup is committed to becoming creators of talent at scale and improving employability and prosperity for all. With Manpower MyPath/and Experis IT Academies, the company is focused on using AI and machine learning to preskill, upskill and reskill in-demand tech workers and many others at speed and scale -- matching them to meaningful, sustainable jobs with better accuracy than either humans or machines could do on their own.
Developing Leaders for a Purpose-Driven World of Work Post-pandemic, a new era of work is being shaped for workers and by workers. The role of leaders and managers is critical: to manage workers remotely, to reskill people faster, to manage diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging within teams and to solve a talent shortage. RightMap, developed by Talent Solutions, ManpowerGroup's talent consulting and outsourcing division, leverages powerful algorithms that deliver end-to-end digital career management. The career planning platform enables managers use a data-driven approach to engage in employee career conversations, activities and insights suited to the individual's and the company's success.
Also featured within the #WorkingToSaveTheWorldLab:
Talent Sustainability Quotient (TSQ) – a tech-enabled assessment tool that helps organizations identify the steps needed to measure, improve, and track their workforce practices and create a sustainable talent ecosystem.
ManpowerGroup's innovation with Planetly by OneTrust, a technology solution that empowers companies to build trust with stakeholders by helping organizations measure, reduce, and accelerate climate action, ESG, and sustainability programs.
And at the Talent Center – Pitch Your Job events:
- For young people, the Talent Center will host a series of job dating events, including Pitch your Job sessions so people can discover roles of the future and meet with recruiters to learn more about career paths and potential jobs and internships.
- On Saturday, June 18th, ManpowerGroup will host several events focused on those job seekers who face the greatest difficulties in finding employment.
Follow @ManpowerGroup at VivaTech on Twitter and join the conversation using
#WorkingToChangeTheWorld #sustainableskills #VivaTech
*See Manpower Groups Working to Change the World 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report.
Practical Information
Parc des expositions de la Porte de Versailles, Paris
The #WorkingToChangeTheWorld lab is in the Main Hall
15-17 June: reserved for sector professionals
18 June: open to the general public
ABOUT MANPOWERGROUP
ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing, and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower, Experis and Talent Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across more than 75 countries and territories and has done so for over 70 years. We are recognized consistently for our diversity – as a best place to work for Women, Inclusion, Equality, and Disability, and in 2022 ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the 13th year – all confirming our position as the brand of choice for in-demand talent.
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SOURCE ManpowerGroup | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/manpowergroup-ushers-viva-technology-with-workingtochangetheworld-lab-that-probes-future-work-worlds-sustainable-employment-opportunities/ | 2022-05-18T06:23:53Z |
Senior Vice President of Corporate Development
ISELIN, N.J., July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Retirement & Benefits Partners (USRBP) is pleased to announce today that Jorge Romero has joined the company as its Senior Vice President of Corporate Development.
In his role as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development with USRBP, Jorge's responsibilities include overseeing the corporate development team in pipeline development, evaluation, execution, due diligence, and negotiations for all of the company's M&A transactions.
Jorge has extensive experience in investment banking and corporate development. Prior to joining USRBP, Jorge was the head of mergers and acquisitions for CareFinders Total Care, a multi-state home care services provider in the Northeast, where he was responsible for formulating and driving the Company's M&A and integration strategy. Prior to CareFinders Total Care, Jorge spent 12 years in investment banking at Cain Brothers and Merrill Lynch where he concentrated on M&A transactions.
"We are very excited that Jorge is joining our Senior Management Team to help guide our M&A activity. He has a terrific background and adding him to our team allows us to continue to refine and accelerate our inorganic growth," said Mark Skinner, USRBP Founder & CEO.
Jorge Romero added, "USRBP has a very strong base to build upon, having proven the ability to not only bring new firms into the organization, but most importantly to add value to support their growth and the overall growth of USRBP. The partnership model creates significant economic outcomes in both the short and long term for the entrepreneurs who join the firm. I look forward to working with the team and contributing to our continued growth."
U.S. Retirement & Benefits Partners, with headquarters in Iselin, NJ, is one of the nation's largest independent, national financial services firms specializing in employee benefit and employer-sponsored retirement plans in the K-12 public school, governmental, corporate, and non-profit markets. USRBP serves over 14,000 employer groups with 3 million participants through 51 regional Partner Firms. For more information, visit www.usrbpartners.com.
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SOURCE U.S. Retirement & Benefits Partners | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/05/us-retirement-amp-benefits-partners-welcomes-jorge-romero/ | 2022-07-05T17:42:41Z |
- Net income of $11.7 and $21.8 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, respectively
- Earnings per common share of $1.55 and $2.89 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, respectively
- Quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share declared, a 13.6% increase from the prior quarter and 19.0% increase from the prior year second quarter
MANITOWOC, Wis., July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank First Corporation (NASDAQ: BFC) ("Bank First" or the "Bank"), the holding company for Bank First, N.A., reported net income of $11.7 million, or $1.55 per share, for the second quarter of 2022, compared with net income of $11.5 million, or $1.50 per share, for the prior-year second quarter. For the six months ended June 30, 2022, Bank First earned $21.8 million, or $2.89 per share, compared to $23.1 million, or $2.99 per share for the same period in 2021.
