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CHICAGO, April 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), a leading provider of global market infrastructure and tradable products, today reported March monthly trading volume statistics across its global business lines and provided guidance for selected revenue per contract/net revenue capture metrics for the first quarter of 2022.
The data sheet "Cboe Global Markets Monthly Volume & RPC/Net Revenue Capture Report" contains an overview of certain March trading statistics and market share by business segment, volume in select index products, and RPC/net capture, which is reported on a one-month lag, across business lines.
March and First Quarter 2022 Trading Volume Highlights
Options
- In first-quarter 2022, total volume across Cboe's four options exchanges was 830.3 million options contracts, setting a record for the second consecutive quarter. Quarterly average daily volume (ADV) reached a new all-time high of 13.4 million contracts traded per day.
- Cboe successfully launched Nanos, a first of its kind, one-multiplier, cash-settled listed options contract, on March 14. Nearly 7,200 contracts traded in total within the first two weeks of launch.
European Equities
- Cboe BIDS Europe, Cboe Europe's block trading platform, reported record average daily notional value (ADNV) traded of €669 million, beating the previous record of €608 million ADNV traded in January 2022.
- Cboe Europe Periodic Auctions reported record ADNV traded of €2.1 billion, beating the previous record of €2 billion ADNV traded in February 2022.
European Derivatives
- Cboe Europe Derivatives traded 2,464 contracts, a record monthly figure and up from 1,623 contracts in February 2022.
Global FX
- Spot ADNV was $44.4 billion in March 2022, the second-highest volume month on record behind March 2020.
- Spot Full Amount ADNV reached a new all-time monthly high with $12.9 billion traded in March 2022.
- Cboe SEF set a new monthly ADNV record in Non-Deliverable Forwards (NDFs) with $957 million traded in March 2022.
First-Quarter 2022 RPC/Net Revenue Capture Guidance
The projected RPC/net capture metrics for the first quarter of 2022 are estimated, preliminary and may change. There can be no assurance that our final RPC for the three months ended March 31, 2022, will not differ materially from these projections.
The above represents average revenue per contract (RPC) or net capture based on a three-month rolling average. For Options and Futures, the average RPC represents total net transaction fees recognized for the period divided by total contracts traded during the period for options exchanges: BZX Options, Cboe Options, C2 Options and EDGX Options; futures include contracts traded on Cboe Futures Exchange, LLC (CFE). For U.S. Equities – On-Exchange, "net capture per 100 touched shares" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments and routing and clearing costs divided by the product of one-hundredth ADV of touched shares on BZX, BYX, EDGX and EDGA and the number of trading days for the period. For U.S. Equities – Off-Exchange, "net capture per 100 touched shares" refers to transaction fees less OMS/EMS costs and clearing costs divided by the product of one-hundredth ADV of touched shares on BIDS Trading and the number of trading days for the period. For Canadian Equities, "net capture per 10,000 touched shares" refers to transaction fees divided by the product of one-ten thousandth ADV of shares for MATCHNow and the number of trading days for the period. For European Equities, "net capture per matched notional value" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments in British pounds divided by the product of ADNV in British pounds of shares matched on Cboe Europe Equities and the number of trading days. For EuroCCP, "Fee per Trade Cleared" refers to clearing fees divided by number of non-interoperable trades cleared and "Net Fee per Settlement" refers to settlement fees less direct costs incurred to settle divided by the number of settlements executed after netting. For Australian Equities, "net capture per matched notional value" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments in Australian Dollars divided by the product of ADNV in Australian Dollars of shares matched on Chi-X Australia and the number of trading days. For Japanese Equities, "net capture per matched notional value" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments in Japanese Yen divided by the product of ADNV in Japanese Yen of shares matched on Chi-X Japan and the number of trading days. For Global FX, "net capture per one million dollars traded" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments, if any, divided by the Spot and SEF products of one-thousandth of ADNV traded on the Cboe FX markets and the number of trading days, divided by two, which represents the buyer and seller that are both charged on the transaction. Average transaction fees per contract can be affected by various factors, including exchange fee rates, volume-based discounts and transaction mix by contract type and product type.
About Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
Cboe Global Markets (Cboe: CBOE), a leading provider of market infrastructure and tradable products, delivers cutting-edge trading, clearing and investment solutions to market participants around the world. The company is committed to operating a trusted, inclusive global marketplace, providing leading products, technology and data solutions that enable participants to define a sustainable financial future. Cboe provides trading solutions and products in multiple asset classes, including equities, derivatives and FX, across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit www.cboe.com.
CBOE-V
Cboe®, Cboe Global Markets®, Cboe Volatility Index®, and VIX® are registered trademarks and Cboe Futures ExchangeSM is a service mark of Cboe Exchange, Inc. or its affiliates. Standard & Poor's®, S&P®, SPX®, and S&P 500® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services, LLC, and have been licensed for use by Cboe Exchange, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.
Any products that have the S&P Index or Indexes as their underlying interest are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Standard & Poor's or Cboe and neither Standard & Poor's nor Cboe make any representations or recommendations concerning the advisability of investing in products that have S&P indexes as their underlying interests. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.
Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and its affiliates do not recommend or make any representation as to possible benefits from any securities, futures or investments, or third-party products or services. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. is not affiliated with S&P or MSCI Inc. Investors should undertake their own due diligence regarding their securities, futures, and investment practices. This press release speaks only as of this date. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. disclaims any duty to update the information herein.
Nothing in this announcement should be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell any securities or futures in any jurisdiction where the offer or solicitation would be unlawful under the laws of such jurisdiction. Nothing contained in this communication constitutes tax, legal or investment advice. Investors must consult their tax adviser or legal counsel for advice and information concerning their particular situation.
Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and its affiliates make no warranty, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, any warranties as of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, completeness or timeliness, the results to be obtained by recipients of the products and services described herein, or as to the ability of the indices referenced in this press release to track the performance of their respective securities, generally, or the performance of the indices referenced in this press release or any subset of their respective securities, and shall not in any way be liable for any inaccuracies, errors. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and its affiliates have not calculated, composed or determined the constituents or weightings of the securities that comprise the third-party indices referenced in this press release and shall not in any way be liable for any inaccuracies or errors in any of the indices referenced in this press release.
Options involve risk and are not suitable for all market participants. Prior to buying or selling an option, a person should review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options (ODD), which is required to be provided to all such persons. Copies of the ODD are available from your broker or from The Options Clearing Corporation, 125 S. Franklin Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60606.
Futures trading is not suitable for all investors and involves the risk of loss. That risk of loss can be substantial and can exceed the amount of money deposited for a futures position. You should, therefore, carefully consider whether futures trading is suitable for you in light of your circumstances and financial resources. You should put at risk only funds that you can afford to lose without affecting your lifestyle. For additional information regarding futures trading risks, see the Risk Disclosure Statement set forth in Appendix A to CFTC Regulation 1.55(c) and the Risk Disclosure Statement for Security Futures Contracts.
Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or "continue," and the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. All statements that reflect our expectations, assumptions or projections about the future other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
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SOURCE Cboe Global Markets, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/04/05/cboe-global-markets-reports-trading-volume-march-2022/ | 2022-04-06T06:00:15Z |
BEIJING, July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Glory Star New Media Group Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: GSMG) ("Glory Star" or the "Company"), a leading digital media platform and content-driven e-commerce company in China, today announced it received notification from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market ("Nasdaq") that it has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of US$1.00 per share under the Nasdaq Listing Rules (the "Listing Rules").
On July 25, 2022, Nasdaq provided confirmation to the Company that for at least 10 consecutive business days, from July 11 to July 22, 2022, the closing bid price of the Company's ordinary shares has been at $1.00 per share or greater. Accordingly, the Company has regained compliance with Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) and this matter is now closed.
About Glory Star
Since its establishment in 2016, Glory Star has been laser focused on developing an ecosystem for its users that incorporates quality content, e-commerce, social networking, and gaming. The Company continues to integrate its cutting edge blockchain technologies, massive user base from its CHEERS ecosystem, quality content offerings, and its well-established e-commerce platform, and through the right application of 5G, AR, VR and NFT technologies to develop a metaverse boasting a wide range of "online + offline" and "virtual + reality" scenarios. Glory Star's CHEERS Video and e-Mall platforms provide a solid foundation for it to rapidly develop different entertainment and shopping applications for the metaverse. Glory Star also provides a suite of tools for its users to facilitate the development of new content by creators. The Company is remaining at the forefront of disrupting the way new media and e-commerce is operated. For more information, please visit http://ir.gsmg.co/.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements made in this release are "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "estimates," "projected," "expects," "anticipates," "forecasts," "plans," "intends," "believes," "seeks," "may," "will," "should," "future," "propose" and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company's control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, are: the ability to manage growth; ability to identify and integrate other future acquisitions; ability to obtain additional financing in the future to fund capital expenditures; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions; costs or other factors adversely affecting the Company's profitability; litigation involving patents, intellectual property, and other matters; potential changes in the legislative and regulatory environment; a pandemic or epidemic; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could affect the Company's ability to continue successful development and launch of its metaverse; the possibility that the Company may not succeed in developing its new lines of businesses due to, among other things, changes in the business environment, competition, changes in regulation, or other economic and policy factors; the possibility that the Company's new lines of business may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; other factors, risks and uncertainties set forth in documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") from time to time, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 8, 2022. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Such information speaks only as of the date of this release.
Contacts
Glory Star New Media Group Holdings Limited
Yida Ye
Email: yeyida@gsmg.co
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SOURCE Glory Star New Media Group Holdings Limited | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/26/glory-star-new-media-group-holdings-limited-regains-compliance-with-nasdaq-minimum-bid-price-requirement/ | 2022-07-26T21:01:51Z |
The company has donated US $2 million to drive sustainability around the world
SINGAPORE, July 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- abillion, the emerging sustainability focused social media and e-commerce platform with over a million members globally, is unique in rewarding content creators for promoting sustainable practices to the platform's community. Content creators receive a financial incentive that can be used to donate to a coalition of 63 non-profits globally working on the frontlines of animal welfare, diet change, conservation and reforestation. The company's core product, the abillion app, has rapidly grown to over 1 million members in 163 countries, and 53,000 content creators have earned and donated US $2,000,000 to abillion's coalition of partners.
A core focus for the company's impact program is farm animal welfare. Farm animal sanctuaries serve an important function in rehabilitating animals from the factory farming industry and they serve their communities through educational initiatives that help people understand the impact of their food choices. Animal sanctuaries rely on abillion's funding to expand educational programs, purchase land, feed and supplies, and grow their capacity to serve animals and their communities. "During the pandemic, abillion enabled us to continue to raise funds for the rescued animals' food, medical care, fencing, building costs, and more. We are grateful for the support of abillion, who helped us get through this difficult time," says Hannah Mizuno, co-founder and Director of Development for Aloha Animal Sanctuary in Hawaii.
Globally, animal agriculture is also the largest contributor to deforestation. abillion supports two of the leading non-profits in the space, One Tree Planted, and Indonesia Indah Foundation. "We are extremely grateful to be partners with abillion. The company has helped us fund the planting of thousands of mangrove trees in Indonesia, and has expanded our reach to their members around the world. We're thrilled to see our community in Indonesia expand on the abillion app, spreading the message of a more sustainable and kind way of living to all," says Angela Jelita Richardson, Founder and Chairwoman, Indonesia Indah Foundation.
To celebrate this milestone, abillion has published a children's book titled Finding Impact. The story follows a lamb named Impact on his journey visiting animal sanctuaries around the world. The story will fascinate readers of all ages and educate children about the impact of their food choices. Profits from the sale of Finding Impact will benefit the organizations highlighted in the book.
"Reinventing social media and e-commerce for social good is key to our work at abillion. We will help billions of people make choices that are better for them and the planet. Thanks to our members worldwide, we're creating a massive impact for people, animals and nature. We're driven to create a revolution that makes sustainability a habit for everyone," says Vikas Garg, CEO & Founder of abillion.
Now available in 171 countries, the abillion app is becoming the global benchmark for sustainability. The app is available in English, Spanish, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese.
View the abillion Giving Report video here.
For images of abillion in use and more portraits, here.
For media enquiries, please contact:
About abillion
At abillion, we're working to make sustainability a habit for everyone. The abillion app helps people discover, shop and review over 730,000 sustainable options from 90,000 consumer products companies and over 100,000 restaurants globally. Content creators on abillion are rewarded with credits that can be donated or saved for equity in abillion. Over a million people have joined the abillion movement, and through its giving program, abillion has donated over US $2 million to create impact around the world.
