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GAITHERSBURG, Md., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VirgilHR announces the launch of its new web-based platform, putting real-time, automated employment and labor law guidance at the HR team's fingertips. The disruptive SaaS platform empowers individual HR professionals and teams to make smart, well-informed employment and labor law decisions in the moment, without the need to research regulatory requirements.
As an HR leader with experience at both public companies and growth-stage technology startups, Jocelyn King, CEO & Founder of VirgilHR, has had the privilege of supporting executives and departments in all functions across the business.
"When we started building VirgilHR, we wanted to do two things — reduce the complexity and mitigate the risk of legal action from human error against companies and get HR professionals back to why they got into HR — building, growing, and nurturing great people and great cultures," said King. "With this evolution in our product, we've made it possible for every HR professional to have a real-time legal guide by their side."
VirgilHR hosts a proprietary database of employment and labor law requirements that helps HR professionals manage the compliance of employment decisions, including leave requests, final wages, and termination. HR team members can access real-time, prescriptive guidance across federal, state, and local employment and labor laws via the online web-based, self-service application.
As part of the product launch, HR professionals are eligible for a 30 day free trial of VirgilHR with access to all employment modules and all features including:
- The VirgilHR chatbot built on smart, automation technology, which provides legal guidance to on labor and employment law queries in the moment, no research required
- Educational content, developed by experienced labor and employment attorneys
- Policy templates, which cover the newest labor and employment laws released across the country, to supplement employee handbooks
Register for access to the 30 day free trial at https://member.virgilhr.com/auth/register.
The platform helps HR professionals navigate the complexities of employment and labor law, close the knowledge gap, and empower HR teams to make compliant employment decisions with ease and confidence.
The company's early customers have come from organizations across the mid-market with small HR teams looking for efficiency gains; King sees growth for the business in manufacturing, construction, technology, government contracting, and medical services.
VirgilHR is the new evolution of HR compliance software, enabling HR professionals to spend more time on strategic objectives and less time on researching and tracking thousands of ever-changing employment and labor laws. Our mission is to help HR professionals navigate the growing employee complexities, close the knowledge gap and empower HR teams to make compliant employment decisions with ease and confidence.
Learn more at https://virgilhr.com/.
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SOURCE VirgilHR | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/virgilhr-launches-web-based-platform-brings-real-time-self-service-legal-guidance-hr-teams/ | 2022-09-01T15:22:04Z |
Japanese battery company to build factory in Kentucky
By BRUCE SCHREINER
Associated Press
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky’s governor says a Japanese battery technology company will build a $2 billion factory in Kentucky, creating 2,000 jobs. Gov. Andy Beshear says the development reinforces the state’s leadership in battery production. Beshear said Wednesday the Envision AESC plant at Bowling Green will produce battery cells and modules to power the next generation of electric vehicles. Beshear says the project cements the Bluegrass State’s leading role in the automotive industry. It follows last year’s announcement that Ford and its battery partner will build twin battery plants outside the Glendale community in central Kentucky. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/04/13/japanese-battery-company-to-build-factory-in-kentucky/ | 2022-04-13T15:02:47Z |
Build-A-Bear Entertainment and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment film nominated in five categories and features music from Grammy Award winning team and girl-empowerment message
ST. LOUIS, July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Build-A-Bear Entertainment is pleased to announce that Honey Girls, a music-driven live action film, received three 2022 LEO Awards from the British Columbia Film Industry. Nominated in five Television Movie categories, Honey Girls took home wins for Picture Editing, Costume Design, and Choreography. The film was also nominated for Cinematography and Production Design.
"We are delighted to learn that Honey Girls won three LEO awards after being nominated in five categories. We are so proud of this film and the inspiring and uplifting message it delivers on the importance of friendship, being true to yourself, and how we are better together," said Sharon Price John, Build-A-Bear Workshop President and Chief Executive Officer. "The movie also features exciting dances and trendy fashion that has added to the positive reviews from fans. We want to thank all of our partners and the collaboration from so many to help us bring this special story and inspiring message to movie audiences around the world. This is a win for all of us."
The LEO Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry and founded by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of British Columbia. Through a system of peer judges, the 2022 LEO Awards Nominees were chosen from over 1,300 eligible entries in 16 different categories.
Build-A-Bear extends a heart-filled congratulations to Charles Robichaud for Best Picture Editing, Barbara Gregusova for Best Costume Design, and to Paul Becker, Tori Caro and Mark Samuels for Best Choreography. The screenplay was written by acclaimed writer, producer and director Mike Mariano and Cindy McCreery and produced in conjunction with Foundation Media Partners.
The feel-good family film, now available to stream on Netflix, follows the story of three young musicians from different backgrounds who enter a competition searching for the "next big thing", hosted by superstar Fancy G. However, these three competitors quickly discover they are "better together." To avoid detection and elimination from the contest, they form a secret band and perform wearing masks, calling themselves the "HONEY GIRLS." Their first song becomes an immediate viral mega hit creating a close call with Fancy G and requires them to ultimately decide what is more important – fame or friendship.
The film's multi-generational appeal is enhanced by Grammy Award® winning, multi-platinum singer/songwriter and actor Ashanti, as superstar Fancy G, and digital star Tessa Brooks as her executive assistant, and marks the feature film directorial debut of multi-award-winning music video director Trey Fanjoy. The upbeat soundtrack features five original songs written by frequent Lady Gaga collaborator, Mark Nilan, Jr., and music supervisor Julia Michels, best known for projects like A Star is Born and the Pitch Perfect franchise, the upbeat soundtrack is one the whole family will love! The three "HONEY GIRLS" are played by young talents, Ava Grace as Charlie (disguised as Risa), Frankie McNellis as Alex (disguised as Teegan) and Aliyah Mastin as Maya (disguised as Viv).
The film is based on the popular Build-A-Bear intellectual property and product line of the same name and fans of the Honey Girls can purchase new versions of the original plush characters, Risa (bunny), Teegan (tiger) and Viv (bear), at Build-A-Bear Workshop locations, at buildabear.com or via the Bear Builder 3D Workshop, Build-A-Bear's new interactive, experiential ecommerce site. In store and online purchases of the Honey Girls plush also include a Honey Girls movie download for fans to use across streaming platforms including AppleTV, Amazon Prime, Vudu, and Google Play.
Check out the trailer and stills from the movie!
Build-A-Bear is a multi-generational global brand focused on its mission to "add a little more heart to life" appealing to a wide array of consumer groups who enjoy the personal expression in making their own "furry friends" to celebrate and commemorate life moments. Nearly 500 interactive brick-and-mortar retail locations operated through a variety of formats provide guests of all ages a hands-on entertaining experience, which often fosters a lasting and emotional brand connection. The company also offers engaging e-commerce/digital purchasing experiences on https://www.buildabear.com/ including its online "Bear-Builder", the animated "Bear Builder 3D Workshop" and its age-gated adult-focused "Bear Cave". In addition, extending its brand power beyond retail, Build-A-Bear Entertainment, a subsidiary of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc., is dedicated to creating engaging content for kids and adults that fulfills the company's mission, while the company also offers products at wholesale and in non-plush consumer categories via licensing agreements with leading manufacturers. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $411.5 million in fiscal 2021. For more information, visit the Investor Relations section of buildabear.com.
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SOURCE Build-A-Bear Workshop | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/28/live-action-film-honey-girls-wins-three-leo-awards-television-movie-category/ | 2022-07-28T16:05:54Z |
- Former MegaChips Corporation CEO joins the EdgeCortix Strategic Advisory Board
TOKYO, July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EdgeCortix®Inc., the innovative fabless semiconductor design company with a software first approach, focused on delivering class-leading compute efficiency and latency for edge artificial intelligence (AI) inference; announced a key new appointment to its EdgeCortix Strategic Advisory Board.
The company announced today the appointment of Akira Takata, former CEO and President of MegaChips Corporation who will serve as the Semiconductor Sector Advisor on the EdgeCortix Strategic Advisory Board (ESAB). The ESAB was created as a platform to enable exceptional business and thought leaders to provide EdgeCortix with guidance on core business and market strategies and product go-to-market initiatives based on their respective and unique areas of expertise.
"I am very pleased to be announcing Akira Takata's appointment to head the Semiconductor Sector Advisory role", said Sakyasingha Dasgupta, CEO and Founder of EdgeCortix, "Takata-san's expertise as a founding member of a Japanese semiconductor start-up, and his three decades of leadership of a publicly traded, fabless semiconductor company, focused on consumer, telecom/network and industrial applications, positions him perfectly to contribute as a leading member of the ESAB. While at MegaChips, Takata-san played instrumental roles in key strategic acquisitions like that of SiTime in 2014 and Kawasaki Microelectronics in 2012, both which have proved over time to be transformative decisions. Takata-san's knowledge and expertise gained from transforming MegaChips Corporation into a dynamic, growth oriented, global semiconductor leader will be especially helpful to EdgeCortix as we look to bring our unique industry leading AI acceleration IP and silicon to partners and customers worldwide."
Mr. Takata currently serves on the Board of Directors of SiTime, the market leader in the MEMS based precision timing market. Previously, he was the President and CEO of MegaChips Corporation, from 2011 to 2019, the second largest fabless semiconductor company based in Japan. During his three-decade tenure at MegaChips, Mr. Takata ascended the ranks of the company, from a member of the MegaChips founding team, through various senior positions, including director of Business Unit, director of production management, officer of alliance strategy office and officer of business strategy office, ultimately to the role of CEO. During his tenure, he facilitated the transformation of the company from a largely Japan focused business into a leading, global fabless semiconductor company. From 2014 to 2019, Mr. Takata also served on the Board of Directors of Global Semiconductor Alliance, a leading Semiconductor industry organization.
"I am very pleased to be joining the EdgeCortix Strategic Advisory Board at this transformative moment in the semiconductor business. Given the tectonic shift in information processing at the edge, companies are now seeking near cloud level performance where data curation and AI driven decision making can happen together. Due to this shift, the market opportunity for the EdgeCortix solutions set is massive driven by the practical business need across multiple sectors which require both low power and cost efficient intelligent solutions.", said Akira Takata " Given the exponential global growth in both data and devices, I am eager to support EdgeCortix in their endeavor to transform the edge AI market with an industry leading IP portfolio that can deliver performance with orders of magnitude better energy-efficiency and a lower total cost of ownership than existing solutions. I am very interested to share my perspective with partners and customers alike on the differentiated business value that the EdgeCortix solutions can deliver for their global end customers."
About EdgeCortix Inc.
EdgeCortix is a fabless semiconductor design company focused on enabling energy-efficient edge intelligence. It was founded in 2019 with the radical idea of taking a software first approach, while designing an artificial intelligence specific runtime reconfigurable processor from the ground up using a technique called "hardware & software co-exploration". Targeting advanced computer vision applications first, using proprietary hardware and software IP on existing processors like FPGAs and custom designed ASIC, the company is geared towards positively disrupting the rapidly growing AI hardware space across defense, aerospace, smart cities, industry 4.0, autonomous vehicles and robotics.
For more details or to schedule a demonstration, contact: info@edgecortix.com
© Copyright 2022 EdgeCortix, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. EdgeCortix and all EdgeCortix logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of EdgeCortix, Inc. (or its group companies) in the US and other countries. EdgeCortix Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of EdgeCortix Pte. Ltd.
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SOURCE Edgecortix, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/26/edgecortix-expands-its-strategic-advisory-board-with-appointment-semiconductor-industry-veteran-akira-takata/ | 2022-07-27T00:24:05Z |
Industry Leader Expands Document Review Capacity and Language Service Capabilities
NEW YORK and NEW DELHI, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TransPerfect, the world's largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business, today announced the opening of a new office in Noida, India, part of the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR).
The latest addition to TransPerfect's global network of locations and the company's third office in India, TransPerfect Delhi serves as a regional hub and document review center for the company's TransPerfect Legal Solutions (TLS) division. TLS is a world leader in supporting law firms and corporate legal departments in e-discovery, digital forensics, information security, data privacy, managed document review, and legal staffing.
TransPerfect Delhi joins existing operations in Pune and Chennai and will initially house up to 75 team members led by legal industry veteran Ritesh Miglani. Miglani is an attorney and e-discovery expert with experience managing projects arising out of internal investigations, commercial litigations, and actions initiated by the SEC, FINRA, CFTC, and other regulatory bodies. The team will support clients across a wide range of legal matters, including securitization, financial fraud, healthcare patents, benchmarking, breach of contract litigation, class actions, and more.
Miglani commented, "I am proud to join a team that is focused on providing high quality local service in Delhi. TransPerfect is a market leader and has demonstrated a long-term commitment to its clients and employees in India."
To support the rising demand in the region, TransPerfect Delhi is hiring for roles in document review, technology, project management, and sales. Openings can be found at www.transperfect.com/careers.
TransPerfect President and CEO Phil Shawe stated, "We have seen incredible growth from our offices in Pune and Chennai and now have nearly 600 team members based in India. This new facility in Delhi underscores our commitment to continuing our growth in the region to better serve our clients."
About TransPerfect Legal Solutions
TransPerfect Legal Solutions (TLS) is an industry leader in global legal support. Founded in 1992, TLS offers a full suite of services, including forensic technology and consulting, e-discovery and early data assessment, managed review and legal staffing, language services, deposition and trial support, and paper discovery and production. With offices in over 100 cities across six continents, TLS is a trusted partner for every Am Law 200 and Global 100 law firm, as well as the majority of Fortune 500 corporate legal departments. For more information, visit www.transperfectlegal.com.
About TransPerfect
TransPerfect is the world's largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business. From offices in over 100 cities on six continents, TransPerfect offers a full range of services in 200+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 6,000 global organizations employ TransPerfect's GlobalLink® technology to simplify management of multilingual content. With an unparalleled commitment to quality and client service, TransPerfect is fully ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified. TransPerfect has global headquarters in New York, with regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit our website at www.transperfect.com.
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SOURCE TransPerfect | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/16/transperfect-announces-opening-new-facility-delhi-india/ | 2022-08-16T16:40:39Z |
Elementary school employee charged with sexually assaulting several 8-year-old girls
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (Gray News) - Police in Virginia have arrested a school employee after several girls told a teacher about inappropriate encounters happening at the school.
The Prince William County Police Department reports that 33-year-old Jonathan George Skocik, an IT specialist at John Jenkins Elementary School, was taken into custody and charged with sexually assaulting four 8-year-old girls while at the elementary school.
According to police, Skocik inappropriately touched four girls in his office between March and April 2022. The girls told a teacher what happened and the teacher alerted school administrators.
The 33-year-old was removed from the school and from any contact with children as detectives conducted their investigation. On April 15, detectives obtained arrest warrants for Skocik and he turned himself in.
Authorities said Skocik was charged with aggravated sexual assault and indecent liberties by a custodian. He is currently being held without bond with a pending court date.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/04/16/elementary-school-employee-charged-with-sexually-assaulting-several-8-year-old-girls/ | 2022-04-16T20:00:38Z |
SOHO, New York - August 18 – September 18, 2022
NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Space Gallery St Barth is delighted to open "Home," a collection of works by multidisciplinary artist Hannah Polskin. The project will see the artist take over the ground floor gallery to create her world of undulating abstract art and design.
The exhibition will feature personal works from Polskin's Los Angeles home studio where the work-live context provides an endless source of inspiration. With an emphasis on living with each piece before sharing it with the world, "Home" holds a special place in the artist's heart, giving an inside look at her most personal creations cultivated and created in her own space. Alongside her Burl wood abstracts, Polskin will be debuting paintings on stone and salvaged materials, exploring a deeper investigation into the home as canvas. The curation will be complemented by other elements of her creative world including mirrors and decor for a completely immersive experience. Additionally, a 'custom bar' will allow collectors to select the wood panel of their choice and create custom work with the artist – selecting every element from the wood finish, size, color palette, shape and look of the work to produce their own custom piece.
The artist and designer originate from NY and currently lives and works in Los Angeles. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, Hannah works at the intersection of fine art and design to create "livable art" with a freeform aesthetic that bleeds across each project. Conceptually, she's most inspired when she's tasked at taking over an entire space—that includes paintings, mirrors, kitchen islands, rugs, menorahs and more.
ABOUT SPACE GALLERY ST BARTH
Established in 2011, Space Gallery St Barth is a contemporary art gallery dedicated to showcasing painting, photography, and sculpture by established and emerging artists. Since its inception, Space Gallery St Barth has built up an impressive roster of artists, curated international exhibitions, and participated in major art fairs including the Venice Biennale.
PRESS INVITATION:
Vernissage with the artist at Space Gallery
Thursday, August 18th 6-9pm
Space Gallery St Barth
428 Broome Street – New York – NY – 10013
646 684 3377
soho@spacestbarth.com
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SOURCE Space Gallery St Barth | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/04/space-gallery-st-barth-opens-home-collection-personal-works-by-multidisciplinary-artist-hannah-polskin/ | 2022-08-04T16:37:34Z |
15-year-old girl drives two wounded men to safety through Ukrainian battlefield
(CNN) – A 15-year-old Ukrainian girl drove two wounded men through battlefields to safety, despite being injured and bleeding herself.
Anastasia is a courageous and defiant teenager who is now recovering from her injuries in Lviv after helping the two men.
“They came under fire,” she said.
As her hometown of Popasna was pummeled by Russian artillery, she wanted to help the wounded men get to a hospital.
“The help was urgently needed, so as not to lose a lot of blood,” she said.
So she picked up the car and got behind the wheel.
They made their way across a bridge, desperate to get to a hospital in Bakhmut.
“We have a bridge, and we had mines there in a checkerboard pattern,” Anastasia said. “There was no way to get through. But I somehow made it. And further along there was the corpse of a woman.”
Soon after, a burst of machinegun fire raked the car.
“I was driving the car and then the Russians fired on us,” Anastasia said. “When they started shooting, the car stopped and then I started the car again and drove on.”
She continued to drive, even though she was injured and bleeding. Time for them was running out.
She also said the car stalled because the battery was hit by a bullet.
Ukrainian soldiers then showed up to rescue Anastasia and the two passengers.
They are all now recovering, thanks to the courage of the teen girl.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/09/15-year-old-girl-drives-two-wounded-men-safety-through-ukrainian-battlefield/ | 2022-05-09T19:16:50Z |
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Time is running out for Congress to approve a government funding measure and avoid a shutdown.
Lawmakers have until Sept. 30 to either pass a full annual budget or a short-term funding bill, called a continuing resolution, or CR.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is advocating for a clean CR, which would only extend the current funding levels until lawmakers can agree on the larger budget.
“I would prefer it just to be a clean CR. Let’s just fund government,” Kaine said.
But in order to get the Inflation Reduction Act passed, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., made a deal with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to pass a plan that includes expediting permits for energy projects.
“The permitting agreement is part of the IRA agreement. I’m going to add it to the CR and it will pass,” Schumer said.
Not everyone likes the idea of adding the permitting plan to the CR.
“I think that should be done separately,” Kaine said.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., also wants to see a clean CR. He says adding extra pieces to the bill risks a government shutdown.
“The Democrats will decide whether we shut down government or not. I don’t believe we ought to be shutting down government. I think we ought to have a clean CR,” Scott said. “And any issues that we want to talk about we ought to have a separate vote on those.”
Sen. Kaine is optimistic Congress will find a way to get it done.
“Will it have the permitting reform in or out or how much of it will be in or out? That’s still TBD. But I’m not worried about government shutdown right now,” Kaine said.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., wants to see Congress move quickly on it.
“I’m hopeful that we can do it sooner rather than later and don’t have some Sept. 30 crisis that we seem to always create,” Hoyer said. | https://cw33.com/news/washington-dc-bureau/government-shutdown-looms-lawmakers-face-down-deadline-for-funding/ | 2022-09-16T23:13:32Z |
Two people were rescued after falling into a tank full of chocolate at the Mars M&M factory in Pennsylvania Thursday, officials said.
Both patients were transported to the hospital, Assistant Supervisor Nick Schoenberger of Lancaster County 911 Dispatch told CNN.
"One patient was transported by ground and one person was transported by helicopter," Schoenberger said.
The extent of their injuries is unknown.
"Fire crews have eliminated pulling them straight out of a tank," Brad Wolfe, communications supervisor for Lancaster County 911 dispatch, told CNN earlier on Thursday. "They have to cut a hole in the side of the tank to get them out," he said.
Wolfe said that it's unclear how the people fell into the chocolate tank.
No injuries have been reported at this time, according to Wolfe.
A Mars Wrigley spokesperson told CNN: "We are actively managing the situation and our primary focus is supporting emergency teams on site."
The temperatures says summer's here, although it's still a few days away on the calendar, and there's plenty to do in the Albany area this weekend. Click for more.
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/two-people-rescued-after-falling-in-tank-full-of-chocolate-in-pennsylvania/article_ff3fc5e9-3dbe-5f4d-ab59-a4d524b16ac9.html | 2022-06-09T21:35:07Z |
The family of Gabby Petito has submitted a $50 million claim against the Moab, Utah, Police Department, arguing the 22-year-old may not have been killed last year by her fiancé if officers had recognized he was the "true primary aggressor" in a domestic dispute about two weeks before her death.
Petito's parents are seeking $50 million in damages, claiming Moab officers were negligent in failing to investigate Laundrie, 23, and his "self-evidently false claims" and the department was negligent in failing to train officers to investigate domestic violence incidents, according to their notice of claim sent to the department Monday, the first step in initiating a lawsuit against it.
Additionally, Petito's family claims her killing was caused by the wrongful acts or neglect of the police department and its officers.
Moab officers "failed to recognize the serious danger (Petito) was in and failed to investigate fully and properly," Brian Stewart, an attorney for the family said Monday in a news conference, referencing the moment Moab police stopped Petito and Laundrie after a witness said he saw them involved in a domestic incident.
"They did not have the training that they needed to recognize the clear signs that were evident that morning: that Gabby was a victim and that she was in serious need of immediate help," Stewart said.
A Moab city spokesperson declined to comment, saying, "The City does not comment on pending litigation."
Petito, an aspiring travel influencer, vanished last summer on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie. As a nationwide search ensued, attention also turned to Laundrie, who returned home to Florida and vanished in a nature reserve.
Days into the search for Laundrie, Petito's body was found in Grand Teton National Forest, and a coroner ruled she died by strangulation. Laundrie's body was found in mid-October in the nature reserve, along with a notebook in which he claimed responsibility for her death. A medical examiner determined he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The notice of claim against Moab police comes months after Petito's mother and father, along with their respective spouses, sued Laundrie's family, alleging his parents knew their son had killed Petito and were aware of "the whereabouts of her body."
Traffic stop occurred 2 weeks before murder
At the heart of Petito's family's claim is the traffic stop last August, which officers executed after being informed the witness "had seen Brian assault Gabby."
Police pulled over their vehicle -- a white Ford van -- after it exceeded the speed limit, abruptly left its lane and struck a curb, according to a police report.
Footage recorded by police body cameras shows Moab police officers talking to Petito and Laundrie, who admitted to having a fight in which Petito said she struck her fiancé first. Officers noticed Petito had cuts on her face and arm, and she "demonstrated how Brian had violently grabbed her face during their altercation," telling police Laundrie "gets frustrated with me a lot."
But Petito also "displayed the classic hallmarks of an abused partner," the notice says, taking blame for the incident. The officers "did not press further," the notice says.
According to the family's claim, a photo taken at the time, which has not been made public, "shows a close-up view of Gabby's face where blood is smeared on her cheek and left eye, revealing the violent nature of Brian's attack."
Laundrie told police the couple had been under increasing stress. He admitted to pushing Petito away when she tried to slap him and also to taking her phone, claiming he didn't have one and was afraid that she would leave him. However, later in the interview, he took out his own phone and gave officers his number, the notice says.
Despite the cuts and Laundrie's inconsistencies, one of the officers said Petito must be booked into jail since, under the domestic violence statutes of Utah, she was considered the primary aggressor and Laundrie the victim.
Both Petito and Laundrie objected, and the officers eventually agreed not to charge Petito as long as she and Laundrie agreed to spend the night apart.
"Roughly two weeks later, Brian brutally murdered Gabby," the notice says, "leaving her body in the woods of Grand Teton National Forest."
A review of the Moab Police Department's handling of the incident by an independent investigator -- a captain with the police department in Price, Utah, about 115 miles away -- recommended the two officers who responded be placed on probation, saying they made "several unintentional mistakes" -- namely failing to cite anyone for domestic violence, though there appeared to be only sufficient evidence to charge Petito.
The investigative report, released in January, recommended new policies for the department, including additional domestic violence training and legal training for officers.
The city at the time did not address any potential discipline for the two officers but said it "intends to implement the report's recommendations" on new policies for the police department, including additional domestic violence training and legal training for officers.
"Based on the report's findings, the City of Moab believes our officers showed kindness, respect and empathy in their handling of this incident," the city's statement said.
Petito's parents and stepparents did not comment on the litigation during Monday's virtual news conference at the direction of their lawyers. But her mother acknowledged the footage of the Moab incident was "very painful."
"I wanted to jump through the screen, rescue her," Nicole Schmidt said, encouraging victims of domestic violence to reach out for help.
Asked what the family wants the public to remember from Petito's story, her father Joseph Petito, said people should learn there's always a way out.
"Her legacy is to help people that don't see a way out, and there are," he said.
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TRAVEL TUESDAY: August is National Golf Month, here are some of the top golf courses across Georgia.
In August 1993 the Professional Golfer's Association (PGA) founded the first National Golf Month with the purpose of promoting golf as a family-friendly and inclusive sport that could be accessible to all ages, genders, and skill levels. Click for more. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/gabby-petitos-family-seeks-50-million-from-utah-police-department-for-inadequate-response-to-brian/article_57090e15-405c-55d2-9837-d6d46c8bb184.html | 2022-08-09T20:04:17Z |
As the search for an Alabama inmate and corrections official stretches into a fifth day Tuesday, Vicky White's family and colleagues are trying to make sense of how someone on the brink of retirement with "an unblemished record" is now the subject of a warrant and accused of helping a man charged with murder escape from jail.
Vicky White, an assistant director of corrections for northwestern Alabama's Lauderdale County, is wanted on charges of permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree, Sheriff Rick Singleton said Monday.
She was last seen leaving the Lauderdale County Detention Center on Friday morning with inmate Casey White, 38, handcuffed and shackled in her patrol car, the sheriff said. The two are not related.
Vicky White said she was taking Casey White to a courthouse for a mental health evaluation and would then go get medical care because she wasn't feeling well. Authorities later discovered no hearing or evaluation was scheduled for Casey White that day and Vicky White never arrived at the medical facility. Her patrol car was found abandoned Friday morning in a shopping center's parking lot, less than a mile from the detention center.
The situation has left Vicky White's co-workers in shock. The day she disappeared was to be her last day at work after nearly two decades with the department, Singleton said. She submitted her retirement paperwork last week, sold her home about a month ago, and had thought about moving to the beach, he added.
"All of her co-workers are devastated. We've never had any situation like this with Vicky White. She was a model employee," Singleton told CNN's Ryan Young on Monday. Previously, Singleton had said the corrections official had "an unblemished record" and was "an exemplary employee."
"If she did this willingly, and all indications are that she did ... I guess we're trying to hold on to that last straw of hope that maybe for some reason she was threatened and did this under coercion, but absolutely you'd feel betrayed," Singleton said.
Vicky White had been living with her mother for the past five weeks after selling her home, but never mentioned her retirement or Casey White, the mother, Pat Davis, told CNN affiliate WAAY. "I never heard of him, never seen his picture, nothing. I didn't know anything about him," Davis told the outlet.
Pat Davis said she is in disbelief about the situation and wants her daughter to come home.
"We don't know if she was took by force or if she was voluntarily in this. But we just want her back, that's all we want," Pat Davis told WAAY.
Sheriff: 'I'd be surprised if they're still in Alabama'
Video shows Vicky White's patrol car stopped -- about eight minutes after leaving the jail -- at an intersection about two blocks from the shopping center parking lot where it would be found abandoned, Singleton said.
That indicates the car was driven straight to the parking lot, and the driver never attempted to go to the courthouse, the sheriff said.
But the video doesn't show what happened after the car arrived at the parking lot.
Singleton told CNN he believes the pair transferred to a vehicle that was staged at the shopping center parking lot or may have been picked up by someone.
"We have looked for footage, of course, throughout the shopping center, hoping to identify a second vehicle that they got into when they left that area. But we weren't able to obtain any kind of evidence that would help us in that part of the investigation," he said.
"I'd be surprised if they're still in Alabama," the sheriff said. He noted officials at the Mexican and Canadian borders have been notified of the search.
Vicky White would have money from the recent sale of her home, but her retirement fund paperwork had not yet been processed, Singleton said.
The US Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the location of the missing inmate and officer.
Casey White is 6-foot-9 and while he may have changed his appearance since leaving the jail, his height will still make him stand out, US Marshal Marty Keely said Monday.
Escaped inmate is 'extremely dangerous'
Casey White is "an extremely dangerous person," Singleton said.
He was serving 75 years in prison for a series of crimes in 2015, including a home invasion, carjacking and a police chase, according to the Marshals Service.
He was transferred from a state prison to Lauderdale County's detention center on February 25 to attend court hearings on two capital murder charges he faces related to the 2015 stabbing death of 58-year-old Connie Ridgeway, the Marshals Service said.
He confessed to the crime in 2020 then pleaded not guilty, according to Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly.
"We're assuming he's armed because she was armed," Singleton said of Casey White. The sheriff warned people not to approach the inmate if they see him and to call police instead.
In 2020, while Casey White was being held in Lauderdale County's detention center, authorities learned he planned to escape the jail and take a hostage, Singleton said.
"We shook him down, and we did find a shank in his possession -- a shank is a prison knife. And we retrieved that. We immediately had him shipped back to the Department of Corrections," Singleton said Monday.
The jail already had a policy mandating two sworn deputies accompany inmates at all times, including during transportation to the courthouse -- but "we emphasized that policy with him," Singleton said.
Vicky White violated the policy by leaving the jail alone with Casey White, but since she was second-in-command at the facility other officers didn't push back, Singleton said. "Being the boss and over the transport, she just informed the booking officer that she was going to carry him to the courthouse and drop him off, which was a flagrant violation of policy. But I'm sure because it was her boss, the booking officer didn't question it," he noted.
As part of her job, Vicky White "was frequently throughout the cell blocks, has contact with all the inmates at one time or another," Singleton said. "But as far as a romantic relationship or something like that, we have no evidence or proof that that was the case, although it's a possibility," he added.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/colleagues-of-corrections-officer-are-devastated-after-shes-accused-of-helping-murder-suspect-escape-from/article_80e3e74c-230d-5111-85f1-8a22e5d5ee73.html | 2022-05-03T16:18:43Z |
Find your park: National parks waiving entrance fees to start National Park Week
(Gray News) - As part of National Park Week in April, all national parks will be waiving entrance fees to kick off the week of activities.
On April 16, guests can head to any national park for free, according to the National Park Service.
National Park Week 2022 will run from April 16-24. Parks across the country will host various special programs, events and digital experiences.
Representatives with the NPS said there are more than 400 national parks available to visit, and this year’s National Park Week theme is “sPark Connections.”
A list of this year’s theme days is below:
April 16: sPark Discovery National Park Week kicks off with a fee-free day to encourage everyone to find something new by visiting a national park, especially one that may be close to home, a park you haven’t considered visiting, or one you never realized is a national park! What new national park will you discover? #sParkDiscovery
April 17: sPark Creativity National parks have inspired artistic expression and creativity for generations. What is your park muse? What masterpiece can you create? #sParkCuriosity
April 18: sPark Collaboration We get along with a little help from our friends. Meet our many partners that help expand our reach and offerings and connect people to parks. How can you get involved or participate in opportunities? #sParkCollaboration
April 19: sPark Innovation The National Park Service incorporates the latest technology to support conservation and preservation efforts while consistently working to improve the visitor experience. How can we surprise you with innovation? #sParkInnovation
April 20: sPark Opportunities On Workforce Wednesday, learn about the work we do and the employment opportunities available in the National Park Service and with partner organizations. How can you join? #sParkOpportunities
April 21: sPark Preservation The National Park Service is a leader and partner in the preservation of historic, cultural, natural and recreational resources nationally—and even internationally! How can you get involved in preservation? #sParkPreservation
April 22: sPark Action On Earth Day, we look at the health of the environment and how we impact its well-being and vice versa. What actions can you do to contribute to a healthy world? #sParkAction
April 23: sPark Curiosity The National Park Service preserves and protects unique places with fascinating stories and unique landscapes. What are you curious about? What fascinating things can you discover? #sParkCuriosity
April 24: sPark Memories Generations of visitors have created lasting memories in national parks. What memories and traditions will you create? #sParkMemories
Find your nearest national park here. According to the park service, entrance fees are waived on the first day of National Park Week to encourage people to come out to enjoy their national parks.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/04/13/find-your-park-national-parks-waiving-entrance-fees-start-national-park-week/ | 2022-04-15T09:56:29Z |
Covid-19 wastewater surveillance is promising tool, but critical challenges remain
By Deidre McPhillips, CNN
Covid-19 surveillance is at a crossroads in the United States. With at-home tests now outnumbering those done in laboratories, official case counts are more incomplete than ever as the nation — and world — faces down increasingly transmissible coronavirus variants.
Wastewater surveillance is poised to fill in the gaps and help avoid the threats that an invisible wave of the virus could bring. This surveillance can help identify trends in transmission a week or two earlier than clinical testing, giving public health leaders the chance to focus messaging and resources. It can be used as a tool to sequence the virus and find new variants sooner, too.
But eagerness to use this tool is stifled by uncertainty about exactly how to do so, along with a lack of resources and support to learn.
Testing sewage for virus particles can provide early warning signs of increased transmission in a community, capturing even those who have asymptomatic infections or aren’t being tested.
Since the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the National Wastewater Surveillance System in September 2020, hundreds of sites have come online, with potential to expand even more. The CDC has funding for the program through 2025, and the National Association of County and City Health Officials says interest among its members has grown significantly over the past two years.