Operating Results
Net interest income ("NII") during the second quarter of 2022 was $23.5 million, up $1.2 million from the previous quarter and up $1.7 million from the second quarter of 2021. Interest income on loans originated through the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") totaled $0.4 million during the second quarter of 2022, compared to $0.7 million during the previous quarter and $1.9 million during the second quarter of 2021.
During much of the first two quarters of 2022 the Bank engaged in a strategy to enhance NII, utilizing $300.0 million in short-term borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank and investing these funds in short-term, liquid, risk-free, interest-earning assets. This strategy increased NII by $0.2 million and $0.1 million during the second and first quarters of 2022, respectively.
Purchase accounting entries, resulting from our acquisitions of other institutions over the last several years, increased NII during the second quarter of 2022 by $0.4 million, or $0.04 per share after tax, compared to $0.3 million and $0.4 million, or $0.03 and $0.04 per share after tax, for the previous quarter and second quarter of 2021, respectively. For the first six months of 2022 and 2021 the impact of these purchase accounting entries increased NII by $0.7 million, or $0.07 per share after tax, and $0.9 million, or $0.09 per share after tax, respectively.
Net interest margin ("NIM") was 3.21% for the second quarter of 2022, compared to 3.06% for the previous quarter and 3.37% for the second quarter of 2021. Purchase accounting entries added 0.05%, 0.04% and 0.08% to NIM for each of these periods, respectively. The aforementioned short-term NII enhancement strategy decreased NIM by 0.27% during the current quarter and 0.29% during the previous quarter.
Bank First recorded a provision for loan losses of $0.5 million during the second quarter of 2022, compared to $1.2 million during the previous quarter and $1.0 million during the second quarter of 2021. Provision expense was $1.7 million for the first six months of 2022 compared to $1.9 million for the same period during 2021. Recoveries of previously charged-off loans exceeded currently charged-off loans by $0.7 million through the first six months of 2022, compared to recoveries negligibly exceeding charge-offs through the first six months of 2021.
Noninterest income was $5.6 million for the second quarter of 2022, compared to $5.2 million during the previous quarter and $6.6 million for the second quarter of 2021. The primary catalyst of the decrease in noninterest income between the year-over-year second quarters was the industry-wide slowdown in residential mortgage lending which led to a decline in gains on sales of mortgage loans to the secondary market of $1.8 million. Offsetting this decline, the Bank experienced a $1.5 million increase in the value of mortgage servicing rights during the second quarter of 2022, compared to an increase of $0.6 million in this valuation during the second quarter of 2021.
Noninterest expense was $13.2 million in the second quarter of 2022, compared to $12.7 million during the previous quarter and $12.3 million during the second quarter of 2021. The year-over-year increase in second quarter noninterest expense was principally related to expenses resulting from Bank First's pending acquisition of Denmark Bancshares, Inc., totaling $0.6 million in the second quarter of 2022 (negatively impacting earnings per share after tax by $0.06 during that period) and $1.1 million through the first six months of 2022 (negatively impacting earnings per share after tax by $0.12 during that period). The majority of these expenses were classified as outside service fees. Occupancy, equipment and office expenses have increased during the first six months of 2022 as a result of significant inflationary pressure.
Balance Sheet
Total assets were $2.96 billion at June 30, 2022, a $23.5 million increase from December 31, 2021, and up $142.1 million from June 30, 2021. Total loans were $2.39 billion at June 30, 2022, up $152.1 million from December 31, 2021, and up $162.4 million from June 30, 2021. Excluding PPP repayments or forgiveness, loans grew by 13.3% over the trailing twelve months. Annualized loan growth during the second quarter of 2022 and first six months of 2022, also excluding PPP activity, amounted to 14.3% and 16.2%, respectively. Total deposits, nearly all of which remain core deposits, were $2.60 billion at June 30, 2022, up $73.0 million from December 31, 2021, and up $142.1 million from June 30, 2021. Noninterest-bearing demand deposits comprised 31.7% of the Bank's total core deposits at June 30, 2022.
Asset Quality
Nonperforming assets at June 30, 2022, totaled $5.3 million, down from $8.2 million and $12.6 million at the end of the fourth and second quarters of 2021, respectively. Nonperforming assets to total assets ended the second quarter of 2022 at 0.18%, down from 0.28% and 0.45% at the end of the fourth and second quarters of 2021, respectively.
Capital Position
Stockholders' equity totaled $314.2 million at June 30, 2022, a decrease of $8.5 million from the end of 2021 but an increase of $2.7 million from June 30, 2021. Interest rate movements during the first half of 2022 significantly impacted the value of investments in the Bank's available-for-sale investment portfolio, creating an unrealized loss in other comprehensive income which reduced stockholders' equity by $7.4 million during the second quarter and $15.6 million year-to-date. Dividends totaling $3.3 million and share repurchases totaling $12.1 million further reduced capital through the first six months of 2022. Strong earnings served to partially offset these items, increasing capital by $21.8 million.
Dividend Declaration
Bank First's Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per common share, payable on October 5, 2022, to shareholders of record as of September 21, 2022. This dividend represents a 13.6% increase over the previous quarter's dividend, and a 19.0% increase over the dividend declared one year earlier.
For further information, contact:
Kevin M LeMahieu, Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (920) 652-3200 / klemahieu@bankfirst.com
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SOURCE Bank First Corporation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/bank-first-announces-net-income-second-quarter-2022/ | 2022-07-19T21:15:16Z |
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