Website: www.abillion.com
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SOURCE abillion | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/12/abillion-sets-record-funds-donated-by-an-early-stage-company/ | 2022-07-12T03:31:04Z |
FDA releases statement on listeria outbreak potentially linked to Sarasota-based creamery
The FDA says investigation shows that Big Olaf is the likely source of outbreak
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The Food and Drug Administration is also investigating an outbreak of listeria infections linked, officials say, to ice cream supplied by Big Olaf Creamery.
The FDA, along with CDC, is assisting the Florida Department of Health and Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services are investigating. Epidemiologists say that based on evidence collected, that Big Olaf is the most likely source of the outbreak Two lawsuits have been filed against Big Olaf alleging ice cream tainted with listeria caused the death of an elderly woman and caused another woman to miscarry.
A total of 23 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported from 10 states. Of the 18 people interviewed, all reported eating ice cream. Among the 18 people who remembered details about the type of ice cream they ate, 10 reported eating Big Olaf Creamery brand ice cream or eating ice cream at locations that might have been supplied by Big Olaf Creamery.
Twelve sick people are residents of Florida and nine reported traveling to Florida before getting sick.
The FDA is concerned that retailers may still be selling Big Olaf ice cream products. Retailers should not sell or serve Big Olaf ice cream products and should throw them away. Consumers who may still have these products in their freezers should not eat or serve any Big Olaf ice cream products and should also throw the product away.
This is an ongoing investigation, and the firm has initiated a voluntary recall of its ice cream products.
Recommendation
Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell, or serve any Big Olaf ice cream products and should throw the product away, regardless of the “Best By” or expiration date.
Call your healthcare provider right away if you have these symptoms after eating Big Olaf ice cream products:
- Pregnant people typically experience only fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
- People who are not pregnant may experience headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever and muscle aches.
Consumers, restaurants, and retailers who purchased or received any Big Olaf ice cream products should throw the products away, follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice and use extra vigilance in cleaning and sanitizing any surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with these products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Listeria can survive in refrigerated temperatures and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.
ABC7 has one statement from Big Olaf from two weeks ago, but repeated attempts to contact them following their initiated recall have not be returned.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/07/12/fda-releases-statement-listeria-outbreak-potentially-linked-sarasota-based-creamery/ | 2022-07-12T16:10:38Z |
PARIS (AP) — French authorities on Tuesday repatriated 51 women and children from the former Islamic State group-controlled areas in Syria, according to a statement from the national counterterrorism prosecutor’s office.
It’s the single largest return of women and children to France from camps in northeastern Syria since the territorial defeat of IS in March 2019. France saw more of its citizens leave to join the group than any other country in Europe.
Tuesday’s group was made up of 16 women, ages 22 to 39, and 35 minors, seven of whom are coming to France unaccompanied by adults. All but two of the women in the group are French citizens. Twelve women returned with their children and four of the women had previously agreed to the return of their children, according to the prosecutor’s statement.
Eight women were taken into custody for questioning and the other eight were detained on arrest warrants. The children were placed in the care of the child protective services attached to the Versailles Judicial Court.
One of the 35 minors is in police custody on suspicion of participating in activities of a terrorist criminal enterprise, according to the prosecutor’s statement. The minor will shortly turn 18, the statement said.
Many European countries were slow to allow the return of women and children for fear they would violently turn on their homelands. France, which saw more of its citizens join IS in Syria than any other European country and suffered multiple deadly attacks beginning in 2015, has been especially reluctant.
French authorities have insisted that adults, men and women, who fought with IS should be prosecuted in the country where they had committed crimes. Authorities also insisted on bringing back citizens and their children on a case-by-case basis, a long and cumbersome procedure that has been repeatedly criticized by human rights groups.
In December, a 28-year-old Frenchwoman with diabetes died in the Roj camp in Syria, leaving her 6-year-old daughter an orphan, according to the family’s lawyer, who had been requesting their return since 2019.
The orphaned girl was in the group of children repatriated on Tuesday, according to a statement by the United Families Collective, a group of families that has been campaigning for repatriations of women and children detained in the Kurdish-controlled camps of Syria and Iraq.
The United Families Collective hailed the government’s repatriation effort and urged the French authorities to continue bringing home children and mothers trapped in “inhumane” and “degrading” living conditions at the detention camps.
The collective said there were still 150 French children and their mothers trapped in the Roj camp.
“France must repatriate (them) as soon as possible (…) and close this shameful chapter in our history without delay,” the group’s statement said. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/france-brings-51-citizens-home-from-is-camps-in-syria/ | 2022-07-06T10:35:09Z |
The June 10 Event Will Feature Sally Award Winner Philanthropist Priscilla Hunt. Rams COO Kevin Demoff To Accept Award on Behalf of Organization.
LOS ANGELES, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Salvation Army's California South Division announced today that Kevin Demoff, the chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Rams, will accept this year's Judge Harry Pregerson Award for community service on behalf of Super Bowl LVI Champion Los Angeles Rams at the Sally Awards. The Sallys, the organization's largest fund-raising event in Southern California, will be held June 10 at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
Since joining the Rams in 2009, Demoff has been at the heart of the Rams community outreach efforts. He's worked with the Salvation Army for years to make a difference in the lives of those most vulnerable in the Los Angeles area. Whether it's supporting homeless children through The Salvation Army's Christmas shopping spree program or donating funds to a family in need, the Rams positive presence is felt throughout the community. Under Demoff's guidance, the Rams have become an incredible example to other sports teams on how to give to their community and be a part of change for those in need of help.
"Kevin Demoff and the Los Angeles Rams are the epitome of an organization that helps those in need. There is no other sports organization that gives more," said Captain Sean Kelsey, the Army's local General Secretary and Los Angeles Metro Coordinator. Andrew Jameson, the Army's local advisory board chair, added, "I've known Kevin Demoff as a friend for years. I'm so thankful that we can recognize Kevin and the Rams for their tireless work for the community."
Appearing along with Demoff at the Sallys will be the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the iconic trophy awarded each year to the Super Bowl champions.
The previous-announced winner of the Sally Award, Priscilla Hunt of Hunt Enterprises, will be the feature honoree at the June 10 event. Her dedication to the community and contributions have changed the lives of many in need. With her help, The Salvation Army has created the Donald & Priscilla Hunt Apartments, at The Salvation Army Bell Shelter; the Donald & Priscilla Hunt Performing Arts Center at The Salvation Army Torrance Corps; The Donald and Priscilla Hunt Long Beach Community Center at The Salvation Army, along with The Donald & Priscilla Hunt Cancer Center at Torrance Memorial Hospital.
The Salvation Army also announced today that Fred Roggin, the longtime sports anchor for NBC4, will be a featured presenter at the Sallys. As the leading sports anchor in Southern California, Roggin has earned more than 30 L.A. Emmy Awards, 22 Golden Mike Awards, three prestigious Associated Press Awards and numerous L.A. Press Club Awards for his sports segments, specials, and series. Also appearing at the Sallys is Fritz Coleman, the former weather anchor at NBC4 and longtime member of the Salvation Army's local advisory board.
Ben Mankiewicz, the co-host of Turner Classic Movies, television personality and political commentator, returns to the Sallys as master of ceremonies.
To purchase tickets to the Sally Awards or donate directly to The Salvation Army, go to www.thesallyawards.org.
Previous Priscilla Hunt Announcement for the Sally Awards: https://www.prweb.com/releases/2022/4/prweb18604793.htm
The Salvation Army is committed to serving men, women, and children in need on a daily basis, without discrimination, by providing basic needs services such as food, rental and utility assistance, and case management support for families in distress. We help youth overcome a number of obstacles including poverty, violence, overcrowded and failing schools, and the influence of drugs and illegal activities. We provide a safety net for homeless individuals looking to make necessary life changes, and numerous other important services.
For more information, please visit https://calsouth.salvationarmy.org
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SOURCE The Salvation Army, California South Division | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/06/los-angeles-rams-be-recognized-salvation-armys-sally-awards-honoring-great-humanitarians/ | 2022-06-06T16:44:19Z |
ROCKLAND COUNTY, N.Y., May 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Polaris Healthcare IPA is pleased to announce the official opening of its newest member, Serenity Center, a NYS Licensed Article 31 Outpatient Behavioral Health clinic.
As a member of Polaris, Serenity Center's mission is to provide premium, person-centered mental wellbeing services to all ages and denominations within a multi-cultural framework. The center's highly trained therapists will promote self-compassion and self-integration as well as a move toward reintegration into one's community.
Serenity Center will provide both telehealth as well as in-person sessions and group meetings at their clinic. Regardless of location or financial ability, Serenity's doors are open and accessible to all. The clinics opening is the realization of a life mission of its Executive Director, Martin Weinberger, LCSW. Martin and his team of compassionate and skilled therapists and psychiatrists, intend to make exceptional mental health and wellness accessible to all those in need.
"Serenity Center represents our progressive vision of enhanced, nuanced and culturally tailored mental healthcare" said Bassie Friedman, CMO of Polaris Healthcare. "This new service enables us as an organization to expand our already robust health services further within the communities we already know and have been serving for decades."
Neil Zelman, CEO of Polaris Healthcare, added, "Our wish is to bring compassionate and advanced mental healthcare to everyone regardless of socio-economic status. Not only do our extensively trained professionals believe in qualitative care but they want the possibility of access to individuals as well as their loved ones."
Your story matters. Let's talk. To learn more about Serenity Center, please visit https://serenityctr.com/, or call Polaris's Chief Marketing Officer, Bassie Friedman, at 845-596-8193.
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SOURCE Polaris Healthcare IPA | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/23/serenity-center-polaris-healthcare-member-announces-opening-its-first-outpatient-therapy-clinic/ | 2022-05-23T18:29:16Z |
Ukrainians make gains in east, stop Russian gas at one hub
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) - Ukraine’s natural gas pipeline operator on Wednesday stopped Russian shipments through a key hub in the east of the country, while its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Kyiv’s military had made small gains, pushing Russian forces out of four villages near Kharkiv.
The pipeline operator said Russian shipments through its Novopskov hub, in an area controlled by Moscow-backed separatists, would be cut beginning Wednesday. It said the hub handles about a third of Russian gas passing through Ukraine to Western Europe. Russia’s state-owned natural gas giant Gazprom put the figure at about a quarter.
The move marks the first time natural gas supply has been affected by the war that began in February. It may force Russia to shift flows of its gas through territory controlled by Ukraine to reach its clients in Europe. Russia’s state energy giant Gazprom initially said it couldn’t, though preliminary flow data suggested higher rates moving through a second station in Ukrainian-controlled territory.
The operator said it was stopping the flow because of interference from “occupying forces,” including the apparent siphoning of gas. Russia could reroute shipments through Sudzha, a main hub in a northern part of the country controlled by Ukraine, it said. But Gazprom spokesperson Sergei Kupriyanov said that would be “technologically impossible” and questioned the reason given for the stoppage.
Zelenskyy said Tuesday that the military was gradually pushing Russian troops away from Kharkiv, while Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba voiced what appeared to be increasing confidence — and expanded goals, suggesting Ukraine could go beyond just forcing Russia back to areas it held before the invasion began 11 weeks ago.
Kuleba told the Financial Times that Ukraine initially believed victory would be the withdrawal of Russian troops to positions they occupied before the Feb. 24 invasion. But the focus shifted to the eastern industrial heartland of the Donbas after Russian forces failed to take Kyiv early in the war.
WARNING: Some videos used may contain graphic content.
“Now if we are strong enough on the military front, and we win the battle for Donbas, which will be crucial for the following dynamics of the war, of course the victory for us in this war will be the liberation of the rest of our territories,” Kuleba said.
Kuleba’s statement seemed to reflect political ambitions more than battlefield realities: Russian forces have made advances in the Donbas and control more of it than they did before the war began. But it highlights how Ukraine has stymied a larger, better-armed Russian military, surprising many who had anticipated a much quicker end to the conflict.
Ukraine said Tuesday that Russian forces fired seven missiles at Odesa a day earlier, hitting a shopping center and a warehouse in the country’s largest port. One person was killed and five wounded, the military said.
Images showed a burning building and debris — including a tennis shoe — in a heap of destruction in the city on the Black Sea.