But few communities have been able to translate that interest into a sustainable practice or concrete actions to manage the pandemic.
Although 38% of local public health agencies have monitored wastewater at some point during the pandemic, only 21% plan to continue after the pandemic wanes, according to a recent report.
Public health agencies ranked wastewater surveillance as the least influential factor in pandemic management, and only about half have used it to inform decision-making.
The report represents findings from a survey of more than 200 public health officials across the country that was conducted between November and January.
“The thing about wastewater data is that it is inherently messy,” said Megan Diamond, who leads wastewater work for the Rockefeller Foundation’s Covid-19 Response & Recovery team. The Rockefeller Foundation conducted the survey, along with the Pandemic Prevention Institute and Mathematica.
A government watchdog report from April said wastewater surveillance has “enormous potential” to be a key public health tool in the US but noted that some aspects of the science need “further development.”
Sewage samples can be diluted by rainwater or industrial discharge and can be contaminated by things like animal waste, for example.
“As a result, you get a lot of uncertainty, and uncertainty is not the word that you want to present to an epidemiologist. It’s scary. It means you have to make a lot of assumptions, or you have to explore a new science during a pandemic,” Diamond said.
Wastewater surveillance is not a new public health tool, but it was far from mainstream before Covid-19.
Public health agencies were most likely to implement wastewater surveillance programs if they had the support of expert advocates, according to the survey of public health leaders. But about a quarter said there is no clear agency leading this work, and about half said they didn’t have the resources or capacity to do it themselves.
“There’s this whole rally in visibility around wastewater surveillance, and then the guys on the ground, the people who are actually leading the work are like, ‘Yeah, this is not sustainable for us,’ ” Diamond said.
The CDC’s launch of the national wastewater program has helped some, the survey found.
But it has not come without its own challenges. It took the CDC about a year and a half to work through how to best standardize and present the data it had been collecting into a national dashboard, a testament to how complicated the data can be.
The agency first stood up the national dashboard in February, presenting only one data point on the relative change in virus levels at each site over the past 15 days. It recently updated the dashboard to include another data point on how the current level of virus detection compares with other points in the pandemic.
But last month’s report from the Government Accountability Office noted that more remains to be done.
The watchdog agency called out “a lack of national coordination and standardized methods” that challenge broader adoption and complicate efforts to interpret the data and use it to drive public health interventions.
It’s also unclear how cost-effective wastewater surveillance is, according to the report. The GAO says wastewater surveillance can be “particularly useful when clinical testing is resource constrained” but otherwise raises questions about when it makes sense to use it.
Clinical testing may not be constrained in the US right now, but it is underutilized in favor of at-home tests that remain unreported or no testing at all.
Current trends in the data are clear: Virus levels have been rising in most surveillance sites in the US for weeks. And at the end of last week, more than a third of surveillance sites had detected levels that were higher than most historical levels, according to CDC data.
Despite the challenges that remain, the benefits of wastewater surveillance shouldn’t be ignored, Diamond says.
“I don’t think we should not be held back by lack of consensus around standardization in the data, because it may never come,” she said.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/health/cnn-health/2022/05/18/covid-19-wastewater-surveillance-is-promising-tool-but-critical-challenges-remain-2/ | 2022-05-18T14:31:42Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AdaptHealth Corp. (NASD: AHCO) will replace Meritor Inc. (NYSE: MTOR) in the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the opening of trading on Thursday, August 4. S&P 500 constituent Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) is acquiring Meritor in a deal expected to be completed soon pending final closing conditions.
Following is a summary of the changes that will take place prior to the open of trading on the effective date:
For more information about S&P Dow Jones Indices, please visit www.spdji.com
ABOUT S&P DOW JONES INDICES
S&P Dow Jones Indices is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than products based on indices from any other provider in the world. Since Charles Dow invented the first index in 1884, S&P DJI has been innovating and developing indices across the spectrum of asset classes helping to define the way investors measure and trade the markets.
S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies, and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.spdji.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
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SOURCE S&P Dow Jones Indices | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/02/adapthealth-set-join-sampp-smallcap-600/ | 2022-08-02T02:38:33Z |
PRAIRIE DU SAC, Wis. , June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mueller Sports Medicine, a trusted leader in sports medicine for more than 60 years, has partnered with Mego Afek, a pioneer with over 40 years of experience in sequential compression therapy, to offer athletes and consumers a treatment for improved circulation and recovery.
REVIVE™, our newest offering in the Mueller® Recovery Care® line, is a rechargeable, portable, pneumatic compression device used to gently massage muscle tissues to promote lymphatic uptake, thereby removing inflammatory byproducts associated with hard workouts, extended periods of standing or sitting, and swelling.
REVIVE™ offers true and customizable graduated compression through overlapping chambers with highly controlled pressure throughout the treated area. The devices are backed by world-recognized clinical studies showing effective movement of lymphatic fluid and increased circulation during treatment1.
"As athletes and athletic trainers want faster and more controlled recovery, they should be looking to Mueller® Recovery Care® REVIVE™ devices," said John Cayer, President of Mueller Sports Medicine. "REVIVE™ offers 40 years of technical expertise, the most cycles, and longest battery life."
REVIVE™ is offered in two models: the M4 pneumatic pump console will offer Bluetooth connection and full customizability for treatment times and pressures, and the M2 will offer elegant simplicity while still allowing control of treatment time and compression. Both M4 and M2 models are registered and approved by the FDA as a class II medical device. REVIVE™ M4 and M2 models have industry-leading batteries with up to 8 hours of use per charge, so it can easily be used while traveling.
The garments are made of materials that are easy to clean and biocompatible. Each console will include two leg garments. Arm, half vest with arm, calf boots, full pants, and core garments will also be available. Arm and leg garments are bilateral, so "left" and "right" purchases don't need to be made.
REVIVE™ will be available in the USA starting August 1, 2022, found through your local Mueller Sports Medicine representative, by calling Mueller directly at 1-800-356-9522, online at muellersportsmed.com, or Amazon.
1 Effect of pneumatic compression therapy on lymph movement in lymphedema-affected extremities, as assessed by near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging: Aldrich, MB, et. al; Journal of Innovative Optical Health Sciences Vol. 10, No. 02 (2017)
Mueller Sports Medicine, Inc. was founded more than 60 years ago by former University of Wisconsin basketball player turned registered pharmacist, Curt Mueller, who coined the term "sports medicine." The company was based on developing better products to protect athletes from injury and enhance their performance and has expanded into the overall health and wellness segment for all audiences.
Mueller, which continues to be a family-owned company, was the first company to offer knee braces with the patented Triaxial Hinge (U.S. Patent Nos. 4,726,362 and 4,573,455) designed to properly track the knee joint and provide near-normal motion. Other products include HydraCinn® fabric, a moisture-management system that is soft, comfortable, durable and breathable for long term use, Mueller® Green, an earth-friendly line of braces and supports, and Mueller® TYPHOON Kinesiology Tape, featuring a revolutionary wave pattern adhesive that moves with the skin and muscles. Other brands include Sport Care®, Thor®, Omniforce®, PFTape®, Hot Stuff®, Hg80® featuring HydraCinn® fabric , Stickum™, MTape®, ProStrips®, Athletic Care®, Recoil® and Quench Gum®.
The extensive line of sports medicine products can be found in more than 100 countries. www.muellersportsmed.com.
Mego Afek specializes in developing and manufacturing medical and aesthetic pneumatic compression therapy systems for home care, clinics, and hospitals, with more than 40 years of experience.
Mego Afek's pneumatic compression systems are the most advanced, clinically proven giving its users the highest standard of care together with top compliance and ease of use for improving health, wellbeing, and quality of life.
Mego Afek has three main product lines, The Lympha Press® which is the global leading brand for treatment of lymphedema, venous insufficiency, and venous stasis ulcers. The Phlebo Press® DVT, the next generation of DVT prevention and the Ballancer® Wellness & aesthetic treatment systems for lymphatic drainage, body shaping and spa applications.
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SOURCE Mueller Sports Medicine | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/mueller-sports-medicine-offers-next-generation-high-performance-compression-therapy-both-consumers-athletes-with-revive/ | 2022-06-28T12:05:37Z |
NEW YORK, June 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. f/k/a Peridot Acquisition Corp. ("Li-Cycle") (NYSE: LICY) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors who purchased between February 16, 2021 and March 23, 2022.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Li-Cycle, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Li-Cycle includes allegations that the Company made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Li-Cycle's largest customer, Traxys, is not actually a customer, but merely a broker providing working capital financial to the Company while Traxys tries to sell Li-Cycle's product to end customers; (2) the Company engaged in highly questionable related party transactions; (3) the Company's mark-to-model accounting is vulnerable to abuse and gave a false impression of growth; (4) a significant portion of the Company's reported revenues were derived from simply marking up receivables on products that had not been sold; (5) the Company's gross margins have likely been negative since inception; (6) the Company will require an additional $1 billion of funding to support its planned growth (which is a figure greater than the Company raised via the merger); and (7) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times.
DEADLINE: June 20, 2022
Aggrieved Li-Cycle investors only have until June 20, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
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SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/13/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-li-cycle-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-june-20-2022/ | 2022-06-13T11:31:23Z |
SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Astroport Space Technologies, Inc. has been awarded its second NASA Phase 1 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract for the construction of landing pads on the Moon.
Astroport and its research partner, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), will develop geotechnical engineering processes for "Lunar Surface Site Preparation for Landing/Launch Pad and Blast Shield Construction" with a focus on "regolith works" for bulk regolith excavation and movement. The project will build on Astroport's previous Phase 1 STTR-21 work on regolith melting technologies and robotic bricklaying system for lunar infrastructure construction.
The new research will describe a multi-step Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for "regolith works" executed by multiple machines operating autonomously or in remote control mode with step sequencing/timing to enable machine-to-machine collaboration. In particular, it will define conveyance techniques and sorting and filtering processes to prepare and deliver excavated regolith to Astroport's Lunatron™ bricklayer system.
The project will utilize space civil engineering expertise from the University of Adelaide's Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources (ATCSR) in Australia. Venturi Astrolab of Hawthorne, CA, will provide consulting support for integration into the overall system architecture of their FLEX rover as a baseline robotic mobility platform operating a suite of excavation tools.
Astroport's Founder/CEO and Space Architect, Sam Ximenes said, "we are pleased that NASA continues to place confidence in our team's ability to define and develop technologies and processes for lunar infrastructure construction. Under this new contract, the Astroport team will continue its work on the overall construction system architecture that we have started last year. Our objectives are to advance the state-of-art with geotechnical engineering and civil engineering processes for bulk regolith manipulation using a "regolith works" toolset for preparation of the lunar launch/landing site".
Principal investigator for UTSA, Dr. Sazzad Bin-Shafique, said "this research is a natural progression of the University's regolith liquefaction investigations, in that the Phase 1 study will develop discreet-event modeling of the bulk regolith conveyance methods to help determine feeds rates for Astroport's Lunatron™ bricklayer system." UTSA co-principal investigator, Dr. Ibukun Awolusi, assistant professor of construction science and management stated that "leveraging innovative technologies and systems such as those proposed in this study offers remarkable opportunities for the use of lunar materials, construction processes, and our efforts toward achieving space sustainability."
ATCSR is one of a handful of organizations globally that has focused on the development of "space civil engineering" processes for planetary construction. ATCSR has developed numerical modeling to represent the geotechnical behavior of the natural lunar regolith when subjected to load in a lunar environment. This numerical representation facilitates the modeling of a range of lunar construction activities, such as vehicular movement, excavation, and compaction.
John Culton, Director of the Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources at the University of Adelaide said, "ATCSR is proud to support cutting-edge US partners leading the development of critical off-Earth civil engineering processes required to return humans to the Moon, 'this time to stay'".
About Astroport: Astroport Space Technologies Inc. is a space construction and materials manufacturing company turning planetary resources into durable feedstock for autonomous construction of lunar surface infrastructure. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, Astroport was founded with a vision to design, deploy, and operate interplanetary landing ports to facilitate safe, reliable, and efficient spaceflights to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Astroport is a deep tech startup founded in 2020, operating as a technology venture arm of Exploration Architecture Corporation (XArc), a space architecture consulting design and engineering firm established in 2007.
About UTSA: The NASA MIRO Center for Advanced Measurements in Extreme Environments (CAMEE) at The University of Texas at San Antonio was established in 2019 to support NASA's Science, Aeronautics, and Space Technology Mission Directorates, with the vision of building a sustainable source of diverse, highly trained researchers to enter the Nation's workforce in NASA fields of earth system sciences, remote sensing and imaging technologies, computational fluid dynamics and data analytics, and experimental fluid mechanics. Space civil engineering has been added as a focus thrust area for the Center. Funding for the Center is provided through a NASA MUREP Institutional Research Opportunity (MIRO) award.
About ATCSR: The Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources (ATCSR) is the University of Adelaide's hub for space expertise, creating a collaborative interdisciplinary ecosystem with lunar simulation labs not found anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere. Unique opportunities to make history are found here for students and industry to support long-term human presence in deep space focusing on habitation, agriculture, human health and space law. Outcomes of our work will not only benefit humans in space but will positively impact life here on Earth.
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SOURCE Astroport Space Technologies, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/08/astroport-space-technologies-awarded-second-nasa-technology-research-contract-lunar-construction/ | 2022-08-08T23:14:06Z |
LONDON, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stats Perform and Sporting Solutions' new Betting Innovation Centre announced its first B2B product set, Opta BetBuilder Plus, that will quickly unlock the true potential of player props and same-game betting for every operator and bettor.
Initially built for football and ready to integrate today, Opta BetBuilder Plus is the only major betbuilder product to utilise Stats Perform's renowned Opta player statistics and enables sportsbooks of all sizes to offer thrilling experiences for the 2022 World Cup and many competitions beyond.
The product fills key gaps that have held back the growth of football betting by connecting sharp pricing with contextual front-end Opta stats, in-play as well as pre-game, delivered in multiple formats including singles, pre-combined multis, a betbuilder API and hosted betbuilder UI.
Opta BetBuilder Plus features unique Opta-powered markets, like player shots on target and goalkeeper saves, which are available for a broad range of global football competitions. The service has also been built from the ground-up to be fast and simple to launch, particularly for hundreds of operators with an existing Sporting Solutions or Stats Perform integration.
"Opta BetBuilder Plus creates dream experiences for bettors and operators and will set a benchmark for the future of betbuilder products. It perfectly combines the best of Sporting Solutions and Stats Perform: elite modeling and trading expertise, uniquely deep player data, product expertise and the world-renowned Opta brand," said Shane Gannon, SVP Betting at Stats Perform.
CEO of Sporting Solutions, Andy Wright, said: "Since announcing the Betting Innovation Centre, operators have been asking for player proposition prices like shots to be available at scale in betbuilders and same-game products, in-play as well as pre-game, to make football betting more entertaining for their users.
"They also want their traders to have genuine confidence in the player proposition pricing, so they can keep more markets open longer, for more games, and be creative with their boosts and promotions. That's a large part of the unique value we're bringing."
Added Gannon, "Operators want their customers to be able to quickly find and place the right bet, to track it and have stats to help them make a cash-out decision, for all the big leagues but also their local hero players and teams.
"Our Opta BetBuilder Plus product set enables all of this, via a very fast integration. It is perfect for any operator wanting to unlock the true potential of football betting and means every operator can quickly offer trusted, unbeatable football betting experiences," he said.
For further information on the Stats Perform and Sporting Solutions Betting Innovation Centre and Opta BetBuilder Plus, please visit BettingInnovationCentre.com.
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SOURCE Stats Perform | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/betting-innovation-centre-launches-opta-betbuilder-plus-world-cup/ | 2022-08-18T09:29:12Z |
CHICAGO, May 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilson Sporting Goods Co. today introduces its most premium tennis-inspired sportswear collection to date. The exclusive assortment blends best-selling styles with new technical pieces, made to perform at the highest level on and off the court. This new collection comes almost a year after Wilson made its debut into sportswear, signifying Wilson's commitment to innovation, craftsmanship and sport culture.
"Over the last year we've listened to our consumers and know that they want even more functionality and innovation within sportswear, while not compromising on style to perform their best," said Gordon Devin, General Manager and President of Wilson Sportswear. "We believe this collection does exactly that; celebrating our rich history in the sport of tennis and inspiring the athlete in us all."
Combining fashion and function for athletes at every level, select pieces feature the phrase "Wilson Sport Professionals" – a nod to the athlete in all of us and the standard to which Wilson holds itself and its product. Top products include: Women's Center Court Seamless Polo, Women's West Side Skirt, Women's Gibson Tricot Pant and Jacket, Women's Ace Seamless Bra Top, Women's Pleated Short, Men's Kramer Seamless Polo, Men's All-Day Tennis Short, Men's Eastwood Tricot Warm Up Pant and Jacket, Men's Breakpoint Seamless Tee and Men's Wells Woven Short.
The collection also includes an exclusive issue of Clay + Felt, a magazine that celebrates Wilson's evolution in sportswear and legacy in the sport of tennis. Clay + Felt features stylized imagery of the new sportswear collection, the latest innovative equipment, and op-eds from key partners such as Billie Jean King, tennis icon and longtime Wilson Advisory Staff member. Limited quantities of the magazine will be available as a gift with purchase in Wilson's New York and Chicago retail locations, as well as showcased online at wilson.com.
Wilson continues to celebrate its commitment to tennis with activations planned throughout the summer, as well as during the upcoming US Open, where Wilson has been the official ball and racket stringer for over 40 years. The collection is available in-store and online at wilson.com. Follow along @Wilson and join the conversation #WilsonSportProfessionals.
Chicago, USA-based Wilson Sporting Goods Co., a subsidiary of Amer Sports Corporation, is the world's leading manufacturer of high-performance sports equipment, apparel and accessories. The Company brings more than a century of innovation, history and heritage across many sports including Racquet Sports, Baseball, Softball, Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, and Golf. New for 2021 is Wilson Sportswear, a performance-based lifestyle athletic apparel collection, that combines Wilson's heritage and innovation with modern and stylish flair for all to live like an athlete. Leveraging player insights to develop products that push equipment and apparel innovation into new territories, Wilson empowers athletes at every level to perform at their best. Visit www.wilson.com for more information.
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SOURCE Wilson Sporting Goods | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/12/wilson-sporting-goods-launches-performance-based-tennis-collection/ | 2022-05-12T14:57:18Z |
Ukraine opens first war crimes trial of captured Russian
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Journalists packed a small courtroom in Kyiv for the trial of a captured Russian soldier accused of killing a Ukrainian civilian in the early days of the war — the first of dozens of war crimes cases that Ukraine’s top prosecutor said her office is pursuing.
As the trial of 21-year-old Russian Sgt. Vadim Shyshimarin got underway in the capital, Russian forces suffered heavy losses in a Ukrainian attack that destroyed a pontoon bridge they were using to try to cross a river in the east, Ukrainian and British officials said in another sign of Moscow’s struggle to salvage a war gone awry.
Ukraine’s airborne command released photos and video of what it said was a damaged Russian pontoon bridge over the Siversky Donets River in Bilohorivka and at least 73 destroyed or damaged Russian military vehicles nearby.
Britain’s Defense Ministry said Russia lost “significant armored maneuver elements” of at least one battalion tactical group in the attack. A Russian battalion tactical group consists of about 1,000 troops.
“Conducting river crossings in a contested environment is a highly risky maneuver and speaks to the pressure the Russian commanders are under to make progress in their operations in eastern Ukraine,” the ministry said in its daily intelligence update.
In other developments, a move by Finland and, potentially, Sweden to join NATO was thrown into question when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is “not of a favorable opinion” toward the idea. He accused Sweden and other Scandinavian countries of supporting Kurdish militants and others Turkey considers terrorists.
Erdogan did not say outright that he would block the two nations from joining NATO. But the military alliance makes its decisions by consensus, meaning that each of its 30 member countries has a veto over who can join.
An expansion of NATO would be a blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who undertook the war in what he said was a bid to thwart the alliance’s eastward advance. But in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, other countries along Russia’s flank fear they could be next.
With Russia’s offensive in the Donbas, Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, seeming to turn increasingly into a grinding war of attrition and Ukraine pleading for more arms to fend off the better-equipped Russians, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief announced plans to give Kyiv an additional 500 million euros ($520 million) to buy heavy weapons.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov welcomed the heavy weapons making their way to the front lines but admitted there is no quick end to the war in sight.
“We are entering a new, long-term phase of the war,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “Extremely difficult weeks await us. How many there will be? No one can say for sure.”
The battle for the Donbas has turned into a village-by-village, back-and-forth slog with no major breakthroughs on either side and little ground gained. In his nightly address Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said no one can predict how long the war will last but that his country’s forces have been making progress, including retaking six Ukrainian towns or villages in the past day.
Fierce fighting has been taking place on the Siversky Donets River near the city of Severodonetsk, said Oleh Zhdanov, an independent Ukrainian military analyst. The Ukrainian military has launched counterattacks but has failed to halt Russia’s advance, he said.
“The fate of a large portion of the Ukrainian army is being decided — there are about 40,000 Ukrainian soldiers,” he said.
The Ukrainian military chief for the Luhansk region of the Donbas said Friday that troops have taken nearly full control of Rubizhne, a city with a prewar population of around 55,000.
In the ruined southern port of Mariupol, Ukrainian fighters holed up in a steel plant faced continued Russian attacks on the last stronghold of resistance in the city. Sviatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of Ukraine’s Azov Regiment, said his troops will hold out “as long as they can” despite shortages of ammunition, food, water and medicine.
And in Kyiv, Ukrainian soldiers dressed in white protective suits loaded the bodies of Russian soldiers onto refrigerated train cars on Friday. The bodies were wrapped in white body bags and stacked several layers deep.
Col. Volodymyr Lyamzin, who supervised the operation, said several hundred bodies were being stored on the trains in the capital and that there were several other storage trains elsewhere in the country. He said Ukraine was ready to hand the bodies over to Russia, but so far there has been no agreement to do so.
In the first war crimes case brought to trial, Shyshimarin could get life in prison if convicted of shooting a 62-year-old Ukrainian man in the head through an open car window in a village in the northeastern Sumy region on Feb. 28, four days into the invasion.
The defendant, dressed in a blue and gray hoodie and gray sweatpants, sat in a small glass cage during the proceedings, which lasted about 15 minutes and will resume on Wednesday. The trial will be closely watched by international observers to make sure the trial is fair.
Shyshimarin was asked a series of questions, including whether he understood his rights and whether he wanted a jury trial. He declined the latter.
His Ukraine-assigned attorney, Victor Ovsyanikov, has acknowledged that the case against Shyshimarin is strong and has not indicated what the soldier’s defense will be.
Shyshimarin, a member of a tank unit that was captured by Ukrainian forces, admitted that he shot the civilian in a video posted by the Security Service of Ukraine, saying he was ordered to do so.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said she is readying war crimes cases against 41 Russian soldiers for offenses including bombing civilian infrastructure, killing civilians, rape and looting. She said two accused of bombing civilian infrastructure and residential buildings are in Ukrainian hands. It wasn’t clear how many of the suspects would be tried in absentia.
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Yesica Fisch in Bakhmut, Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Jari Tanner in Helsinki, Elena Becatoros in Odesa, and other AP staffers around the world contributed to this report.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/14/ukraine-opens-first-war-crimes-trial-captured-russian/ | 2022-05-14T06:27:36Z |
SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Open XR Forum announced today that it will host a Symposium on September 20 at the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC). The Symposium will be held in the MCH Meeting Room, Foyer, South Section of the City Lounge at the Messe Basel in Basel, Switzerland, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. CEST. Member representatives from global network operators and network solutions providers will address innovations in coherent pluggables, including network use cases for XR optics from BT, TIM and Telefónica.
The Symposium will also include presentations on XR optics proof-of-concept demonstration projects, validating the benefits of routable, coherent Nyquist sub-carrier technology in point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connections over disaggregated line systems. In addition, during the Symposium, members will discuss the XR optics specifications roadmap, including the recently released Open XR Network Management Architecture Specification.
XR optics technology is bringing a new level of intelligence into networks, and the integration enables total cost-of-ownership reductions that can reach 70%. This makes it easier for deployment across many different scenarios.
"The Open XR Forum is committed to accelerating the deployment of pluggable coherent optics into optical networks worldwide," said David Welch, Infinera Co-Founder. "This Symposium will provide a valuable opportunity for Forum members to share their expertise and vision with the broader industry community."
Open XR Forum Symposium member speakers include:
- Norman Swenson, Open XR Forum Technical Advisor, Infinera
- Andrew Lord, Senior Manager, Optical Networks Research, BT
- Moran Roth, Director, Product Management, Juniper Networks
- Emilio Riccardi, Senior Researcher, IP, Transport and Core Innovation, TIM
- Oscar Gonzalez de Dios, SDN Lead of the iFUSION, Telefónica GCTO
- Dave Welch, Co-Founder, Infinera
- David Piehler, Distinguished Engineer- Optics, Dell Technologies
- Edward James Echeverry, Head of Planning and Engineering of Transport Network, Telefónica Colombia
For more information about the Open XR Forum Symposium at ECOC, please visit www.openxrforum.org.
Open XR Forum was founded to foster collaboration between its members to facilitate the adoption and accelerate the growth of network architectures leveraging intelligent point-to-point and point-to-multipoint coherent pluggable transceivers. Members collaborate to ensure the products and services developed align with existing standards and operational models by driving the standardization of network interfaces and electro-mechanical hardware interfaces, demonstrating interoperability, establishing multi-sourcing potential, and developing and publishing new specifications as needed. This will accelerate the wide adoption and deployment of XR optics' innovative technology by a broad spectrum of network operators in a wide variety of applications. Open XR Forum membership is intended for network operators, network equipment vendors, and component suppliers. For more information, visit www.openxrforum.org.
Media Contact
Engage PR for Open XR Forum
Jeannette Bitz
jbitz@engagepr.com
+1.510.295.4972
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SOURCE Open XR Forum | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/13/open-xr-forum-host-symposium-future-coherent-pluggables-ecoc-2022/ | 2022-09-13T12:42:41Z |
DALLAS (KDAF) — If you’ve recently claimed a hefty seven-figure win from the Texas Lottery or just have around $1 million to blow, did you know you can the world’s most expensive bathtub for around $850,000?
Susy Alexandre of Slice wrote that a bathtub cut from 20,000 pounds of Amazonian crystal stone weighs over 4,000 pounds and is detailed with diamond cuts and all sorts of fanciness for a cool $845K price tag.
Enough about expensive bathtubs, let’s talk about someone who can probably now afford this luxurious bathtime vehicle. The Texas Lottery reports a resident of the South Texas city Mission has recently claimed $1 million from a scratch ticket win.
The Mission local won the seven-figure prize from the scratch ticket game Million Dollar Loteria. It was purchased at a Stripes Store on West Main Avenue in Alton. The winner chose to remain anonymous.
“This was the 11th of 12 top prizes worth $1 million to be claimed in this game. Million Dollar Loteria
offers more than $381 million in total prizes,” the lottery reports. | https://cw33.com/news/texas/1-million-winning-scratch-ticket-claimed-by-south-texas-resident/ | 2022-08-18T15:54:36Z |
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis All-Star guard Ja Morant is doubtful for the remainder of the NBA postseason after an MRI and further evaluation revealed a bone bruise in his injured right knee.
The Grizzlies said they expect him to make a full recovery.
The NBA’s most improved player had been averaging 38.3 points a game in the Grizzlies’ Western Conference semifinal matchup with Golden State. But he sat out the 101-98 Game 4 loss on Monday with what the team said at the time was a sore knee.
The Grizzlies trail 3-1 in the series with Game 5 set for Wednesday night in Memphis.
Morant reinjured his knee on a play with the Warriors’ Jordan Poole that the teams debated during the Grizzlies’ 142-112 loss in Game 3.
Morant limped off with 6:19 remaining in the game after Poole grabbed at the knee on a play the Warriors guard said was simply an effort to strip the ball.
Afterward, Morant posted and later deleted a video of the play on his Twitter feed with the words “broke the code,” a reference that Warriors coach Steve Kerr had used five days earlier when Dillon Brooks’ hard foul in Game 2 sidelined Gary Payton II.
Kerr missed Game 4 after testing positive for COVID-19 and being placed in the league’s health and safety protocols. He remained at home in the Bay Area on Tuesday and did not travel to Memphis with the team. Associate head coach Mike Brown will coach Game 5 as planned.
Warriors spokesman Raymond Ridder said via text message Tuesday that the Warriors had no new cases of COVID-19.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/grizzlies-star-ja-morant-doubtful-for-rest-of-nba-playoffs/ | 2022-05-11T15:42:45Z |
MADRID, May 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jobandtalent secured USD 250 million debt financing from US investment banks Citi, Goldman Sachs and European investor AnaCap Financial Partners ("AnaCap").
The debt financing will allow Jobandtalent to facilitate tangible benefits and enhance its foundation for innovative financial products offered to workers. For example, it will be used to enable daily payments and free early access to wages (applicable to most jurisdictions) in the coming months. Jobandtalent expects the financing to assist it in its mission of reshaping temporary work and providing the conditions for people to truly thrive.
Jobandtalent was founded in 2009 in Madrid and harnesses the power of technology and data to connect people with a steady stream of work through a managed job platform, which tears down the barriers to job searching and hiring. In 2021 the company placed over 200,000 people on new jobs in over 2,000 companies, has the highest NPS in the industry and is operating in 9 countries across Europe, Latin America and the USA.
Juan Urdiales, Co-Founder and CEO of Jobandtalent, said: "We stay committed to giving our workers the best possible support within an increasingly flexible work economy. We understand the current market conditions and macroeconomic factors such as inflation can be extremely challenging for them. We believe a lot of our people will benefit from having early wage access and flexible payment options to accommodate their personal finances and cover unexpected costs. We are proud to have been able to raise financing to support this commitment."
Today's announcement follows a record quarter for growth financing, with Jobandtalent closing a $500 million Series E funding round led by Kinnevik and significant follow-on from existing investors in December 2021, which valued the company at $2.4 billion post-money. The debt financing program supports its global funding strategy and allows Jobandtalent to pursue its ambitious expansion plans to new markets.
About Jobandtalent
Jobandtalent is the world-leading temporary job platform that connects great people with a steady stream of work. We are reshaping temporary work and creating the conditions for people to truly thrive. We harness the power of technology and data to provide our people back-to-back opportunities, in order to provide the stability and perks associated with long-term employment. Jobandtalent was founded in 2009 in Madrid with the goal of fundamentally tearing down the barriers of job searching and hiring, and is one of the most successful and fastest growing companies in the industry today. Having placed simplicity and fairness at the core of our platform, we have matched 2,000 international clients in 9 countries across Europe and the Americas with over 200,000 people in 2021. Jobandtalent is currently valued at $2.4 billion and is backed by leading investors including SoftBank, Kinnevik, Atomico and BlackRock. For more information, visit jobandtalent.com.
Contact
Justin King,
jking@milltownpartners.com
+44 7400373104
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SOURCE Jobandtalent | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/05/jobandtalent-raises-usd-250m-debt-facility-enable-flexible-wage-payments-workers/ | 2022-05-05T08:32:55Z |
Biden going to SKorea, Japan in May to discuss China, NKorea
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will travel next month to South Korea and Japan, his first trip to Asia since taking office last year, to consult with allies on growing threats from China and North Korea.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced the May 20-24 trip Wednesday. Both allies host significant U.S. military contingents, and the trip comes as North Korea has escalated its nuclear missile testing and China has grown more assertive in the region.
Biden will meet separately with newly elected President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, Psaki said.
In Tokyo, Biden will also meet with the so-called “Quad” — which also includes Australia, Japan and India — as they aim to forge stronger partnerships to contain China in the Indo-Pacific.
It will be Biden’s fourth foreign trip as president. He traveled to Poland and Belgium in March following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/04/28/biden-going-skorea-japan-may-discuss-china-nkorea/ | 2022-04-28T02:40:50Z |
Key inflation gauge accelerated to 6.8% in June
WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely tracked by the Federal Reserve jumped 6.8% in June from a year ago, the biggest increase in four decades, and leaving Americans with no relief from surging costs.
Friday’s figures from the Commerce Department underscored the persistence of the inflation that is eroding Americans’ purchasing power, dimming their confidence in the economy and threatening Democrats in Congress in the run-up to the November midterm elections.
On a month-to-month basis, prices rose 1% from May to June, faster than the 0.6% rise from April to May and the biggest such jump since 2005.
The government’s report also said that consumer spending managed to just outpace inflation, rising 0.1% from May to June after adjusting for price changes. Consumer spending has weakened in the face of high inflation. But it’s helping fuel inflation itself, with demand still strong for services ranging from airline tickets and hotel rooms to restaurant meals and new and used autos.
Inflation has been rising so fast that despite the pay raises many workers have received, most consumers are falling behind the pace of cost-of-living expenses.
High inflation and interest rates are also hampering the U.S. economy, which shrank in the April-June quarter for a second straight quarter, intensifying fears that a recession is looming. Two quarters of declining growth meet an informal rule of thumb for when a recession begins, although robust hiring suggests that the economy still maintains pockets of strength and isn’t yet in a downturn.
On Wednesday, the Fed raised its benchmark interest rate by three-quarters of a point for a second straight time in its most aggressive drive in more than three decades to tame high inflation. Chair Jerome Powell signaled that the Fed’s pace of rate increases might slow in the coming months.
Still, Powell stressed that the Fed’s policymakers regard the fight against inflation to be their top priority. He gave no hint that a weakening economy would cause the Fed to slow or reverse its rate hikes this year or early next year if inflation remained high.
By raising borrowing rates, the Fed makes it costlier to take out a mortgage or an auto or business loan. The goal is for consumers and businesses to borrow, spend and hire less, thereby cooling the economy and slowing inflation.