One general has suggested Moscow’s aims include cutting Ukraine’s maritime access to both the Black and Azov seas. That would also give Russia a corridor linking it to both the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized in 2014, and Transnistria, a pro-Moscow region of Moldova.
Ukraine’s targeting of Russian forces on Snake Island in the Black Sea was helping disrupt Moscow’s attempts to expand its influence, the British military said.
Russia has sought to reinforce its garrison on Snake Island, while “Ukraine has successfully struck Russian air defenses and resupply vessels with Bayraktar drones,” the British Defense Ministry said in an intelligence update on Twitter. It said Russian resupply vessels had minimum protection after the Russian Navy retreated to Crimea after losing the Moskva.
That corresponds to satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showing the fighting there.
But the British military warned: “If Russia consolidates its position on (Snake) Island with strategic air defense and coastal defense cruise missiles, they could dominate the northwestern Black Sea.”
Even if Russia fails to sever Ukraine from its coast — and it appears to lack the forces to do so — continuing missile strikes on Odesa reflect its strategic importance. The Russian military has repeatedly targeted its airport, claiming it destroyed several batches of Western weapons.
Odesa is a major gateway for grain shipments, and the Russian blockade threatens global food supplies. It’s also a cultural jewel, dear to Ukrainians and Russians alike. Targeting it carries symbolic significance.
To protect Odesa, Kyiv might need to shift forces to the southwest, drawing them away from the eastern front in the Donbas, where they are fighting near Kharkiv to push the Russians back across the border.
Kharkiv and its surroundings have been under sustained Russian attack since the early in the war. In recent weeks, grisly pictures testified to the horrors of those battles, with charred and mangled bodies strewn in one street.
The bodies of 44 civilians were found in the rubble of a five-story building that collapsed in March in Izyum, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Kharkiv, Oleh Synehubov, head of the regional administration, said Tuesday.
Russian aircraft twice launched unguided missiles Tuesday at the Sumy area northeast of Kharkiv, according to the Ukrainian border guard service. The region’s governor said the missiles hit several residential buildings, but no one was killed. Russian mortars hit the Chernihiv region, along the Ukrainian border with Belarus, but there was no word on casualties.
Zelenskyy used his nightly address to pay tribute to Leonid Kravchuk, the first president of an independent Ukraine, who died Tuesday at 88.
Kravchuk showed courage and knew how to get the country to listen to him, he said.
That was particularly important in “crisis moments, when the future of the whole country may depend on the courage of one man,” said Zelenskyy, whose own communication skills and decision to remain in Kyiv when it came under Russian attack helped make him a strong wartime leader.
___
Gambrell reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Yesica Fisch in Bakhmut, David Keyton in Kyiv, Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Kelvin Chan in London and AP’s worldwide staff contributed.
___
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.kxii.com/2022/05/11/ukrainians-make-gains-east-stop-russian-gas-one-hub/ | 2022-05-11T09:23:26Z |
The biggest obstacle for the Lake Belton Lady Broncos might have been keeping their focus against an overmatched opponent Thursday night.
They managed that just fine, though, in a 12-0 bi-district victory over Manor Tech to win the single-game playoff at Bronco Diamond behind a one-hitter from Zakayia Fredrick.
Lake Belton (24-5) advanced to take on the winner of the Carthage-Robinson series. Carthage leads that series 1-0 with play resuming tonight at Robinson.
After taking a commanding lead with five runs in both the first and second innings, the Lady Broncos went exclusively to bunting the ball.
“It’s hard, but we’re going to need to bunt some time during the playoffs,” Lake Belton coach Matt Blackburn said. “It was hard to judge the speed of the ball.”
Propelled largely by a two-run triple from Elaina Herrera, the Lady Broncos posted five runs in the first inning.
Autumn Holman drew a leadoff walk, Shelby Schultz reached on an infield single, and Holman scored on an error. Madison Lux was aboard next on an error and, with two runners in scoring position, Herrera drove both home when she hit a Christina Reyes offering down the left-field line for a triple.
Haley Hoffman singled home Herrera, and pinch runner Vic Shimabukuro scored from second on an Angie DeLeon groundout for a 5-0 lead.
Lake Belton equaled that in the second frame behind four hits and three more Lady Titans errors.
Hannah Jensen led off with a single and pinch runner Madison Updyke scored when Holman reached on an error. Holman came home on a Schultz bunt. Lux singled Schultz home, and Lux and Casey Schultz scored before the inning was done to give Lake Belton a 10-0 lead.
Holman and Casey Schultz tacked on runs in the third for the eventual 12-0 final margin.
In the meantime, Fredrick was solid in the circle after correcting her first-inning form.
“After (the first inning), I was alright,” Fredrick said. “We had to play with class and show we respected them.”
Fredrick carried a no-hitter into the fifth before Reyes broke it up with a soft one-out single to right. Fredrick struck out a dozen Lady Titans and only allowed two baserunners.
“She was guiding the ball more than pitching in the first inning,” Blackburn said. “We made some outfield plays and did what we needed to do.” | https://www.tdtnews.com/sports/article_53ae1df0-c767-11ec-a648-5fb10b81373b.html | 2022-04-29T04:20:23Z |
Robert Pattinson will return for ‘The Batman’ sequel, director Matt Reeves confirms
Published: Apr. 29, 2022 at 11:46 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
(CNN) - A sequel is in the works for “The Batman” with Robert Pattinson returning in the title role.
The director of the first film, Matt Reeves, delivered the news at an annual trade show for theater owners this week.
Reeves confirmed he will write and direct the sequel. There’s no word yet on whether the rest of the cast, including Zoe Kravitz, will return.
Warner Brothers released “The Batman” in theaters in March, which scored the biggest opening weekend of 2022.
So far, it’s the highest grossing movie of the year, earning nearly $760 million at the global box office. It was also watched by 4.1 million households during its first week on HBO Max.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/04/29/robert-pattinson-will-return-batman-sequel-director-matt-reeves-confirms/ | 2022-04-29T17:56:22Z |
Angela Gregg's 4-year-old son, Mychal Moultry Jr., known to loved ones as MJ, was killed by a stray bullet while getting his hair braided last year during Labor Day weekend in Chicago's South Side neighborhood Woodlawn.
She remembers him as a genius who was set to skip ahead to kindergarten after just two weeks of pre-school. He was full of life and didn't call her "Mom" or "Mommy" but "Happy."
Gregg recalls having to move mountains to get any public and media attention on his case. Like many people, she was horrified by what happened in Highland Park, Illinois, on Monday, but she couldn't help but notice the difference in reaction to the tragedy that shattered her world. MJ was Gregg's only child, and in the 10 months since his death, no one is in custody for the boy's homicide and the investigation remains open.
But she was not surprised by the attention and support Highland Park received because it's a predominantly White Chicago suburb, she says. Gun violence is so normalized in Chicago's South and West sides, that it doesn't receive the same concern, she says.
"I thought there would be more outcry for a 4-year-old whose life was taken away, and I just didn't see that," Gregg says. "We see it all the time, the difference in how Black and Brown children are treated."
As the nation was shocked by the premeditated mass shooting in Highland Park, residents an hour away on Chicago's South and West sides were grieving a death and injury toll that surpassed that of Highland Park. This July 4 weekend in Chicago, at least eight people were fatally shot and 68 injured by gun violence.
Gregg and community advocates say they aren't comparing which tragedy is worse and stand in solidarity with the Highland Park community. They just want to see the same compassion and urgency to find answers as seen in Highland Park in the South and West sides -- where they say there's almost an expectation and acceptance of gun violence with little attention or resources paid.
According to Chicago Police Department data, the city of Chicago saw a 53% decrease in homicides this year compared to last July 4 weekend. But residents say that doesn't ease the sense of exasperation they felt following this past weekend's gun violence.
In 2021, Chicago experienced one of its deadliest years in the last quarter-century with almost 800 homicides. MJ was among the youngest victims. In the summer alone, 1,606 people were shot in a single three-month period.
'These kids all hit the ground'
Corey Brooks, founder and senior pastor of New Beginnings Church of Chicago, says in city's South and West sides, there's a constant fear among Black and Brown youth that they'll be the next victim of gun violence. He recalls being at a playground with a group of kids last summer when gun shots broke out, and all the kids playing in the area immediately ducked down to the ground.
"In any other neighborhood, kids would have probably took off running, but these kids all hit the ground," he says. "What a sad commentary that these kids know, 'OK, somebody's shooting, hit the ground.'"
Brooks is also the founder and CEO of Project Helping Others Obtain Destiny (HOOD), a non-profit organization focused on ending cycles of poverty and violence that provides mentorship to Chicago's Woodlawn and Englewood residents.
Brooks says predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods like Woodlawn and Englewood are heavily affected by gun violence, alongside other communities in the South and West sides like Austin, Roseland, Back of the Yards, Humboldt Park and more. What ties these communities together is poverty and lack of resources, which means they get neglected, he added.
In Highland Park, the median household income is $147,067, according to 2020 Census data, over five times more than the median income in Woodlawn that sits at $25,450, according to a 2021 report from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
Following the Highland Park mass shooting, politicians including Vice President Kamala Harris, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth visited the community.
TJ Grooms, an assistant pastor of New Beginnings Church of Chicago who's also a manager with Project HOOD, says he wishes these politicians would also have visited Chicago's South and West sides and shown the same insistence to offer condolences to the families impacted by gun violence over the July 4 weekend.
"If you are in a position of power, you must make sure that the same energy and the same effort that you put in one area is put in the other," Grooms said. "I will not visit an area like Highland Park and then not show up to the other end of the spectrum."
They're no longer allowed to be children
Grooms says mental health among the Black and Brown youth in Chicago's South and West sides is a major issue in connection to gun violence. Young people are left traumatized and don't know how to deal with these violent experiences, forcing them into "survival mode" where their childhood is stripped from them, he added.
In the months since MJ's death, Gregg also struggles with the trauma and void of losing her only child. But she's also become a youth activist.
The weekend MJ was killed still haunts her. She and MJ were in Chicago for Labor Day weekend, visiting from Alabama so he could spend time with his father, Mychal Moultry Sr.
As MJ and his dad were bonding and getting their hair braided in a family friend's Woodlawn apartment, bullets flew through the window, hitting the boy twice in the head. That same holiday weekend, five other people were killed and at least 61 others injured in gun violence throughout the city.
Just days later, Gregg and Moultry Sr. were making funeral arrangements.
When a family loses a child to gun violence, funeral costs can present further hardship and pain. In April, the Illinois House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the Mychal Moultry Jr. Funeral and Burial Assistance Act, in which the state provides funeral and burial payment assistance to low-income families for children under the age of 17 who are murdered by gun violence.
Gregg says it was great to see the state absolve some of the financial burden, but she wants to see legislators focused more on preventing gun violence in the first place so there aren't any funerals that need to be paid for.
"It's two completely different worlds," Gregg says. "We were able to get that legislation moved within about six or seven months after MJ passed, but the laws to actually prevent this from happening in the first place, they're still in limbo."
Gregg says people are becoming desensitized to gun violence in Chicago and the impact it has on youth, families and the broader community.
Brooks says he wants Black and Brown youth in neighborhoods like Woodlawn to live in safe environments and grow to reach their full potential. If the same level of care and compassion was being shown in Chicago's South and West sides as in Highland Park, he says there would be more resources and solutions directed toward the communities to combat gun violence.
In the aftermath of the Highland Park mass shooting, community members left behind strollers, lawn chairs, bikes, shoes, toys, blankets and more. In Chicago's South and West sides, Grooms says tangible items are not what's lost when mass shootings happen in the community nearly every day.
"What's left behind is innocence, what's left behind is sensitivity, what's left behind is hope, what's left behind most of all this justice," Grooms says. "We don't get justice for our babies and our teenagers that are shot and killed, and it's very rare that we see the people that kill someone be brought to justice."
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™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/chicagos-4th-of-july-weekend-death-toll-surpassed-the-highland-park-shooting-i-thought-there/article_e5615d81-2aff-51f9-a65b-c50448e2666d.html | 2022-07-09T13:20:29Z |
The partnership with Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance will give hundreds of residents the opportunity to receive free or subsidized medical marijuana cards
KANSAS CITY, Miss., June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Elevate Holistics, a multistate solution provider in the medical marijuana industry, is donating 10 medical marijuana card appointments each month and $3,000 to the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance, a coalition of patients, caregivers, family members, medical professionals, and public health groups working towards safe access to medical marijuana.