During the January-March quarter, consumers did increase their spending, even after adjusting for inflation. But the figure amounted to a meager 1% annual gain, down from 1.8% in the January-March period. At the same time, sharply higher mortgage rates have undercut the housing market: Sales of existing homes have sunk for five straight months, contributing to the economy’s contraction in the April-June quarter.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden rejected any notion that a recession had begun. Biden pointed to still-solid job growth, an unemployment rate near a half-century low and a spate of investments from semiconductor companies as evidence that the economy is still healthy.
Biden also welcomed an agreement forged by Senate Democrats on a slimmed-down version of his Build Back Better legislation, which many economists say could slow inflation over time. The bill would cut the government’s budget deficit, which restrains inflation by reducing overall demand. It would also reduce expenses for seniors by authorizing Medicare to negotiate the prices of some drugs.
Across the economy, soaring inflation was a consequence of the economy’s swift rebound from the pandemic recession of 2020. Government-fueled demand from vast stimulus aid, along with record-low borrowing rates and consumer savings built up during the pandemic overwhelmed factories, ports and freight yards. The resulting shortages of goods and labor sent prices spiking. Russia’s war against Ukraine further accelerated global prices for energy, food, fertilizer and other goods.
The Fed tends to monitor Friday’s inflation gauge, called the personal consumption expenditures price index, even more closely it does the government’s better-known consumer price index. Earlier this month, the CPI reported an acceleration in inflation, to 9.1% in June from a year earlier, the highest such reading in 41 years.
The PCE index, which tends to show a lower inflation level than CPI, is a broader measure of inflation that includes payments made on behalf of consumers, including medical services covered by insurance or government programs. The CPI covers only out-of-pocket costs, which in recent years have risen more. Rents, which are rising at their fastest pace in 35 years, are also given less weight in the PCE than in the CPI.
The PCE price index also seeks to account for changes in how people shop when inflation jumps. As a result, it can capture, for example, when consumers switch from pricey national brands to cheaper store brands.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/07/29/inflation-gauge-accelerated-68-june/ | 2022-07-29T13:11:37Z |
The five-point V-shaped design riding saddle may bring a healthy and comfortable riding experience to female riders
WILMINGTON, Del., June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, the American haute couture professional cycling brand Jelenew launched a new five-point V-shaped design cycling pad, which may bring a healthy and comfortable riding experience to female cyclists. To solve the problem of poor blood flow caused by different thicknesses of various parts of the existing riding cushions on the market, Jelenew adopts a five-point V-shaped distribution design according to the physiological characteristics of female genitalia and the degree of stress on different parts during riding. The design thickens the key force points such as the perineum, pubic bone, ischium, and sacrum as a support layer, which not only helps to empty the seat frame but also keeps the blood flowing, reduces the pressure and discomfort during riding, and reduces the risk of numbness in the hips and legs. In addition, it can provide an excellent cushioning effect, diffuse the pressure distribution, and protect the critical stress areas when women ride, which will bring women a new healthy experience.
The original chamois padding began in 1900 as the manufacturer's solution to genital soft tissue abrasions for male endurance cyclists. The first piece of advice that many new riders receive is to buy a pair of cycling shorts padded with a chamois. This is not a stupid tax provided by experienced riders. The health and comfort of riding are closely related to the development of cycling pads.
The first suede seat was made of suede leather sewn into the crotch bottom of the sheepskin shorts, adding some smoothness and reducing friction in the rider's private parts, but with no cushioning at all. With the progress and development of society, non-suede inner pads with built-in pads were introduced around 1980. Not only does this cycling pad reduce friction, but it also adds cushioning. Almost all women's cycling pants on the market follow this method of developing new cycling equipment based on the male physiological structure.
Matt Powell, a retail sports analyst at NPD Group, once said in an interview with Bloomberg: "In the past, the sports industry was insufficient for women's clothing, and it was only in recent years that brands gradually paid enough attention to women." Cycling brands specially launch cycling clothing designed for women and speak out for women. But in a 2019 study of 178 female cyclists published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, 58 percent reported experiencing genital numbness at times, and 69 percent had chronic hip and groin pain. Since men and women differ significantly in physiological structure, the lack of subversive innovation will not help women usher in a healthier experience.
Jelenew: Born for Women, Launches Revolutionary Cycling Pad
Jelenew is an American professional cycling brand for women and the world's first haute couture professional cycling brand. Its founding team is made up of a group of people who are passionate about cycling. The members are haute couture designers, senior cycling enthusiasts, digital technology experts, etc. They came together because of their love for cycling and hoped to use Jelenew to give full play to their professional advantages. When they noticed that traditional cycling pads are very unfriendly to women regarding physical health, function, and aesthetics, and there is much room for optimization, they developed a five-point V-shaped riding cushion.
Compared with the traditional cycling pad, Jelenew designed the seat cushion into a five-point V-shaped distribution design according to the physiological characteristics of female genitalia and the force during riding. The critical stress points, such as the upper parts, are thickened to protect the key stress regions when women ride. This new type of riding seat cushion can increase the cushioning effect, diffuse the pressure distribution, effectively reduce the pressure and discomfort during riding, reduce the risk of numbness in the buttocks and legs, and improve blood circulation. It will bring a healthy and comfortable riding experience to female cyclists. In addition, Jelenew will also apply the clothing technology in high fashion to the design of cycling equipment, making them more beautiful while maintaining excellent functionality, and visually bringing a better riding experience.
Haute couture 3D tailoring has the dual characteristics of art and technology. Jelenew took the lead in introducing this technique into the design and development of professional cycling clothing, making the pad fit the shape of trousers and the human body. The problems such as bulging, non-compliance, embarrassing lines, and camel toe of the private parts that are easy to see at the front of the cycling pants perfectly integrate the functionality and fashion aesthetics.
The founder of Jelenew said, "Our brand was founded with a sense of social responsibility. Our products include two categories, competition series, and leisure cycling series. The competition series can meet the needs of professional athletes and senior cycling players for sports performance and leisure. The cycling series provides more convenient, practical, and life-like cycling equipment for most cycling enthusiasts. It can also consider aesthetics, practicability, and life based on ensuring sports function. We hope our products and brands have a positive impact and make more women fall in love with cycling."
About JELENEW
Jelenew is an American avant-garde cycling brand born for women. It creates the first cycling pants truly made for women in the world. It brings the groundbreaking combination of "Haute Couture and Sportswear" and carefully designs each product with "luxury moulage technique" to provide a more refined sports experience and promote a healthy lifestyle for cyclists to enjoy elegant and stylish suburban cycling.
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SOURCE Jelenew | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/jelenew-launch-new-cycling-pad-will-make-more-women-enjoy-cycling/ | 2022-06-28T23:34:32Z |
College student struck by lightning on first day of class
PENSACOLA, Fla. (WEAR) - Talk about a rough first day: A freshman at the University of West Florida was walking to class when she got struck by lightning.
She survived, which her doctors say is a miracle.
Emma Eggler, 18, is feeling lucky this week. “A lot of doctors told me I should buy a lottery ticket because I was lucky,” she said.
The Birmingham, Alabama, student was struck by lightning on Monday, her first day of college as a freshman.
“I did not feel anything, at all really. I just woke up on the ground,” Eggler said.
She collapsed on the sidewalk after the lightning hit her in the chest.
“My shirt was like completely open,” Eggler said. “Because of the lightning strike, it melted to me.”
The electricity traveled down the left side of her body. Her watch exploded and burned her wrist.
The electricity went down to her foot, putting a hole in her sock and one in her sneaker.
“I was able to get my backpack off me. But I could not feel my legs at all, and I was scared I was paralyzed, and I was really panicking,” Eggler said.
Senior Nelson Libbert and others ran over to Eggler and put her on a bench. They called 911.
Libbert started talking to her to calm her down. He said that he told her, “I would be freaking out over this, but you, you’re so strong, you’re a strong freshman. I know this is a tough first day, but believe it or not, but you’re going to make it through this.”
She was taken to Sacred Heart in Pensacola and then to University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham.
The doctors told her parents she was lucky the bolt didn’t stop her heart.
“We definitely feel like God performed a miracle for her. That is the only explanation for why she is still with us,” said Erin Eggler, Emma Eggler’s mother.
Emma Eggler has been released from the hospital and has regained movement in her legs. She is expected to return to classes next week.
Copyright 2022 WEAR via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/26/college-student-struck-by-lightning-first-day-class/ | 2022-08-26T13:51:32Z |
911 dispatcher who took Buffalo shooting call put on leave
Published: May. 18, 2022 at 11:30 PM CDT|Updated: 24 minutes ago
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - A 911 dispatcher is on leave and may lose her job after allegedly hanging up on an supermarket employee hiding during this weekend’s shooting rampage in Buffalo, New York.
A spokesperson for the Erie County executive said “termination will be sought” for the dispatcher at a disciplinary hearing later this month.
An employee at the supermarket where 10 Black people were killed by a white gunman on Saturday told The Buffalo News that she was whispering during the 911 call because she feared the shooter would hear her.
The employee alleges the dispatcher shouted at her, asked why she was whispering — then hung up.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/19/911-dispatcher-who-took-buffalo-shooting-call-put-leave/ | 2022-05-19T04:55:32Z |
House passes military lend-lease bill to speed Ukraine aid
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House gave final passage Thursday to legislation that would streamline a World War II-era military lend-lease program to more quickly provide Ukraine and other Eastern European countries with American equipment to fight the Russian invasion.
The measure, which passed by an overwhelming 417-10 vote, now goes to the White House for President Joe Biden to sign into law.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Gregory Meeks of New York said with unified support from the U.S. Congress, “Ukraine will win.”
The bill is the latest from Congress, which is steadily churning out resolutions and resources to counter Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and help the country and its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fight back. The Biden administration announced Thursday it will seek another $30 billion from Congress in military and humanitarian aid, on top of the nearly $14 billion Congress approved last month to help Ukraine fight the war.
Months in the making, the bipartisan bill was first introduced in January as part of the U.S.’s posture of deterrence to warn off Putin’s aggression towards Ukraine.
The measure would update the 1941 legislation Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law to help allies fight Nazi Germany. At the time, the then-U.S. president ushered the Lend-Lease Act through Congress, responding to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s appeal for aid, even as America initially remained neutral in the war, according to the U.S. National Archives.
Biden is expected to sign the bill into law, giving the administration greater leeway to send military equipment to Ukraine and neighboring allies in Eastern Europe.
“It is a real moment in history that we are back on this House floor supporting lend-lease,” said Rep. French Hill, R-Ark.
The congressman said he hoped the “Churchillian idea” would end delays in shipping aid to Ukraine, much the way the original law sped help to Britain fighting Adolf Hitler’s Germany in World War II.
“Today we find ourselves in a very similar situation with Putin systematically bombing and shelling the peaceful villages and cities of Ukraine,” he said.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi also gave nod to the moment, saying the war is a battle between democracy and autocracy, and echoed Roosevelt’s call on Americans to provide the fuel to keep light of democracy burning.
“Our task today remains the same,” she said. “The Ukrainian people are making the fight for all of us.”
Zelenskyy has repeatedly pleaded for more military equipment from the U.S. and allies, on top of the Stinger and Javelin missile systems, lethal drones and other weaponry that has already been flowing to the region.
The Ukrainian military and its citizens are engaged in a brutal street-level fight to save their country, as Russia bombards cities and villages in Putin’s quest to take control of the nation and make it part of Russia.
Lawmakers in both parties, Republicans and Democrats, have argued that the U.S. is not moving swiftly enough to help the Ukrainians. Countless members of Congress have trekked to the region to see first-hand the devastation, meet with their counterparts in Ukraine and do what they can to offer help with resettling the flood of more than 5 million refugees.
The measure approved by the U.S. Congress would update the 1941 law specifically for the Ukrainian conflict, lifting some reimbursement requirements and allowing military equipment to leant or leased for more than five years.
While the updated legislation had backing from both parties in the House and Senate, it stalled in Congress along with other Ukraine-focused bills. Democratic lawmakers tended to defer to the president of their party to take the lead on foreign policy, especially as Biden worked to build support from allies abroad.
Then, swiftly and without fanfare, the Senate quietly approved the bill from Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, earlier this month on a voice vote without objections.
This week the House pushed it forward on the chamber’s agenda as soon as lawmakers returned from a spring recess.
But tensions run high in Congress over countless issues, and the House debate quickly devolved. Republicans initially focused instead on immigration issues at the U.S. Southern border with Mexico, leading Democrats to blame the House GOP for harboring pro-Donald Trump factions soft on Putin.
“We stand for democracy here, not Vladimir Putin,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., wearing a blue-and-yellow tie in the colors of the Ukraine flag, during a floor debate.
In a heated moment, Raskin criticized GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene of Georgia for her earlier comments disparaging NATO and Western support for Ukraine. He questioned why she joined the debate to talk about immigration at the Southern border rather than the Russian invasion.
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., who was managing the early part of the floor debate, insisted the “vast majority of my colleagues” support the lend-lease bill and would see it to passage.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/04/28/house-passes-military-lend-lease-bill-speed-ukraine-aid/ | 2022-04-30T03:20:21Z |
Copado's Fall 22 release delivers Continuous Quality by embedding end-to-end testing, security and compliance into CI/CD pipelines
CHICAGO, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Copado, the global leader in low-code DevOps, today launched its Quality Integration Framework which integrates AI-driven Robotic Testing and CI/CD within its DevOps platform for Salesforce. Designed for the new breed of non-technical and technical low-code delivery teams, Copado's Fall 22 release enables customers to integrate continuous quality into every branch of code deployed. One of the first companies to achieve this milestone, Copado ensures quality, security and compliance across every step of the software development lifecycle.
More than 150,000 businesses, including 90% of the Fortune 500, rely on Salesforce to build their digital business. Applications built on the Salesforce platform are becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex. Yet rigorous, integrated and automated testing has not yet become commonplace: 84% of Salesforce teams report they are still relying on manual testing and most Salesforce teams lack the resources to test every change before deployment to production. At the same time, finding quality issues later in the release cycle is 640x more expensive.
"In order to achieve continuous quality, testing has to be accessible to both citizen and professional testers," said David Brooks, Senior Vice President of Products at Copado. "Copado has introduced a new click-based test creation and editing capabilities to improve collaboration across delivery teams. Businesses should shift-left and shift-right on testing to improve efficiency and achieve speed, security and quality."
In Forrester's Continuous Automation Testing Platforms Landscape, Q3 2022 report, Diego Lo Giudice wrote, "Software testing can't be an afterthought or a special event that happens once a quarter after a week-long integration. Enterprises recognize that the longer a defect lives, the more expensive the fix becomes. All forms of testing must be part of the continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline and 'shifted left' as early in the lifecycle as possible in order to identify and eliminate bugs before the overheads increase."
The Fall 22 release empowers citizen and technical testers to work collaboratively through a low-code platform. It offers a new Flow Editor so citizen testers can easily build regression and end-to-end test suites visually through a drag-and-drop interface. Teams can feel confident that tests are always up to date by leveraging AI-assisted test authoring with smart predictions and self-healing capabilities. Regardless of a user's skill level, they now have the flexibility to choose their preferred authoring mode all-in-one package that integrates tightly with Copado CI/CD pipelines.
Tests are viewable in the Copado Quality Integration Framework, giving customers a user-story centric view of the tests, quality gates, policies, security and compliance rules in the same place CI/CD pipelines are managed. This unique ability to centrally manage quality from the perspective of the pipeline gives Salesforce development teams unmatched visibility and control. The Copado Quality Integration Framework also enables customers to integrate any testing, security or compliance tool in the wider DevOps ecosystem into their pipeline.
"We needed to scale our Salesforce development and introduce structured, auditable processes for SOX compliance," said Derek Nelson, Lead Salesforce Administrator at Weave. "Copado gave us that scalability and structure, delivering great results. We used to dread deployment day but with Copado, it's stress-free. It's so easy that anybody can use it — even if they can't code. We just press a button, and if there's an issue, we can easily go back to our user stories to troubleshoot the problem. Now, we get to go home on time."
At Dreamforce 2022 in San Francisco, Copado will demonstrate key features of Fall 22 and show how Copado is redefining the standard of DevOps for Salesforce in booth 1300. Book a meeting here: https://www.copado.com/copado-at-dreamforce-22. Learn more about all the new innovations by visiting the Fall '22 Release Hub.
Copado is redefining how to achieve success with enterprise SaaS and low-code platforms with its data-driven approach to delivering faster, higher quality releases and improving trust across customer transformation projects. Organizations that implement DevOps and automated testing best practices have been shown to deploy more often, fail less often and recover faster. A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Copado found that a composite organization comprised of interviewees with customers with experience using Copado delivered 20x shorter lead times, 10x faster recovery times, 4x reduction in change fail rate and 5-7% higher productivity. Further, organizations using Copado's DevOps platform can achieve $4.5 million in value and an ROI of 307% over three years with payback in less than 6 months.
Salesforce, Dreamforce, AppExchange and others are trademarks of salesforce.com, inc.
Follow Copado:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/copado-solutions-s.l/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CopadoSolutions
Blog: https://www.copado.com/learning/blog/
About Copado
Copado is the leading DevOps and testing solution for low-code SaaS platforms that run the world's largest digital transformations. Backed by Insight Partners, Salesforce Ventures and SoftBank Vision Fund, Copado accelerates multi-cloud, enterprise deployments by automating the end-to-end software delivery process to maximize customers' return on their cloud investment. More than 1,000 companies rely on Copado to drive digital transformation with speed, quality and value including Boston Scientific, Coca-Cola, Fair Trade, Linde, MassMutual, Schneider Electric and Shell. Copado processes over 50 million DevOps transactions per month and is rated with a 100% score on the Salesforce AppExchange. More information can be found at: http://www.copado.com.
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SOURCE Copado | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/copado-launches-quality-integration-framework-deepen-cicd-ai-driven-testing-capabilities-within-its-devops-platform/ | 2022-09-14T14:32:33Z |
Ukrainian nuke plant operating tenuously as war persists
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s state nuclear energy operator said Friday that Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, caught in the Ukraine-Russia war, is operating in emergency mode with elevated risk.
The six-reactor Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant came under the control of Russian forces early in the war that started in February, but is being operated by Ukrainian staff. The plant and surrounding areas have been repeatedly hit by shelling that Russia and Ukraine blame on each other’s forces.
The last power line connecting the plant to the Ukrainian electricity grid was cut on Monday, leaving the plant without an outside source of electricity and receiving power for its own safety systems from the only one of the six reactors that remains operational.
Energoatom, the state nuclear operator, said Friday that repairs to the outside lines are impossible because of the shelling and that operating in the so-called “island” carries “the risk of violating radiation and fire safety standards.”
“Only the withdrawal of the Russians from the plant and the creation of a security zone around it can normalize the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Only then will the world be able to exhale,” Petro Kotin, the head of Energoatom, said Friday on Ukrainian TV.
Fighting continued Friday in parts of southern and eastern Ukraine and in the north where Ukraine claims to have recently pushed Russian forces out of some areas.
Russian planes bombed the hospital in the town of Velika Pysarivka, on the border with Russia, said Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, governor of the Sumy region. he said the building was destroyed and there were an unknown number of casualties.
Four people were killed in shelling in the Kharkiv region, two of them in Kharkiv city, Ukraine’s second-largest, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. Ukraine this week claimed to have regained control of more than 20 settlements in the Kharkiv region, including the small city of Balakliya.
Social media posts showed weeping and smiling Balakliya residents embracing Ukrainian soldiers.
In the Donetsk region in the east — one of two that Russia declared to be sovereign states at the outset of the war — eight people were killed in the city of Bakhmut over the past day and the city is without water and electricity for the fourth straight day, said governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/09/09/ukrainian-nuke-plant-operating-tenuously-war-persists/ | 2022-09-09T11:27:59Z |
- Parkinson's Unity Walk — annual fundraiser that gathers thousands from the PD community in Central Walk — to transition from Parkinson Alliance to Michael J. Fox Foundation as of October 1, 2022 (for April 2023 event)
- Unity Walk staff will work closely with the Foundation in first year to maintain continuity
- Goal is to streamline and grow mission of Parkinson's Unity Walk to support the broad needs of the unified Parkinson's community
NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) and The Parkinson Alliance announced today that the Parkinson's Unity Walk — a fundraising event held each April in New York City's Central Park — will be hosted by MJFF starting in 2023.
The goal of the Unity Walk has always been to bring a unified Parkinson's disease (PD) community together around a shared goal: to cure Parkinson's. Since its inception in 1994, the event has dramatically scaled — from 200 participants in its first year to 11,000 around the United States and more than 30 countries by 2019. To date, the event has fundraised more than $29 million for Parkinson's programs and research. In order to meet the growing scale of the Unity Walk's mission and reach more people impacted by PD, the Unity Walk Board of Directors has decided to transition the event to MJFF in order to leverage the Foundation's robust engagement onramps and network.
To commemorate the event's transition, Martin Tuchman, Chairman of The Parkinson Alliance, and Michael J. Fox remarked on the unified vision of both organizations to speed a Parkinson's cure:
"The Unity Walk was founded by Parkinson's patients who saw the immeasurable value of bringing together the community. Thanks to the efforts of our team, event participants, volunteers and donors, we surpassed even the biggest goals that we set for ourselves," said Martin Tuchman, Chairman of The Parkinson Alliance and the Parkinson's Unity Walk. "I'm pleased that MJFF will bring its scale and expertise to take this event to the next level while maintaining its tradition as a resource for every person touched by this challenging disease."
"When the Parkinson's community rallies together, magical things happen," said Michael J. Fox. "For years the Unity Walk has united patients and families raising millions of dollars to advance critical programs and research. We look forward to continuing the incredible legacy of this event."
As of October 1, 2022, MJFF will be responsible for the Unity Walk's ongoing production and implementation. Staff from both organizations will closely work together in the first year to plan the April 2023 event while maintaining the event's continuity. The Parkinson Alliance will remain a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and will continue its operations independently.
Looking ahead, MJFF will continue the Unity Walk's tradition of presenting a day of activity for the community to celebrate, learn and connect, while raising critical funds for a cure. In the ongoing spirit of the Unity Walk, 100 percent of proceeds from fundraising will be used to support the research and public policy priorities that people and families living with Parkinson's urgently need. Corporate sponsorship from industry partners will continue to support the operating costs of the Unity Walk.
Since its start, the Parkinson's Unity Walk's mission has been to raise funds for research to find a cure. The event was founded by Ken Aidekman and the late Margot Zobel — two friends who connected at a policy and advocacy event and began envisioning an event that could unite patients, their friends, families and doctors. Today, the Unity Walk draws the largest number of participants for a single-day grassroots Parkinson's fundraiser in the United States.
"MJFF and The Parkinson Alliance share a profound commitment to doing all we collectively can to support the millions of people with Parkinson's. For decades, the Unity Walk has welcomed thousands into its network and invited them to take action," said MJFF CEO and Co-Founder Deborah W. Brooks. "As new stewards of this event, we are honored to continue this tradition and to connect more people to the important role they each can play in helping to eradicate this disease."
MJFF will update its community and former participants of the Parkinson's Unity Walk as the Foundation lays the groundwork for the April 2023 event. Learn more and follow along at michaeljfox.org.
As the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding $1.5 billion in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; creates a robust open- access data set and biosample library to speed scientific breakthroughs and treatment with its landmark clinical study, PPMI; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world. For more information, visit us at michaeljfox.org, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn.
The mission of The Parkinson Alliance is to raise funds for research to end Parkinson's disease, support the development of new therapies, and improve the quality of life for those living with the disease through patient-centered research and resources. The Parkinson Alliance stands as the umbrella organization for the Parkinson's Unity Walk, Team Parkinson, and other fundraising events held around the country.
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SOURCE The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research; The Parkinson Alliance | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/michael-j-fox-foundation-parkinsons-research-parkinson-alliance-announce-transition-parkinsons-unity-walk/ | 2022-09-08T13:48:20Z |
PHILADELPHIA, May 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Berger Montague is investigating securities fraud allegations on behalf of investors who purchased the securities Pegasystems, Inc. ("Pegasystems" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: PEGA) between May 29, 2020 and May 9, 2022 (the "Class Period").
If you purchased the securities of Pegasystems during the Class Period, would like to discuss Berger Montague's investigation, or have questions concerning your rights or interests, please contact attorneys Andrew Abramowitz at aabramowitz@bm.net or (215) 875-3015, or Michael Dell'Angelo at mdellangelo@bm.net or (215) 875-3080 or visit: https://investigations.bergermontague.com/pegasystems-inc/
Whistleblowers: Anyone with non-public information regarding Pegasystems is encouraged to confidentially assist Berger Montague's investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under this program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to thirty percent (30%) of recoveries obtained by the SEC. For more information, contact us.
According to the complaint, Pegasystems failed to disclose to investors that it had engaged in corporate espionage and misappropriation of trade secrets to better compete against Appian Corp. and that it had engaged in a scheme to steal Appian trade secrets.
The truth regarding the Company's fraudulent conduct was revealed on May 9, 2022, when Pegasystems announced that a jury had awarded Appian – which had sued the Company for stealing trade secrets – more than $2 billion. In response to this news, Pegasystems' stock price fell 21%, from a closing price of $65.93 per share on May 9, 2022, to a closing price of $52.25 on May 10, 2022.
Berger Montague, with offices in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., and San Diego, has been a pioneer in securities class action litigation since its founding in 1970. Berger Montague has represented individual and institutional investors for over five decades and serves as lead counsel in courts throughout the United States.
Contacts
Andrew Abramowitz, Senior Counsel
Berger Montague
(215) 875-3015
aabramowitz@bm.net
Michael Dell'Angelo, Executive Shareholder
Berger Montague
(215) 875-3080
mdellangelo@bm.net
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SOURCE Berger Montague | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/26/pegasystems-inc-company-news-berger-montague-investigates-securities-fraud-allegations-against-pegasystems-inc-nasdaq-pega-lead-plaintiff-deadline-is-july-18-2022/ | 2022-05-26T19:29:40Z |
Disappointed that the MiMedx Board Has Resorted to Disinformation and Distortions to Distract Shareholders from the Board's and Management's Own Failures
Reiterates Intention to Withhold Votes Against Directors Phyllis Gardner and James Bierman at 2022 Annual Meeting and Vote Against Approval of Executive Compensation
BATON ROUGE, La., May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Prescience Point Capital Management LLC ("Prescience Point"), a research-focused, catalyst-driven investment firm that beneficially owns approximately 6.7% of the outstanding common stock of MiMedx Group, Inc. ("MDXG" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: MDXG), today issued the following statement:
"In recent press releases and letters, MiMedx has misleadingly portrayed Prescience Point as a lone disgruntled shareholder. However, from what we understand, several other large MiMedx shareholders, representing millions of MDXG shares, have sent correspondence to the Company outlining similar concerns to ours. With an important vote coming up at the Company's annual meeting of shareholders on June 7, 2022, we believe it is imperative that shareholders know the truth. As such, we call upon the Board and management to publicly confirm that they have received letters of concern from other large shareholders in recent weeks," stated Eiad Asbahi, Founder and Managing Partner of Prescience Point.
As an example of the apparently widespread discontent within the MiMedx shareholder base, Prescience Point noted the following comments from an e-mail sent to the Board by a large, longstanding shareholder that was recently made publicly available on an investor information website:
"…However, the crowning blow to all of this is [CEO] Tim's and this Boards "Let them eat cake' plan to pass around shares of stock like candy. Shareholders are being held hostage by the resulting dilution of this ill gained compensation.
"Shame on this Board too for accepting hundreds of thousands in stock and cash each year while shareholders suffer. You are all derelict in your fiduciary responsibility to us – the true owners of MIMEDX who put our hard-earned money into this company.
"This management and board are not aligned with shareholders' best interests and are a textbook example of all that is wrong with corporate governance in today's world of greed and self dealing."
"Rather than acknowledge the egregious value destruction caused by the misguided strategies and actions of the Board and management, and the totally unjustified stock awards they have granted themselves, the Company has engaged in personal attacks against me based on events from over two decades ago that have long been settled. This is both a distressing weakness of character in a publicly-traded healthcare company, and a desperate attempt to distract shareholders from the failings of the Board and management," said Mr. Asbahi.
Prescience Point reiterated its intention to WITHHOLD its votes against two members of MDXG's Board of Directors, Phyllis Gardner and James Bierman, who are up for election at the Company's annual meeting, and to vote AGAINST approval of the executive compensation package.
"We intend to send a message that the repeated failures and deficiencies of the MiMedx Board and management will not be tolerated by shareholders, by voting WITHHOLD against two directors and voting NO on the Company's excessive and undeserved executive compensation. We believe that MDXG shareholders should not swallow all the misleading and self-serving disinformation constantly being served up by the Board and management, and that it is incumbent upon the Board as fiduciaries to set the record straight," Mr. Asbahi noted.
Disclaimer
This material does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein in any state to any person. In addition, the discussions and opinions in this press release are for general information only and are not intended to provide investment advice. All statements contained in this press release that are not clearly historical in nature or that necessarily depend on future events are "forward-looking statements," which are not guarantees of future performance or results, and the words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "potential," "could," "opportunity," "estimate," and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. The projected results and statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are based on current expectations, speak only as of the date of this press release and involve risks that may cause the actual results to be materially different. Certain information included in this material is based on data obtained from sources considered to be reliable. No representation is made with respect to the accuracy or completeness of such data, and any analyses provided to assist the recipient of this presentation in evaluating the matters described herein may be based on subjective assessments and assumptions and may use one among alternative methodologies that produce different results. Accordingly, any analyses should also not be viewed as factual and also should not be relied upon as an accurate prediction of future results. All figures are unaudited estimates and subject to revision without notice. Prescience Point disclaims any obligation to update the information herein and reserves the right to change any of its opinions expressed herein at any time as it deems appropriate. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
About Prescience Point Capital Management
Prescience Point Capital Management is a private investment manager that employs forensic investigative techniques to unearth significant mispricing in global markets. It specializes in extensive investigations of difficult-to-analyze public companies in order to uncover significant elements of the business that have been overlooked or ignored by others.
Prescience Point manages private funds on behalf of its clients and principals and takes positions both long and short in support of its research. Prescience Point invests across a broad set of equities that it believes have abnormally large disparities between what their underlying businesses are intrinsically worth and what their securities sell for. The firm was founded by investor Eiad Asbahi in 2009 and is headquartered in Baton Rouge, LA. Prescience Point Capital Management is a registered investment advisor with the State of Louisiana. Follow @PresciencePoint.
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SOURCE Prescience Point Capital Management | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/prescience-point-capital-management-calls-mimedx-confirm-company-has-received-letters-serious-concern-other-shareholders/ | 2022-05-18T13:49:15Z |
BOSTON, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (NYSE: HTD) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC and subadvised by Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC, announced today sources of its monthly distribution of $0.1380 per share paid to all shareholders of record as of July 11, 2022, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan. This press release is issued as required by an exemptive order granted to the Fund by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Notification of Sources of Distribution
This notice provides shareholders of the John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (NYSE: HTD) with important information concerning the distribution declared on July 1, 2022, and payable on July 29, 2022. No action is required on your part.
The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, payable July 29, 2022, and the cumulative distributions paid this fiscal year to date from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short term capital gains; net realized long term capital gains; and return of capital or other capital source. All amounts are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount.
You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution plan.
The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."
The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.
The Fund has declared the July 2022 distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan"). Under the Plan, the Fund makes fixed monthly distributions in the amount of $0.1380 per share, which will continue to be paid monthly until further notice.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact your financial professional or call the John Hancock Investment Management Closed-End Fund Information Line at 1-800-843-0090, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time.
Effective October 1, 2021, copies of all notices informing shareholders of distributions made by the fund in excess of accumulated net investment income will be posted on John Hancock Investment Management's public website (jhinvestments.com) and on the Legal Notice System (LENS), a service offering of the Depository Trust Company (DTC) accessible by broker-dealer firms. To the extent required, notice may also be provided via press release. John Hancock Investment Management distributed paper copies of these notices by mail until March 30, 2022. Effective April 1, 2022, the notices will be delivered exclusively via the methods described above.
Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing.
A company of Manulife Investment Management, we serve investors through a unique multimanager approach, complementing our extensive in-house capabilities with an unrivaled network of specialized asset managers, backed by some of the most rigorous investment oversight in the industry. The result is a diverse lineup of time-tested investments from a premier asset manager with a heritage of financial stewardship.
Manulife Investment Management is the global brand for the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 18 geographies. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.
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SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/29/john-hancock-tax-advantaged-dividend-income-fund-notice-shareholders-sources-distribution-under-section-19a/ | 2022-07-29T21:01:10Z |
SAN JOSE, Calif., May 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. successfully developed the world's first 55-inch 8K active matrix quantum dot light-emitting diode (AMQLED) display, which is currently exhibited in the SID Display Week 2022 in San Jose, CA. This is another innovation breakthrough in active matrix quantum dot display following the release of 55-inch 4K AMQLED display demo in 2020. This world's first 55-inch 8K AMQLED display utilizes electroluminescent quantum dot technology, combining with the oxide TFT driving and inkjet printing process for all functional layers (except cathode), which made it the real "active self-emitting quantum dot display".
Quantum dots, also known as semiconductor nanocrystals, have the unique physical properties including tunable emission wavelength and narrow full width at half maximum. Comparing to quantum dot backlight technology, AMQLED is free of backlight, while the quantum dots are laminated by injected current. AMQLED technology has the advantages of self-emitting, wide color gamut, and long lifetime, etc., which make it the direction of quantum dot display technology. Meanwhile, inkjet printing is considered to be the most mutual manufacturing process for QLED mass production, which can greatly improve the utilization rate of materials, thereby effectively reducing manufacturing costs.
At present, electroluminescent AMQLED display technology is in the "explosion" period and attracts R&D attentions from academia and major players in display industry around the world. Through continuous innovation, BOE launched a number of AMQLED displays including the 5-inch, 14-inch and 55-inch(4K) demos. BOE is leading the trend of quantum dots display technology and moved an important step forward to the mass production of AMQLED technology. The launch of world's first 55 inch 8K AMQLED demo illustrated that BOE is one of the leading players in the field of quantum dot display, which will further improve the competitiveness in the world for Chinese display industry.