"The Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance has been working tirelessly to increase access in the state since 2012, when they helped draft and pass the ballot question that led to the legalization of medical marijuana," said Stephen Stearman, CEO of Elevate Holistics. "We are proud to aid their efforts with this donation and are also providing 120 appointments per year, which will help them to achieve their goal of facilitating up to 750 free or subsidized medical marijuana card appointments each year."
Elevate Holistics is a multi-state operator (MOS) serving patients and medical professionals with alternative advanced healthcare options, encrypted SSL safe-site security, turn-key business solutions for clinics, online cannabis healthcare clinics, and compassionate follow-up care. Encrypted online telehealth options, including medical cannabis evaluations, renewals, and online "Ask Me Anything" videos, help patients navigate state laws with confidence.
For more information about Elevate Holistics, to partner with the company, or to request a medical marijuana card, visit https://elevate-holistics.com/
Elevate Holistics, a Craft Health company, is a telehealth platform focusing on getting people their medical marijuana cards and physician's medical cannabis certifications/recommendations as simply and easily as possible. The vision was two-fold: increase accessibility to those in need and provide an easy to use platform for people who want the privacy of their own home. Today, Elevate Holistics operates in multiple states, has served thousands of HAPPY PATIENTS, and is innovating to provide doctors & patients a better medical marijuana evaluation experience. For more information, visit https://elevate-holistics.com/
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SOURCE Elevate Holistics | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/elevate-holistics-boosts-massachusetts-coalition-efforts-improve-medical-marijuana-access/ | 2022-06-28T15:00:01Z |
'It's the greatest job ever.' Canton woman named Ohio Children's Trust Fund 'Hero'
CANTON – As a parent engagement coordinator at the Early Childhood Resource Center, Emily Baughman's passion is helping struggling parents — particularly mothers — to secure the resources they need.
For her efforts, she's being honored by the Ohio Children's Trust Fund which provides grants for organizations that focus on child and family development.
One of eight "heroes" statewide, Baughman, 36, is being recognized for her dedication to families who seek assistance from the Early Childhood Resource Center, a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System.
More:Sisters of Charity Foundation awards grants
Baughman said her mission is to offer resources to parents of children of infants to age 12, to help them overcome such barriers as child care.
"Anything anything they need help with; that's what we do," she said. "We're all-encompassing the family dynamic. I also run parenting classes. We help any parent who's kind of struggling with discipline, or they don't know what to do with a 2-year-old who's into everything. We can (help) in hopes of their becoming the biggest experts on their kids."
Baughman said she entered the early childhood education field because her husband is active-duty military and she wanted to work, but didn't want to place her own child in day care.
"I opened my own center and served active-duty families," she said. "After that, I realized it was something I loved to do; I was good at it. Since then, I've loved helping families. If we can help parents, that child gets help."
'Emily is an incredible asset to this community.'
Baughman, who serves more than 300 families a year, said that other than obstacles such as child care, parents are hesitant to seek help.
"It can be embarrassment or lack of trust," she said. "We tend to do things on our own. When I'm trying to identify a need, it's hard for them. They're trying to going it alone but in reality, they need help. It's very difficult for them to reach out for support. We get judged if we don't do things on our own. We want to take away that judgment. We want to actively help them and walk the journey with them."
Baughman also works with mothers in transition, that is, those emerging from rehab or incarceration and who want to reintegrate with their children.
"They feel hopeless and lost," she said. "In my journey with them, I see them grow; they put in so much effort. No walk is the same. But what we specialize in here is the love component. We want to genuinely love on these families. Helping parents to rebuild their lives, that's how you build a foundation for children."
Baughman has been at Early Childhood Resource Center for seven years. In addition to her day care center, she previously worked for the SPARK kindergarten preparedness program.
Baughman was nominated by her supervisor, Gary Plauger, who wrote: "Emily has gone above and beyond the call of duty in meeting with and helping parents who are desiring to grow in their relationship with their children. Emily also consistently makes time for the female youth and kinship providers to talk and share their concerns with her.
"She listens with compassion and tries to point the individuals in a direction where they can find solutions to their questions. Emily is an incredible asset to this community and demonstrates that, 'People do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care.' Emily truly cares for her clients."
"I want to empower them," Baughman said. "I want them to see themselves as I see them, to help them identify their gifts and learn to love themselves."
'One simple act of encouragement, one child at a time by one trusted adult supporter can make all the difference for children.'
Lindsey Williams is executive director of the Ohio Children's Trust Fund. The agency is funded through dedicated public funds by way of vital statistics fees, along with some federal funding. It is a member of the National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention.
"We fund a variety of programs across Ohio that help parents support children," Williams said. "It's 'upstream' funding, which means that before a situation escalates requiring intervention from child protective services. Our goal is to increase [protection] for families, through things like parental resilience, and offering concrete support in a time of need, parenting and child development and social and emotional competencies."
Williams said the "Be a Hero" awards are held in conjunction with Child Abuse Prevention Month in Ohio.
"'Be a Hero' really speaks to how anyone can be a hero in the eyes of a child," she said. "One simple act of encouragement, one child at a time by one trusted adult supporter can make all the difference for children."
Williams said the problem has been at a consistent rate for last several years.
More:Alliance parents convicted of causing 2-month-old's fatal overdose in 2019
"There was a dip in reports during the pandemic when children were doing virtual schooling because mandated reporters such as teachers, counselors and coaches didn't have eyes on kids," she said. "It wasn't that it wasn't occurring. Children were probably at higher risk. We just weren't getting reports."
The awards were given during a kickoff on April 7, she said.
Baughman said her job is her passion.
"I'm not there to be a caseworker or overseer," she said. "I'm there to say, 'Where are you at, where do you want to go, and let's work to get you there.' It's nice to know other people are seeing your passion. The nice thing about our center, any employee across the board can help them out. I just wanted to be a support. I just want kids to thrive."
Baughman noted that programs at the Early Childhood Resource Center, 1718 Cleveland Ave. NW, are free.
"I can't believe I get paid to do this," she said. "It's the greatest job ever."
Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com
On Twitter: @cgoshayREP
To help
To report child abuse or neglect, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has a statewide toll free number at 855-642-4453, or call 330-451-8032 in Stark County.
To learn more about the Early Childhood Resource Center, visit www.ecresourcecenter.org. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/canton/2022/04/22/ohio-childrens-trust-fund-honors-emily-baughman-early-childhood-resource-center-worker-honored-state/7366613001/ | 2022-04-22T20:39:04Z |
Director James Cameron returns to direct the long-awaited sequel to the 2009 hit, officially titled "Avatar: The Way of Water."
Disney unveiled new footage of the movie at CinemaCon at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Wednesday, with guests reportedly given 3D glasses for the viewing.
"Avatar: The Way of Water" will follow the Sully family as they fight to stay alive.
The film's first trailer will debut in theaters before Marvel's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" on May 6.
The sequel stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Giovanni Ribisi, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Edie Falco, Cliff Curtis and Jemaine Clement.
To build anticipation of the film, Disney is set to re-release "Avatar" in theaters on Sept. 23.
"Avatar: The Way of Water," the first of four planned sequels, is scheduled to release Dec. 16.
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/entertainment/avatar-2-debuts-footage-from-movie-at-cinemacon-and-gets-official-title/article_d00409fa-0f60-549b-9767-acf3bc9e32a9.html | 2022-04-28T16:18:19Z |
Photo Gallery: Celebrating America’s birthday at Nathan Benderson Park
Published: Jul. 3, 2022 at 10:32 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Thousands gathered at Nathan Benderson Park Sunday to eat, drink and watch fireworks at Fireworks on the Lake.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/07/04/celebrating-americas-birthday-nathan-benderson-park/ | 2022-07-04T03:51:04Z |
PARIS, April 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS) today announced that the underwriters of its previously announced public offering American Depositary Shares (ADS) have fully exercised their option to purchase up to 1,000,000 additional ADS, representing 4,000,000 ordinary shares. Including these additional 1,000,000 ADS, Sequans' recent offering totaled 7,666,667 ADS at a price to the public of $3.00 per ADS. The sale of these additional ADS closed on April 1, 2022. Including the proceeds from the sale of these additional shares, the aggregate net proceeds to the Company from the public offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses, are approximately $20.9 million.
B. Riley Securities is acting as sole bookrunner for the offering. Roth Capital Partners is acting as lead manager for the offering.
The ADSs described above are being offered by Sequans pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-250122), including a base prospectus, previously filed with, and subsequently declared effective, by the SEC on November 24, 2020. The ADSs may be offered only by means of a prospectus. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus relating to the offering was filed with the SEC on March 10, 2022, and a final prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus relating to the offering was filed with the SEC on March 11, 2022 and is available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus relating to this offering may also be obtained by contacting B. Riley Securities, Inc., Attention: Prospectus Department, 1300 17th St. North, Ste. 1300, Arlington, VA 22209, or by email at prospectuses@brileyfin.com, or by telephone at (703) 312-9580. Before you invest, you should read the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus and other documents Sequans has filed or will file with the SEC for more complete information about Sequans and the offering.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Sequans Communications
Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS) is a leading developer and provider of 5G and 4G chips and modules for IoT devices. For 5G/4G massive IoT applications, Sequans provides a comprehensive product portfolio based on its flagship Monarch LTE-M/NB-IoT and Calliope Cat 1 chip platforms, featuring industry-leading low power consumption, a large set of integrated functionalities, and global deployment capability. For 5G/4G broadband and critical IoT applications, Sequans offers a product portfolio based on its Cassiopeia 4G Cat 4/Cat 6 and high-end Taurus 5G chip platforms, optimized for low-cost residential, enterprise, and industrial applications. Founded in 2003, Sequans is based in Paris, France with additional offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, Finland, Taiwan, South Korea, and China.
Disclaimer
This press release is for information purposes only and does not, and shall not, in any circumstances, constitute a public offering by Sequans, nor a solicitation of an offer to subscribe for securities in any jurisdiction outside the United States, including France. No prospectus (including any amendment, supplement or replacement thereto) or any other offering material that has been prepared in connection with the offering of the ADSs has been submitted for clearance to, or approval by, the Autorité des marchés financiers or the competent authority of another State that is a contracting party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area and notified to the Autorité des marchés financiers; no ADSs have been offered or sold nor will be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France; the prospectus and any other offering material relating to the ADSs have not been distributed or caused to be distributed and will not be distributed or caused to be distributed to the public in France; such offers, sales and distributions have been and shall only be made in France to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) and/or a restricted circle of investors (cercle restreint d'investisseurs), in each case, acting for their own account, all as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No. 2017/1129 of June 14, 2017, and in Articles L. 411-2, D. 411-4, D.744-1, D.754-1 and D. 764-1 of the French Code monétaire et financier. The direct or indirect distribution to the public in France of any so acquired ADSs may be made only as provided for in Articles L. 411-1, L. 411-2, L. 412-1 and L. 621-8 to L. 621-8-3 of the French Code monétaire et financier and applicable regulations thereunder. This communication does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or to purchase any of the ADSs and neither this communication nor anything herein shall form the basis of any contract or commitment whatsoever. Any contact with potential qualified investors in France does not and will not constitute financial and banking solicitation (démarchage bancaire et financier) as set forth in Articles L. 341-1 and seq. of the French Code monétaire et financier.
Media Relations: Kimberly Tassin, +1.425.736.0569, Kimberly@sequans.com
Investor Relations: Kim Rogers, Hayden IR, +1 385.831.7337, Kim@haydenir.com
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SOURCE Sequans Communications | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/04/01/sequans-communications-sa-announces-exercise-closing-over-allotment-option/ | 2022-04-01T16:17:04Z |
Riphahn files for chance at second term on Shawnee Co. Commission
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - A Shawnee Co. commissioner wants to keep his seat.
Bill Riphahn filed Tuesday for a second term in District 1.
Riphahn joined the commission in 2019. Before that, he spent 32 years with the City of Topeka and Shawnee County’s parks and rec departments..
Riphahn, who is running as a Republican, said he is seeking a second term because he feels like work remains. He said it feels like he lost two years to the COVID pandemic.
“I think there’s things in parks and rec - there’s more trail work I’d like to get accomplished. In our planning department, I’d like to see some zoning regulations concerning solar and wind energy. That’s an industry the county will see more of and we need to be prepared. (I’d) like to see us do a little more with youth sports in the way of facilities,” he said.
Riphahn said he believes he learned a lot in his first term.