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SOURCE BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/13/boe-releases-worlds-first-55-inch-8k-amqled-display-demo-debuting-sid-display-week-with-more-extreme-visual-experience/ | 2022-05-13T16:34:12Z |
ORLANDO, Fla., July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Success strategies from top industry leaders, the latest in high-tech devices and a chance to network with other real estate professionals: That's what the Florida Realtors® 2022 Convention & Trade Expo offers – opportunities to expand business and your bottom line.
Florida Realtors Convention & Trade Expo takes place Aug. 24-25, 2022, at the Rosen Shingle Creek resort in Orlando, with the popular REBarCamp slated to kick off the event on Tuesday, Aug. 23.
"Florida Realtors 2022 Convention and Trade Expo is the one business event this year that every Realtor should attend," says 2022 Florida Realtors President Christina Pappas, vice president of the Keyes Family of Companies in Miami. "Over the course of just two days, Realtors can learn successful business strategies from top industry leaders, get marketing tips, hear inspirational speakers who offer advice from the trenches, network with colleagues and enjoy exciting entertainment."
The 2022 convention features nearly 40 education sessions from top industry speakers on various topics such as how-to sell luxury homes, the post-pandemic future of global real estate, how traditional brokerages can increase their profit margin, how to create videos people will watch, and proven strategies for "irresistible listing presentations."
Convention highlights
- REBarCamp: Aug. 23
Sponsored by Florida Realtors Young Professionals Network (YPN), this peer-to-peer learning and sharing event isn't a lecture – more of a Q&A session where Realtors ask experts – and sometimes each other – the hard questions. Over 500 members have attended REBarCamp in previous years. - General Session Keynote: Martha Stewart
Forbes magazine says Martha Stewart is the first self-made woman to reach billionaire status. Oprah was the second. Instead of a generic presentation, Stewart will answer business-boosting questions provided by Florida Realtors. Be there for real-life business insights from a woman with worldwide star power, unparalleled success as an entrepreneur, crossover celebrity status due to her partnership with Snoop Dog and exemplary communication skills. She paid a price for a bad decision, but when it comes to her businesses, she continues to "Wow the World." One ticket included with registration for in-person convention. - Dance Party with "Party on the Moon": Aug. 24
American's No. 1 Party Band returns – Party on the Moon delivers a high-energy evening of the latest dance music, '80s classic rock, Latin, disco/funk, R&B and Motown. One ticket included with registration for in-person convention. - Awards Luncheon, Aug. 25
Florida Realtors honors Realtor excellence and service at this ticketed event, including recognizing the Humanitarian of the Year and Realtor of the Year and other award winners. This year's unique entertainment: comedian Mike Goodwin. Tickets are $50 and will be sold until noon Wednesday, Aug. 24. - The Trade Expo, Aug. 24-25
The expo features more than 200 industry experts and exhibitors showcasing the latest marketing and technology products.
Sponsors for the 2022 convention include: the Miami Association of Realtors; EXIT Southeast; Boomtown; Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors; LPT Realty; FindAMortageBroker.com; real/MLS; Elm Street; Northeast Florida Association of Realtors; Stellar MLS; Osceola County Association of Realtors; Orlando Regional Realtor Association; Realtor.com; Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association; Brokermint; Realtors Association of Lake & Sumter Counties; Pillar to Post Home Inspections; HomeVist by CoreLogic; Realtors Association of Citrus County; Greater Tampa Realtors; Hernando County Association of Realtors; Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee Inc.; Pinellas Realtor Organization/Central Pasco Realtor Organization; GTE Financial; Homes.com/Homesnap; SecurityNational Mortgage Company; TigerLRM; Sentrilock; Amendment 3; Form Simplicity; Tech Helpline; Acra Lending; Old Republic Home Protection; Home Inspection Service; Zillow; Lendai; National Title Solutions; Suncoast Credit Union; and Yardi Breeze.
Register online through Aug. 15 for the Florida Realtors convention at https://events.american-tradeshow.com/FLR22. The full in-person registration fee for members is $160 from now through Aug. 15, 2022; for non-members, the cost is $185. After Aug. 15, registration will be handled at onsite; cost will be $170 for members and $195 for non-members. For more info, check out http://convention.floridarealtors.org/.
Florida Realtors® serves as the voice for real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its 225,000 members in 51 boards/associations. Florida Realtors® Newsroom website is available at http://floridarealtors.org/newsroom.
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SOURCE Florida Realtors | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/29/expand-your-brand-attend-florida-realtors-2022-convention-amp-trade-expo/ | 2022-07-29T14:52:21Z |
NEW YORK, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Levi & Korsinsky, LLP notifies investors in Yext, Inc. ("Yext" or the "Company") (NYSE: YEXT) of a class action securities lawsuit.
CLASS DEFINITION: The lawsuit seeks to recover losses on behalf of Yext investors who were adversely affected by alleged securities fraud between March 4, 2021 and March 8, 2022. Follow the link below to get more information and be contacted by a member of our team:
YEXT investors may also contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. via email at jlevi@levikorsinsky.com or by telephone at (212) 363-7500.
CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that defendants made false statements and/or concealed that: (i) Yext's revenue and earnings were significantly deteriorating because of, among other things, poor sales execution and performance, as well as COVID-19 related disruptions; (ii) accordingly, Yext was unlikely to meet consensus estimates for its full year fiscal 2022 financial results and fiscal 2023 outlook; and (iii) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
WHAT'S NEXT? If you suffered a loss in Yext during the relevant time frame, you have until August 16, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
NO COST TO YOU: If you are a class member, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket costs or fees. There is no cost or obligation to participate.
WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, the team at Levi & Korsinsky has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. Our firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States.
CONTACT:
Levi & Korsinsky, LLP
Joseph E. Levi, Esq.
Ed Korsinsky, Esq.
55 Broadway, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10006
jlevi@levikorsinsky.com
Tel: (212) 363-7500
Fax: (212) 363-7171
www.zlk.com
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SOURCE Levi & Korsinsky, LLP | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/yext-lawsuit-alert-levi-amp-korsinsky-notifies-yext-inc-investors-class-action-lawsuit-upcoming-deadline/ | 2022-06-30T11:36:30Z |
BlockSpaces relationship with Cogent Bank allows their blockchain-backed company to bank with ease.
TAMPA, Fla., June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BlockSpaces, a B2B integration platform that connects business applications to blockchain networks, today announce their banking relationship with Cogent Bank, a full-service commercial and retail bank. The announcement was made at the Florida Bankers Association (FBA), one of Florida's oldest trade associations since 1888, annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.
BlockSpaces' relationship stems from Cogent Bank's unique understanding of the blockchain industry, including a firm grasp of the risks, distributed ledger technology, virtual currency, decentralized finance, and the evolving regulatory landscape. As Cogent Bank focuses on providing flexible, innovative, and forward-thinking services, the relationship allows the company to utilize Cogent's real-time, tokenized payment platform, advanced treasury management tools, and API gateway for data integration.
"As the blockchain industry continues to rapidly develop, it's critical for emerging companies to leverage progressive banking institutions for business operations," said Rosa Shores, Co-Founder and CEO of BlockSpaces. "Very few providers are up to serving customers with these unique needs. We are thrilled to have found such an innovative partner in Cogent Bank that truly embraces the coming digital transformation."
"We couldn't be happier to build our business with such a forward-thinking banking partner. We're having exciting discussions on how to bring digital asset services to more businesses and organizations in the future," said Gabe Higgins, Co-Founder and Chief Blockchain Officer of BlockSpaces.
"We know clients like BlockSpaces are in need of instantaneous payments using blockchain technology in today's fast-paced, digital economy," says Chirag Bhavsar, president of Cogent Bank. "At Cogent Bank we are always looking towards the future of banking, creating innovative solutions to fit the unique needs of our customers."
As the traditional financial services industry undergoes an upheaval due to technological developments such as blockchain, Web 3.0, and decentralized finance (DeFi), BlockSpaces has solidified its relationship with Cogent Bank as they lead the way in allowing functionality to their clients through innovative services.
About BlockSpaces
BlockSpaces is a B2B integration platform that connects business applications to blockchain networks through managed Web3 infrastructure, no/low code workflows and robust performance analytics. In April, the company introduced Lightning Connect, a simplified, non-custodial solution designed for businesses to experience the benefits of Bitcoin with lightning-fast, low-fee, secure payment processing.
The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
For more information, visit www.blockspaces.com.
About Cogent Bank
Cogent Bank is a state-chartered bank that has operated as a full-service business and personal bank since 2001. With over $1 billion in total assets Cogent offers multiple banking centers in North, Central and Southwest Florida. Cogent offers a broad range of lending, depository, treasury management and mobile banking services designed to meet the complex and diverse needs of its clients while staying focused on the local communities it serves. Cogent believes banking is personal and requires high-touch, innovative services designed to make managing financial transactions easier. Cogent pairs its financial expertise with a passion for learning more about its clients' goals and objectives.
To learn more, visit www.cogentbank.net.
Contacts
Media Contact for BlockSpaces:
Jamila Nicholson
media@blockspaces.com
Media Contact for Cogent Bank:
Shelby Eiger
shelby.eiger@andbarr.co
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SOURCE BlockSpaces | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/blockspaces-announces-banking-relationship-with-cogent-bank/ | 2022-06-23T17:51:53Z |
Elon Musk subpoenas Twitter whistleblower ahead of trial
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Elon Musk’s legal team is demanding to hear from Twitter’s whistleblowing former security chief, who could help bolster Musk’s case for backing out of a $44 billion deal to buy the social media company.
Former Twitter executive Peiter Zatko — also known by his hacker handle “Mudge” — received a subpoena Saturday from Musk’s team, according to Zatko’s lawyer and court records.
The billionaire Tesla CEO has spent months alleging that the company he agreed to acquire undercounted its fake and spam accounts — and that he shouldn’t have to consummate the deal as a result.
Zatko’s whistleblower complaint to U.S. officials alleging Twitter misled regulators about its privacy and security protections — and its ability to detect and root out fake accounts — might play into Musk’s hands in an upcoming trial scheduled for Oct. 17 in Delaware.
Zatko served as Twitter’s head of security until he was fired early this year.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/29/elon-musk-subpoenas-twitter-whistleblower-ahead-trial/ | 2022-08-29T17:25:30Z |
Caught on camera: Vandalism causes thousands of dollars in damage to mosque
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - A burglar was caught on camera smashing his way through a Minneapolis mosque.
The path of destruction will cost thousands of dollars to repair, but some of the damage isn’t as easily fixed.
Broken glass, damaged doors and bent donation boxes are what members of Tawfiq Islamic Center in Minneapolis found following a break-in late Sunday night.
The person behind the burglary was caught on camera.
“And he began to destroy almost every single door he could find. He destroyed the entire offices. He vandalized the property,” said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations – Minnesota.
Cameras captured the point of entry, with the individual prying open a back door.
He made his way through the gym, then forced his way through this next door, spending about 40 minutes inside the mosque.
The person is seen walking through hallways, kicking doors and taking money from donation boxes located around the mosque.
The loss is estimated at $50,000.
The Islamic center say theid can repair what was damaged. “However our sense of safety, and the impact this attack will have is a longterm impact on our community,” a trustee said.
The community expressed concern, leading to a visit from the city’s top cop.
Officials report this is the fourth significant incident at a Minnesota mosque since the start of the year.
“Although many of the motives are different, the result is all the same, which means it leaves communities damaged, losing their sense of safety, terrorized,” said Abdulahi Farah of the Muslim Coalition.
Copyright 2022 WCCO via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/09/07/caught-camera-vandalism-causes-thousands-dollars-damage-mosque/ | 2022-09-07T14:16:28Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for F, CGC, GE, SDC, and BLUE.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- F: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=F&prnumber=082220225
- CGC: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=CGC&prnumber=082220225
- GE: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=GE&prnumber=082220225
- SDC: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=SDC&prnumber=082220225
- BLUE: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=BLUE&prnumber=082220225
(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.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/thinking-about-buying-stock-ford-motor-canopy-growth-corp-general-electric-smiledirectclub-or-bluebird-bio/ | 2022-08-22T15:51:47Z |
Loan to fund the development of multifamily building with 83 residential units
MINNEAPOLIS, April 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ACRES Capital Corp. (together with its subsidiaries, "ACRES"), a leading commercial real estate middle-market lender, has originated a $19.25 million loan to fund the development of Sawyer & Huck (the "Property") in Minneapolis.
The proposed 46,504-square-foot multifamily building will house 83 luxury rental units and include 47 on-site covered parking spaces. The property will also provide premier community amenities such as a fitness center, roof deck, and bike parking.
Located within walking distance of downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota, the property is situated in the historic St. Anthony West area, which lies on the east bank of the Mississippi River. The trendy area features an abundance of nearby recreational activities and cultural attractions.
"Home to 18 Fortune 500 companies, Minneapolis has a rapidly growing multifamily market characterized by healthy occupancies and a strong tenant demographic driving demand," said ACRES Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Fogel. "Given the property's location and high-quality finishes, it will rank at the upper end of the luxury multifamily market."
The loan was provided to Charles Street Development Company based in Denver and Drew Miller of ACRES' Uniondale, N.Y. office originated the loan.
About ACRES
ACRES is a nationwide direct lender and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides construction, bridge and permanent debt capital solutions for the commercial real estate industry. ACRES partners on targeted opportunities in the $10 million to $100 million range, including multifamily, student housing, retail, office, hospitality, and industrial. Contact us at www.acrescap.com or at (516) 535-0015.
Media Contacts:
Doug Allen / Maya Hanowitz
Dukas Linden Public Relations
(646) 722-6530
ACRES@DLPR.com
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SOURCE ACRES Capital, LLC | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/04/25/acres-originates-1925m-loan-sawyer-amp-huck-apartments-minneapolis/ | 2022-04-25T21:15:36Z |
ATLANTA, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GM Protections, LLC ("GM"), a subsidiary of GM Financial has selected Safe-Guard Products International, LLC, the leading provider of branded protection products for the automotive, RV, marine and powersports industries, as they work together to provide an enhanced, complete added protection solution for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealers.
"GM Protection will underwrite vehicle protection products on most GM vehicles while enhancing the offering with Safe-Guard products specifically developed for our brands," said Matt St. Charles, senior vice president and business leader of GM Protection. "This is part of our strategy to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty and help drive retention to our dealer network for any future service needs."
Working in collaboration, the parties will develop the new enhanced suite of products with program introduction to the dealer networks beginning Q4 2022. GM Financial supports over 4,000 automotive dealerships across the U.S.
The offering will include a complete suite of fully branded protection products, as well as dealer business development resources from a dedicated GM Protection team, on-demand retail training and development, enhanced sales and marketing content, technology platforms and integrations to help dealers sell, manage, and optimize their F&I business, and best-in-class customer service and claims administration. A private label program providing vehicle protection products for non-brand vehicles will also be made available for network dealers.
"Our relationship with Safe-Guard is a significant collaboration that will provide additional value to our customers and will improve the business for our dealers," said St. Charles.
"Safe-Guard is excited to support GM dealers and help drive F&I performance with our complete solution," said David Pryor, president of Safe-Guard. "Our unique combination of more OEM protection product programs than any other provider plus our solution for dealer groups allows us to deliver a one-stop, complete solution for GM dealers. We look forward to helping drive business and customer retention for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac dealers."
"Safe-Guard's expertise is creating fully branded customer-focused products, value-based dealer business solutions, and data-driven sales and business development," said Randy Barkowitz, chief executive officer of Safe-Guard. "We are excited to launch this solution with GM Protection and support a world-class customer and dealer experience for these brands."
Based in Atlanta, Ga., Safe-Guard Products manages protection product programs for over 65 strategic partner brands across the U.S. and Canada, offering a full suite of protection products and dealer business solutions in the automotive, RV, marine, and powersport industries. More than 40 million consumers are protected under added protection contracts by Safe-Guard.
General Motors Financial Company, Inc. is the wholly-owned captive finance subsidiary of General Motors Company and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. For more information, visit gmfinancial.com.
Founded in 1992 and based in Atlanta, Safe-Guard Products International, LLC is the leading provider of branded vehicle protection products in the finance and insurance space to the automotive, RV, marine and motorcycle/powersports industries. The company develops, markets, and administers programs on behalf of clients, backed by industry-leading sales and marketing, advanced technology solutions, and comprehensive customer service. Safe-Guard is a proud partner to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), top retailers, and independent agents across the United States and Canada.
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SOURCE Safe-Guard Products International, LLC | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/safe-guard-products-international-announces-new-branded-automotive-protection-relationship-with-gm-protection/ | 2022-08-22T17:22:16Z |
NEW YORK, June 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. f/k/a Peridot Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: LICY).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/li-cycle-holdings-corp-loss-submission-form/?id=28310&from=4
The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased Li-Cycle between February 16, 2021 and March 23, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until June 20, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. f/k/a Peridot Acquisition Corp. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Li-Cycle's largest customer, Traxys, is not actually a customer, but merely a broker providing working capital financial to the Company while Traxys tries to sell Li-Cycle's product to end customers; (2) the Company engaged in highly questionable related party transactions; (3) the Company's mark-to-model accounting is vulnerable to abuse and gave a false impression of growth; (4) a significant portion of the Company's reported revenues were derived from simply marking up receivables on products that had not been sold; (5) the Company's gross margins have likely been negative since inception; (6) the Company will require an additional $1 billion of funding to support its planned growth (which is a figure greater than the Company raised via the merger); and (7) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/10/licy-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-li-cycle-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-june-20-2022/ | 2022-06-10T11:20:00Z |
(The Hill/NEXSTAR) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said rape victims in the state can prevent pregnancies by using emergency contraception pills such as Plan B, The Dallas Morning News reported Friday.
In Texas, abortions are banned. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.
Late last month, a so-called “trigger law” went into effect following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade earlier this year. The trigger law makes it a felony to perform an abortion in the state, with narrow exceptions when the pregnant person’s life is at risk.
“We want to support those victims, but also those victims can access health care immediately, as well as to report it,” Abbott told The Dallas Morning News and KXAS-TV’s “Lone Star Politics” in a segment obtained by the Morning News that will air on Sunday.
“By accessing health care immediately, they can get the Plan B pill that can prevent a pregnancy from occurring in the first place,” he added.
Plan B is an oral contraceptive that is taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex or a “contraceptive accident” to prevent pregnancy, according to the product’s website. The pill prevents an egg from being released from the ovary to prohibit fertilization.
The Republican governor also told “Lone Star Politics” that reporting a rape to law enforcement “will ensure that the rapist will be arrested and prosecuted.”
However, very few rape cases result in an arrest. While there were 13,327 reported rapes in Texas in 2020, there were only 1,828 arrests for rape, according to the state’s department of public safety.
Abbott’s Democratic opponent Beto O’Rourke responded to the governor’s statement on Twitter on Friday night, saying “We are going to end Greg Abbott’s career on November 8 and the women of Texas are going to lead the way.”
The Texas governor made national headlines just shy of a year ago for comments made after the implementation of State Bill 8, which was at that time the most restrictive abortion bill in the U.S. Under SB 8 — now superseded by the trigger law — abortions were banned after about six weeks, which is earlier than many people even realize they are pregnant.
During a press conference on the bill, Abbott was asked whether or not the bill was cruel to victims of rape. Abbott responded that the bill still gave victims six weeks to get an abortion, so it does not force victims to have their assaulter’s child.
Instead, Abbott posed a different solution to the issue of rape, saying, “Let’s be clear: rape is a crime. And Texas will work tirelessly to make sure that we eliminate all rapists from the streets of Texas by aggressively going out and arresting them and prosecuting them and getting them off the streets.”
The comments were widely panned by detractors and advocates for victims of sexual violence.
Abbott, who has served as Texas governor since 2015, will face O’Rourke in November’s election. The former state representative has been a fierce critic of Abbott’s policies, particularly his handling of the state’s electrical management and gun regulations in the wake of the deadly mass shooting in Uvalde.
In recent months, Abbott has focused much of his attention on migrants at the Texas-Mexico border, which has included headline-grabbing bussing of migrants to sanctuary cities like Washington, D.C. and Chicago. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/texas-gov-abbott-rape-victims-can-prevent-pregnancy-by-taking-plan-b/ | 2022-09-03T21:29:56Z |
ALBANY -- We are in late spring now, but summer is coming on June 21. With temperatures reaching the high-90s now, it seems as though we are already in summer mode.
While sitting on my back porch, I was able to catch a reflection in a glass lantern. The lantern sits on the right side of the porch. It is one of a good size, one in which you can put a candle and create metal accents. The reflection was that of a seabird solar light that is in a flower garden to the left of the porch. It was quite magical to see its reflection on the lantern. The light had produced the image of the seabird when it bounced off the glass.
It got me thinking about this summer. When I see the crepe myrtles and chaste trees blooming along with the lantanas, Mexican heather, oleander, periwinkle, and other flowers, I am in awe. With the hopes of a good summer, I look forward to its activities. With a laid-back, slower pace, I want to enjoy it. With COVID numbers going down, I hope that trend continues.
Backyard barbeques, family gatherings, pool parties, and outdoor games will be held this season. Families will be taking staycations or vacations. If they take a staycation, they can stay at home, take some free time off, enjoy the local area, and just create good family times.
If they go on vacation, I hope that they will go to a beach somewhere. There is nothing like the sun, sand, wind, salt, air and water at the beach. The sound of the waves calms the spirit. The sights of the ocean, watercolors of aqua and blue, marine life, shells, and sunsets with their colors of orange, purple, yellow, and pink lift your spirit. Swimming in the ocean water can heal your spirit. The beach, quite simply, is good for the soul.
June 21, when summer begins, will also be the summer solstice. It will be the longest day of the year. This happens when the sun will reach its highest northernmost point in the sky. So, beautiful spring will end, and summer will arrive. Here’s to celebrating summer and all that it holds for us.
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/features/reflections-of-an-upcoming-summer/article_00070a1e-e4df-11ec-af33-43f2b195d9eb.html | 2022-06-05T15:40:35Z |
West Ham probes report that fans hit German commentators
LONDON (AP) — West Ham is investigating allegations that two German radio journalists were attacked by home fans at London Stadium while broadcasting the Europa League semifinal match between the Premier League club and Eintracht Frankfurt. German newspaper Bild reported that fans seated behind the commentators punched them and pulled a headset off one of them during Thursday night’s first leg, which Frankfurt won 2-1. It was not known if the journalists required medical attention. West Ham condemned the behavior and said it was investigating. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/04/29/west-ham-probes-report-that-fans-hit-german-commentators/ | 2022-04-29T10:21:30Z |
IRVINE, Calif., June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. (the "Company" or "Sunstone") (NYSE: SHO), the owner of Long-Term Relevant Real Estate® in the lodging industry, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with an affiliate of Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. ("Park") to acquire Park's 25% interest in the joint venture that owns the leasehold interest in the 1,190-room Hilton San Diego Bayfront (the "Hotel"). As part of the transaction, Sunstone will pay Park $102 million in cash and will effectively assume Park's $55 million share of the existing mortgage loan on the Hotel, which is already fully consolidated as part of Sunstone's financial statements. Following the acquisition, Sunstone will own 100% of the venture's interests in the Hotel.
The purchase price, including the in-place debt, implies a $628 million value for the Hotel, or $527,700 per key, and represents a 13.2x multiple on the Hotel's 2022 forecasted EBITDA and a 6.6% capitalization rate on 2022 forecasted net operating income. The Company currently anticipates closing the transaction by the end of the second quarter 2022 and expects to fund the acquisition primarily from borrowing on the Company's revolving credit facility.
Bryan Giglia, Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are pleased to announce our acquisition of the remaining 25% joint venture interest in the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. This is a very well-located, high-quality asset in a premier convention and leisure market. The hotel is in excellent physical condition, and with the recent addition of new meeting space, a refreshed lobby, and enhanced food & beverage offerings, the hotel is well positioned to benefit from strong leisure travel and recovering business transient and corporate group demand. We thank our partners at Park for their collaboration over the years and believe this transaction, which consolidates ownership for Sunstone and provides Park with a fair valuation for their ownership interest, is a mutually beneficial outcome for both parties."
The acquisition is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, and the Company can give no assurance that the transaction will close. The forecast amounts referenced in this release are based on the Company's assumptions of operating performance and the Company cannot assure you that the forecasts will be achieved.
About Sunstone Hotel Investors
Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. is a lodging real estate investment trust ("REIT"). Sunstone's strategy is to create long-term stakeholder value through the acquisition, active ownership, and disposition of hotels considered to be Long-Term Relevant Real Estate®. For further information, please visit Sunstone's website at www.sunstonehotels.com.
For Additional Information
Aaron Reyes
Chief Financial Officer
Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc.
(949) 382-3018
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws and regulations. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "should," "will" and other similar terms and phrases, including opinions, references to assumptions and forecasts of future results. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks include, but are not limited to: the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has on the Company's business and the economy, as well as the response of governments and the Company to the pandemic, and how quickly and successfully effective vaccines and therapies are distributed and administered; increased risks related to employee matters, including increased employment litigation and claims for severance or other benefits tied to termination or furloughs as a result of temporary hotel suspensions or reduced hotel operations due to COVID-19; general economic and business conditions, including a U.S. recession or increased inflation, trade conflicts and tariffs, regional or global economic slowdowns and any type of flu or disease-related pandemic that impacts travel or the ability to travel, including COVID-19; the need for business-related travel, including the increased use of business-related technology; rising hotel operating costs due to labor costs, workers' compensation and health-care related costs, utility costs, property and liability insurance costs, unanticipated costs such as acts of nature and their consequences and other costs that may not be offset by increased room rates; the ground or airspace leases for two of the hotels the Company has interests in as of the date of this release; the need for renovations, repositionings and other capital expenditures for the Company's hotels; the impact, including any delays, of renovations and repositionings on hotel operations; new hotel supply, or alternative lodging options such as timeshare, vacation rentals or sharing services such as Airbnb, in the Company's markets, which could harm its occupancy levels and revenue at its hotels; competition from hotels not owned by the Company; relationships with, and the requirements, performance and reputation of, the managers of the Company's hotels; relationships with, and the requirements and reputation of, the Company's franchisors and hotel brands; the Company's hotels may become impaired, or its hotels which have previously become impaired may become further impaired in the future, which may adversely affect its financial condition and results of operations; competition for the acquisition of hotels, and the Company's ability to complete acquisitions and dispositions; performance of hotels after they are acquired; changes in the Company's business strategy or acquisition or disposition plans; the Company's level of debt, including secured, unsecured, fixed and variable rate debt; financial and other covenants in the Company's debt and preferred stock; the impact on the Company's business of potential defaults by the Company on its debt agreements or leases; volatility in the capital markets and the effect on lodging demand or the Company's ability to obtain capital on favorable terms or at all; the Company's need to operate as a REIT and comply with other applicable laws and regulations, including new laws, interpretations or court decisions that may change the federal or state tax laws or the federal or state income tax consequences of the Company's qualification as a REIT; potential adverse tax consequences in the event that the Company's operating leases with its taxable REIT subsidiaries are not held to have been made on an arm's-length basis; system security risks, data protection breaches, cyber-attacks and systems integration issues, including those impacting the Company's suppliers, hotel managers or franchisors; other events beyond the Company's control, including climate change, natural disasters, terrorist attacks or civil unrest; and other risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's business described in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any deviation will not be material. All forward-looking information provided herein is as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Company's expectations.
This release should be read together with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Copies of these reports are available on our website at www.sunstonehotels.com and through the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System ("EDGAR") at www.sec.gov.
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SOURCE Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/sunstone-hotel-investors-acquire-remaining-25-joint-venture-interest-hilton-san-diego-bayfront-park-hotels-amp-resorts/ | 2022-06-01T11:22:38Z |
US diverts COVID-19 funds to secure vaccines amid stalemate
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Wednesday that a funding crunch is forcing it to divert more than $10 billion in coronavirus relief from test procurement and other efforts as it tries to come up with money to secure the next generation of vaccines and treatments for some high-risk Americans.
The White House said it has been left with “no choice” but to cut back on orders of at-home rapid tests that have supported a domestic manufacturing base for the easy diagnostic tests. It also is scaling back funding for research and development of new COVID-19 vaccines and limiting orders of personal protective equipment in an effort to maintain some stockpiles of vaccines and treatments for Americans heading into the winter.
Even then, the Democratic administration says, there will only be enough money available to provide treatments and vaccines to some people. It urged Congress to act to provide enough money to secure doses for all who might want or need them.
“The administration has to act because Congress won’t,” the White House said in a statement. “These trade-offs we are being forced to make because of Congress will have serious consequences on the development of next-generation vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, domestic vaccine production capacity, stockpiling of PPE and the procurement of tests and testing supplies for federally qualified and community health centers.”
The White House said the “unacceptable” trade-offs were due to congressional inaction.
It was not immediately clear which vaccines and treatments the administration was seeking to secure with the limited funding — including whether the administration was placing orders for potential multivalent vaccines that would protect against both the original COVID-19 strain and offer targeted protection against some variants. The White House also didn’t say how many doses of vaccines would be acquired, citing contracting requirements for the lack of clarity.
The administration said the Wednesday moves would shift $5 billion to buy COVID-19 vaccine doses for the fall, $4.9 billion for 10 million Paxlovid oral antiviral treatment courses and $300 million for the purchase of additional monoclonal antibody treatments.
The Biden administration has been warning for months of the potential for rationing and other tough trade-offs if Congress doesn’t act to provide additional funding, saying that it would cost lives as people’s immunity from booster doses or from prior infection wane.
Lawmakers in March appeared near a deal for $10 billion of the $22.5 billion that President Joe Biden has requested, but negotiations broke down over Biden’s plans to end pandemic-related public health restrictions on U.S. borders that severely curtailed migration. Though that move has been blocked by a federal judge, lawmakers have appeared no closer to reaching a deal.
The White House has said that if it doesn’t act swiftly to secure vaccines, other nations will lock in their own places in line ahead of the U.S. That would reverse the trend of the U.S. being among the first nations, if not the first nation, to market vaccines and life-saving COVID-19 treatments like Paxlovid.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/06/08/us-diverts-covid-19-funds-secure-vaccines-amid-stalemate/ | 2022-06-08T14:53:53Z |
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence shows that it’s a “genuine possibility” that North Korea will conduct another ballistic missile test or nuclear test around President Joe Biden’s visit to South Korea and Japan that begins later this week, according to the White House.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Wednesday said that the U.S. is preparing for North Korea to conduct a “long range missile test, or a nuclear test or frankly both” in the days leading up to, during, or after Biden’s trip to the region. The president is set to arrive in South Korea on Friday before heading to Japan on Sunday.
“We are preparing for all contingencies including the possibility that such a provocation would occur while we’re in Korea or in Japan,” Sullivan said. “We are coordinating closely with our allies in both Korea and Japan on this.”
North Korea in recent months has test-launched a spate of missiles in what experts call an attempt to modernize its weapons and pressure its rivals to accept the country as a nuclear state and relax their sanctions. The latest tests—the firing of three short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea—came on the same day last week that Pyongyang acknowledged its first COVID case.
Sullivan said he spoke with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, about a potential provocation by the North during a call between the two officials earlier on Wednesday. Beijing has served as North Korea’s closest interlocutor.
The senior Biden adviser did not specify how the U.S. might react to further testing by North Korea, but said the administration would “make both short and longer term adjustments to our military posture as necessary to ensure that we are providing both defense and deterrence to our allies in the region” in response to Pyongyang.
North Korea’s recent provocative run in weapons demonstrations, including its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile in nearly five years, is brinkmanship aimed at forcing the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength.
It also comes amid a massive COVID-19 outbreak in the North, the first time during the more than two-year-old pandemic that North Korean officials have acknowledged the virus has been detected within its borders.
The North Korean nuclear threat is expected to to be at the top of the agenda when Biden meets South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Kim Tae-hyo, Yoon’s deputy national security adviser, told reporters Wednesday that North Korea probably won’t conduct a nuclear test this week but that its preparations for another ICBM test appeared imminent.
Kim Jong Un during Tuesday’s Politburo meeting affirmed he would “arouse the whole party like (an) active volcano once again under the state emergency situation” to prove its leadership before history and time and “defend the well-being of the country and the people without fail and demonstrate to the whole world the strength and the spirit of heroic Korea once again,” KCNA said. The report did not make a direct reference to a major weapons test.
Recent commercial satellite images of the nuclear testing ground in Punggye-ri indicate refurbishment work and preparations at a yet unused tunnel on the southern part of the site, which is presumably nearing completion to host a nuclear test, according to an analysis released Tuesday by Beyond Parallel, a website run by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. | https://cw33.com/news/politics/ap-politics/us-n-korea-may-conduct-missile-test-as-biden-visits-asia/ | 2022-05-19T08:49:17Z |
Spectrum Dynamics installs the cutting-edge methodology for attenuation correction for its D-SPECT® Series digital camera that eliminates need for CT transmission scan and multiple-positions scans.
SARASOTA, Fla. , April 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spectrum Dynamics today announced the worldwide deployment of its TruCorr Attenuation Correction software across the United States, Europe, and Asia. The Deep Learning-based application, which works on Spectrum Dynamics' D-SPECT® digital cameras, is revolutionary in its ability to generate artifact corrected myocardial perfusion images without requiring additional scanning sessions for the patient.
Studies have shown that attenuation correction of SPECT images improves image quality and increases the accuracy of image interpretation. Until now, the most common way to visually address attenuation artifacts has been to scan the patient twice, using different positions. For others, an alternative option to implement correction has been to obtain a corresponding computed tomography (CT) transmission scan.
"Our initial experience with TruCorr attenuation correction has been encouraging", said Marvin W. Kronenberg, M.D., Director Heart Station and Nuclear Cardiology, Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute. "We have obtained marked improvement in image quality compared to uncorrected images."