So far, he is the only candidate filed for the seat.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/17/riphahn-files-chance-second-term-shawnee-co-commission/ | 2022-05-17T21:45:49Z |
FWC Senior Investigator killed in car crash
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WWSB) - Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is mourning the loss of one of its senior investigators.
Senior Investigator Kyle Patterson was involved in a fatal car crash in St. Lucie County and died as a result of his injuries.
Patterson leaves behind his wife, Alisha Patterson, and two young children, Kole and Kinsley. His family is asking for privacy during this time.
Patterson began his career with the FWC in January 2007. After graduating from the FWC Law Enforcement Academy Class 9, Senior Investigator Patterson was assigned to St. Lucie County in FWC South Region Alpha, where he spent his entire career. He was a member of the Florida Agriculture Crimes Intelligence Unit and the Florida Marine Intelligence Unit. He was a devoted father and husband and was very involved in his church and community. He was also active in Future Farmers of America, the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Florida Farm Bureau of St. Lucie County.
FWC is asking for thoughts and prayers at this time.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/06/10/fwc-senior-investigator-killed-car-crash/ | 2022-06-10T20:42:52Z |
- TripTrends series shares the data and trends defining the global travel revival and examine the latest Trip.com data to identify the patterns emerging as travel rebounds worldwide.
- This series reveals the growth in US visitor numbers travelling to European markets.
SINGAPORE, Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As consumer confidence to travel resumes around the world, Trip.com data reflects the global travel recovery trends. Trip.com's latest data analysis from its booking sites shows the return of US transatlantic travel, as American consumers take advantage of the strong dollar to take more cost-effective European trips.
Read on for a more in-depth analysis of US travel growth to Europe.
US European visitor numbers surge
Data analysis by Trip.com has revealed a huge surge in US travellers flying to Europe, with inbound visitor numbers up by nearly 250% in the first six months of this year.
The significant rise shown by Trip.com's data highlights the healthy rebound in transatlantic travel, which appears to signal a return to near pre-pandemic travel levels.
Flight bookings from the USA to key European markets were up 246% in the first half of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021.
The most significant leap in transatlantic flights was recorded between July and August 2021, when US bookings for flights to Europe rose by 162%.
US dollar strength powers travel return
Over the past year, the US dollar has gained around 14% in value against the euro and British pound, with the dollar recently hitting parity with the euro for the first time in two decades.
The advantageous currency rates have translated to more European trips for US travellers that are 10-15% less expensive for Americans than at the same time last year.
The strong dollar and weaker euro and pound sterling look set to help speed up the recovery so that it exceeds earlier projections that travel will return sooner to pre-pandemic levels.
Top European destinations for US travellers
When looking at the data for preferred European markets, people can see that between January and July 2022, the most popular European market for US departing flights was the United Kingdom.
Spain was the second most popular market for travellers to Europe from the US, followed in turn by France, Italy and Germany.
Trip.com's further data analysis shows that London and Paris were the top European destinations for Americans between January and July this year. Meanwhile, the highly-competitive New York to London route remained the most popular for US travellers, followed by Los Angeles to Paris, then Los Angeles to London.
As evidence of the UK's enduring popularity with US visitors, Trip.com data recorded a huge 678% increase in views for US to UK flights when comparing the first half of 2022 with the same period in 2021.
Meanwhile, other markets also saw a substantial rise in US consumer interest, with a similarly impressive 614% increase in views for flights from the US to Spain and a 577% increase from the US to Italy, followed by a 491% increase from the US to France.
Return of transatlantic travel
Commenting on the return of US travel across the Atlantic, Rich Sun, Trip.com Group's General Manager for the Americas, said: "Transatlantic travel is well and truly back and London is clearly the most popular destination once again for US travellers.
"Our analysis of Trip.com's latest data shows a significant surge in demand for travel, not only to the UK but also to other leading European capitals, with Paris and Madrid proving almost equally as popular.
"The massive 246% rise in inbound transatlantic bookings from the US to Europe is evidence, if any were needed, that consumer confidence has once again returned to the market.
"We believe the increased value of the strong US dollar versus the weaker Euro and fall in the value of Pound Sterling means that US travellers have so much more buying power in Europe, which has helped to mark the continent's return once more as a major destination for the US market."
Bumps in the road
While the overall picture has been positive, showing US inbound travel to Europe is on the rise, there have been bumps in the road, and some months have shown a decline in travel numbers in response to external events.
The impact of Omicron saw a decrease in bookings from the US to Europe in December 2021 compared to the previous month, with flight bookings falling by over a third (33%).
However, this decline was temporary, with flight bookings from the US to Europe once again increasing in the New Year, with a marked rise of 51% in March 2022 vs February 2022.
But with the cost of living crisis beginning to bite and the US experiencing the highest inflation rise in 40 years, leaping from 8.6% in May from the year before, the impact on travel levels was felt the following month.
Trip.com data reveals that US travel booking to Europe fell by a notable 19% in June compared to the month before, perhaps indicating the recovery is not yet set in stone.
Booking values are still on the rise
As proof that American travellers were prepared to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for overseas travel following extensive travel restrictions, Trip.com data showed that at the start of this year, the average booking value of trips was on the rise, with spending up nearly a quarter (23%) in February 2022 compared to the previous month.
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SOURCE Trip.com | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/24/trip-trends-tripcom-us-travellers-europe-have-increased-by-nearly-250/ | 2022-08-24T11:06:19Z |
WebBank, a Utah-chartered industrial bank, makes a strategic investment in iCreditWorks at a $200 million valuation to support the Platform's continued commercial growth
ISELIN, N.J., June 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iCreditWorks, one of the fastest-growing FinTech platforms in the United States, announced today it has accepted a strategic investment from WebBank at a $200M valuation. The investment will allow iCreditWorks to accelerate the commercial growth of its omni-channel platform, which features the first-in-market, native mobile App within the "Point-Of-Sale" (POS) sector.
"We continue to expand our relationship with WebBank to ensure our alignment and to fuel our mission to reimagine POS financing," said Stephen E. Sweeney, Chairman and Founder of iCreditWorks. "WebBank's support of our vision is testimony to the iCreditWorks omni-channel platform offering and its unique position in the marketplace."
iCreditWorks believes in responsible lending and only offering access to affordable financing options* that allow consumers to receive the care they deserve.
"We made this investment in iCreditWorks to support the vision and innovation of their Platform," said Jason Lloyd, President & CEO of WebBank. "We are excited to expand and grow our relationship with iCreditWorks and look forward to our mutual success."
iCreditWorks, represented by Truist Financial, is in the midst of a capital raise at a $200 million valuation to fuel its continued growth in the dental sector and expansion into new verticals.
* All loans issued by WebBank.
WebBank is a Utah chartered Industrial Bank headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. Since its inception in 1997, WebBank has originated and funded over $150 billion in consumer and commercial credit products. As "The Bank Behind the Brand®", WebBank is a national issuer of consumer and small business credit products through Strategic Partner (Brand) platforms, which include retailers, manufacturers, finance companies, and financial technology (FinTech) companies. The Bank is a leading player in the digital lending space, driving innovation in financial products through Strategic Partner platforms. WebBank engages in a full range of banking activities including consumer and commercial loan products, revolving lines of credit, credit cards, private-label card issuance, auto-refinancing and more. The Bank provides capital in the form of asset-backed lending and other credit facilities to Strategic Partner platforms, credit funds, and other lenders with a targeted focus on specialty finance assets. The Bank is also a leading provider of commercial insurance premium finance products through its wholly owned subsidiary National Partners. For more information, please visit www.webbank.com.
iCreditWorks leverages innovative technology and mobility to deliver an omnichannel platform experience that provides access to a broad suite of "Point-Of-Sale" (POS) financing products, empowering consumers to take control of their financing. The first-of-its-kind iCreditWorks native mobile App delivers a simple, seamless, and secure financing experience that redefines the consumer journey.
To learn more about the Company, please visit www.icreditworks.com.
iCreditWorks
Rich Groves
SVP – Professional Affairs
(201) 450-4268
rich.groves@icreditworks.com
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SOURCE iCreditWorks | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/14/webbank-makes-strategic-investment-fintech-platform-icreditworks/ | 2022-06-14T00:36:11Z |
ÖSTERSUND, Sweden, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska divests the office building Snäckan 8, which will be built in central Stockholm, Sweden, for about SEK 2.7 billion. The buyer is Slussgården, as previously announced. The transaction will be recorded by Skanska Commercial Development stream in the second quarter of 2022, in connection with obtained building permit. The transfer and final settlement of the purchase price, including indexation during the construction period, takes place in connection with completion, which is estimated for the first quarter of 2026.
The project will be included in the Swedish order bookings for the second quarter 2022 and includes approximately one year of demolition work. The construction contract and client costs are estimated to about SEK 1.6 billion, and the office building is slate for completion during the first quarter 2026.
Snäckan 8 will be a modern, future-proof office building with a total leasable area of approximately 23,000 square meters. It is designed to boost the street life and has the ambition to reach the environmental certification LEED's highest level, Platinum. Much of the material from the existing building will be reused or recycled. Among other things, the old façade stone will be cleaned up and used as a tiling on the roof of the new office building.
CONTACT:
Andreas Joons, Press Officer
Skanska AB
tel +46(0)104490494
Direct line for media
tel +46(0)104488899
This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com.
This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com
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SOURCE Skanska | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/skanska-divests-office-building-snckan-8-stockholm-sweden-about-sek-27-billion/ | 2022-06-01T06:37:35Z |
Conference Call to Be Held at 7:30 A.M. U.S. Eastern Time on May 19, 2022
GUANGZHOU, China, May 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vipshop Holdings Limited (NYSE: VIPS), a leading online discount retailer for brands in China ("Vipshop" or the "Company"), today announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.
First Quarter 2022 Highlights
- Total net revenues for the first quarter of 2022 were RMB25.2 billion (US$4.0 billion), as compared with RMB28.4 billion in the prior year period.
- GMV[1] for the first quarter of 2022 was RMB42.6 billion, as compared with RMB46.1 billion in the prior year period.
- Gross profit for the first quarter of 2022 was RMB5.0 billion (US$790.1 million), as compared with RMB5.6 billion in the prior year period.
- Net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders for the first quarter of 2022 was RMB1.1 billion (US$172.8 million), as compared with RMB1.5 billion in the prior year period.
- Non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders[2] for the first quarter of 2022 was RMB1.4 billion (US$223.8 million), as compared with RMB1.7 billion in the prior year period.
- The number of active customers[3] for the first quarter of 2022 was 42.2 million, as compared with 45.8 million in the prior year period.
- Total orders[4] for the first quarter of 2022 were 166.4 million, as compared with 175.5 million in the prior year period.
Mr. Eric Shen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Vipshop, stated, "Our business demonstrated strong execution and operational agility in the first quarter, against a challenging macro environment and prolonged COVID-19 impact. We continued to execute on our merchandising strategy to support core brand partners, bring in new and trendy brands, as well as expand high-value customer base. Besides, by leveraging our merchandising capabilities, we expanded non-apparel product offerings to quickly address the changing consumer demand, which partially offset the sluggish demand in discretionary items. We are pleased that our proven business model enabled us to sustain a healthy level of profits. While we remain cautious amid ongoing uncertainties, we are firmly committed to our strategic positioning as a discount platform for branded products, looking to create exceptional value for both brand partners and customers."
Mr. David Cui, Chief Financial Officer of Vipshop, further commented, "In the first quarter, we achieved resilient margins thanks to our initiatives to manage cost and expenses with greater discipline. Looking forward, we will continue to optimize operational efficiency and deliver healthy and sustainable profitability. Besides, we fully utilized the remaining amount under the US$500 million share repurchase program during the first quarter, and announced another US$1 billion program in March 2022. This demonstrates our confidence in our long-term business potential and value creation to our shareholders."
First Quarter 2022 Financial Results
REVENUES
Total net revenues for the first quarter of 2022 were RMB25.2 billion (US$4.0 billion), as compared with RMB28.4 billion in the prior year period, primarily attributable to soft consumer demand for discretionary categories and adverse impact on warehousing and logistics networks caused by COVID-19 resurgence in China.
GROSS PROFIT
Gross profit for the first quarter of 2022 was RMB5.0 billion (US$790.1 million), as compared with RMB5.6 billion in the prior year period. Gross margin for the first quarter of 2022 increased to 19.8% from 19.7% in the prior year period.
OPERATING EXPENSES
Total operating expenses for the first quarter of 2022 decreased by 11.0% year over year to RMB3.9 billion (US$615.1 million) from RMB4.4 billion in the prior year period. As a percentage of total net revenues, total operating expenses for the first quarter of 2022 was 15.4%, which stayed flat as compared with the prior year period.
- Fulfillment expenses for the first quarter of 2022 decreased by 5.5% year over year to RMB1.7 billion (US$267.4 million) from RMB1.8 billion in the prior year period. As a percentage of total net revenues, fulfillment expenses for the first quarter of 2022 was 6.7%, as compared with 6.3% in the prior year period.
- Marketing expenses for the first quarter of 2022 decreased by 41.3% year over year to RMB759.3 million (US$119.8 million) from RMB1.3 billion in the prior year period, primarily attributable to more prudent marketing strategy. As a percentage of total net revenues, marketing expenses for the first quarter of 2022 decreased to 3.0% from 4.6% in the prior year period.
- Technology and content expenses for the first quarter of 2022 increased to RMB390.4 million (US$61.6 million) from RMB337.5 million in the prior year period. As a percentage of total net revenues, technology and content expenses for the first quarter of 2022 increased to 1.5% from 1.2% in the prior year period.
- General and administrative expenses for the first quarter of 2022 were RMB1.1 billion (US$166.4 million), as compared with RMB956.7 million in the prior year period. As a percentage of total net revenues, general and administrative expenses for the first quarter of 2022 was 4.2%, as compared with 3.4% in the prior year period.
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS
Income from operations for the first quarter of 2022 was RMB1.3 billion (US$202.3 million), as compared with RMB1.5 billion in the prior year period. Operating margin for the first quarter of 2022 was 5.1%, as compared with 5.3% in the prior year period.
Non-GAAP income from operations[5] for the first quarter of 2022, which excluded share-based compensation expenses and amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions, was RMB1.5 billion (US$239.8 million), as compared with RMB1.7 billion in the prior year period. Non-GAAP operating margin[6] for the first quarter of 2022 was 6.0%, as compared with 6.1% in the prior year period.
NET INCOME
Net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders for the first quarter of 2022 was RMB1.1 billion (US$172.8 million), as compared with RMB1.5 billion in the prior year period. Net margin attributable to Vipshop's shareholders for the first quarter of 2022 was 4.3%, as compared with 5.4% in the prior year period. Net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders per diluted ADS[7] for the first quarter of 2022 was RMB1.61 (US$0.25), as compared with RMB2.18 in the prior year period.
Non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders for the first quarter of 2022, which excluded (i) share-based compensation expenses, (ii) investment gain (loss) and revaluation of investments excluding dividends, (iii) reconciling items on the share of equity method investments, (iv) amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions, and (v) tax effects on non-GAAP adjustments, was RMB1.4 billion (US$223.8 million), as compared with RMB1.7 billion in the prior year period. Non-GAAP net margin attributable to Vipshop's shareholders[8] for the first quarter of 2022 was 5.6%, as compared with 6.0% in the prior year period. Non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders per diluted ADS[9] for the first quarter of 2022 was RMB2.09 (US$0.33), as compared with RMB2.41 in the prior year period.
For the quarter ended March 31, 2022, the Company's weighted average number of ADSs used in computing diluted income per ADS was 680,268,635.
BALANCE SHEET AND CASH FLOW
As of March 31, 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash of RMB14.3 billion (US$2.3 billion) and short term investments of RMB5.0 billion (US$791.8 million).
For the quarter ended March 31, 2022, net cash used in operating activities was RMB1.2 billion (US$188.7 million), and free cash flow[10], a non-GAAP measurement of liquidity, was as follows:
Share Repurchase Program
As of March 31, 2022, the Company had fully utilized its US$500 million share repurchase program that it announced on March 30, 2021, resulting in repurchases of 7,514,514 Class A ordinary shares in aggregate.
On March 31, 2022, the Company's board of directors authorized a new share repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to US$1 billion of its ADSs or Class A ordinary shares for a 24-month period.
Business Outlook
For the second quarter of 2022, the Company expects its total net revenues to be between RMB22.2 billion and RMB23.7 billion, representing a year-over-year decrease rate of approximately 25% to 20%. These forecasts reflect the Company's current and preliminary view on the market and operational conditions, which is subject to change.
Exchange Rate
The Company's business is primarily conducted in China and the significant majority of revenues generated are denominated in Renminbi. This announcement contains currency conversions of Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollars solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars are made at a rate of RMB6.3393 to US$1.00, the effective noon buying rate on March 31, 2022 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. No representation is made that the Renminbi amounts could have been, or could be, converted, realized or settled into U.S. dollars at that rate on March 31, 2022, or at any other rate.
Conference Call Information
The Company will hold a conference call on Thursday, May 19, 2022 at 7:30 am US Eastern Time, 7:30 pm Beijing Time to discuss the financial results.
All participants wishing to join the conference call must pre-register online using the link provided below. Once pre-registration has been completed, participants will receive dial-in numbers, a passcode, and a unique registrant ID via email. To join the conference, participants should use the dial-in details in the email and then enter the event passcode followed by the registrant ID.
A replay of the conference call will be accessible until May 26, 2022 via the following dial-in details:
A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.vip.com.
About Vipshop Holdings Limited
Vipshop Holdings Limited is a leading online discount retailer for brands in China. Vipshop offers high quality and popular branded products to consumers throughout China at a significant discount to retail prices. Since it was founded in August 2008, the Company has rapidly built a sizeable and growing base of customers and brand partners. For more information, please visit https://ir.vip.com/.
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Vipshop's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Vipshop may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Vipshop's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Vipshop's goals and strategies; Vipshop's future business development, results of operations and financial condition; the expected growth of the online discount retail market in China; Vipshop's ability to attract customers and brand partners and further enhance its brand recognition; Vipshop's expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of flash sales products and services; competition in the discount retail industry; the potential impact of the COVID-19 to Vipshop's business operations and the economy in China and elsewhere generally; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Vipshop's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Vipshop does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The condensed consolidated financial information is derived from the Company's unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"), except that comparative consolidated statements of income and cash flows for the period presented and detailed footnote disclosures required by Accounting Standards Codification 270, Interim Reporting ("ASC270"), have been omitted. Vipshop uses non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders, non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders per diluted ADS, non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP operating income margin, non-GAAP net margin attributable to Vipshop's shareholders, and free cash flow, each of which is a non-GAAP financial measure. Non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders is net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders excluding (i) share-based compensation expenses, (ii) investment gain (loss) and revaluation of investments excluding dividends, (iii) reconciling items on the share of equity method investments, (iv) amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions, and (v) tax effects on non-GAAP adjustments. Non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders per diluted ADS is computed using non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders divided by weighted average number of diluted ADS outstanding for computing diluted earnings per ADS. Non-GAAP income from operations is income from operations excluding share-based compensation expenses and amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions. Non-GAAP operating income margin is non-GAAP income from operations as a percentage of total net revenues Non-GAAP net margin attributable to Vipshop's shareholders is non-GAAP net income attributable to Vipshop's shareholders as a percentage of total net revenues Free cash flow is net cash from operating activities adding back the impact from Internet financing activities and less capital expenditures, which include purchase and deposits of property and equipment and land use rights. Impact from Internet financing activities added back or deducted from free cash flow contains changes in the balances of financial products, which are primarily consumer financing and supplier financing that the Company provides to customers and suppliers. The Company believes that separate analysis and exclusion of the non-cash impact of (i) share-based compensation, (ii) investment gain (loss) and revaluation of investments excluding dividends, (iii) reconciling items on the share of equity method investments, (iv) amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions, and (v) tax effects on non-GAAP adjustments add clarity to the constituent parts of its performance. The Company reviews these non-GAAP financial measures together with GAAP financial measures to obtain a better understanding of its operating performance. It uses these non-GAAP financial measures for planning, forecasting and measuring results against the forecast. The Company believes that non-GAAP financial measures are useful supplemental information for investors and analysts to assess its operating performance without the effect of (i) share-based compensation expenses, (ii) investment gain (loss) and revaluation of investments excluding dividends, (iii) reconciling items on the share of equity method investments, (iv) amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions, and (v) tax effects on non-GAAP adjustments. Free cash flow enables the Company to assess liquidity and cash flow, taking into account the impact from Internet financing activities and the financial resources needed for the expansion of fulfillment infrastructure,technology platform and Shan Shan Outlets. Share-based compensation expenses have been and will continue to be significant recurring expenses in its business. However, the use of non-GAAP financial measures has material limitations as an analytical tool. One of the limitations of using non-GAAP financial measures is that they do not include all items that impact the Company's net income for the period. In addition, because non-GAAP financial measures are not measured in the same manner by all companies, they may not be comparable to other similar titled measures used by other companies. One of the key limitations of free cash flow is that it does not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures.
The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned "Vipshop Holdings Limited Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results" at the end of this release.
Investor Relations Contact
Tel: +86 (20) 2233-0732
Email: IR@vipshop.com
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SOURCE Vipshop Holdings Limited | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/19/vipshop-reports-unaudited-first-quarter-2022-financial-results/ | 2022-05-19T09:21:20Z |
Curious about cryptocurrencies but don't know where to begin? Help is on the way. Some employers may soon offer you the option to invest in bitcoin and other digital currencies through your 401(k).
Here's what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.
The weekend that was
• The southern coastal city of Odesa came under attack earlier today, with a local official saying a Russian missile strike had hit "critical infrastructure." Follow CNN's full coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine here.
• Imran Khan survived an attempt to oust him as Pakistan's prime minister today after a no-confidence vote was blocked in Parliament by the deputy speaker. Khan, who is facing the toughest challenge of his political career, requested the country's president dissolve Parliament and called on the nation to prepare for a fresh election.
• At least 14 people were killed, including seven children, after days of heavy rains triggered flooding and landslides in the southeastern Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, the State Civil Defense told CNN yesterday.
• Alaska Airlines canceled dozens of flights this weekend as its pilots held informational pickets in numerous cities throughout the United States in an almost 3-year-long deadlock in contract negotiations with the airline.
• Estelle Harris, the actress known for playing George Costanza's mother on "Seinfeld," died yesterday, her agent told CNN. She was 93. Harris, whose distinctive voice was sought after in various roles, unforgettably played Estelle Costanza on the 90s sitcom, often bickering with her on-screen husband Jerry Stiller and her fictional son, Jason Alexander.
The week ahead
Monday
After a one-week delay, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Jackson's confirmation hearings concluded on March 24 after rounds of questioning and some heated exchanges with GOP senators. Last week, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she will vote to confirm Jackson to the high court -- the first GOP senator to do so.
Tuesday
California will hold a special primary election for the state's 22nd Congressional District. Former GOP Rep. Devin Nunes set off this special primary contest with his resignation from Congress in January to join former President Donald Trump's new social media venture.
Wednesday
The Federal Reserve will release the minutes from its last meeting in mid-March when officials announced they were raising interest rates -- the first of what is expected to be a series of rate hikes this year to combat inflation. Economists and traders on Wall Street often scrutinize these minutes for clues about the timing of future interest rate moves.
Thursday
April 7 is the World Health Organization's World Health Day 2022. And in an ironic confluence of events, it's also National Beer Day in the US.
Want more 5 Things?
This week on the Sunday edition of the 5 Things podcast, we conclude our special series on anti-Asian violence in America. In part two, CNN's Harmeet Kaur looks at how a rash of attacks have pushed women to adopt new self-protection strategies and examines how cities are confronting the threat to public safety. Listen here!
Photos of the week
Check out more moving, fascinating and thought-provoking images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.
What's happening in entertainment
The 64th Grammy Awards
Trevor Noah will host music's biggest night from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas tonight at 8 p.m ET. Expect performances from Gen Z stars and nominees Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish, as well as appearances from Silk Sonic, John Legend and Carrie Underwood. Grammy-nominated Kanye West, however, will not be performing.
'Game of Thrones' prequel will premiere this summer
Devotees of all things Westeros, our long night of pining after the new "Game of Thrones" series is nearly over -- "House of the Dragon" is finally hatching this summer. The highly anticipated prequel to HBO's fantasy megahit, which is set some 200 years before the events of the original series, will premiere August 21. (HBO and CNN are owned by WarnerMedia.)