TruCorr performs attenuation correction using a Deep Learning approach with data from the patient's SPECT scan. The application eliminates the need to scan the patient in two different positions, such as upright and supine or prone. TruCorr benefits sites where there is no CT scanner available. It can also free up CT scanners and staff. TruCorr averts the need for the patient to incur additional radiation dose and longer or multiple appointments.
"Many of Spectrum's unique design ideas have proven key in the development and optimization of digital SPECT cameras and have become industry standards in SPECT imaging," said Spectrum Dynamics' CEO, Gilad Yoeli. "It is our fierce spirit of innovation and agility that drives us to develop solutions that increase diagnostic confidence, increase scanner efficiency and throughput, and lower dose to the patient."
For more information, contact Nilda Rivera at (941) 441-6224 or NildaR@spectrum-dynamics.com
About Spectrum Dynamics Medical
Spectrum Dynamics Medical Group Limited and its subsidiaries ("Spectrum Dynamics") are engaged in the development, manufacturing, sales, and service of state-of-the-art nuclear medicine imaging systems. Spectrum Dynamics is spearheading the transformation of SPECT imaging systems from analog to digital detection technology, enabling hospitals and clinicians to provide superior healthcare services with improved image quality, efficiency, and access to advanced clinical applications. Spectrum Dynamics launched the world first digital cardiac dedicated SPECT system – the D-SPECT® CARDIO – in 2007. Since then, the D-SPECT has become the system of choice for functional cardiac imaging with hundreds of systems sold worldwide. In 2018, Spectrum Dynamics launched its multipurpose VERITON® and the VERITON-CT® SPECT/CT, first ring-based 360 CZT digital SPECT/CT scanner.
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SOURCE Spectrum Dynamics Medical, Inc | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/04/22/centers-across-world-improve-accuracy-ease-myocardial-perfusion-imaging-with-digital-spect-deep-learning-technologies/ | 2022-04-22T08:20:47Z |
What are the best prom gifts for 2022?
Prom is right around the corner, which means high school students around the country are scrambling to get their gowns and tuxedos — many of which are inspired by this year’s red carpet fashions. But that’s not all they’ll need for the big night.
Prom season is synonymous with fancy accessories, from bedazzled tiaras to debonair cufflinks. And some of them can cost as much — if not more — than prom gowns and tuxedos. So if you’re thinking of giving someone a gift ahead of the much-anticipated soiree, some of these accessories might be your best option.
What you need to know about prom 2022
Can you wear a normal dress to prom?
Proms are fancy evening events that almost always call for formal attire. As you would expect, that means normal dresses rarely fit the bill — and it’s why most people invest in full-length gowns made with fine materials and embellishments. And because it’s one of the few occasions where all-out glitz and glam is acceptable, many people opt for bold, shiny accessories.
What is the prom style for 2022?
This year’s prom styles are dominated by edgy fashions popular in the ‘90s and 2000s, including two-piece dresses, exposed midriffs, corset bodices and large cut-outs. Sequin gowns — including ostentatious, pageant-worthy styles — have also emerged as one of prom season’s top trends. And for those who prefer simplicity, solid-colored gowns are elegant choices that are easily accessorized.
Popular prom gift ideas
- Jewelry: Although costume jewelry is typically worn to prom, there are some fine jewelry pieces that are more affordable than you think. Certain necklace and earring sets in gold or sterling silver, for example, are available for $250 or less — and make great gifts.
- Handbag: A fine evening bag is a gift that will get quite a bit of use after prom as the go-to formal bag for sweet 16 parties, weddings, homecoming dances and other fancy evening events.
- Footwear: Like an evening bag, a well-made pair of dress shoes can be worn to a broad range of formal events. And because they’re only worn occasionally, the pair may last through years of use when they’re cared for properly.
- After-prom essentials: Because many people head to after-parties, many people give practical post-prom gifts. Carry-on luggage is ideal for overnight or weekend trips with friends, and loungewear is a comfortable choice when it’s time to relax after the big night.
- Hair and makeup: Because prom hair and makeup can be pricey, the services are appreciated as gifts. Keep in mind that prom season is a busy time for hairstylists and makeup artists, so book them as early as possible.
Best prom gifts 2022
Macy’s 1/3 Ct. T.w. Diamond Stud Earrings in 14KGold
Diamond studs are timeless and elegant, and they can be worn for just about any occasion after prom. This sparkly halo pair is available in white, yellow and rose gold.
Sold by Macy’s
Cufflinks, Inc. Round Silver Cufflinks
Cufflinks are essential accessories for tuxedo shirts, which have French cuffs. Prom is the perfect time to give someone their first ones, such as this silver-tone pair that match any tuxedo.
Sold by Kohl’s
Macy’s Cultured Freshwater Pearl and Diamond Accent Set
Pearls are trending this year, and this sophisticated three-piece set has an understated elegance that complements any prom dress. It’s set in sterling silver or 14K gold over silver and is packaged in a presentation-worthy box.
Sold by Macy’s
Rockland Melbourne Hardside Expandable Spinner Carry-On
If they have a post-prom trip planned, this hardside spinner holds everything they need for a long weekend. It meets the carry-on restrictions for most airlines and comes in over a dozen colors.
Sold by Amazon
INC By International Concepts Carolyn Glitter Clutch
This chic, structured clutch coordinates with any prom dress and other formal attire. Although it looks small, the clutch has enough room to hold a smartphone, essential makeup and a small wallet.
Sold by Macy’s
Alfani Ultra Soft Tank and Pant Pajama Set
Soft and comfortable, this lightweight pajama set is a popular loungewear choice for relaxing after prom. And because it has a wide tank top neckline, it can be worn during hair and makeup since it won’t smudge makeup or snag on hair when you get changes.
Sold by Macy’s
Betsey Johnson Suni Platform Dress Sandals
If you’re looking for strappy sandals, this Betsey Johnson pair is a glamorous option with a charming teal sole. It has a 3.75-inch heel and gives wearers plenty of height in dresses with longer hemlines.
Sold by Macy’s
Aluratek 8-Inch LCD Digital Photo Frame
Prom night is filled with photo ops, and this digital photo frame is the perfect place to store every memory you capture. It has both built-in and expandable memory, giving you loads of room to store hundreds of high-resolution images.
Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://cw33.com/reviews/the-ultimate-prom-gift-guide-2022/ | 2022-04-07T06:30:56Z |
North Korea says it tested new tactical guided weapon
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has test-fired a new type of tactical guided weapon designed to boost its nuclear fighting capability, state media reported Sunday, a day before its chief rivals the United States and South Korea begin annual military drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal.
The test, the 13th round of weapons launches by Pyongyang this year, came amid concerns that North Korea may soon conduct a larger provocation like a nuclear test in an effort to expand the country’s weapons arsenal and increase pressure on Washington and Seoul amid stalled diplomacy.
The official Korean Central News Agency said leader Kim Jong observed what it called the weapon’s successful launch. It released a photo showing a beaming Kim clapping his hands with military officers.
KCNA said the weapon tested has “great significance in drastically improving the firepower of the frontline long-range artillery units, enhancing the efficiency in the operation of (North Korea’s) tactical nukes and diversification of their firepower missions.”
KCNA didn’t elaborate, but the use of the words “tactical nukes” suggested the weapon is likely capable of carrying a battlefield nuclear warhead that could hit strategic targets in South Korea, including U.S. military installations. The KCNA dispatch didn’t say when and where the launch occurred.
“North Korea is trying to deploy not only long-range nuclear missiles aimed at American cities but also tactical nuclear weapons to threaten Seoul and U.S. bases in Asia,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “Pyongyang’s purposes likely exceed deterrence and regime survival. Like Russia employs the fear it could use tactical nukes, North Korea may want such weapons for political coercion, battlefield escalation and limiting the willingness of other countries to intervene in a conflict.”
Some observers said the weapon showed in North Korean photos suggested it might be a smaller, lighter version of its nuclear-capable KN-23 missile that has a highly maneuverable flight aimed at defeating missile defense systems. Others said it could be a new missile that combines the technical characteristics of the KN-23 and another short-range ballistic missile called the KN-24.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement Sunday that it had detected two projectile launches from the North’s eastern coastal town of Hamhung early Saturday evening.
It said the projectiles flew about 110 kilometers (68 miles) at an apogee of 25 kilometers (16 miles) and at a maximum speed of Mach 4. South Korea’s presidential office said officials have met twice this weekend to discuss the North Korean military activities.
South Korea’s military said later Sunday that its nine-day springtime military drills with the United States will start on Monday. It said the allies decided to hold computer-simulated command post exercises that don’t involve field training after reviewing factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and the allies’ combined defense readiness.
The exercises could further intensify animosities on the Korean Peninsula because North Korea has previously responded with its own weapons tests and fiery rhetoric.
North Korea has started this year with a slew of weapons tests, including its first flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. homeland since 2017. South Korean and U.S. officials said Pyongyang could soon launch additional provocations like another ICBM test, a rocket launch to put a spy satellite into orbit or even a nuclear test explosion that would be the seventh of its kind. South Korea’s military said it has detected signs that North Korea is rebuilding tunnels at a nuclear testing ground it partially dismantled weeks before it entered now-dormant nuclear talks with the United States in 2018.
A possible nuclear test by North Korea would involve a tactical nuclear warhead, said analyst Cheong Seong-Chang at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea. He predicted that North Korea would push to mount a tactical nuclear warhead on the weapon tested this weekend and deploy such nuclear missiles near the border with South Korea.
Sunday’s KCNA dispatch quoted Kim as presenting unspecified tasks to build up North Korea’s nuclear combat forces after praising what he called successive progress in its efforts to reinforce the country’s war deterrence power. The North’s recent testing activity involved the sophisticated weapons systems Kim has vowed to introduce to cope with what he calls American hostility.
“North Korea has a domestic imperative to make and perfect weapons ordered by Kim Jong Un last year regardless of what the U.S. does or doesn’t do. The test also tells his people that their country is strong despite their apparent economic difficulties,” said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at Washington’s Center for a New American Security. “One reason for the political timing could be to protest anticipated U.S.-South Korea military drills.”
On Friday, Kim attended a massive civilian parade in Pyongyang that marked the milestone 110th birth anniversary of his state-founding grandfather, Kim Il Sung. It appeared the country passed its most important national holiday without a highly anticipated military parade to showcase its new weapons systems.
Kim may still hold a military parade on the April 25 founding anniversary of North Korea’s army. But if that anniversary goes without a military parade again, some experts say that might mean Kim doesn’t have new powerful missiles to display and that his next provocative step will likely be a nuclear test.
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Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/04/17/north-korea-says-it-tested-new-tactical-guided-weapon/ | 2022-04-17T23:10:14Z |
WNBA commissioner voices support for Brittney Griner
By Steve Almasy and Kikue Higuchi, CNN
Ahead of Monday’s WNBA draft, commissioner Cathy Engelbert reaffirmed the league’s commitment to helping bring Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner — who has been detained in Russia since mid-February — back home.
“I did want to start by saying we continue to be working diligently on bringing Brittney Griner home. This is an unimaginable situation for BG to be in,” Engelbert said Monday in her opening remarks to reporters.
Griner, who plays for Russian powerhouse UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason, was arrested by Russian authorities in February at a Moscow airport and accused of smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic substance — an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Griner was the No. 1 pick in the 2013 WNBA draft and is one of the league’s all-time best players.
“She continues to have our full support, and she’s just been such a great person in the league. I can’t be any more real about the situation that she’s in,” Englebert said. “Certainly, we’re trying everything we can, every angle, working through with her legal representation, her agent, elected leaders, the administration; just everybody in our ecosystem to try and find ways to get her home safely and as quickly as we can.”
Engelbert also praised WNBA players for their patience with the process and for following the advice they’ve been given.
“I know we’re all frustrated, but we do need to be patient. I know the players have been amazing at following the advice that they’re getting and we’re getting in order not to jeopardize her safety in any way. We continue to follow that advice and continue to work on it,” she said.
Two weeks ago, former WNBA superstar Lisa Leslie told the “I am Athlete” podcast that people in the “women’s basketball world” were told “to not make a big fuss about it so that they could not use (Griner) as a pawn, so to speak, in this situation in the war.”
Griner has been able to see her representative in Russia twice a week and is able to receive letters and correspondence, ESPN’s Holly Rowe reported on Monday.
In mid-March, a source close to the situation told CNN her legal team has seen her several times a week throughout her detention and they reported that she is well. About a week later, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that an official from the US embassy in Moscow visited Griner and found her in good condition.
On Monday, the commissioner also voiced her personal commitment to Griner and getting her home safely.
“I used to tell my daughter when she was little — and still now that she’s in her 20s — ‘I would go to the end of the earth to help you if you’re ever in trouble,’ and I say the same thing about Brittney Griner.”
Engelbert also announced the WNBA intends to launch a philanthropic effort in all 12 markets honoring Griner in the lead up to the 2022 season.
“While we’re working hard to get Brittney home, we will have a league-wide philanthropic initiative led by the Phoenix Mercury, honoring BG and modeled after her work,” Engelbert said.
“BG, for those that don’t know, founded an organization in 2016 called BG’s Heart and Soul Shoe Drive. The activations that we will do, the Mercury will lead, are intended to remind us of BG’s spirit of giving and do the work she’d be doing if she were here and certainly the work she will join us in when she returns.”
The WNBA season will tip off May 6.
A Moscow court announced last month it extended the arrest of Griner until May 19, according to Russian state news agency TASS. A trial date has not been set, a source close to the situation told CNN at the time.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/sports/cnn-sports/2022/04/11/wnba-commissioner-voices-support-for-brittney-griner/ | 2022-04-12T04:17:17Z |
SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — Carlos Sainz Jr. won his first career Formula One race on Sunday with a victory at the British Grand Prix — the most dramatic race so far this season. It began with a frightening first-lap crash and ended with intense wheel-to-wheel battles for the podium positions.
Sainz was in the lead with Charles Leclerc close behind and, while Ferrari at first said they were “free to fight,” the Italian team then asked Sainz to let Leclerc past to avoid losing time to Lewis Hamilton.
But a safety car came out and Ferrari brought Sainz into the pits for fresher, grippier soft tires. Leclerc was left on older, hard tires and Sainz soon passed his teammate to regain the lead and pull away for his first victory in his 150th F1 start.
“Today the win does feel a bit of a relief,” said Sainz. “Honestly, I never stopped believing that this dream was going to come, even though this year has been tough for me.” He had finished second or third 11 times before winning and was a frustratingly close second to Verstappen at the last race in Canada.
Sergio Pérez passed Hamilton and Leclerc after the restart and finished second behind Sainz. Hamilton was briefly second after passing both Pérez and Leclerc in a three-wide move, but he couldn’t hold position and dropped back to fourth.
Hamilton then surged past Leclerc in a fierce fight for third place. He also led laps Sunday for the first time this season.
“I gave it everything,” said Hamilton, who was third in Canada two weeks ago and hoped Mercedes is on a comeback. The team has been unable to challenge Red Bull and Ferrari for wins this season, but an added upgrade to the Mercedes ahead of this weekend was promising.
“We’ve got some improvements to make but this is a huge bonus for us to be on the podium,” Hamilton added.
Leclerc was later seen being spoken to privately by Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto. Leclerc said he was “very, very disappointed” with the result and had discussed with Binotto why the team had left him out on old tires.
“We could have (changed the tires) but I was asked to stay out on track. So that’s what I did,” he told French broadcaster Canal Plus.
Max Verstappen, the defending F1 champion and current standings leader, dropped out of the lead with damage to his Red Bull after running over debris. He struggled for grip and finished seventh.
Pérez said his race was a “great comeback” after he dropped to the back early in the race following damage to his front wing while racing Leclerc and Verstappen.
The race was red-flagged almost as soon as it began when a crash at the first corner left Zhou Guanyu and Alex Albon needing medical treatment.
Zhou’s car flipped upside-down and cleared a tire barrier before smashing into a fence. Pierre Gasly had knocked George Russell’s Mercedes into Zhou’s back wheel, flipping the Chinese driver’s Alfa Romeo. As drivers tried to avoid that crash, Albon was knocked sideways into the pit wall.
Zhou was treated at the circuit’s medical center, and Alfa Romeo said he was not badly injured, while Williams said Albon had been taken to hospital by helicopter for “precautionary checks.”
Russell, who left his car to rush to Zhou’s aid, was also unable to restart the race.
The “halo” device protecting Zhou’s head was scraped back to bare metal after being dragged through the gravel and a chunk of the air intake behind the driver was torn away.
A group of protesters against the oil industry ran onto the track following the crash and sat down. Northamptonshire police said seven arrests were made over the protest.
Speaking after the race, Hamilton signaled his support for the protesters. “Big up those guys,” he said. Mercedes said Hamilton wasn’t fully aware of the circumstances at that time and was “endorsing their right to protest but not the method that they chose, which compromised their safety and that of others.”
Verstappen had overtaken Sainz at the original start but had to do it all again when the race was restarted after the multi-car crash involving Zhou. Sainz stayed in front at the second start, but Verstappen took the lead on lap 10 when Sainz lost control and ran off the track.
Verstappen soon dropped behind both Ferraris after reporting a possible puncture from debris.
Verstappen said his car was “100% broken” with little grip and compared it to “driving on ice,” but his Red Bull team said it was safe to continue.
The crowd cheered Verstappen’s misfortune as he was passed by the Ferraris. The Dutch driver is unpopular with some British fans after a bitter rivalry with Hamilton for the title last year, when the two crashed at Silverstone.
Former champion Nelson Piquet used a racial slur and homophobic language to describe Hamilton, F1’s only Black driver, in interviews from last year which came to wider attention this week. Verstappen is dating Piquet’s daughter, Kelly, and faced criticism from fans when he said Piquet was not a racist despite using “very offensive” language.
Verstappen retains the championship lead but his advantage over second-place Pérez was cut from 46 points to 34 as Sainz ended a run of six consecutive Red Bull wins. Leclerc is nine points behind Pérez in third.
Two-time champion Fernando Alonso — with 32 race victories, the only other Spanish driver besides Sainz to win in F1 — was fifth for Alpine on Sunday in his best result of the season. Alonso was ahead of Lando Norris for McLaren and then Verstappen. Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, picked up his first career points in eighth for Haas, with Sebastian Vettel ninth for Aston Martin.
American team Haas had its first double points finish since 2019 as Kevin Magnussen placed 10th.
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More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/sainz-jr-wins-1st-career-f1-race-with-british-gp-victory/ | 2022-07-04T12:50:30Z |
World Gym gifts Fitness Equipment to Veteran Housing Facility in Inglewood, CA with Ribbon-Cutting on May 25
LOS ANGELES, May 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- World Gym, originator of the full-service gym model and a great American fitness brand, has provided all the equipment for a new gym at the U.S. Vets housing facility, an organization committed to ending veteran homelessness by providing housing, mental health support, job counseling and more.
"The health and wellness of our veterans is something we're incredibly passionate about – and now, we will be playing an active role in ensuring that veterans have healthy lifestyles," said World Gym CEO, Lewis Stanton. "Veterans represent a significant percentage of our people cross our franchise network and we intend to further support the good work they are doing."
World Gym will host a ribbon-cutting on May 25 at 10:00 AM at the U.S. Vets veteran housing facility, located at 733 South Hindry Ave. in Inglewood, CA, to unveil a newly outfitted gym with cardio equipment, free weights and workout machines donated by World Gym.
Donating the equipment from his personal collection was Charlie Hauser, World Gym Senior Operations Advisor, and a veteran himself. Charlie transported the equipment from his hometown of Redding, CA to the U.S. Vets facility in Inglewood, CA. The donated equipment included machines and a variety of free weights varying between 10 and 85 pounds, allowing for the men living full-time or in transition to get a full body workout. Upon arriving to the facility, Charlie was greeted by residents who wanted to help his team unload the 10,000 pounds of equipment.
"Having been in the fitness industry for 45 years and a veteran, I'm well-aware of the physical and mental challenges facing veterans and the benefits exercise and strength training can provide to ensuring a healthy lifestyle," said Hauser. "I joined the military and gym industry to help people. After learning I was uniquely able to help veterans improve their health and overall lives by delivering equipment I had stored away, I jumped at the opportunity and put a plan in place, made the trek downstate and outfitted the gym at the U.S. Vets facility as duty for my fellow veterans."
Nearly thirty-eight thousand veterans experience homelessness, accounting for approximately nine percent of homeless adults in the United States. U.S. Vets not only works to end veteran homelessness; they provide support and resources for employment and mental health counseling to ensure that every veteran is treated with dignity and can maintain productive independence.
"Our mission is to end veteran homelessness, and to help provide these people who have sacrificed so much for our country with programs and resources to give them every opportunity to live with dignity and independence," said U.S. Vets Development and Communication Manager, Axel Diaz. "This facility will help the organization continue to provide support – whether it be job placements, housing, or counseling – to our veteran residents who urgently need it."
About US Vets
US Vets is the largest veteran-specific non-profit housing and service provider in the country with ten sites in five states. Every year, US Vets supports over 20,000 veterans through job placements, counseling sessions and temporary shelter – all in support of their mission that all veterans deserve every opportunity to live with dignity and independence.
About World Gym International
The iconic World Gym brand was founded in 1976 by Joe Gold during the glory days of "Muscle Beach" in Santa Monica, CA when serious fitness collided with the world of Hollywood celebrities. Since then, World Gym has evolved into an internationally recognized brand that has captured the imagination of fitness enthusiasts around the globe. With its headquarters located in Southern California, World Gym currently has over 230 locations on 6 continents. To learn more about World Gym and franchise opportunities with this storied brand, please visit worldgymfranchising.com.
Media Contact: Maeve Devitt, Fishman Public Relations, mdevitt@fishmanpr.com or 847-945-1300
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SOURCE World Gym | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/24/us-vets-housing-facility-benefits-gift-courtesy-world-gym/ | 2022-05-24T18:48:43Z |
(NewsNation) — A shooting at an Indiana mall Sunday that left three innocent people dead and two more injured could have been far worse if not for the actions of an armed civilian, authorities say.
Police are calling 22-year-old Elisjsha Dicken a hero after they say he shot and killed the suspected 20-year-old gunman with a firearm he was legally carrying.
“Many more people would have died last night if not for a responsible, armed citizen that took action very quickly within the first two minutes of the shooting,” said Greenwood Police Chief Jim Ison.
How common is it for civilians to stop active threats? Data from the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University suggests bystanders stop active attacks about 16% of the time, although typically without using a gun.
From 2000 to 2021, ALERRT researchers studied 464 attacks (434 shootings, 23 knife attacks and seven vehicle attacks) and found civilians — including security guards and off-duty police officers — stopped attackers before police arrived on 73 occasions. In the vast majority of those cases (67%), bystanders subdued the assailant using physical force.
An armed civilian stopped attacks using a gun in 24 of the 464 attacks recorded, about 5% of all events. Of those 24, only half were civilians – the rest were security guards and off-duty police officers.
“Properly trained folks with a high level of vigilance are able to sometimes, in very rare circumstances, support public safety in those moments,” said Phil Andrew, a former FBI agent and NewsNation contributor.
ALERRT researchers found police stopped attackers about twice as often as civilians, doing so in about 31% of all incidents. In approximately 42% of the cases studied, the attacker stopped on their own before police arrived, either leaving the scene or killing themselves.
Andrew pointed out that even with Dicken’s rapid response, three people were killed, emphasizing that the best prevention strategy is one that stops bad guys from getting a gun in the first place.
Others said Sunday’s intervention is further evidence that law-abiding citizens can and should be able to carry guns.
“Don’t just go buy a gun because you’re afraid — train with it, know how to make good decisions, know what the law is in your state,” said retired Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith, a spokesperson for the National Police Association. “This young man clearly knew all of those things … We believe he’s a hero.”
In Indiana, Ison said surveillance footage showed Dicken engaging the gunman from “quite a distance” with a handgun. The chief said Dicken had no police training or military background, as far as officials know.
Smith acknowledged that trying to stop an active shooter comes with considerable risk, both from the attacker and in some tragic cases, responding law enforcement who may have trouble determining the true threat.
Last year, police in Arvada, Colorado shot and killed 40-year-old Johnny Hurley after he was mistaken for an active shooter. Just moments earlier, Hurley had brought down the actual gunman with a handgun he was legally carrying.
As part of her training, Smith teaches police officers how to communicate and comply in situations where they may be accidentally perceived as a suspect while intervening off-duty.
When asked whether civilians may feel more compelled to engage active shooters following law enforcement’s highly publicized failures in Uvalde, Texas, both experts agreed the response at Robb Elementary was atypical and not representative of most departments.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/how-often-does-a-good-guy-with-a-gun-end-an-attack/ | 2022-07-19T03:45:18Z |
Showing war’s toll, Ukrainian first lady appeals for more arms
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska appealed face to face to U.S. lawmakers Wednesday for more air defense systems to help guard her country’s skies, in an unsparing Capitol address showing the blood-stained baby strollers and small crumpled bodies left by Russian bombardment.
“We want no more airstrikes. No more missile strikes,” Zelenska told Republican and Democratic congressional members in a speech capping a visit to Washington in the stead of her husband, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “Is this too much to ask for?”
“This is what I’m asking for and what my husband is asking for,” she said from the stage of the Capitol’s congressional auditorium, showing photos of carnage on an overhead screen that had lawmakers shaking their heads at the scenes. “As parents.”
Zelenska’s Washington meetings with first lady Jill Biden, President Joe Biden and other top administration figures have been among her highest-profile events of the war. She spent the first two months after Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in late February in seclusion with her two children, for safety.
Her husband has remained in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, through the war. He made a powerful address by video to lawmakers in the same auditorium earlier this year, drawing repeated standing ovations.
WARNING: The following video contains graphic content.
Zelenska repeatedly thanked lawmakers and Biden for the billions of dollars in arms and other support the U.S. has delivered to Ukraine to help it battle Russian forces and warplanes. She called for more anti-air defense to help repel what have been unending Russian missile and airstrikes that have killed countless civilians and leveled some Ukrainian cities.
She showed photographs of a smiling, paint-smeared 4-year-old girl, Liza Dmytrieva, whom the first lady had happened to meet before Christmas. The screen next showed an overturned baby carriage with blood caking on the sidewalk beneath it, after an airstrike killed the girl and badly injured her mother last week.
Zelenska showed and told the stories of other Ukrainian children killed or maimed by airstrikes or shot to death as their families tried to flee with them.
“Our family represents the whole world for us, and we do everything to preserve it,” Zelenska said. “We cry when we cannot save it. And we remain completely broken when our world is destroyed by war.”
The speech was an unexpected change in tone for a visit whose previous public moments had included receiving a bouquet from Joe Biden at the White House, an award ceremony, and a visit to a local monument for Ukrainians.
“We’ve seen from Ukrainian leadership their courage but also their no-nonsense direct appeal and laying out the brutal mentality of Mr. Putin,” Sen. Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat, said as lawmakers walked out.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other top leaders and rank-and-file lawmakers listened.
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Arhirova reported from Kyiv, Ukraine.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/07/20/showing-wars-toll-ukrainian-first-lady-appeals-more-arms/ | 2022-07-20T17:59:42Z |
LONDON (AP) — Events surrounding Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral on Monday cap 10 days of national mourning and are expected to be watched by hundreds of thousands of people packed onto the streets of London and millions around the world. Those are just a few of the staggering array of numbers generated by the death of the 96-year-old monarch after a 70-year-reign.
Here are some figures that have swirled around London and the rest of the United Kingdom in the aftermath of death on Sept. 8 at her summer retreat in Scotland of the only monarch most Britons have ever known.
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— 2,000: Dignitaries and guests in Westminster Abbey for the the state funeral, ranging from King Charles III and other royals to world leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden to members of the British public who helped battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
— 800: Guests at a committal service later in the day at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
— 5,949: Military personnel deployed throughout the meticulously choreographed operation that began with the queen’s death on Sept. 8 at her Balmoral Estate in the Scottish Highlands. That number comprises 4,416 from the army, 847 from the navy and 686 from the air force. In addition, around 175 armed forces personnel from Commonwealth nations have been involved.
— 1,650: At least that number of military personnel will be involved in the pomp-filled procession of the queen’s coffin from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch after her funeral. A further 1,000 will line the streets along the procession route When the coffin reaches Windsor, 410 military personnel will take part in the procession, 480 will line streets, 150 will be in a guard of honor and line steps and 130 more will fulfil other ceremonial duties.
— 142: Royal Navy ratings who will pull the state gun carriage carrying the queen’s coffin on Monday when it leaves the Houses of Parliament for her funeral.
— More than 10,000: Police officers. Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said the “hugely complex” policing operation is the biggest in the London force’s history, surpassing the London 2012 Olympics which saw up to 10,000 police officers on duty per day.
— 22: Miles (36 kilometers) of barriers erected in central London alone to control crowds and keep key areas around the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace secure.
— 1 million: The number of people London transport authorities expect to visit the capital on Monday. Around 250 extra rail services will run to move people in and out of the city.
— 5: Miles (8 kilometers) of people lining up to file past the queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall. The mammoth queue stretched back from the Houses of Parliament along the south bank of the River Thames to Southwark Park. The number of people in the queue is unlikely to be known until after the lying-in-state closes early on Monday.
— 125: Movie theaters that will open their doors to broadcast Monday’s funeral live.
— 2,868: Diamonds, along with 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and 4 rubies, sparkle in the Imperial State Crown that rested on the queen’s coffin as it lay in state.
— 2: Minutes of silence at the end of the funeral at Westminster Abbey.
— 1: Coffin. The silent eye in the days-long storm of pomp, pageantry and protection is a single, flag-draped oak coffin carrying the only monarch most Britons have ever known.
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Follow AP coverage of Queen Elizabeth II at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-by-the-numbers-facts-and-figures-about-the-queens-funeral/ | 2022-09-18T22:46:42Z |
PARIS (AP) — The Latest on the French Open tennis tournament (all times local):
4:15 p.m.
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek won her 33rd match in a row with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 11th-seeded Jessica Pegula to advance to the semifinals of the French Open.
The 21-year-old Swiatek will next face Daria Kasatkina of Russia for a spot in the final.
Swiatek gained from what appeared to be a missed call in the seventh game of the first set. She chased down Pegula’s drop shot but it appeared to have bounced twice before she hit her winner to break and take a 4-3 lead.
At one point, Pegula complained to the chair umpire about Swiatek’s alleged delaying tactics between serves.
Swiatek, who won the 2020 French Open, had also beaten the American earlier in her winning streak.
The Polish player has won her past five tournaments, going unbeaten since February for the WTA’s longest such stretch since Serena Williams compiled a 34-match run in 2013.
Swiatek was aggressive throughout the match, compiling 30 winners though she had 28 unforced errors as well. She clinched it on her fourth match point.
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2:25 p.m.
Daria Kasatkina advanced to her first Grand Slam semifinal with a 6-4, 7-6 (5) win over Veronika Kudermetova at Roland Garros.
The 20th-seeded Kasatkina will next face either top-ranked Iga Swiatek or 11th-seeded Jessica Pegula.
In a quarterfinal matchup of 25-year-old Russians, Kasatkina built a 6-1 lead in the tiebreaker and finally clinched it on her fifth match point, beating Kudermetova with a backhand drop shot.
The 29th-seeded Kudermetova took a medical timeout to have her left foot taped after she held for a 6-5 lead in the second set. But she then lost nine of the next 10 points before her brief comeback in the tiebreaker.
Kasatkina has not dropped a set in her Roland Garros run. She hit only 16 winners but Kudermetova made 50 unforced errors — twice as many as Kasatkina.
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12:25 p.m.
New French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo, a former No. 1 player, says nine of 10 night session matches at Roland Garros this year involved men because women’s tennis currently has less appeal.
Mauresmo said at a news conference Wednesday that she tried on a daily basis to find a women’s pairing that had the star power or matchup worthy of being highlighted in the separate session that began at 8:45 p.m. local time in Court Philippe Chatrier.
“I admit it was tough,” Mauresmo said.
She is overseeing the clay-court Grand Slam tournament for the first time.
Mauresmo won the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006. After retiring as a player, she moved into coaching and worked with Andy Murray among others.
The only women’s match that got the prime-time treatment — new at the French Open this year as part of a deal with a streaming service — was France’s Alizé Cornet’s victory over Jelena Ostapenko.
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11:45 a.m.
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek puts her 32-match winning streak on the line in one of four quarterfinal matches on Day 11 at the French Open.
Eleventh-seeded Jessica Pegula will try to snap Swiatek’s streak in a bid to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal. The 21-year-old Swiatek beat the American in Miami for win number 16 of the current streak.
Swiatek won the 2020 French Open.
The other women’s quarterfinal is the first of the day and it’s between two Russians: No. 20 Daria Kasatkina and No. 29 Veronika Kudermetova.
No. 7 Andrey Rublev plays No. 20 Marin Cilic in the first men’s quarterfinal of the day. Cilic won the 2014 U.S. Open and has been runner-up at the Australian Open and Wimbledon but has never been past the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.
No. 8 Casper Ruud of Norway faces teenager Holger Rune of Denmark in an all-Scandinavian night match. Ruud is 3-0 against the 19-year-old Rune with all three wins coming on clay including at Monte Carlo this season.
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More AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/french-open-updates-swiatek-streak-on-line-vs-pegula-in-qf/ | 2022-06-01T16:48:36Z |
Whirlwind day has happy ending for Massillon sprinters Brianna Ford and Freddie Lenix Jr.
MASSILLON — Brianna Ford and Freddie Lenix Jr. felt a sigh of relief when they went to Massillon's prom together.
After some rocky moments at the Division I district meet, squeezing in track and field and prom on the same day was worth it.
Ford won district titles in the girls 100 and 200 meters Friday at Hoover. Lenix also qualified for this week's regional at Austintown Fitch in the boys 200 and on the Tigers' 400 relay.
The whirlwind day still allowed Lenix and Ford to spend 90 minutes at prom.
"In the morning we got all dressed up like we were going to prom and took pictures," Ford said. "Then we took all our stuff off, ran the meet, put everything back on after the meet and went to prom.
"I didn't think we were going to make it."
Ford competed in the long jump prior to her two sprint finals. Earlier this season she jumped a Stark County season-best 18 feet.
Two fouls and a 15-0.25 left Ford out of the finals.
"My last jump was so bad," Ford said. "I was so nervous because I fouled my first two. I was seeded second in the region and didn't qualify for the finals.
"I cried under the bleachers for about 45 minutes. I thought that was my only chance at a first-place medal."
Ford quickly regrouped and earned two first-place medals in the sprints.
"I had to regain focus," Ford said. "I had to think about getting redemption through performance. I talked to my mom and got myself together. I told myself to just try to qualify for regionals, but I ended up leaving with two first-place medals."
Lenix is one of the county's top boys sprinters. He entered the district meet ranked No. 1 in the 100 with a season-best time of 10.59 seconds.
His postseason run in the 100 ended before it began in Wednesday's prelims.
"I DQd," Lenix said.
Lenix qualified for the 200 finals later that night and finished fourth Friday. He also anchored Massillon's 400 relay.
"I couldn't just mope around," Lenix said of his 100 disqualification. "There were other races.
"It was hard at first, but I felt a lot better after that."
Ford's district titles highlight a comeback season for the Kent State recruit. At times she could only dream of making it this far.
An injury cut short Ford's freshman year. COVID canceled her sophomore season. Last year she got COVID and was physically unable to run.
"Now I've been able to actually accomplish things, get my name out there and put myself back on the radar," Ford said.
Lenix is impressed with the way Ford has bounced back.
"She has come a long way," Lenix said. "She has worked very hard."
Reach Mike at mike.popovich@cantonrep.com
On Twitter: @mpopovichREP | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/sports/high-school/track-field/2022/05/25/brianna-ford-freddie-lenix-jr-massillon-track-and-field-sprinters-district-meet-prom/9899004002/ | 2022-05-25T10:56:27Z |
2nd-ranked Medvedev to return from surgery at Geneva Open
GENEVA (AP) — U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev will return from hernia surgery to play at the Geneva Open after getting a wild card from tournament organizers. The second-ranked Russian will use the clay-court event to prepare for the French Open. The tournament at Roland Garros starts on May 22. Medvedev and all other players from Russia and Belarus have been banned from Wimbledon by the organizers of the grass-court Grand Slam. Dominic Thiem and defending champion Casper Ruud will also play at the tournament in Geneva. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/05/06/2nd-ranked-medvedev-to-return-from-surgery-at-geneva-open/ | 2022-05-06T14:32:24Z |
HOUSTON, June 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A large part of Insurance Navy's customer base are policyholders of non-standard car insurance. Simply put, drivers have difficulty finding car insurance for standard rates and insurance providers due to risk. It's this approach that has helped Insurance Navy become one of the fastest-growing insurance brokers in Illinois due to its Chicagoland presence.
Insurance Navy's business in Houston is also picking up with the recent announcement of their fourth location. At the same time, Insurance Navy is happy to announce that they are offering fully binded non-standard car insurance online for drivers in Texas which is an industry first.
"Usually, drivers that need non-standard car insurance must make a visit to an office location or arrange a time with an agent," says Insurance Navy CEO Fadi Snieneh, "Binding insurance is a fancy way of saying that car insurance coverage can fully be bought online through an insurance provider's website. It's more convenient, automated, and also secure."
Non-standard car insurance is known for being in the most expensive tier for premiums. This can often be due to a driving history with mark-ups of traffic violations and at-fault accidents, several insurance claims in the past, a poor credit score or something as serious as a DUI. Another case of non-standard car insurance is if the insured policyholder doesn't own the car but drives it regularly and needs insurance for it. Young drivers who just got their drivers license also count as non-standard drivers in need of non-standard insurance.
Meanwhile, car insurance is becoming more digitized, especially in recent years. Insurance companies are reportedly automating their claims processes and monthly insurance premium payments to the point where their insured policyholders don't have to interact with them. Shopping for car insurance quotes is done entirely online with the insurance companies free quote calculators. Insurance Navy has followed suit with these advancements as well.
"Our business is based on the principle that car insurance should be easily accessible and affordable because it is often required by law, and following the law shouldn't be expensive. Offering fully binded non-standard car insurance in Texas is just the beginning. We're looking to do the same in other states we operate in." Snieneh says.
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SOURCE Insurance Navy | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/13/insurance-navy-brings-fully-online-binded-non-standard-car-insurance-texas/ | 2022-06-13T14:37:42Z |
Editor’s note: This article is co-published and co-reported with Military Times, an independent news organization reporting on issues important to the U.S. military.
The Texas National Guard has reassigned yet another top general associated with the state’s mission to secure its border with Mexico, dubbed Operation Lone Star, Military Times and The Texas Tribune have learned.
Brig. Gen. Monie Ulis relinquished command of the task force controlling the mission to “focus solely on his (full-time) responsibilities” as the state’s deputy adjutant general overseeing its Army National Guard forces, a Texas Military Department spokesperson confirmed in an unsigned email.
Ulis had commanded Operation Lone Star’s military efforts since October, when Gov. Greg Abbott swore him into his post in a choreographed ceremony in the border town of Mission, flanked by Humvees and armed troops in body armor.
The mission’s new commander is Brig. Gen. Win Burkett, who also recently took command of the state’s 36th Infantry Division. According to the TMD spokesperson, Burkett simultaneously will command the division and the border task force.
The move, which was directed by the state’s new top general, Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, comes amid a major shift in leadership.
It began March 14 when Abbott removed Maj. Gen. Tracy Norris as the state’s adjutant general and replaced her with Suelzer.
Less than 24 hours later, Norris’ civilian chief of staff, retired Maj. Gen. James “Red” Brown, resigned.
Then on March 17, Burkett replaced Maj. Gen. Charles Aris as the top general for the 36th Infantry Division. Aris had led the 16,000-soldier unit only for five months.
The most recent move, according to the TMD spokes-person, was a “realign(ment) of leadership roles” that came as part of Suelzer’s “initial command assessment of the entire Texas Military Department.”
What’s next for Operation Lone Star?
Suelzer indicated to state lawmakers earlier this month that significant changes could be on the horizon for the border mission, which is hemorrhaging cash. Leaders also have been busy improving previous problems with pay, poor living conditions and a lack of appropriate gear due to the task force’s rapid expansion last year.
In a weekslong span between September and October, Operation Lone Star — which began as a lean, volunteer-only effort in March 2021 — ballooned through massive involuntary activations at Abbott’s behest.
Some of the Guardsmen at the border have argued the mission was a political ploy by Abbott, a Republican seeking his third term as governor in November. A January survey completed by an Air National Guard unit deployed to the border was leaked to Military Times and The Texas Tribune and revealed widespread discontent with the operation.
Suelzer, who testified alongside Ulis and other military officials, told state lawmakers that he was looking at ways to make the mission “more rotational and more sustainable over time.”
It’s not clear yet whether that will mean shorter deployments or fewer troops on the mission. Right now, there are roughly 6,500 troops at the border on yearlong orders, Texas Guard officials told legislators.
The TMD spokesperson said Suelzer’s “initial command assessment” remains ongoing, and “changes to (Joint Task Force-Lone Star) will be based on finding the most effective and efficient methods to fully support the requirements of (the mission).”
Finding more efficiency will be key. Military leaders told lawmakers they need a fresh $531 million in funding to keep the border mission running through the end of the state’s fiscal year in August.
Texas Tribune politics reporter James Barragán contributed to this report.
This story was first published at www.texastribune.org by The Texas Tribune. This story has been edited for length. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/article_336d8d8a-bd32-11ec-be7e-b7971848122e.html | 2022-04-16T04:25:44Z |
NEW YORK , June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLP, an investor rights law firm, is investigating the following companies for potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties to shareholders relating to:
Covetrus, Inc. (NASDAQ: CVET)'s sale to funds affiliated with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and TPG Capital for $21.00 per share in cash. If you are a Covetrus shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
StoneMor Inc. (NYSE: STON)'s sale to a subsidiary of Axar Capital Management, LP for $3.50 in cash per share. If you are a StoneMor shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
Steel Connect, Inc. (NASDAQ: STCN)'s sale to Steel Partners Holdings L.P. Under the terms of the agreement, Steel Connect shareholders would receive $1.35 per share in cash and one contingent value right to receive their pro rata share of net proceeds, to the extent such net proceeds exceed $80 million plus certain related costs and expenses, if Steel Connect's ModusLink subsidiary is sold during the two-year period following completion of the proposed merger. If you are a Steel Connect shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
RADA Electronic Industries Ltd. (NASDAQ: RADA)'s merger with Leonardo DRS Inc. If you are a RADA shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
GrandSouth Bancorporation (OTC: GRRB)'s sale to First Bancorp for 0.910 shares of First Bancorp common stock for each share of GrandSouth common and preferred stock. If you are a GrandSouth shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
Halper Sadeh LLP may seek increased consideration for shareholders, additional disclosures and information concerning the proposed transaction, or other relief and benefits on behalf of shareholders.
Shareholders are encouraged to contact the firm free of charge to discuss their legal rights and options. Please call Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or email sadeh@halpersadeh.com or zhalper@halpersadeh.com.
Halper Sadeh LLP represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors.
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Contact Information:
Halper Sadeh LLP
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SOURCE Halper Sadeh LLP | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/shareholder-notice-halper-sadeh-llp-investigates-cvet-ston-stcn-rada-grrb/ | 2022-06-22T10:51:45Z |
HepsiJet's new innovation, which shortens delivery times, has been registered by TURKPATENT.
ISTANBUL, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- D-MARKET Electronic Services & Trading (d/b/a "Hepsiburada") (NASDAQ: HEPS), a leading Turkish e-commerce platform, continues to deliver innovation to make the lives of its customers easier. The latest creative solution to raise the bar in e-commerce experience in Türkiye is HepsiJet's new "Multi-Vehicle Route Optimization" technology. Hepsiburada's fast delivery service, HepsiJet, delivers orders from all categories across Türkiye with flexible delivery options and now accelerates its speed with this innovative new feature.
HepsiJet continues innovation with its new 'Multi-Vehicle Route Optimization'
The invention, "Multi-Vehicle Route Optimization" developed by HepsiJet engineering team, eliminates the problems faced in cargo routing to a large extent. This solution allows users to access the delivery management system with mobile or website applications to have orders delivered within a time interval determined by the buyer, supported by an optimization module. If there is more than one type of delivery vehicle at the point of receiving the order, the shipments are grouped according to the priority order and the vehicle types in line with the limits of the destinations. This innovative system has recently been registered by TURKPATENT.
Provides speed and efficiency in deliveries
This innovation creates a model according to the priority of the shipments and distance matrix between the delivery and receiving points of the orders. The system also allows adding special time parameters to the route time in exceptional cases, allowing manual intervention when necessary, and viewing the created route plan via mobile and web applications. HepsiJet's "Multi-Vehicle Route Optimization", with its innovative processes and solutions, provides high efficiency in delivery processes of cargo orders by taking into account possible problems and critical constraints.
The innovation was inspired by 'ant colonies'
In this innovation, HepsiJet engineering team was inspired by the natural miracle and instinct of ant colonies carrying food to their nests. In this system, the location of the distribution center and the vehicle information are included in the planning in addition to the shipment information. All shipping information for the delivery point is then analyzed and the vehicle information, order information and delivery address set are used as constraints on route planning. An innovative multi-vehicle distribution scenario is achieved by calculating the delivery costs of each possible route and making a single route to all locations in the set of delivery addresses. With the addition of the total delivery volume to this plan, the entire delivery process is handled end-to-end in the most efficient way, with the optimal number of vehicles used from the available vehicles.
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SOURCE Hepsiburada | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/hepsiburadas-last-mile-delivery-service-hepsijet-announces-brand-new-patent-accelerate-speed-delivery/ | 2022-08-15T14:19:43Z |
LUBBOCK, Texas, July 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a major step forward for the sorghum industry, school foodservice providers and American schoolchildren, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently added sorghum, a nutrient-rich, high-protein, gluten-free ancient whole grain, to its Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs. The Food Buying Guide is the primary resource used by school foodservice directors to build menus that comply with USDA nutrition requirements.
"The inclusion of sorghum in the Food Buying Guide is a monumental win for sorghum producers as we continue seeking to develop new markets for our crop," United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) Executive Director Norma Ritz Johnson said. "Sorghum's inclusion in the guide is pivotal in our efforts to increase its visibility and ease of use among foodservice professionals, as well as the students they serve, and the industry is excited to deliver this nutritious whole grain to the plates of America's schoolchildren."
In an effort extending over many months, the United Sorghum Checkoff Program has worked with USDA to add sorghum to the Food Buying Guide.
As of July 1, 2022, USDA has implemented a new requirement stating that at least 80% of the weekly grains in school lunch and breakfast menus must be whole-grain rich, which has resulted in school nutrition providers actively seeking foods that satisfy this requirement. As a nutrient-rich ancient whole grain, sorghum will prove to be the solution for school nutrition professionals for the upcoming school year and beyond.
"The Food Buying Guide is a critical resource on which foodservice professionals rely to formulate meal plans for school nutrition programs that meet USDA nutrition requirements," Sorghum Checkoff Director of Food Innovations & Institutional Markets, Lanier Dabruzzi, MS, RD, LD, said. "As the 2022-23 school year opens, schools are working around a new 80% whole grain requirement. This timely addition will give school nutrition providers a new ingredient to include in bowls, salads, soups, baked goods and more."
The Food Buying Guide provides a roadmap for foodservice professionals to develop well-rounded nutritious menus by defining how certain foods contribute or credit toward federal nutrition guidelines. The inclusion of whole grain sorghum, pearled sorghum and sorghum flour in this Guide is an important acknowledgement by USDA that sorghum is a nutritious addition to the plates of American schoolchildren as a nutrient-rich, high-protein, gluten-free ancient whole grain.
Foodservice professionals who are interested in incorporating sorghum into their school menus as a healthy and gluten-free whole-grain can visit sorghumcheckoff.com, or contact Lanier Dabruzzi at lanier@sorghumcheckoff.com to learn more about purchasing and utilizing sorghum in a variety of ways offering a new and nutritious menu option to satisfy students of all ages.
The United Sorghum Checkoff Program is a producer-funded organization that is dedicated to improving the sorghum industry through research, promotion and education. For more information about the USCP and other sorghum promotion projects please visit sorghumcheckoff.com.
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SOURCE United Sorghum Checkoff Program | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/20/sorghum-announced-newest-addition-usda-food-buying-guide/ | 2022-07-20T17:07:17Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock"), a value-oriented, operationally focused private equity firm, is pleased to announce the addition of Phil Gaudreau to its team of Operating Partners. Working in tandem with existing One Rock Operating Partners Sally Cunningham, Susan Fiesta, and Andrea Greene, Mr. Gaudreau will be responsible for driving post-acquisition value through strategic financial, accounting and HR solutions at One Rock's portfolio companies.
Mr. Gaudreau joins One Rock with over 20 years of experience in controllership and financial accounting. He previously served as Vice President and Controller at Armstrong Flooring, Inc., a leading multinational producer of resilient flooring products, where he led all accounting, financial reporting and financial information system functions. Prior to Armstrong Flooring Inc., Mr. Gaudreau was Director of Financial Reporting and Consolidation at Harsco Corporation. Earlier in his career, Mr. Gaudreau held roles as Manager of Accounting Projects at Comcast Corporation, Project Controller at Liberty Property Trust and Senior Associate in Audit at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLC.
"One Rock remains committed to building out an experienced Operating Partner team to support our diversified set of portfolio companies," said R. Scott Spielvogel, Managing Partner of One Rock. "We're confident that with his significant leadership experience and expertise in accounting and financial reporting, Phil will prove valuable in working with a number of our companies."
"One Rock has significant experience partnering with its portfolio companies to help them achieve and maintain financial and operational excellence," said Mr. Gaudreau. "I look forward to applying my financial accounting and management background as I work alongside the other Operating Partners to support growth strategies across One Rock's portfolio."
Working with Operating Partners has been a key part of One Rock's strategy since inception.
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
Julia Cohen
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/one-rock-capital-partners-expands-operating-partner-team-with-addition-phil-gaudreau/ | 2022-08-22T12:50:54Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Figue and Tuluminati announced today a limited-edition capsule collection of iconic hats. The collection features a series of unique hats embodying the adventurous spirit of Figue with the unique styling and craftsmanship of Tuluminati.
CEO and Creative Director Liz Lange said "when I had the chance to collaborate with Tuluminati, I immediately jumped on it. Tuluminati's style, quality, and brand are a perfect complement to Figue, and I couldn't be more excited by our collection."
The collection features three hats, the Katuk Palm Hat -- handcrafted from 100% fine palm leaf, the Katuk is adorned with a braided cotton band interlaced with jute fabric and a handstitched logo of the Figue Serpents. The Puka Suede Hat blends shells and suede for a fiercely independent style. Hand-selected Cowrie shells stitched across a jute fabric band accentuate a subtle, 100% suede construction. Embossed with the Figue Serpents on the crown, the Puka Suede Hat comes together to create the perfect accessory for poolside parties or Pacific panoramas. The Soga Suede Hat makes an unforgettable statement. Crafted from 100% white suede, and embossed with the Figue Serpents, the Soga is a hat dedicated to detail. Embellished in an array of avian accessories, the Soga Suede Hat tucks white peacock, ostrich, goose, and silver pheasant feathers behind a cotton rope band adorned with a golden safety pin. With a luxurious look and legendary style, the Soga Suede Hat is a symbol of timeless taste.
The collaboration embodies the shared love and respect for local artisans and craftsmanship that have been at the core of Figue and a continuous source of inspiration for the past decade.
Founded in New York City in 2012 and acquired by current CEO and Creative Director, Liz Lange, in December 2020, Figue is a dreamy combination of luxe and laid back. Figue's free spirit-meets-sophisticate line of ready-to-wear, handbags, footwear, accessories and home design is proudly infused with bohemian gorgeousness. Our soulful spirit and global sensibility are expressed through our mix of unique prints, layered textures, pom poms, hand-cut tassels and artisanal beadwork. Welcome to the multi-colored magic of Figue.
@figuelove #figuelove #summeroffigue
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SOURCE Figue Acquisition LLC | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/02/figue-tuluminati-release-limited-edition-hat-collection/ | 2022-08-02T21:58:57Z |
LAS VEGAS, June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AGS (NYSE: AGS or "the Company") CEO David Lopez issued the following statement after the announcement of the United States Supreme Court decision siding with certain Tribes in Texas (the Tribes at issue are the Ysleta del Sur and Alabama and Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas, which operate the Speaking Rock and Naskila Gaming facilities, respectively) to allow bingo gaming on their Tribal lands, without regulatory oversight from the State of Texas. The Court's ruling on Wednesday determined that these Texas Tribes have the autonomy to regulate electronic bingo games on their lands, in compliance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act ("IGRA") like most other Tribes in America, regardless of the state's rules on bingo, which is permitted in the State of Texas. While the federal government agreed with the Tribes' position, the State of Texas did not.
"After an extremely long process in the judicial system, I would like to congratulate our Native American business partners and friends on their well-deserved win. This ruling makes it possible for these sovereign Tribes to gain economic freedom and confirms their rights as federally recognized Tribes. AGS stands by our Tribal operator partners as they look to exercise their rights and wish them success in current and future ventures as sovereign Tribes in the State of Texas. We are proud to support all our Native American partners throughout the country, and, in particular, these Tribes that have fought so hard and so long in pursuit of their economic freedom."
AGS is a global company focused on creating a diverse mix of entertaining gaming experiences for every kind of player. Our roots are firmly planted in the Class II Native American gaming market, but our customer-centric culture and growth have helped us branch out to become a leading all-inclusive commercial gaming supplier. Powered by high-performing Class II and Class III slot products, an expansive table products portfolio, real-money gaming platforms and content, highly rated social casino solutions for operators and players, and best-in-class service, we offer an unmatched value proposition for our casino partners. Learn more at www.playags.com.
AGS Media Contact:
Julia Boguslawski, Chief Marketing Officer
Jboguslawski@PlayAGS.com
Nikki Davis, Director of Marketing & Communications
Ndavis@PlayAGS.com
AGS Investor Contact:
Brad Boyer, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations & Corporate Operations
Bboyer@PlayAGS.com
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SOURCE AGS | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/ags-issues-statement-supreme-court-ruling-favor-authorized-gambling-tribal-lands-texas/ | 2022-06-16T21:57:44Z |
Macronix Quad I/O Serial NOR Flash Memory Complements Efinix Titanium FPGA for Edge Computing, Hardware Acceleration, Machine Learning
SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Macronix International Co., Ltd. (TSE: 2337), a leading integrated device manufacturer in the non-volatile memory (NVM) market, today announced that its MX25U25645G 1.8V 256Mb Quad I/O Serial NOR Flash memory has been selected as the preferred Serial NOR Flash memory for the Efinix® Titanium Ti180 FPGA development platform. By implementing the Macronix Flash memory, Efinix, an innovator in programmable products and technology, brings to market a powerful development platform featuring Efinix's high-capacity, low-power FPGA and Macronix's high-performance Serial NOR Flash memory.
The new Efinix development platform empowers engineers with the tools to design products for diverse applications such as vision systems, edge computing, hardware acceleration, and machine learning. The platform also provides designers with the confidence that the Flash memory and FPGA they're working with have been fully tested and verified for compatibility.
"Both Macronix and Efinix are known globally for their innovation in developing high quality and performance products for demanding applications," said Macronix Vice President of Marketing F.L. Ni. "The new Efinix Ti180 FPGA development platform is testimony to that innovation, as it leverages our decades of experience in non-volatile memory and Efinix's revolutionary Titanium FPGA technology at the heart of the Ti180."
"This new development platform featuring our Titanium Ti180 FPGA and Macronix's MX25U25645G Quad I/O Serial NOR Flash memory will enable engineers to streamline the process of creating powerful yet highly efficient products designed around the Ti180," said Mark Oliver, Vice President of Marketing at Efinix. "They'll realize tremendous benefits from using this platform for designs serving some of the industry's fastest-growing markets and most-demanding applications."
The Titanium Ti180 FPGA features Efinix's high-density, low-power Quantum™ compute fabric with an I/O interface in a small foot print package for easy integration. The FPGAs include a 2.5 Gbps hardened MIPI D-Phy which can be used with an Efinix MIPI CSI-2 and DSI controller IP cores to create multi-camera, high-definition vision systems, edge computing and hardware-acceleration systems. With the ultra-low-power Ti180 FPGAs, designers can build always-on products and other enhanced capabilities.
A member of Macronix's MXSMIO™ Duplex family of multi-I/O Serial NOR Flash memory and manufactured with Macronix's advanced, high-reliability 55nm process, the MX25U25645G provides a Quad I/O interface with double transfer rate (DTR) mode operation, featuring the maximum read throughput up to 100MB/s, densities from 64Mb to 2Gb, and operating voltage from 1.65V to 2.0V. The MX25U25645G supports a vast number of applications requiring fast read performance with 256Mb density and 1.8V operating voltage.
For more information on Macronix's Quad I/O Serial NOR Flash memory, including the MX25U25645G, please click here. For more information on the Efinix Titanium FPGAs, including the Ti180, please click here.
About Macronix
Macronix, a leading integrated device manufacturer in the non-volatile memory (NVM) market, provides a full range of NOR Flash, NAND Flash, and ROM products. With its world-class R&D and manufacturing capability, Macronix continues to deliver high-quality, innovative and performance-driven products to its customers in the consumer, communication, computing, automotive, industrial, medical, and other market segments. Find out more at www.macronix.com.
About Efinix
Efinix®, an innovator in programmable products, is committed to delivering the low power and reconfigurability of its high-performance Titanium FPGA silicon platforms for applications in the mainstream market. Efinix FPGAs deliver power, performance, and area advantages over traditional FPGA technologies, unlocking new applications and delivering rapid time to market. Titanium devices range from 35K to 1M logic elements, have a small form-factor, low-power, and are priced for high-volume production. The Efinity® Integrated Development Environment provides a complete FPGA design suite from RTL to bit stream.
MXSMIO is a trademark of Macronix International Co., Ltd. Efinix is a registered trademark and Quantum is a trademark of Efinix, Inc.
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SOURCE Macronix | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/31/macronix-high-performance-serial-nor-flash-memory-selected-efinix-fpga-development-platform/ | 2022-05-31T16:45:42Z |
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Midwest retailer Meijer is launching its participation in the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup Program with the use of two innovative technologies – the BeBot and Pixie Drone – to clean up Midwestern beaches and waterways in partnership with the Council of the Great Lakes Region.
This initiative is supporting the single largest deployment of these types of eco-friendly and remote-controlled devices across multiple states in the Great Lakes, which encompass the largest surface freshwater system in the world.
"It is a privilege to live near the Great Lakes, which inherently comes with the responsibility to protect them," Meijer President & CEO Rick Keyes said. "Contributing to the conservation of these invaluable waterways is important to the wellbeing of our ecosystems, economy, and the communities we serve. Meijer has a strong history of environmental stewardship, and we're pleased to partner with the CGLR because the impact these initiatives will make will ultimately benefit generations to come."
Beginning this month, Meijer and the CGLR will lead cleanup projects at busy beaches, marinas and waterways in Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin in partnership with a variety of community, state and environmental NGO partners. The retailer kicked off its efforts with a press conference at Pere Marquette Beach in Muskegon earlier this week that included a live demonstration of the innovative equipment:
- BeBot: An eco-friendly, remote-controlled electric (solar and battery powered) beach cleaning robot – that cleans 32,000-square-feet per hour. It rakes through the sand without altering the beach environment, and collects plastic litter and other waste – bottles, cans, food wrappers, cigarette butts – in a basket for disposal and recycling.
- Pixie Drone: An eco-friendly, remote-controlled water drone – that can collect up to 200 pounds of material per use – will navigate through marinas and other waterways to collect plastic litter and other waste debris floating on the surface of the water. It will also collect other water data, such as temperature, pH, salinity, turbidity and dissolved oxygen.
Representatives from the Grand Valley State University Annis Water Resources Institute (GVSU-AWRI) will operate the equipment along the Muskegon lakeshore.
"Microplastics have become one of the most pressing issues facing our waterways, both in the Great Lakes and on a global scale; we are both excited and honored to be part of Meijer's initiative to fund new technologies to address this problem," said Dr. Al Steinman, the Allen and Helen Hunting Research Professor at GVSU-AWRI. "It is critical to resolve the microplastic dilemma, not only for the ecology of our local waters, but also for the economy of our coastal communities, who visit and recreate on our beaches and lakes with the expectation they are clean and pollutant-free. The BeBot and Pixie Drone will help ensure those expectations are met."
"The City of Muskegon is thrilled to participate in the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup Program and serve as home to the BeBot and Pixie Drone, which will strengthen stewardship of our precious waterways and majestic Pere Marquette Beach," Muskegon Mayor Ken Johnson said. "We're excited to see these innovative devices in action, and our community is grateful for the collaboration of Meijer, the GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute, and the Council of the Great Lakes Region in advancing this eco-friendly initiative."
The BeBot and Pixie Drones were funded by a $1 million donation Meijer made to the charitable arm of the CGLR in the United States – the CGLR Foundation – earlier this year. The deployment of these devices are part of the expansion of the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup's plastic capture and recovery effort, an initiative that started in 2020 by the CGLR and Pollution Probe.
"The Great Lakes, which are at the heart of the bi-national Great Lakes economic region, are a globally significant natural resource," said Mark Fisher, the President and CEO of CGLR. "By partnering with companies like Meijer, which shares CGLR's strong commitment to building the region's future sustainability and economy today, we are able to keep our beaches and waterways clean and free of plastic litter as we work to ensure the materials we use as consumers never become waste by adopting a circular economy mindset in the region."
Meijer is also working on numerous store-level projects that impact the Great Lakes, including one with the CGLR to install gutter bin stormwater filtration systems at select Meijer supercenters. The gutter bins will capture and prevent trash, debris, microplastics and other harmful stormwater pollutants from flowing into nearby waterways. Each bin captures hundreds of pounds of pollution per year.
The retailer is in the midst of two additional stormwater projects to retrofit the parking lots at its Traverse City and Benton Harbor supercenters with green infrastructure and is continuing its partnership with the Alliance for the Great Lakes on a handful of beach cleanup efforts.
"The Great Lakes are an area of immense value, and we are proud to be hands-on in the protection of these local waterways," said Erik Petrovskis, Director of Environmental Compliance and Sustainability at Meijer.
Watch video of the BeBot and Pixie Drone in action here.
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 at twitter.com/Meijer and twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.
About the Council of the Great Lakes Region: The Council of the Great Lakes Region is a binational network of organizations comprised of: (1) the Council of the Great Lakes Region USA, an Ohio-based trade association; (2) the CGLR Foundation, an Ohio-based public charity; and the Council of the Great Lakes Region Canada, a not-for-profit corporation. Together, these organizations, collectively referred to as the Council of the Great Lakes Region, are leading a new era of economic growth, environmental protection, and individual well-being by building the region's long-term competitiveness and sustainability today. For additional information, please visit https://councilgreatlakesregion.org/ and https://www.greatlakesplasticcleanup.org/. Follow CGLR on Twitter at twitter.com/CGLRGreatlakes and the GLPC on Twitter at twitter.com/GLPCleanup.
About the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup: The Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup, a joint initiative of the Council of the Great Lakes Region and Pollution Probe that is supported by a network of funders and collaborators, uses innovative capture and clean-up technology to remove plastics and other litter from Lake Ontario to Lake Superior and everywhere in between. Through research, outreach and education, the GLPC is gathering data on litter entering our waterways and identifying how government, industry, and consumers can work together to reduce, reuse and recycle material waste. To learn more, visit www.greatlakesplasticcleanup.org or follow the GLPC on Twitter at twitter.com/GLPCleanup.
About Grand Valley State University Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute: AWRI is a multidisciplinary research organization with GVSU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. AWRI's mission is to integrate research, education, and outreach to enhance and preserve freshwater resources. To learn more, visit www.gvsu.edu/wri/
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SOURCE Meijer | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/meijer-is-first-retailer-unveil-beach-water-cleaning-drones-great-lakes-partnership-with-council-great-lakes-region/ | 2022-08-25T19:01:33Z |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee have asked baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred to explain the impact of potential legislation stripping the sport’s antitrust exemption from covering the sport’s relationship with minor league players.
Sen. Richard Durbin, an Illinois Democrat who chairs the committee, and Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican who is the ranking minority member, sent the letter Monday and asked Manfred to respond by July 26 to a series of questions that could be a prelude to proposed legislation further limiting an exemption created by a 1922 Supreme Court decision.
“Your answers will help inform the Senate Judiciary Committee’s analysis of the necessity of this century-old exemption,” said the letter, also signed by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, and Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah.
The letter is the next step after a similar request for information the four senators sent last month to an advocacy group for minor leaguers. The executive director of the nonprofit Advocates for Minor Leaguers has recommended Congress enact legislation nullifying the application of the exemption to minor leaguers.
“We look forward to providing detailed information to the committee regarding baseball’s limited antitrust exemption and how it has provided franchise location stability at the major league level, maximized the availability of minor-league baseball for fans and quality employment opportunities for aspiring major leaguers,” the league said in a statement.
Senators asked about the potential impact of repealing 2018 legislation exempting minor league players from federal minimum wage and overtime laws — the Save America’s Pastime Act — and whether the antitrust exemption played a role in MLB’s decision in 2020 to cut minor league affiliations from a minimum of 160 to 120. They also asked whether MLB would commit to maintaining 120 affiliates when current 10-year player development license agreements expire after the 2030 season.
Advocates for Minor Leaguers said in a statement that it believes the exemption “has had dire consequences for minor league baseball players and fans. ”
Major league players on 40-man rosters, including those on option to the minors, are represented by the Major League Baseball Players Association. More than 90% of the several thousand players in the minors are not unionized.
In a proposed lawsuit settlement filed Friday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, MLB agreed to pay minor leaguers $185 million to settle alleged violations of minimum wage laws. An early estimate is that perhaps 23,000 players could share the money with an average payment of $5,000 to $5,500, and the settlement says $55.5 million will go the players’ lawyers.
Senators asked for MLB’s opinion on how its structure compares with those of the NFL, NBA and NHL, and what justifies maintaining the exemption for baseball. In the past, baseball officials have stressed the exemption allows them to prohibit teams from changing cities without MLB approval.
Senators inquired about the exemption’s impact on work stoppages — which is not at all since the Curt Flood Act of 1998 applied antitrust laws to MLB affecting the employment of major league players at the major league level.
“Please discuss the impact, if any, of the antitrust exemption on the negotiation of minor league players’ length of contract, wages, housing, or other working conditions,” they wrote. “What effect would removing the antitrust exemption have on minor league player working conditions and wages? If a more tailored approach, like extending the Curt Flood Act to cover minor league players and operations, was taken, what would be the impact? Please describe any provision of the CFA that should or should not cover minor league players and why.”
They asked about MLB’s view of the impact on minor league players of the 1922 Supreme Court decision involving the Federal League that created the exemption, of last year’s Supreme Court decision ruling the NCAA can’t limit education-related benefits that colleges can offer sports stars (NCAA v. Alston) and the Justice Department’s statement of interest in a pending lawsuit filed by four minor league teams urging that “lower courts should limit the ‘baseball exemption’ to conduct that is central to the business of offering professional baseball games to the public.”
In addition, they asked about the exemption’s impact on corruption in the international amateur signing market
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/senators-ask-mlb-why-antitrust-exemption-needed-in-minors/ | 2022-07-19T01:29:45Z |
Company Launches Partnership During Military Appreciation Month
NORFOLK, Va., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PRA Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRAA), a global leader in acquiring and collecting nonperforming loans, is pleased to announce it has partnered with America's VetDogs, a national nonprofit that trains and places service dogs with veterans and first responders with disabilities. The company named a 10-week-old male, yellow Labrador Retriever and future service dog in training in honor of Military Appreciation Month.