What's happening in sports
NCAA Men's Basketball Championship
TK and TK will play for the 2022 NCAA men's national championship Monday in the Superdome in New Orleans. (TK color here from the Saturday Final Four games and something about Duke's Mike Krzyzewski)
Play Ball!
After a nearly 100-day lockout that delayed Spring Training, Thursday is Opening Day for Major League Baseball. The first pitch in the season-opening game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET.
The Masters
The hottest topic in the golf world is whether Tiger Woods will tee it up when the Masters tournament begins Thursday. The 15-time major champion sparked speculation that he could make a dramatic return to the sport after it was widely reported that he played a practice round at Augusta National last week. The 46-year-old, who has not played in an official tournament since suffering serious leg injuries in a car crash in February 2021, is listed among the 91 starters for the event.
Quiz time!
Take CNN's weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 59% of fellow quiz fans have gotten an 8 out of 10 or better this week. How well can you do?
Play me off
A little extra sun for a Sunday morning
Start your week off right with this Beatles classic. (Click here to view)
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/start-your-week-smart-ukraine-pakistan-brazil-alaska-airlines-estelle-harris/article_2a4c5232-f4b5-5cf1-a137-990ed8f46069.html | 2022-04-03T14:48:21Z |
VANCOUVER, June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- City Office REIT, Inc. (NYSE: CIO) ("City Office" or the "Company") announced today that its Board of Directors has authorized a quarterly dividend amount of $0.20 per share of common stock and common unit of partnership interest for the second quarter of 2022.
Additionally, the Board of Directors authorized a regular quarterly dividend of $0.4140625 per share of the Company's 6.625% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock.
The dividends will be payable on July 22, 2022 to all stockholders, preferred stockholders and operating partnership unitholders, as applicable, of record as of the close of business on July 8, 2022.
About City Office REIT, Inc.
City Office REIT is an internally-managed real estate company focused on acquiring, owning and operating high-quality office properties located in leading 18-hour cities in the Southern and Western United States. City Office currently owns or has a controlling interest in 6.0 million square feet of office properties. The Company has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are based on management's current expectations, assumptions and beliefs. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipate", "expect," "intend," "may" and similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. They are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among other things, the timing and amount of repurchases of CIO's common stock, if any, changes to CIO's expected liquidity position and the risk factors set forth in CIO's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The statements made herein speak only as of the date of this press release, and, except as required by law, CIO does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.
Contact
City Office REIT, Inc.
Anthony Maretic, CFO
+1-604-806-3366
investorrelations@cityofficereit.com
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SOURCE City Office REIT, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/city-office-reit-announces-dividends-second-quarter-2022/ | 2022-06-16T21:47:58Z |
GREAT LAKES, Ill. -- Sailors are some of the most highly-trained people on the planet, according to Navy officials, and at Recruit Training Command, otherwise known as “boot camp,” these skills are taught by hard-charging, Navy professionals who transform civilians into disciplined, qualified U.S Navy sailors.
Lt. Donny James II, a native of Albany, plays an important role at RTC, supporting these sailors as a surface engineer limited duty officer.
James is responsible for managing instructors who provide training for new recruits. A 2003 graduate of Sol C. Johnson High School in Savannah, James joined the Navy 19 years ago.
“I joined to accelerate my life and be part of something bigger than myself,” he said in a Navy news release.
According to James, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Albany.
“I learned if you're going to do something, do it all the way,” he said.
In 1994, RTC Great Lakes became the Navy's only recruit training facility. The mission of RTC is to transform civilians into smartly disciplined, physically fit, basically trained Sailors who are ready for follow-on training and service to the fleet while instilling in them the highest standards of honor, courage and commitment.
Recruit training involves a change in the mental and physical capacity of the new recruit, according to Navy officials. From the first day at RTC through graduation day, when new Sailors board the bus to depart, recruits find themselves in a whirl of activity. Every recruit entering the Navy today will remember RTC as their introduction to Navy life.
Bootcamp lasts approximately eight weeks, and all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Their basic training curriculum comprises five core competencies: firefighting, damage control, seamanship, watch standing and physical fitness. Through a hands-on learning approach, recruits "train how they fight" and receive critical warfighting skills during the sailor development process. The command consists of more than 1,100 staff members, with an average of 6,000 recruits in training at any time.
Jobs are highly varied at RTC, both sailors and civilians work together to keep the command running smoothly. This includes coordinating public affairs events, religious ministries, and providing administrative and logistic support.
With more than 90% of all trade traveling by sea, and 95% of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors' readiness, capabilities and capacity.
“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” Gilday said. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”
Serving in the Navy means James is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“The Navy is the primary source of global sea power,” James said. “I’m most proud of getting commissioned as a Naval officer."
As James and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“I have an opportunity to serve in various leadership roles,” he said. “I’m always being encouraged to grow. I get to be an example and role model for others to follow.”
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Evolent Health, Inc. (NYSE: EVH) ("Evolent"), a health care company that delivers proven clinical and related solutions to payers and providers, today announced that Chief Financial Officer John Johnson and Vice President, Investor Relations Seth Frank will participate in upcoming investor conferences.
A live audio-only webcast and replay for these events will be available on the Investor Relations section of Evolent's website at http://ir.evolenthealth.com/, unless otherwise noted below.
- Messsrs. Johnson and Frank will present at the 2022 Wells Fargo Healthcare Conference at The Encore Boston Harbor, Everett, Mass., on Friday, September 9, 2022, at 10:25 a.m. ET.
- Messsrs. Johnson and Frank will conduct investor meetings only at the Baird 2022 Global Healthcare Conference at the Intercontinental New York Barclay, on Tuesday, September 13, 2022.
- Mr. Frank and management will participate in the BofA Securities 2022 Healthcare Innovation Forum, to be held virtually on Thursday, September 29, 2022. Presentation time and webcast details will be forthcoming on the Evolent Health Investor Relations website when available.
About Evolent Health
Evolent Health delivers proven clinical and administrative solutions that improve whole-person health while making health care simpler and more affordable. Our solutions encompass total cost of care management, specialty care management and administrative simplification. Evolent serves a national base of leading payers and providers, is the first company to receive the National Committee for Quality Assurance's Population Health Program Accreditation and is consistently recognized as a top place to work in health care nationally. Learn more about how Evolent is changing the way health care is delivered by visiting evolenthealth.com.
Contacts:
Seth R. Frank
Vice President, Investor Relations
Evolent Health, Inc.
sfrank@evolenthealth.com
571-895-3919 (W)
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SOURCE Evolent Health | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/09/evolent-health-participate-upcoming-conferences/ | 2022-09-09T09:55:24Z |
ALBANY — A report on the pre-bidding process during a Monday Dougherty County Commission meeting revived discussion on the question of adding more minority contractors into the mix of those doing government work.
Currently, contractors are basically required only to attend mandatory pre-bid sessions on projects that are complicated and require them to view a work site in order to make an informed bid, Yvette Fields, assistant city manager and director of the city’s Central Services Department, told commissioners. The vast majority of projects do not require attending an in-person session prior to the submission of bids.
The city of Albany provides purchasing services to the county through a contract with the county.
As an example, Fields gave painting projects.
“There you have to view certain rooms,” she said. “If they don’t see those rooms, they don’t know what they’re bidding on.”
Commissioners Victor Edwards and Gloria Gaines spoke in favor of requiring more mandatory pre-bid sessions with contractors.
While that may not be beneficial in every instance for companies that have done business with the county on a long-term basis, it could be for contractors trying to learn the process, Gaines said.
“We have to find a way to include more minority contractors in the spending of the money we collect from minorities,” she said. “Certainly one of the ways to do that is for minority contractors to be present at some of these pre-bid meetings.
“He’ll fully understand the bidding process; he’ll fully understand these forms. They’re not knowledgeable sometimes in the dotting of their ‘i’s’ and crossing of their ‘t’s’. Out of all the money collected in the community, we need to find a way to return some of this money to the community.”
Answering a question from Gaines on how more minority firms can be enlisted to participate, Fields said that has been an issue for years. Her department takes “a lot of extra steps” to encourage more minority contractors to seek work from the city and county.
“It has always been a challenge; it is still a challenge,” she said. “For the last couple of years, the city has been doing speed bumps. We call minority contractors; we call them repeatedly, and we only get one bid and it is not from a minority contractor.”
Speaking about a controversial bid that was rejected in February from a low-bid minority contractor on a Radium Springs trail project, Fields said it was not acceptable. The company also was not a new firm trying to get a start in doing work for local governments.
“His bid was unbalanced,” she said. “He front-loaded his bid. This was a material (failure). That trail, that contractor, he was not new. He was a contractor we’ve worked with for years.”
The contractor also owes the county money from a project related to the 1994 flood, Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas said.
Edwards said he also sees value in the pre-bid process, and suggested setting mandatory meetings for projects that exceed a certain dollar amount.
“(With) the mandatory pre-bid, if you weren’t there, you have no complaint,” Edwards said. “As a commissioner, I like the mandatory pre-bids. If you’re serious about doing business, it ought to be mandatory.” | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/bidding-presentation-brings-up-minority-contracting-issues-during-dougherty-county-commission-session/article_cf26bd1e-b9bd-11ec-86ff-335e1d6f1535.html | 2022-04-11T21:53:38Z |
NEW YORK, July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for CYTK, PSTG, REV, LXRX, and BE.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- CYTK: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=CYTK&prnumber=070120222
- PSTG: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=PSTG&prnumber=070120222
- REV: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=REV&prnumber=070120222
- LXRX: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=LXRX&prnumber=070120222
- BE: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=BE&prnumber=070120222
(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)
InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alerts are based on our proprietary scoring methodology. Each stock is evaluated based on short-term technical, long-term technical and fundamental factors. Each of those scores is then combined into an overall score that determines a stock's overall suitability for investment.
InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
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SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/01/thinking-about-buying-stock-cytokinetics-pure-storage-revlon-lexicon-pharmaceuticals-or-bloom-energy/ | 2022-07-01T14:39:59Z |
Borda Technology Uses New Solution to Track Equipment in Hospitals for More Efficient Patient Care
AUSTIN, Texas, June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Silicon Labs, a leader in secure, intelligent wireless technology for a more connected world, today announced its new, Bluetooth Location Services solution using accurate, low-power Bluetooth devices to simplify Angle of Arrival (AoA) and Angle of Departure (AoD) location services. Combining hardware and software, this new platform delivers industry-leading energy efficiency by using Silicon Labs' BG22 SiP modules and SoCs, which can operate for up to ten years on only a coin cell battery, with advanced software that can track assets, improve indoor navigation, and better locate tags with sub-meter accuracy. Borda Technology is one of the first companies to adopt this new platform. Borda provides "IoT for Healthcare" products such as Asset Management, Asset Utilization, Patient Throughput Management and Patient Flow, Patient Safety, and more through real-time location services (RTLS).
"As the largest, pure-play IoT company in the world, we focus on providing complete wireless IoT solutions for the edge, including silicon, software, tools, and support," said Daniel Cooley, CTO of Silicon Labs. "Today's new Bluetooth location services offering further proves our belief that we can deliver differentiated solutions to our customers by thinking of IoT as a complete platform, rather than a singular piece of hardware."
In many industries, locating inventory and physical assets can often be a time-consuming process. It can also lead to waste, as assets are lost behind shelves or in unexpected locations. This is a problem across many industries, such as an assembly line for an automotive manufacturer with an average of 30,000 parts per vehicle, or a pharmaceutical company where quantities of drug ingredients need to be monitored to the smallest measure.
While there are several existing location-based technologies, they are plagued by limitations that affect their usefulness at scale. GPS is ineffective indoors, Wi-Fi has varying degrees of accuracy, and the very-accurate ultra-wideband (UWB) can be more expensive than other solutions and has high energy requirements.
Bluetooth is a mature technology that can overcome many of these barriers with new software.
When Bluetooth 5.1 was released in early 2019, some of the new key features were improved location services. Building off of that, Silicon Labs has developed new advanced software, designed to maximize the location-finding capabilities of our BG22 series of SoCs and SiP modules. The new features are comprised of the following:
- Asynchronous continued tone extension (CTE) broadcasts from the device to the locator. Asynchronous broadcast eliminates the need for synchronized transmission timings between the device and locator, thereby enabling the locators to track a large number of assets simultaneously and multiple locators to simultaneous to see the same asset at the same time for triangulation.
- Broad spectrum CTE broadcast across all 37 channels to reduce interference by moving the CTE transmissions from advertisement to data channels.