PRA Group began its partnership with America's VetDogs as part of its commitment to supporting military, veterans and first responders. When it came time to name a future service dog, PRA Group asked its employees to decide through a nation-wide vote.
"Employees overwhelmingly voted to name him 'Ace,' which is fitting not only because our business is in financial services, but also because of the nickname's associations with military prowess," said Alexandra Bitonti, manager of events and community engagement and volunteer Puppy Raiser for America's VetDogs.
America's VetDogs provides enhanced mobility and renewed independence to veterans, active-duty service members and first responders with disabilities at no cost to the individual. These specially trained service dogs allow a veteran or first responder to live with pride and self-reliance.
Ace will be raised in Hampton Roads, Virginia, where the company has been headquartered since its founding in 1996. The area's military presence renders this partnership especially close to home for PRA Group.
"With the world's largest naval base close by in Norfolk, this is a critical cause for our local community. I am proud PRA Group will support veterans and service members on a national scale with America's VetDogs. I know first-hand that this organization does a fantastic job of raising awareness, making life-changing connections, and providing long-term solutions," Bitonti added.
About PRA Group
As a global leader in acquiring and collecting nonperforming loans, PRA Group returns capital to banks and other creditors to help expand financial services for consumers. With thousands of employees worldwide, PRA Group companies collaborate with customers to help them resolve their debt. For more information, please visit www.pragroup.com.
About America's VetDogs:
Since 2003, America's VetDogs (www.VetDogs.org) has trained and placed guide and service dogs to provide independence, enhanced mobility, and companionship to veterans with disabilities from all eras. In 2015, VetDogs opened its programs to first responders, including fire, police and emergency medical personnel. America's VetDogs is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded by the Guide Dog Foundation and serves clients from across the United States. VetDogs relies on contributions from generous individuals, corporations, service clubs and foundations to fund its mission to help those who have served our country live with dignity and independence. It costs over $50,000 to breed, raise, train and place one assistance dog, but America's VetDogs provides its services completely free of charge to the individual. America's VetDogs has been accredited by both the International Guide Dog Federation and Assistance Dogs International.
News Media Contact:
Elizabeth Kersey
Senior Vice President, Communications and Public Policy
(757) 961-3525
Elizabeth.Kersey@PRAGroup.com
Investor Contact:
Lauren Partin
Senior Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations
(757) 431-7913
IR@PRAGroup.com
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SOURCE PRA Group | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/31/pra-group-names-americas-vetdogs-puppy-ace/ | 2022-05-31T13:59:24Z |
EMERYVILLE, Calif., May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Attorney General and Cedars-Sinai Health System have selected Berkeley Research Group (BRG) Managing Director Frank Stevens individually and BRG as the firm to serve as the court-appointed independent monitor overseeing compliance of the settlement regarding the affiliation between Cedars-Sinai and Huntington Hospital. The approval of Huntington Hospital's affiliation with Cedars-Sinai, effective as of August 2021, included a requirement of an appointment of a monitor and specific competitive impact conditions.
Stevens has extensive experience as an independent monitor, including appointments as monitor for five organizations by the California Department of Managed Health Care, Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and by health plans of their delegated entities. He has nearly 40 years of managed care contracting experience. Stevens has been recognized by California state courts and federal courts in the Central District as an expert for opining on reimbursement and contract term disputes between health plans and providers. He has negotiated and signed thousands of health plan and hospital agreements in 42 states.
"I am privileged to assume the responsibilities of the independent monitor and honored in the trust placed in me by Cedars Sinai, Huntington Hospital and the California Attorney General to fulfill this important role in a fair and equitable manner," said Stevens. "The assignment leverages my decades of experience in working with health plans, hospitals and regulatory agencies."
The team supporting Stevens includes BRG Managing Director Mark Abernathy, who has more than 40 years of experience spanning a variety of providers, payers and other healthcare entities, including most recently at the Alameda Alliance for Health for two years, serving successively as monitor, conservator and CEO. The BRG team also includes Director Jessica Huebner, who specializes in providing dispute resolution and forensic accounting and investigation services to healthcare organizations and their legal counsel; and Director Lindsay Knutson, who leads teams in complex data analytics and compliance audits to help healthcare companies and their legal counsel resolve business challenges and disputes.
Both Huebner and Knutson have extensive experience assisting Stevens and Abernathy in independent monitoring engagements. Stevens also will have access to other experts in BRG's healthcare practice on an as-needed basis. The monitorship also draws on BRG's extensive healthcare antitrust expertise, with the participation of Managing Director David Eisenstadt, a nationally known economic expert with particular consulting and testimony expertise in the antitrust and industrial organization analysis of healthcare markets.
Stevens also has added highly experienced antitrust attorneys from different law firms to support him in his role as monitor, noting, "Throughout my many monitoring, conservatorships, trustee and responsible person projects, I have had the opportunity to work with highly knowledgeable and experienced legal advisers whose perspective and advice were invaluable to me in my leadership roles."
About BRG
Berkeley Research Group, LLC is a global consulting firm that helps leading organizations advance in three key areas: disputes and investigations, corporate finance, and performance improvement and advisory. Headquartered in California with offices around the world, we are an integrated group of experts, industry leaders, academics, data scientists and professionals working across borders and disciplines. We harness our collective expertise to deliver the inspired insights and practical strategies our clients need to stay ahead of what's next.
BRG's Healthcare practice provides clients with extensive industry expertise combined with data-driven, objective and innovative approaches to their most complex problems. A core strength of our practice is our ability to harness and unlock the power of the information generated in the healthcare system. We regularly leverage financial, clinical, operations and survey data maintained by payers, providers, manufacturers and government entities to develop solutions to our clients' most pressing issues.
Visit thinkbrg.com to learn more.
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SOURCE Berkeley Research Group, LLC | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/17/brg-appointed-independent-monitor-oversee-terms-cedars-sinai-huntington-hospital-affiliation/ | 2022-05-17T14:37:14Z |
Retailer Awards $4,040 in Cash to Its Most Frugal Fan
HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its 40th birthday celebration, Ollie's Bargain Outlet Inc. (Ollie's), America's largest retailer of closeout merchandise and excess inventory, announced the grand prize winner of its "America's Biggest Cheapskate" contest today. With this being National Bargain Hunting Week, this winner announcement comes at the perfect time. Cynthia Johnson, from the Atlanta area, one of ten finalists, was crowned the grand prize winner, receiving $4,040 in cash to go along with the coveted title. The other nine finalists received $400 Ollie's gift cards.
Cynthia was one of over 6,100 self-proclaimed cheapskates across 29 states that entered the contest. As part of her submission, Cynthia shared that she spends as little as $15 per month on her water bill and less than $34 on her natural gas bill in the summer. She achieves this in easy but effective ways like putting time limits on showers, using the quick wash cycle on the washing machine, keeping her thermostat a little higher during warmer weather, keeping lights off, and of course – bargain hunting at Ollie's!
"Some call me a cheapskate but trust me, it's a title I wear proudly!" said Cynthia Johnson. "Being retired and living on a fixed income, my husband, who is a disabled veteran, and I love shopping at Ollie's and saving money whenever we can!"
"Cynthia impressed us with her smart shopping habits and money-saving hacks," said John Swygert, President, and CEO of Ollie's. "For the last 40 years, Ollie's has helped people like Cynthia save money by selling brand name merchandise at up to 70% off the fancy stores' prices every day. We are proud to have shoppers like Cynthia who enjoy the Ollie's treasure hunt experience and appreciate great bargains like we do."
Ollie's "America's Biggest Cheapskate" contest ran from May 22-July 3, 2022. Entrants were required to submit a selfie at their local Ollie's store and write a 150-500 word statement explaining their best money- saving hacks and why they were worthy of the title "America's Biggest Cheapskate."
About Ollie's
Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Inc., founded in 1982, is America's largest retailer of closeouts and excess inventory, offering real brands at real bargain prices. Ollie's has a huge variety of famous brand name merchandise in every department – food, books, housewares, toys, electronics, domestics, clothing, furniture, health and beauty, flooring, seasonal items and so much more – at up to 70 percent off the fancy stores' prices every day. You never know what you'll find at one of Ollie's 450 "semi-lovely" stores and growing in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. For more information, visit www.ollies.us. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok to stay up to date on the latest deals and events. Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings is a publicly traded company on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol OLLI.
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SOURCE Ollie’s | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/ollies-crowns-americas-biggest-cheapskate/ | 2022-08-09T19:04:03Z |
Kansas Supreme Court upholds state, congressional redistricting maps
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The Kansas Supreme Court has decided that redistricting maps brought before it for the Sunflower State were completely legal and valid.
In the matter of state senatorial, representative and board of education redistricting plans, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt called on the Court to decide the legality of Substitute for Senate Bill 563.
SB 563 proposes a new state senatorial (liberty three), representative (free state 3F) and board of education (apple 7) redistricting plan. It was passed by the House with an 83-40 vote and the Senate with a 29-11 vote. The bill was approved by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly on April 25.
The three maps are based on data from the 2020 Census.
“I’m happy to see the Court agreed with the Legislature that the Kansas House maps are fair,” said House Democratic Leader Tom Sawyer. “They were passed with wide bipartisan support and that is reflected in the Court’s opinion.”
In a unanimous opinion written by Justice Caleb Stegall, the Court said it upheld the validity of Substitute for SB 563 and a full opinion with facts and rationale would be forthcoming.
Also on Wednesday, in the case over Substitute for Senate Bill 355, - which proposes the Ad Astra 2 Congressional Redistricting Map - the Court said it had also held the legislation did not violate the constitution.
SB 355 was passed by the Senate with a 26-9 vote. When it entered the House it was packed with amendments and passed with a 79-37 vote.
However, in February, Gov. Kelly vetoed the legislation. At first, the Senate failed to override the veto, but a motion to reconsider was adopted and the Senate voted to override the veto with a 27-11 vote. The House also voted to override the veto with an 85-37 vote.
The bill then spent about three months in the court system which was brought to an end with Wednesday’s decision.
In a majority opinion written by Justice Stegall, the Court said the plaintiffs had not prevailed on their claims that the map violates the state constitution. Therefore, it said it reversed the district court decision and lifted the permanent injunction which had been ordered.
The Ad Astra Map has been widely contested and many have called it a gerrymandered map. While not unconstitutional, Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes called it unacceptable.
“Legislators take an oath to uphold our state constitution when we assume office. While today’s Supreme Court decision is disappointing, I respect the unprecedented nature of this case and the court’s position on the legislative outcome,” Sykes said. “But make no mistake: this process did not serve the Kansans we are elected to represent. Kansas Republicans disrespected, ignored, and gaslit engaged voters from the very start. While that isn’t unconstitutional, it is unacceptable. Kansans should continue to hold legislative leadership to task for their consistent refusal to accept that, despite their best efforts, our residents are not a monolith and have a different vision for our state from the GOP’s. Continuing to engage with the legislative process and challenging these leaders is integral to ensuring our democracy is not further eroded by the party in charge.”
Sawyer warned the decision could open “pandora’s box” and called for constitutional amendments to protect Kansans’ voting rights.
“Unfortunately, the decision regarding Congressional maps opens a pandora’s box for even worse political gerrymandering in the future. Lawrence does not belong in the Big First and Wyandotte should not have been split,” he said. “Residents of western Kansas, Lawrence, and Wyandotte all agreed on this throughout the redistricting process and made this clear to the Joint Redistricting Committee. The voters in Lawrence and Wyandotte will be silenced by this decision.”
“Because the Court ruled the Kansas Constitution was not violated, this decision makes clear it’s time for an amendment that clarifies gerrymandering is unconstitutional and prohibited in the state. I call on my colleagues to bring a constitutional amendment to the ballot on this issue,” Sawyer concluded.
To read the full decision for state maps, click HERE.
To read the full decision for the congressional map, click HERE.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/18/kansas-supreme-court-decides-redistricting-maps-constitutional/ | 2022-05-18T16:11:20Z |
The Momentus Capital family of companies is a founding member of the new coalition dedicated to addressing economic disparities and accelerating economic opportunities.
ARLINGTON, Va. and SAN DIEGO, July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Momentus Capital is honored to serve as one of the founding members of newly created Economic Opportunity Coalition (EOC).
Vice President Kamala Harris announced today historic efforts to catalyze and align both public and private investments — including formation of the new EOC — to address economic disparities and accelerate economic opportunity in communities of color and other underserved communities.
The EOC is made up of 23 companies and foundations, including 14 companies ranked in the Fortune 500. Their goal is to focus commitments in a few areas that will move the needle — aligning their major investments in communities of color with investments made by the Biden-Harris Administration.
"Momentus Capital is uniquely positioned to serve a significant role representing mission-driven financial institutions on the Economic Opportunity Coalition," said Ellis Carr, president and CEO of the Momentus Capital family of companies, which includes Capital Impact Partners, CDC Small Business Finance, and Ventures Lending Technologies. "Our team has extensive experience with small business and community development, and the ability to offer a continuum of capital at every growth stage to support economic mobility and wealth creation."
"We are thankful to the Biden-Harris Administration for its support of the Economic Opportunity Coalition. Working together in this public-private partnership will help create social and economic justice in disinvested communities," Mr. Carr added. "This coalition will bolster the work that Momentus Capital is doing to provide communities with the opportunities they deserve to succeed and thrive. We can accomplish much more, and much faster, by combining our efforts strategically than we would by acting separately."
The founding members of the EOC include Ariel Investments, Bank of America, BNY Mellon, Capital One, Citi, Discover, Ford Foundation, Goldman Sachs, Google, Key Bank, Kresge Foundation, Mastercard, McDonald's, McKinsey & Company, Micron, Momentus Capital, Moody's, Netflix, PayPal, PNC, The Rockefeller Foundation, TIAA, and Upstart.
The EOC will coordinate across public, private and social sector organizations. It will develop and deploy products that solve challenges in getting resources where they are needed most, and it will drive toward outcomes for meaningful action.
The coalition members have made significant commitments across each of the four focus areas, including a number of investments since the group formed earlier this year:
- Investing in community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and minority depository institutions (MDIs)
- Supporting entrepreneurship and minority-owned businesses
- Expanding inclusive and equitable access to credit and other financial services facilitating financial health
- Making infrastructure investments that create more community wealth
These commitments, which represent only a small fraction of total commitments from the EOC, show the immense resources these founding members bring to the table, but they acknowledge they must do more.
Over the coming months, the EOC will build on investments the Biden-Harris Administration has made and develop new solutions that reimagine how capital, technology, and talent are deployed in underserved communities. They will be built with and for the community, leveraging existing strengths and assets to address the root causes of economic inequality.
The Momentus Capital family of companies is already working to transform how investments and capital flow into communities. This includes:
- Financial capital: a range of flexible debt and equity products to meet Momentus Capital's partners' needs, as well as access to new markets and potential investors
- Knowledge capital: business advising, assistance, and training to develop the skills and insights that can help partners advance their enterprises
- Social capital: connections to networks and people that can help Momentus Capital's partners succeed
Among the recent programs and initiatives from the Momentus Capital family of companies:
- Launching an Impact Investing group to jumpstart growth-stage businesses that will impact their communities. Equity investments make up less than 2% of CDFI portfolios in the United States. This will fill a crucial gap for companies like this that need more than traditional debt products.
- Coming Soon! Momentus Capital is developing a first-of-its kind mission-driven investment bank to better connect investors with community organizations through community-centric securities offerings.
- Activate Detroit, a new loan product that is empowering Black entrepreneurs by focusing on character-based evaluations, rather than credit scores.
- Impower, which helps business owners who have been denied a commercial real estate loan, assisting them with the opportunity to build wealth, create jobs and stay in the communities they serve.
- The Equitable Development Initiative, Housing Equity Accelerator Fellowship, and Growing Diverse Housing Developers, all of which provide training, mentorship, connections, and pathways to financing for developers of color, helping them overcome racial barriers and systemic issues.
- Expanding access to Ventures+, a proprietary loan processing and portfolio management tool that has become one of the top resources for small business and community lenders. This has helped other local lenders create an impact in their communities by providing access to high-level services they would otherwise be unlikely to manage on their own.
Leveraging 80 years of combined experience, a portfolio of nearly $3 billion, and strong community engagement, the Momentus Capital family of companies has delivered more than $23 billion in financing, created and preserved 250,000 jobs, and served 12,000 small businesses and five million people across their history.
More information is available on the Momentus Capital fact sheet (PDF).
Momentus Capital is transforming how capital and investments flow into communities to provide people access to the capital and opportunities they deserve.
Through our family of mission-driven organizations including Capital Impact Partners, CDC Small Business Finance, and Ventures Lending Technologies, we are working to reinvent traditional financial systems that have failed to address systemic issues of inequality, economic empowerment, and the widening racial wealth gap.
Each organization under the Momentus Capital brand will continue operating as a separate entity committed to serving its key market and clients, albeit with additional resources and product offerings.
We offer a continuum of financial, knowledge, and social capital to help local leaders build inclusive and equitable communities and create generational wealth. This includes a comprehensive package of loan products, impact investment opportunities, training and business advising programs, and technology services that advance locally-led solutions.
Leveraging 80 years of combined experience, a portfolio of nearly $3 billion, and strong community engagement, the family of companies has delivered more than $23 billion in financing, created and preserved 250,000 jobs, and served 12,000 small businesses and five million people across their history.
With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and San Diego, California, Momentus Capital operates nationally with a focus on larger urban areas and cities in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Washington, D.C.
Learn more at momentuscap.org.
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SOURCE Momentus Capital | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/28/momentus-capital-commends-biden-harris-administration-supporting-economic-opportunity-coalition-committing-address-economic-disparities-communities-color/ | 2022-07-28T20:11:26Z |
Combined company expected to source majority of its raw materials from third party by-product streams, reducing need for virgin zinc and contributing to industry wide sustainability
HOUSTON, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aterian Investment Partners ("Aterian") has combined U.S. Zinc and EverZinc, two of the largest global producers of zinc chemical products, to form the pre-eminent global zinc chemistry business. The combined company will operate under the EverZinc name, and will be headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company will support high value markets, such as personal care, alkaline, storage and rechargeable batteries, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, textiles, agriculture, feed, paints and coatings, and rubber and serve its customers from 14 facilities located throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
U.S. Zinc is a United States leader in zinc oxide, fine zinc powder and zinc metal. The business is differentiated through over 70 years of innovation, strong material science know-how and quality in the marketplace. U.S. Zinc services the domestic market with an expansive capacity and manufacturing footprint throughout its four facilities in Texas and Tennessee.
EverZinc, through its 185-year heritage, is a global zinc technology leader in specialty zinc materials, including fine zinc powders, zinc oxides, battery zinc powders and Zano®, an ultra-fine zinc oxide. EverZinc services its customers through 10 production sites located in Belgium, Canada, China, the Netherlands, Norway and Malaysia.
Aterian, an operationally-focused middle market private investment firm targeting industry leading businesses, acquired U.S. Zinc in 2018.
"We're excited to partner with Aterian and the board to lead this new combined organization forward into the future," said Vincent Dujardin, Chief Executive Officer at EverZinc, who will lead the combined company as President and Chief Executive Officer. "This strategic combination brings together two industry pioneers. By combining our comprehensive zinc chemistry platforms, employee base, proven R&D and technology capabilities and specializations, we will further our leadership in catapulting the new organization years ahead on the technology curve."
"We built a long-term thesis around zinc chemistry, starting with our platform investment in U.S. Zinc," said Christopher H. Thomas, Co-Founder and Partner at Aterian. "As one of the most widely available and sustainable metals in the world, zinc is uniquely recyclable and has applications critical to our future. This investment further expands on our vision as the organization will continue to partner and innovate with its customers to lead the industry through technological and sustainable alternatives and solutions."
Zinc is the fourth most common metal in use in the world and has made considerable inroads as a potential material of choice in nascent markets. These include innovations in personal care, where zinc minerals are seen as a better alternative to existing materials in sunscreen and skin care, and renewables and energy storage, where new battery combinations such as zinc air and nickel zinc are alternatives to existing stationary power storage technologies.
"This combination will strengthen our global footprint, improve sourcing capabilities, diversify our business and allow our platform to better serve customers on a global scale," said Joel Hawthorne, President and Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Zinc, who will serve as Vice Chairman of the EverZinc enterprise and member on the combined company's board. "We are eager to continue serving existing applications while cultivating new market streams for our zinc components."
Zinc is highly recyclable. The new company intends to source a majority of its critical raw materials from third party by-product streams, by converting used zinc material already available in the marketplace, thus encouraging greater industry-wide sustainability. Zinc can be recovered without a significant loss in quality, resulting in less need for virgin zinc and the air and water emissions, deforestation, energy consumption and waste that often results from mining and processing virgin zinc.
"Aterian will continue to support EverZinc through investment in capacity, technology and innovation," said Joshua Ciampa, Managing Director at Aterian. "Global applications for zinc are reaching a critical inflection point and we are pleased to be in a position to leverage our European or Asian technology for capacity in North America, and vice-versa."
Aterian Investment Partners, U.S. Zinc's controlling shareholder, will continue to own the combined company.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to U.S. Zinc and Aterian, and Moelis & Company LLC served as U.S. Zinc's and Aterian's M&A advisor. Willkie, Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal counsel and Jefferies served as lead financial advisor and Stifel served as financial advisor to seller.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
About U.S. Zinc
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, for more over 70 years, U.S. Zinc is the premier global leader in value added zinc products including zinc oxide, zinc powder, and zinc metal products sold to the tire, chemical, coatings, and agriculture markets. The business is differentiated through over 70 years of technology and quality in the marketplace, with an expansive manufacturing footprint throughout four facilities in Texas and Tennessee.
For more information, please visit http://www.uszinc.com
About EverZinc
EverZinc is a global provider of specialty zinc materials including fine zinc powders, zinc oxides, battery zinc powders and Zano®, an ultra-fine zinc oxide. The company's products are used in a wide variety of applications, including corrosion inhibiting paints, performance tires, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, glass, sunscreen, alkaline batteries, and other products.
With manufacturing operations located in Belgium, Canada, China, the Netherlands, Norway, and Malaysia, EverZinc leads through its 10 production sites to serve its growing global customer base.
For more information, please visit https://www.everzinc.com/en/
About Aterian Investment Partners
Aterian Investment Partners is a private equity firm that invests in industry-leading, middle market businesses. In collaboration with management, Aterian supports investments throughout an organization, from people to processes, equipment, technology, and social governance, among others. With offices in New York and Florida, Aterian has raised cumulative equity commitments of more than $1.5 billion since its founding in 2009.
For more information, please visit http://www.aterianpartners.com
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SOURCE Aterian Investment Partners | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/aterian-combines-us-zinc-with-everzinc-form-worlds-largest-zinc-specialty-chemical-company/ | 2022-06-01T20:23:39Z |
Danielle now a hurricane; no threat to land
MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Danielle strengthened into a hurricane Friday morning — the first of an unusually quiet storm season.
The storm is not currently a threat to any land.
The storm’s maximum sustained winds were clocked at 75 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
The storm is centered about 885 miles west of the Azores and is drifting west at about 1 mph. The hurricane center said the storm is expected to meander in the Atlantic over the next few days.
The tropical storm comes amid what had been a calm hurricane season. It is the first time since 1941 that the Atlantic has gone from July 3 to the end of August with no named storm, Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach had told The Associated Press earlier.
There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.
In the north Pacific, Tropical Storm Javier formed overnight. Forecasters said that late Thursday it was 210 miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
Javier is moving northwest at 9 mph.
There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/09/02/danielle-now-hurricane-no-threat-land/ | 2022-09-02T15:55:41Z |
GRAPEVINE, Texas, June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BNY Mellon's Pershing ("Pershing") today announced the next generation of technology solutions for advisors and wealth management professionals from its flagship conference INSITE 2022. Experience and efficiency are front-and-center in this latest round of updates with the introduction of the new NetX360®+ platform and enhancements to its NetXServices integration portal. Both have been optimized to deliver a more intuitive, seamless user experience, from the advisor experience to operations and business processing.
"We're launching our next-generation professional platform, NetX360+," said Tim Foley, Managing Director, Technology, BNY Mellon | Pershing. "It works with you as a personal digital partner -- the more you engage with it, the more it will provide a curated experience, including insights tailored just for you. We have an incredible wealth of data that we're using to make the experience smarter, more personalized, and more intuitive. It's extremely powerful, spotlighting better ways to serve your clients and targeted opportunities to grow your business."
NetX360+, Pershing's redesigned, premier platform equips advisors with a more streamlined user interface and more intuitive experience, available today, including:
- Hyper-personalization based on individual user profile and usage patterns
- Machine learning-driven search results for faster access to relevant data
- New data insights based on client behavior and market activity that highlight recommended next best actions to proactively support client needs and business growth opportunities
- Integrated learning via a digital adoption platform to help users achieve swifter proficiency with new features and tools
NetXServices Integration Portal, Pershing's next-generation integration source which launched last year, has been enhanced on several fronts. The portal now delivers an easy way to access all integration capabilities, including one of the fastest account openings in the market. Pershing's Integration Hub delivers bi-directional, real-time data synchronization with a growing network of integrated third-party providers. A build-once, deploy-many framework significantly reduces the time required for clients to complete new integrations.
In addition, the portal has been updated with a complete API set, including two new options designed to deliver real-time data access and convenient self-service:
- Streaming APIs to enable firms to dynamically update their platforms
- Asset movement via digital authorizations for payments and asset transfers from Pershing to third-party brokerage accounts
"We are committed to delivering the innovation and efficiency that digital-first wealth management firms need in today's consumer-driven environment," said Ram Nagappan, CIO, BNY Mellon's Pershing. "Our robust set of APIs offer firms direct access into our full clearing and custody platform, with a suite of integrated solutions for managing real-time orders, workflow, activity, rules, approvals and reporting."
For more information about INSITE 2022 including a full agenda of speakers and sessions, please visit bnymellonINSITE.com. Join the conversation on social media by following @Pershing on LinkedIn and Twitter and the #realinsite hashtag.
BNY Mellon's Pershing is a leading provider of clearing and custody services. We are uniquely positioned to help complex financial services firms transform their businesses, drive growth, maximize efficiency, and manage risk and regulation. Wealth management and institutional firms outsource to us for trading and settlement services, investment solutions, bank and brokerage custody, middle and back office support, data insights, and business consulting. Pershing brings together high-touch service, an open digital platform and the BNY Mellon enterprise to deliver a differentiated experience for every client. Pershing LLC (member FINRA, NYSE, SIPC) is a BNY Mellon company. With offices around the world, Pershing has over $2 trillion in assets and millions of investor accounts. Pershing affiliates include Albridge Solutions, Inc. and Lockwood Advisors, Inc., an investment adviser registered in the United States under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Additional information is available on pershing.com, or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter @Pershing.
Media Contact
Amy Kester
Email: amy.kester@bnymellon.com
Phone: +1 201-413-2066
# # #
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SOURCE BNY Mellon Pershing | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/15/bny-mellons-pershing-delivers-next-gen-technology-integration-capabilities-smarter-more-personalized-highly-efficient-experiences/ | 2022-06-15T14:41:14Z |
Seatbelt violation leads to drug, child neglect charges
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) - What was supposed to be a traffic stop for a seatbelt violation ended up turning into a drug bust with a one-year-old child in the car.
Michael Roebuck and Lauren Samocki traveled North on Tamiami Tr. in Port Charlotte.
Deputies noticed Roebuck’s seatbelt was not fastened and issued a warning.
According to official paperwork, Samocki was asked if there were any illegal paraphernalia in the car and responded that there wasn’t.
An air sniff performed by A K-9 was conducted and deputies found a substance they were inclined to think was fentanyl.
Deputies also found a box that was under the one-year-old child’s feet which contained pipes, methamphetamine, and several baggies of narcotics.
DCF was notified to take custody of the child and Roebuck and Samocki were both placed under arrest and are being held at the Charlotte County Jail without bond.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/05/11/seatbelt-violation-leads-drug-child-neglect-charges/ | 2022-05-11T17:35:05Z |
THE WOODLANDS, Texas, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TETRA Technologies, Inc. ("TETRA" or the "Company") (NYSE:TTI) announced that its senior management will be presenting at the Louisiana Energy Conference ("LEC 2022"). The conference is being held at the Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans, Louisiana on June 1-3, 2022.
Tim Moeller, Senior Vice President of Chemicals and Supply Chain, and Jacek Mucha, Vice President of Finance for TETRA's Energy Services Group and Corporate Treasurer, will be participating on a panel titled "U.S. Onshore Oil Field Services - How are Companies Reacting to Increased Demand for Services" on June 3, 2022 and hosting one-on-one meetings on June 2-3, 2022.
Interested parties who would like to listen to the panel discussion or participate in a one-on-one with TETRA's management, please register on the following link (https://louisianaenergyconference.com/).
LEC 2022 is an in-person Energy Conference in New Orleans directed to investment professionals including buy-side and sell-side analysts and portfolio managers, private equity and wealth management executives and trust officers, as well as energy industry participants. LEC 2022 will feature a series of approximately 21 presentations, panels and discussions that will address key domestic and international oil, natural gas, renewables and clean energy developments and topics. Confirmed investment professional attendees will also be given the opportunity to participate in one-on-one sessions during the conference.
TETRA Technologies, Inc. is an industrial and oil & gas products and services company operating on six continents focused on bromine-based completion fluids, calcium chloride, water management solutions, frac flowback and production well testing services. Calcium chloride is used in the oil and gas, industrial, agricultural, road, food and beverage markets. TETRA is evolving its business model by expanding into the low carbon energy markets with its chemistry expertise, key mineral acreage and global infrastructure. Recently announced initiatives include commercialization of TETRA PureFlow® an ultra-pure zinc bromide for stationary batteries and energy storage; advancing an innovative carbon capture utilization and storage technology with CarbonFree to capture CO2 and mineralize emissions to make commercial, carbon-negative chemicals; and development of TETRA's lithium and bromine mineral acreage to meet the growing demand for oil and gas products and energy storage. Visit the Company's website at www.tetratec.com.
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SOURCE TETRA Technologies, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/31/tetra-technologies-inc-participate-louisiana-energy-conference/ | 2022-05-31T12:04:42Z |
University of Texas offers class based on Taylor Swift songs
Published: Aug. 26, 2022 at 10:14 AM CDT|Updated: 8 minutes ago
(CNN) - A professor at the University of Texas at Austin said Taylor Swift’s music uses a lot of the same techniques found in classic poetry, so she decided to base a class around it.
The professor is calling the course the Taylor Swift Songbook.
She says it’s not about celebrity or fame, but about the literary traditions that connect writing over the ages, whether the author is a pop star or a Pulitzer Prize winner.
The professor admits to being a fan but said her goal is to teach students about older material through a contemporary lens.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/26/university-texas-offers-class-based-taylor-swift-songs/ | 2022-08-26T15:24:07Z |
DALLAS (KDAF) — When checking out areas for new homes, everyone looks at cities, counties and states to see what the move is for their next move, but what about zip codes?
Two Texas zip codes have found themselves among the top 50 hottest zip codes for high buyer demand and fast-selling homes according to realtor.com. “The hottest areas are those that have high demand from buyers, in other words, lots of unique viewers per each property listed for sale, and fast-selling homes, an indicator of limited supply.”
Coming in at No. 44 is 75060 (Irving) and rounding out the list at No. 50 is 79934 (El Paso); these were the only two Texas zip codes on the list.
Irving:
- Viewers per property vs. US: 2.5
- Median days on market: 18
- June 2022 median listing price: $339,000
El Paso:
- Viewers per property vs. US: 2
- Median days on market: 9
- June 2022 median listing price: $222,000 | https://cw33.com/news/local/irving-el-paso-among-top-50-hottest-zip-codes-in-us-for-buyer-demand-fast-selling-homes/ | 2022-08-17T17:16:47Z |
Family furious after man charged with killing mother goes free: ‘The judge failed me’
By Stephanie Wade
Click here for updates on this story
CHICAGO (WLS) — A family said they are beyond furious and devastated that the man charged with killing their mother, and who has spent the past four years in jail for her death, is now a free man.
The family of Daisy Hayes, who went missing in 2018, was stunned by Friday’s verdict.
“To see this man go free as free and she’s somewhere lost. She’s lost,” said Teresa Smith, Hayes’ daughter. “We fought so hard to get justice for her and the judge failed me yesterday.”
Hayes’ 75-year-old boyfriend, Jimmy Jackson, who had been charged with murder, home invasion and concealing the 65-year-old woman’s death, is now walking free after a Cook County judge ruled him not guilty.
“It snatched my heart out my body. All I could do is scream and just run out the courtroom, like ‘what didn’t you see?'” Smith said.
Smith said security footage, which was part of the trial, showed Jackson leaving her mother’s Chicago Housing Authority apartment the night she disappeared, wheeling away a suitcase big enough to fit Hayes’ 85 pound, 5-foot-2-inch body inside.
Though Hayes’ body was never found, Jackson, who went to Tennessee after her disappearance, was brought back to Chicago to face murder charges.
“You see him struggling with this suitcase. You see him actually put the suitcase in the dumpster. You actually see him take garbage from other dumpsters to put on top of her so it can be concealed. So I don’t know, ‘what more Diana Kenworthy need?’ That was the judge.”
The judge said the video, plus no sign of a struggle inside the apartment nor any biological evidence of a crime, was not enough to prove he killed her.
“We were utterly shocked,” said Kenwood Oakland Community Organization Executive Director Shannon Bennett. “Everyone in that courtroom.”
Bennett was in the courtroom and says the family did not receive justice.
“It was just heartbreaking. I feel for Teresa, her grandkids, they deserve better and we’re going to make sure that at least that we do what we would do if that was our mom,” Bennett said.
ABC7 reached out to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office, which said, “as in all cases, we prosecuted this case to the fullest extent, and will continue to do so on behalf of all victims in Cook County.”
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://localnews8.com/news/2022/04/25/family-furious-after-man-charged-with-killing-mother-goes-free-the-judge-failed-me/ | 2022-04-25T20:06:49Z |
Architects Envision Shipping Containers for NYC Restaurant Sheds
NEW YORK, Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 18, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced that "With this initiative (Permanent Open Restaurants Program), we are also taking the essential step towards a permanent Open Restaurants program that all New Yorkers can be proud of every day," the mayor added. "I want to say it loud and clear: Outdoor dining is here to stay."
Axis Mundi proposes a design solution that will replace the hastily built wooden eyesores that have lined the city streets for the past few years with both a design-forward and pragmatic vision. Shipping containers are the perfect size, readily available, and repurposable. The containers could be constructed in a modular louvered metal panel system (more Miesian in concept) and immediately customizable. The containers would accommodate a variety of configurations suitable for seasonal demands and privacy concerns," stated John Beckmann, the founder, and principal of Axis Mundi. Beckmann continues: "The shipping container reinforces the dining ethos with its substantial and well-traveled permanence, its strength with bespoke capability."
Positing the passenger train as a design model, Axis Mundi details two schemes: the dining car and the bar car. The rail cars suggest glamour in measured comfort and contained proportion. The design features a black and white checkerboard floor, round porthole windows framed by striped awnings, and Thonet chairs. It is cosmopolitan, stylish, and streamlined. The shipping container exterior with the luxury interior is unexpected and exciting as if it is hiding in plain sight. "We added a green roof of tall grass. The vegetation will reduce ambient street noise and regulate temperature below. It also playfully softens the hard lines." says Beckmann. We see the container shelter as a ready-made object, as its design is complete. We anticipate numerous variations on the theme, as the shipping container permits customization befitting a restaurant's respective brand," Beckmann concluded.
For additional images: https://axismundi.com/retail-and-cultural-design
Contact:
John Beckmann, Axis Mundi Design, 2 East Broadway, 7th Floor, NY, NY 10038
telephone: 347.387.1569
email: jbeckmann@axismundi.com
web: www.axismundi.com
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SOURCE Axis Mundi Design LLC. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/build-me-use-me-love-me/ | 2022-08-30T14:51:12Z |
NEW YORK (AP) — Sergio Alcantara snapped a scoreless tie with a two-run homer in the seventh inning, Ketel Marte added an RBI double and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the New York Mets 3-2 Saturday.
Arizona ended an 11-game skid at Citi Field with its first victory in Queens since Aug. 24, 2017. New York won that series finale the next day and swept three-game sets in 2018, 2019 and 2021 before winning Friday’s opener.
“I said I felt like we haven’t won a baseball game here in a long time,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said, recalling a postgame conversation with a team staffer. “I was proud of our guys. We played hard. It’s a tough environment for a young team.”
On Saturday, the Diamondbacks — who entered the game with 18 runs this season, second-fewest in the majors ahead of only the Baltimore Orioles — squandered a bases-loaded opportunity against Carlos Carrasco in the fourth before breaking through against Joely Rodriguez (0-1) and Seth Lugo.
Seth Beer led off with an infield single against Rodriguez, and Lugo struck out Carson Kelly before Alcantara homered to right field.
“I felt the entire dugout took a big exhale (and) said OK, good, we’re in the lead and playing some downhill baseball,” Lovullo said.
Daulton Varsho followed with a walk and scored — after running through a stop sign by third base coach Tony Perezchica — on Marte’s double down the first-base line.
Lugo has given up multiple runs in two appearances this season after surrendering two or more runs 12 times in 120 relief outings from 2019-21.
“We’ve been spoiled by him for a long time here,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “He’s pitched some very meaningful innings for us this year. He will again. Just wasn’t his day.”
The Mets pulled within a run in the eighth when Jeff McNeil singled with one out and Starling Marte — whose throw wide of the plate helped Varsho score the third run — homered to left. Ian Kennedy walked Francisco Lindor before Pete Alonso hit into a 6-4-3 double play.
Mark Melancon struck out two in a perfect ninth as he earned his first save with the Diamondbacks and preserved the win for Sean Poppen (1-0), who retired all four batters he faced in the sixth and seventh.
Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen surrendered two hits and a walk while whiffing two in four innings in his season debut, which was delayed due to issues with his shoulder and thumb.
Arizona outfielders David Peralta and Varsho made sliding catches in the sixth inning to take hits away from Starling Marte and Pete Alonso. It was payback for Varsho, who lost out on base hits when Alonso dived for his grounder in the third and McNeil made a leaping catch at the wall on his fly in the fifth.
Beer finished with three hits and a walk in four plate appearances. Ketel Marte had two hits. McNeil was the only Mets player with two hits.
Carrasco allowed three hits and walked two while striking out eight in five innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: IF Cam Duzenack and RHP Matt Peacock joined the taxi squad. … SS Nick Ahmed (right shoulder inflammation) and DH Jordan Luplow (strained right oblique) each had six at-bats in a simulated game Friday at Arizona’s spring training complex.
Mets: OFs Brandon Nimmo and Mark Canha remained on the COVID-19 injured list, and Dick Scott joined the team to replace bench coach Glenn Sherlock, who is also out due to virus protocols. … RHP Trevor May tossed a one-hit eighth inning in his first appearance since Monday, when he exited against the Philadelphia Phillies due to a triceps strain.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Humberto Castellanos (0-0, 5.31 ERA) makes his first start since replacing LHP Caleb Smith in the rotation.
Mets: LHP David Peterson (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his first start in place of the injured Taijuan Walker.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/alcantara-homers-d-backs-finally-beat-mets-in-new-york/ | 2022-04-17T15:15:39Z |
READING, Pa., July 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Metropolitan Edison Company (Met-Ed), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), has hired 14 graduates of Power Systems Institute (PSI), the company's award-winning, two-year educational program that helps prepare the next generation of line and substation workers for FirstEnergy's 10 electric utility companies.
The new employees include 10 lineworkers and four substation electricians who are recent graduates of the company's Power Systems Institute (PSI), a utility worker training partnership with Reading Area Community College (RACC) in Reading, Pennsylvania.
"Our Power Systems Institute develops top-quality, well-educated men and women for the electric utility industry," said Scott Wyman, president of Pennsylvania Operations. "We look forward to these graduates joining our workforce to help continue providing safe and reliable electric service for our customers."
The new Met-Ed lines employees, listed by work location and hometowns, are:
- Gettysburg – Gerald Walsh, Bernville
- Hanover – Christopher Neuin, Hamburg
- Lebanon – Colton Kessler, Tremont
- Reading – Nick Evans, Mohrsville; Jack Thomas, Bernville; Kyren Turner, Fleetwood
- Stroudsburg – Omar Abdelfatah, Emmaus; Bryce Ebinger, Alburtis
- York – Alex Guilbe, Reading; Bronson Warner, Brogue
The new substation employees listed by work location, with their hometowns are:
- Easton – Colby Constable, Bangor; Robert James, Easton; Maxwell Murphy, Reading
- York – Brady Bowen, Corry
PSI is an award-winning, two-year educational program originally developed by FirstEnergy in 2000 to help prepare the company's next generation of utility line and substation workers.
The PSI curriculum for lines and substation employees requires two-and-a-half days each week spent at Reading Area Community College completing academic course work, with the remainder of the week spent at a Met-Ed training facility in Reading. All students focus on safe work practices and procedures in the electrical environment. The graduates earned an associate of applied science degree in Electric Utility Technology.
Since the program's inception, FirstEnergy has hired more than 2,400 lineworkers and substation personnel who completed PSI programs in Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
For information about how to enroll in the PSI program, call 1-800-829-6801, or visit www.firstenergycorp.com/psi.
Met-Ed serves approximately 570,000 customers within 3,300 square miles of eastern and southeastern Pennsylvania. Follow Met-Ed on Twitter @Met Ed and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MetEdElectric.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability, and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com and on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.
Editor's Note: Photos of FirstEnergy's Power Systems Institute training program are available for download on Flickr.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/25/met-ed-adds-new-line-substation-employees-power-systems-institute-training-program/ | 2022-07-25T14:14:39Z |
Man sets state record with Graysby Grouper catch
MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (WITN/Gray News) - A man in North Carolina has set a state record when he caught a fish off of the North Carolina coast.
The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries announced that George Dale, of Wilmington, North Carolina, caught the Graysby Grouper (otherwise known as Cephalopholis cruentata) outside of Masonboro Inlet in about 100-feet-deep water on May 31.
The agency said Dale caught the fish with a heavy jigging rod and a Penn Slammer III reel, using cut bait on a floral carbon rig with an 80-pound braid. The grouper weighed two pounds and three ounces, WITN reports.
Division of Marine Fisheries staff says in order to establish a state record, a fisher must send an application to them that they then review. The fish must be exceptionally large for North Carolina waters and within a reasonable range of the world record, which was caught off Texas in 1998 and weighed two pounds and eight ounces.
For more information on the state records of fish, go to the division’s State Saltwater Records webpage.
Copyright 2022 WITN via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/06/06/man-sets-state-record-with-graysby-grouper-catch/ | 2022-06-07T00:18:08Z |
K-State research breaks down teacher shortage by state
Kansas reports 1,200 open positions
MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) - Research from Kansas State University has broken the teacher shortage down by state and found that for the previous school year around 1,200 positions were open in the Sunflower State.
As millions of students head back to class for the new school year, Kansas State University says a new report from its College of Education found the scope of the teacher shortage across the country - which may provide the first data set on the issue by state.
K-State indicated that “Is There A National Teacher Shortage? A Systematic Examination of Reports of Teacher Shortages in the United States” was published as a working paper by Brown University’s Anneberg Institute by Tuan Nguyen, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, and Chanh Bao Lam, data analyst.
Both K-State researchers worked alongside the University of Illinois - Champaign’s Paul Bruno as their third author.
The University noted that the three augmented existing data from federal and state agencies with news reports and publicly available information to analyze each state’s teacher vacancies. They then grouped the data into three categories to compare.
The report also includes a look at the number of underqualified individuals who are now serving as teachers to fill these vacancies.
Nguyen said classifying the teacher shortage was difficult because reporting varies from state to state and agency to agency.
“Overall, there are at least 36,500 vacant positions along with 163,000 underqualified individuals filling teaching positions across the United States,” Nguyen said. “These vacancies represent 1.67% of teaching positions nationwide, with about 5.16% of positions held by underqualified school district employees.”
K-State indicated that the 11 states in Group 1 have the clearest vacancies. Florida leads the nation with about 4,000 unfilled teaching positions for the 2021-22 school year, followed by Illinois with 1,703 and Arizona with 1,699. The other states in this group include Utah, Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota, Colorado, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, the University said the 26 states - plus Washington, D.C. - in the second group have less clear vacancy information. It said Georgia ranks the highest in this category with 3,112 open positions for the 2019-20 school year - the last year with available data - followed by Mississippi and Alabama - each with more than 3,000 vacancies in the 2020-21 school year.
K-State noted that Wisconsin is the only state in this category with vacancies in the 2,000s. It said North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Kansas, New Mexico, West Virginia and Maryland reported more than 1,000 vacancies. Meanwhile, Indiana reported 980 vacancies and Rhode Island reported 93.
The University said the 13 remaining states - Alaska, Arkansas, California, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming - had no vacancy information. However, the states did have a substantial number of underqualified teachers - including up to 24,000 positions in California.
“We need more accurate and timely data to make targeted policy decisions addressing these substantial teacher staffing challenges,” Nguyen said. “Toward this end, our report contains several recommendations for district and state policymakers to consider when addressing local teacher shortages.”
To see the raw counts reported by each state, click HERE.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/23/k-state-research-breaks-down-teacher-shortage-by-state/ | 2022-08-23T13:36:08Z |
(The Hill) – It was clear a Supreme Court with six conservative justices was going to move to the right. It just wasn’t clear how far it would go or how fast.
On Friday, the picture came into focus as the high court’s supermajority issued a landmark decision erasing the nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade.
A day earlier, the court enshrined a right to carry a handgun in a ruling striking down New York’s concealed carry permit law. Earlier in the week, it issued another ruling expanding religious liberty.
The decisions, which drew scorn from the court’s three liberals, represented a giant leap for the conservative cause, offering the clearest sign yet of just how aggressively the six Republican-appointed justices are willing to drive the Supreme Court to the right.
The shockwaves also underscore just how much the court has shifted since Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blocked former President Obama’s final pick from making it to the court, and then quickly pushed through three nominations from former President Trump.
And the decisions suggest the court doesn’t want to waste time.
“The 6-3 majority feel that they have a narrow window to do all the things important to the conservative legal movement,” said Robert Tsai, a law professor at Boston University. “You never know when the window will close and so they are acting with urgency.”
This week marked a breakthrough moment for the conservative legal movement’s well-funded and norm-shattering effort to groom a generation of conservative lawyers, elevate reliable allies to the Supreme Court and reshape American life in fundamental ways.
For decades, Roe v. Wade had been in conservative cross hairs, with Republican Party elites seizing on the issue of abortion to unify social conservatives and evangelical Christians. Friday’s toppling of the landmark 1973 ruling marked a crowning achievement that left abortion opponents electrified.
“Today, Life Won,” said former Vice President Mike Pence, who campaigned as Trump’s running mate in 2016 on the promise to end the federal right to abortion. “By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court of the United States has given the American people a new beginning for life and I commend the Justices in the majority for having the courage of their convictions.”
But the decision, which most Americans said they would oppose, also ignited a political firestorm as the dismantlement of abortion rights began to unfold in states within hours of the ruling. As women across the country find themselves barred from terminating an unwanted pregnancy, court watchers said, public confidence in the Supreme Court that is already at historic lows is likely to sink further.
“I think that the sense that court consists of Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, is accurate and growing,” said Michael Dorf, a law professor at Cornell University.
The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe effectively handed states the authority to drastically limit or ban abortion. More than two dozen states, primarily in the South and Midwest, are expected to tighten abortion access as a result, including 13 with “trigger bans” that were set to take effect automatically or through minimal effort by state officials.
The court’s liberal trio of Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, in a blistering 66-page dissent, condemned their conservative colleagues.
“With sorrow — for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection — we dissent,” they wrote.
The court’s conservatives sent mixed messages Friday about how broadly their actions might be going forward.
Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito emphasized that his ruling was narrowly aimed at abortion. He insisted the decision would not threaten protections for same-sex marriage (Obergefell v. Hodges), sex between gay couples (Lawrence v. Texas) or the right to contraception (Griswold v. Connecticut).
But Justice Clarence Thomas, in a concurring opinion, wrote that the reasoning underlying Friday’s opinion should call those other decisions into question. Thomas has long rejected the well-established principle that the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment protects not only procedural safeguards but also substantive rights.
“In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell,” Thomas wrote. “Because any substantive due process decision is demonstrably erroneous, we have a duty to correct the error established in those precedents.”
Legal experts said the ruling raised legitimate questions about whether rights that are seen as having a thin historical record and which are not explicitly referenced in the Constitution — so-called unenumerated rights — remained on firm footing after Friday’s decision.
Just a day earlier, Thomas wrote the majority opinion striking down a New York state law that made it difficult to obtain a permit to carry a handgun outside the home.
The ruling broke along ideological lines, with the court’s conservatives joining Thomas, who wrote that the Second Amendment protects “an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home.”
That decision will almost certainly render unconstitutional similar restrictions in more than a half dozen other states and could hamper efforts to pass modern gun control measures.
“This is an enormously broad opinion with regard to Second Amendment methodology,” said Joseph Blocher, a law professor at Duke University.
“Here, the majority has essentially rejected the approach unanimously adopted by the federal courts of appeals in favor of a hyper-originalist focus on whether contemporary gun laws are, in the court’s view, consistent with tradition,” he said. “And that is a big, big change.”
Earlier this week, the justices in another 6-3 vote struck down a Maine education policy that made schools with religious instruction ineligible for taxpayer-backed tuition aid. The ruling continued the conservative majority court’s general trend of ruling for religious interests.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, held that a tuition fund program that is available to secular schools must also be made available to religious schools.
Sotomayor, the Supreme Court’s most outspoken liberal, accused the court’s conservatives in a dissent of “dismantling” the barrier between church and state.
Katherine Franke, a law professor at Columbia University, said the decision had far-reaching implications for religious liberty rights. Prior to Tuesday’s ruling, she said, a state choosing not to fund a religious organization was generally considered a lawful form of neutrality.
“Now, inaction counts as discrimination,” she said. “This idea developed 30 years ago — that not funding religion is a form of discrimination against religion. It’s taken a while for that idea to get traction, and it’s now the law of the land.”
As the nation reckoned with a country undergoing transformational changes at the hands of six life-tenured judges, some longtime court watchers said this week was a stark illustration of a Supreme Court aggressively pursuing conservative agenda items.
“The decisions this week must be understood as a conservative majority favoring conservative political ideology: requiring aid for religious instruction, greatly expanding gun rights, ending abortion rights,” said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California Berkeley School of Law.
“It is not about judicial philosophy or constitutional interpretation,” he said. “It is about conservatives moving constitutional law very far and very fast in a very conservative direction.” | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/roe-demise-shows-conservative-supreme-court-wants-to-move-very-far-and-very-fast-law-professor-says/ | 2022-06-25T17:26:58Z |
The annual week-long shopping event at Zulily kicks off June 20, delivering seven full days of massive savings on the most beloved brands, including Dyson, Melissa & Doug, MCM, Birkenstock, and more.
SEATTLE, June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Online retailer Zulily today announced the arrival of Wow Week, a special shopping event that offers its lowest prices of the season on everything from apparel and kids' toys to jewelry and homewares. Though every day is exciting at Zulily with unique items and limited-time deals, beginning June 20, Zulily will offer moms a whole week of "wow!" with even bigger surprise deals added each day.
Wow Week starts at 6 a.m. PT on Monday, June 20, and runs until 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, June 26, giving moms seven days of opportunity to score the best steals and deals for herself, her family, and her home.
"We know moms love the thrill of finding a deal on their favorite brands, so to celebrate our customers, we wanted to create a fun and entertaining shopping experience that infused value into their lives," said Carmela Jaime Matthews, director of site merchandising and programming at Zulily. "Wow Week was designed to optimize mom's budget and help her save on the brands she loves, so she can discover something that feels just right for herself and her family, without breaking the bank."
Each year during Wow Week, Zulily delivers incredible value to moms with limited-time deals on styles for the whole family, at the lowest prices of the season. This year's event will feature an assortment of premium products from brands that "wow!", plus other surprises to delight shoppers throughout the week. From June 20 through June 26, Zulily customers will find brands like Dyson, MCM, Birkenstock, Melissa & Doug, and more – all available for the taking while supplies last.
Wow Week Preview
- Dyson: Get free shipping on refurbished vacuums and air care, including cordless stick vacuums, upright vacuums, air purifiers, and fans.
- MCM: Save up to 60% on designer handbags, accessories, and small leather goods from MCM, Gucci, Givenchy, and more.
- Birkenstock: Save up to 75% on sandals and shoes for the whole family.
- Melissa & Doug: Save up to 50% on pretend play toys and more.
In addition to unbeatable savings on the most beloved brands, Zulily will feature hundreds of deals throughout the week on an assortment of merchandise.
Customers should come back each day of Wow Week to see what's new and score the biggest savings of the season at Zulily before they sell out.
About Zulily®
Online retailer Zulily helps moms around the world discover incredible deals and fresh style for themselves, their families and their homes. Zulily launches thousands of products at amazing values each day, curating personalized shopping experiences that include apparel and footwear for the whole family, toys, home décor, and so much more. Zulily's app uses compelling video and imagery to bring more than 15,000 big name brands and boutique finds to life on mobile.
Zulily is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with locations in Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and China. With expertise in technology, merchandising, creative production, logistics, marketing, customer service, and more, Zulily team members work together to deliver a fun and engaging shopping experience that sparks discovery, connection and entertainment. Zulily has passed millions in savings onto its customers since its first sale in 2010. For more information visit www.zulily.com.
Zulily, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qurate Retail, Inc. (NASDAQ: QRTEA, QRTEB, QRTEP), which includes QVC®, HSN®, Zulily and the Cornerstone brands (collectively, "Qurate Retail GroupSM"), as well as other minority interests and green energy investments. Qurate Retail Group is dedicated to providing a more human way to shop and is the largest player in video commerce (vCommerce), which includes video-driven shopping across linear TV, ecommerce sites, digital streaming, and social platforms. For more information, visit www.qurateretailgroup.com, or follow @QurateRetailGrp on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, or follow Qurate Retail Group on YouTube or LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Zulily | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/wow-week-arrives-zulily-june-20-score-lowest-prices-season/ | 2022-06-16T15:53:17Z |
Award-winning Asian-inspired oatmeal hits shelves in all Whole Foods Market stores across the United States in time for fall and back-to-school season.
CHICAGO, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Yishi Foods, a Chicago-based maker of Asian-inspired oatmeals, today announced it has expanded distribution to all U.S. Whole Foods Markets locations, totalling over 500 stores.
Founded by Chinese immigrant Lin Jiang in 2019, Yishi is inspired by the childhood memories of her mother's homemade breakfast porridge. After moving to the U.S. and noticing a lack of crave-worthy oatmeal options, Jiang began making her own hot cereal based on her mother's recipes to bring Asian flavors to the American breakfast sector. She is now blazing a trail with the first Asian-inspired oatmeal brand to be available in the breakfast category nationwide, breaking out of the ethnic aisle and bringing Asian flavors into the mainstream.
"More than ever, shoppers are increasingly demanding breakfast cereals in innovative and delicious flavors that provide a multitude of functional benefits," says Lin Jiang, CEO and Founder of Yishi Foods. "We're thrilled to expand the availability of our nourishing products to Whole Foods Market across the country, continuing to capitalize on our phenomenal growth momentum and market traction. We'll continue satisfying our loyal fans with second-to-none delicacies."
Made with culturally relevant flavors, ancient ingredients like matcha and taro, and zero added sugar, Yishi's oatmeal functions as a fun, yet nutritious alternative to the monotonous assortment of products typically lining the breakfast aisle — perfect for busy, on-the-go consumers looking for quick nourishment or back-to-school snacks. These oatmeals come together easily whether you mix them with hot water, refrigerate them for refreshing overnight oats, or simply microwave them. They are available in three mouthwatering flavors in Whole Foods Markets and other reputable retailers across the country, including Mom's Organic, Central Market, Bristol Farms, and Gelson's, as well as five total flavors online. All varieties are USDA Certified Organic, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, and Vegan.
Now available in Whole Foods Market:
- Taro Bubble Tea — A satisfying blend of ingredients including taro, black tea, blueberry and chia to replicate the taste of the trendy namesake beverage
- Matcha Latte — As nice a treat as a cafe drink, it's made with nourishing ingredients such as matcha, flaxseed, and dairy-free coconut milk
- Toasted Black Sesame — Nutty and hearty toasted black sesame with chia seeds, walnuts, and flaxseed - Yishi's original flavor inspired by Lin's mother's recipe
Expansion has been impressive for a company that has just officially launched over a year ago: Yishi has sold over 250,000 servings of oatmeal, and will become available in more than 1000 retail stores by the end of this month. Yishi has received high praise from publications such as Forbes, New York Magazine, and Bon Appetit, and won industry accolades such as the NEXTY award for "Best New Pantry Food" at Expo East and two KeHE OnTrend awards in a row.
For more information on Yishi or to buy online, visit www.yishifoods.com, and @yishifoods on Tiktok and Instagram.
Launched in 2019 by Chinese immigrant and former consultant Lin Jiang, Yishi Foods is a first-of-its-kind breakfast brand celebrating traditional and modern Asian ingredients. Named after the Chinese word for "ritual" and inspired by Lin's childhood memories of her mother's homemade breakfast porridge, Yishi reimagines your oatmeal — and morning ritual — in original flavors like toasted black sesame, matcha, red bean and goji berry, and taro bubble tea. As a POC women-led brand with an emphasis on wellness, Yishi's mission is to provide fun-yet-healthy alternatives to overly sweet cereals and overly bland oatmeals. Yishi's products contain zero added sugar, and are all available in convenient cup or pouch forms also ideal for snacking. In under two years, Yishi's product innovation, fresh look, and inspiring story has landed it in over 1000 brick-and-mortar retail stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, Gelson's, Mom's Organic, and 99 Ranch Market. The brand has also been featured in New York Magazine, Bon Appetit, Forbes, and more media publications. Learn more at yishifoods.com and @yishifoods.
Maura Henry, Director of Marketing (maura.henry@yishifoods.com)
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SOURCE Yishi Foods | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/innovative-asian-oatmeal-yishi-foods-launches-nationwide-whole-foods-market/ | 2022-09-01T13:21:47Z |
TORONTO (AP) — Oprah Winfrey was discussing her profound affection for trailblazing actor Sidney Poitier — a longtime friend and mentor to her — when she was overcome by emotion during an interview on the upcoming documentary “ Sidney,” a life-spanning portrait. She plunged her head into her hands and cried, “I just love him so much.”
Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Morgan Freeman, George Nelson, Robert Redford and Halle Berry were all interviewed in “Sidney,” and their reflections on the iconic performer and civil-rights activist are often illuminating. But “Sidney” means something intensely personal for Winfrey, a producer on the film.
“I was trying not to lose it, actually, because my love for him is as deep and as strong as for any human being I know,” Winfrey said in an interview at the Toronto International Film Festival, where “Sidney” premiered Saturday. “He was my adviser, my counselor, my friend, my comfort, my balm, my joy.”
“Sidney,” which Apple TV+ will premiere Sept. 23, arrives eight months after the death of Poitier, the groundbreaking actor who paved the way for countless Black actors in Hollywood and single-handedly revolutionized how they were portrayed on screen. Directed by Reginald Hudlin, “Sidney” was made with the cooperation of Poitier’s family. Much of it had been completed before he died in January at the age of 94, including his interview with Winfrey.
But the loss of Poitier — whom Winfrey at the time of his death called “the greatest of the ‘Great Trees’” — has made “Sidney” only more poignant.
“The film is an act of love for me for him,” Winfrey said as tears again welled up. “I don’t know why I’m breaking down. My opportunity to do this was my offering to him.”
Winfrey has said her life was irrevocably altered when she saw Poitier become the first Black performer to win best actor at the Academy Awards (for 1963′s “Lilies in the Field”). A life in show business suddenly became attainable to her. They later met for the first time when Winfrey’s talk show was taking off. Poitier was one of the few who could understand what she was going through as a Black entertainer.
“During the early days of navigating fame and all that comes with fame, being assaulted on all sides by Black people, white people, people saying you’re not this or you should be doing that, he was the person I turned to,” said Winfrey. “He said, ‘It’s always a struggle and a challenge when you’re carrying other people’s dreams.'”
It was the first of many conversations over the years.
“Remember ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’? I could have done ‘Sundays with Sidney,’” says Winfrey. “He was my person. He was my guy. He was my friend and my brother.”
Hudlin, the director of “House Party” and the Thurgood Marshall drama “Marshall,” estimates he had completed about 90% of the interviews on the film when Poitier died.
“Whatever pressure I was putting on myself basically doubled,” Hudlin said. “There was a disappointment to know that he would never see it, but I was glad at a time when everyone wanted to touch him and connect with him, we would have this movie.”
Interviews with Poitier were conducted earlier, separate of the film, before the star’s health deteriorated. But the footage of Poitier speaking directly to camera, and hearing that voice narrate his life story, makes for one last chance to be in his regal presence. Poitier, born in the Bahamas, talks about how his young identity was forged without racism’s influence. It wasn’t until he left for Miami at 15 that he encountered it.
“I left the Bahamas with this sense of myself,” Poitier says in the film. “And from the time I got off the boat, America began to say to me, ‘You’re not who you think you are.’”
“Sidney,” which draws on Poitier’s memoir, “The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography,” touches on some of his seminal films, including “The Defiant Ones” (1958), “A Raisin in the Sun (1961), ”In the Heat of the Night” (1967) and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” It also delves into how he connected to Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights movement with Hollywood; his friendship with Harry Belafonte; and his move into directing with “Buck and Preacher” (1972). Above all, it captures how racism, or anything else, was never a match for Poitier’s unshakable integrity.
“For me, personally, I look and go: How did he do it, with no role model?” marveled Hudlin. “He’s looking at a wooded forest and he just carves a path, always making the right choice. How did he always know the right thing to do without a road map? To single-handedly take on decades of racist imagery in cinema, right from its inception, and shatter all of that misbegotten imagery with the truth of who he was.”
___
Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP | https://cw33.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/ap-for-oprah-winfrey-sidney-is-an-act-of-love-for-poitier/ | 2022-09-12T15:51:02Z |
Sheriff: Murder suspect sent texts from victim’s phone to his mother to throw off investigators
HARRISON COUNTY, Texas (KLTV/Gray News) - A suspect believed to be involved in the death of a man over the weekend is in custody, according to Texas authorities.
Harrison County Sheriff Brandon Fletcher said during a press conference that 33-year-old Canton James Echols was arrested and charged with the murder of 31-year-old Blake Edward Reddock.
Reddock was found unresponsive along Herschel McCoy Road in Harrison County on Sept. 10, KLTV reported. Officials said Reddock appeared to be a victim of a homicide, after appearing to have been stabbed multiple times.
Investigators worked to put together a timeline to figure out what had happened to Reddock. They said they had recovered surveillance video of Echols and Reddock taken at a pawn shop on Saturday, which they used to identify the suspect.
The sheriff’s office received a call for a vehicle fire on Oscar Reagan Road around 5:45 p.m. on Sept. 10. Later that evening, authorities said they received a call about a body someone had found on the side of the road, which was identified as Reddock’s.
Investigators said they traced the vehicle to Reddock and also discovered Echols had residences on both roads.
While they were heading to serve search warrants for Echols, Fletcher said they found him riding a bicycle and took him into custody.
During the investigation into Reddock’s murder, Fletcher said Reddock’s mother received a text from her son’s phone number on Sept. 10 in which he allegedly said he picked up a hitchhiker and gave him gas money. He also said he would see her after he dropped off the hitchhiker.
Reddock’s mother told authorities she sent her son some replies later and noticed that some had been “read,” but others soon stopped being delivered to his phone as it seemed to be turned off.
The sheriff said he believed there was no hitchhiker and that the suspect, Echols, had sent those messages to throw off law enforcement during the investigation.
Copyright 2022 KLTV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/09/14/sheriff-murder-suspect-sent-texts-victims-phone-his-mother-throw-off-investigators/ | 2022-09-14T01:56:46Z |
New Center is Home to ACDC's First Hosting Agreement with Galaxy Digital
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Aspen Creek Digital Corporation ("ACDC") announced that its first bitcoin mining center, a 6MW High Performance Computing Center ("HPCC") co-located behind-the-meter with a 10MW solar farm, commenced operations in west Colorado. The project is home to ACDC's self-mining operations. ACDC has also added Galaxy Digital's mining business ("Galaxy Digital") as a bitcoin mining hosting client. For ACDC, the launch of the Colorado facility marks a first step toward standing up 3+ GWs of wind, solar and battery generation by early 2025 across the U.S.
Launched in 2022, ACDC's mission is to catalyze the decarbonization of power generation by creating the world's leading fleet of renewably powered HPCCs. These HPCCs will initially focus on bitcoin mining. Eventually, ACDC will pursue offering sustainable massive computing as a service in the form of low-cost, long-term power purchase agreements with in-house renewable power development partners paired with an innovative business model for designing, co-locating and operating HPCCs "behind-the-meter."
ACDC operates the Colorado data center for self-mining with wholly owned S19 generation miners. Co-located with this project is a 75,000 square foot R&D and fulfillment facility which will serve as a centralized testing, maintenance, storage, and training hub for ACDC's future HPCC infrastructure.
In addition to the operational site, ACDC's current under development bitcoin mining sites are located across Texas. ACDC's second facility, which is on track to be operational this summer, is a 30MW data center capable of hosting 10,000 ASIC miners co-located behind-the-meter with an 87MW solar farm. ACDC's third project is a 150MW data center co-located behind-the-meter with a 200MW solar farm. These projects represent significant additional generation resources for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), as well as valuable controllable load resources that expand the reach of renewables by stabilizing the grid. ACDC has procured all the necessary long lead-time equipment, including transformers and switching equipment. Permitting and interconnections for both projects are on track for project launch.
"Recent market volatility has demonstrated the importance of our core strategy: controlling power as the principal input in bitcoin mining. ACDC was founded with a simple premise in mind, which is to create a sustainable source of renewable energy to power our operations and put renewables back on the grid. This design enables ACDC to withstand volatility in the bitcoin market and insulate our operations from power market fluctuations. The success of our first project is proof of our concept to substantially lower the cost of energy, the single largest input for bitcoin mining, and to do it sustainably," said Alexandra DaCosta, CEO of Aspen Creek Digital Corporation. "Our talented team and partners, who bring financial integrity and proven renewable energy expertise, will dramatically improve the sustainability of the industry while building strong partnerships with local communities, delivering carbon transparency, and enhancing grid resiliency."
Amanda Fabiano, Head of Mining at Galaxy Digital, adds "We are thrilled to utilize a portion of Aspen Creek Digital's sustainable facility to expand Galaxy's prop mining operation. We remain committed to working with ecosystem players that have a strong operational background to help us reach our mining goals."
Aspen Creek Digital Corporation is catalyzing the decarbonization of power generation by creating the world's leading renewable Bitcoin mining operator. The ACDC team pairs financial ingenuity with proven renewable energy expertise to deliver carbon transparency, lower power price volatility and bring new, additional renewable energy resources to the market. For more information visit: https://acdigitalcorp.com/.
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SOURCE Aspen Creek Digital Corporation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/aspen-creek-digital-corporation-announces-first-solar-powered-bitcoin-mining-center-is-operational/ | 2022-06-23T11:44:32Z |
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