These new features enhance Silicon Labs' Bluetooth software portfolio, one of the most comprehensive set of solutions available for accelerating development of direction-finding applications. With additional development tools specifically designed to accelerate development of direction-finding applications. Silicon Labs' portfolio positions developers and designers to build a wide range of IoT location service applications that can meet the unique needs of every environment and deployment.
This new software runs on the BG22 family of Bluetooth low energy (LE) SoCs and SiPs, the smallest in Silicon Labs' portfolio. This product family combines best-in-class, ultra-low transmit and receive power (4.1 mA TX at 0 dBm, 3.6 mA RX) with a high-performance, low-power ARM® Cortex®-M33 core (27 µA/MHz active, 1.2 µA sleep). Altogether, these deliver industry-leading energy efficiency that can extend coin-cell battery life up to ten years.
Hospitals are constantly buzzing with activity, from specialized equipment moving from room to room, to patients moving throughout the facility, to drugs being administered, even down to cleaning and sterilization services. These tasks use countless pieces of individual hospital assets that must be carefully tracked in order to ensure they can be located when they're required, arrive on time, and are accounted for. This can be time-consuming when time is precious. One study recently found that in a single shift, nurses spend over an hour on average trying to track down the equipment they need to do their jobs.
Borda Technology seeks to change that by using RTLS asset tracking capabilities, which can reduce the time it takes to search for equipment, so employees can focus on patient care. Using the new Silicon Labs AoA and AoD software, running on BG22 Bluetooth SoCs, Borda introduced new tamper-proof asset tracking tags that not only can help to locate an item, but also provide staff with operational insights when making informed healthcare and business decisions. For example, the Borda solution prevents uncalibrated equipment from being used by setting alarms that can alert staff to equipment that needs attention, thereby preventing dangerous, and at times life-threatening, accidents.
Silicon Labs' holistic, platform-centric approach to Bluetooth location services and the simplicity of the BG22 has helped Borda dramatically decrease how long it takes to install its solution. What once took months, can now be up and running in just weeks
Read more about Borda Technology's use of Silicon Labs location services in an in-depth case study on SiLabs.com.
Silicon Labs's new Bluetooth Location Services solution is comprised of several parts, available to order today from Silicon Labs and distributors. The complete solution includes:
- Bluetooth software stack with Direction Finding support
- EFR32BG24 SoCs
- EFR32BG22 SoCs and SiP module
- AoA/AoD antenna array board and reference design
The solution is now available through Silicon Labs and our ecosystem partners.
Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) is a leader in secure, intelligent wireless technology for a more connected world. Our integrated hardware and software platform, intuitive development tools, unmatched ecosystem, and robust support make us an ideal long-term partner in building advanced industrial, commercial, home, and life applications. We make it easy for developers to solve complex wireless challenges throughout the product lifecycle and get to market quickly with innovative solutions that transform industries, grow economies, and improve lives. Silabs.com
Note to editors: Silicon Labs, Silicon Laboratories, the "S" symbol, the Silicon Laboratories logo, and the Silicon Labs logo are trademarks of Silicon Laboratories Inc. All other product names noted herein may be trademarks of their respective holders.
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SOURCE Silicon Labs | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/silicon-labs-announces-new-bluetooth-location-services-with-advanced-hardware-software/ | 2022-06-21T05:32:07Z |
Officials: Millions of COVID-19 shots ordered for youngest
NEW YORK (AP) - Millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses have been ordered for small children in anticipation of possible federal authorization next week, White House officials say.
The government allowed pharmacies and states to start placing orders last week, with 5 million doses initially available — half of them shots made by Pfizer and the other half the vaccine produced by Moderna, senior administration officials said.
As of this week, about 1.45 million of the 2.5 million available doses of Pfizer have been ordered, and about 850,000 of available Moderna shots have been ordered, officials said. More orders are expected in the coming days.
Young children are the last group of Americans who have not been recommended to get COVID-19 vaccinations. Up to about 20 million U.S. children under 5 would become eligible for vaccination if the government authorizes one or both shots.
It’s not clear how popular the shots will be. A recent survey suggests only 1 in 5 parents of young children would get their kids vaccinated right away.
And public health officials have been disappointed at how many older U.S. children, who have been eligible for shots for months, have yet to be vaccinated: Less than one-third of kids ages 5 to 11 have gotten the two recommended doses, according to government figures.
“As we go down in the age groups, we see lower and lower uptake” of vaccines, said Dr. Lucia Abascal of the California Department of Public Health.
Pfizer has asked FDA to authorize three doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 month to 4 years. Each dose is one-tenth of the amount adults receive.
Moderna has asked the FDA to authorize two shots for kids ages 6 months to 5 years, each containing a quarter of the dose given to adults.
The Food and Drug Administration authorizes the use of vaccines, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues recommendations to doctors and the public about using them.
An FDA advisory committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday and Wednesday to review data from the two companies. Officials say they expect a FDA decision shortly after that meeting.
A CDC advisory committee is scheduled for next Friday and Saturday, with a CDC decision expected soon after.
Vaccinations should begin in earnest as early as June 21, White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told reporters last week.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/06/09/officials-millions-covid-19-shots-ordered-youngest/ | 2022-06-09T10:45:45Z |
NEW YORK, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a reopened case arising from prior NAD decisions, The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs determined that SmileDirectClub, LLC's claim that its treatment costs "60% less than Invisalign," without further qualification, was overly broad. Therefore, NAD recommended SmileDirectClub (SDC) modify the claim to clearly and conspicuously disclose that SDC aligners do not correct the same range of issues that might be addressed with Invisalign.
The claim at issue, which appeared on several of SDC's webpages, was challenged by Align Technology, Inc., maker of Invisalign clear aligners.
2020 Challenge
In a 2020 challenge brought by Align, NAD had recommended that SDC's "60% less than braces" and "60% less than other brands" claims both be discontinued. Based on NAD's recommendation, SDC agreed to discontinue those claims.
2021 Challenge
In 2021, SDC petitioned to reopen the matter pursuant to NAD/NARB Procedures. NAD granted the petition to re-open based on its review of a new survey of 200 practicing orthodontists conducted by a third-party market research company to address the concerns NAD had expressed in the prior decision.
NAD determined that SDC's survey constituted reliable evidence. However, NAD determined that without additional information, a consumer could take away an overly broad and potentially misleading message from the advertiser's "60% less than braces" claim. Therefore, NAD recommended that the advertising should be modified to:
- Make clear that SDC consumers may not obtain the same results as those that could be obtained from braces.
- Clearly disclose the basis of the price comparison, including that the average typical price was derived from a survey of orthodontists asking the price for treatment of mild-to-moderate malocclusion with braces as well as the additional services included in the average typical price (i.e., costs associated with diagnostics and exams).
- Make clear that the SDC price being compared is its one-time single payment price, not the higher SmilePay monthly payment price, and does not include the cost of any additional services, such as retainers.
Further, NAD recommended that SDC discontinue the claim "60% less than other brands" because its survey did not ask respondents which brand of aligners they prescribe, making it unclear how much of the market is represented by the responses.
In its advertiser statement, SDC agreed to comply with the 2021 decision.
Reopened Proceeding
Subsequently, SDC commissioned a new survey (Second Survey), which was modified to address the concerns raised by Align in the 2021 reopened matter. SDC then launched new advertising claiming "60% less than Invisalign," with a disclosure stating:
"60% less than Invisalign" claim is based on Single pay vs. average fees (including diagnostics and in-person exams) for treatment of mild-to-moderate malocclusion with Invisalign as reported in a national survey of practicing dentists and orthodontists. Price comparison does not include additional costs, such as retainers. As treatment is highly individualized, results may not be the same.
Because of this new advertising, Align initiated a compliance challenge against SDC and SDC responded by petitioning to reopen both the 2020 and 2021 decisions so that NAD may consider its new evidence. NAD agreed to reopen this case to review the new evidence and consider whether SDC can support the express claim that its treatment is "60% less than Invisalign."
NAD determined that the methodology of SDC's Second Survey was reliable. However, NAD found that without further qualification, reasonable consumers can take away an overly broad message from the advertiser's "60% less than Invisalign" claim.
Further, although NAD recognized that SDC's disclosure was intended to follow guidance from the 2021 decision, NAD concluded that the disclosure is inadequate to inform consumers that SDC aligners will not correct the same range of issues that might be addressed by Invisalign. NAD explained that merely stating that treatment is individualized will only alert consumers to the fact that everyone may see different results, not that the 60% less comparison is comparing two services that differ in the malocclusions that they treat.
Therefore, NAD recommended that SDC modify the "60% less than Invisalign" claim to clearly and conspicuously disclose that SDC aligners do not correct the same range of issues that might be addressed with Invisalign.
In its advertiser statement, SmileDirectClub stated that "it will comply with the NAD's recommendations." The advertiser further stated that while it "disagrees that its qualified '60% less than Invisalign' claim sends any overly broad messages . . . as a strong supporter of the self-regulatory system, SDC will modify its disclosure to comply with the NAD's recommendations."
All BBB National Programs case decisions can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive.
About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs is where businesses turn to enhance consumer trust and consumers are heard. The non-profit organization creates a fairer playing field for businesses and a better experience for consumers through the development and delivery of effective third-party accountability and dispute resolution programs. Embracing its role as an independent organization since the restructuring of the Council of Better Business Bureaus in June 2019, BBB National Programs today oversees more than a dozen leading national industry self-regulation programs, and continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-directed marketing, and privacy. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.
About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and leveling the playing field for business.
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SOURCE BBB National Programs | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/national-advertising-division-finds-smiledirectclub-60-less-than-invisalign-claim-supported-with-modifications/ | 2022-07-21T14:27:10Z |
CLEVELAND, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE: TDG) today said it will report fiscal 2022 third quarter earnings before the market opens on Tuesday, August 9, 2022.
A conference call will follow at 11:00 a.m., Eastern Time. To join the call telephonically, please register for the call here. Once registered, participants will receive the dial-in information and a unique pin to access the call. A live audio webcast of the call can also be accessed online at http://www.transdigm.com.
The webcast will be archived on the website and available for replay later that day.
About TransDigm Group
TransDigm Group, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, is a leading global designer, producer and supplier of highly engineered aircraft components for use on nearly all commercial and military aircraft in service today. Major product offerings, substantially all of which are ultimately provided to end-users in the aerospace industry, include mechanical/electro-mechanical actuators and controls, ignition systems and engine technology, specialized pumps and valves, power conditioning devices, specialized AC/DC electric motors and generators, batteries and chargers, engineered latching and locking devices, engineered rods, engineered connectors and elastomer sealing solutions, databus and power controls, cockpit security components and systems, specialized and advanced cockpit displays, engineered audio, radio and antenna systems, specialized lavatory components, seat belts and safety restraints, engineered and customized interior surfaces and related components, advanced sensor products, switches and relay panels, thermal protection and insulation, lighting and control technology, parachutes, high performance hoists, winches and lifting devices, and cargo loading, handling and delivery systems.
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SOURCE TransDigm Group Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/transdigm-third-quarter-earnings-report-conference-call-set-tuesday-august-9-2022/ | 2022-08-01T13:23:21Z |
UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Elsa Avila slid to her phone, terrified as she held the bleeding side of her abdomen and tried to stay calm for her students. In a text to her family that she meant to send to fellow Uvalde teachers, she wrote: “I’m shot.”
For the first time in 30 years, Avila will not be going back to school as classes resume Tuesday in the small, southeast Texas town. The start of school will look different for her, as for other survivors of the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School in which 21 people died, with an emphasis on healing, both physically and mentally. Some have opted for virtual education, others for private school. Many will return to Uvalde school district campuses, though Robb Elementary itself will never reopen.
“I’m trying to make sense of everything,” Avila said in an August interview, “but it is never going to make sense.”
A scar down her torso brings her to tears as a permanent reminder of the horror she endured with her 16 students as they waited in their classroom for an hour for help while a gunman slaughtered 19 children and two teachers in two adjoining classrooms nearby.
Minutes before she felt the sharp pain of the bullet piercing her intestine and colon, Avila was motioning students away from the walls and windows and closer to her. A student lined up by the door for recess had just told her something was going on outside: People were running — and screaming. As she slammed the classroom door so the lock would catch, her students took their well-practiced lockdown positions.
Moments later, a gunman stormed into their fourth-grade wing and began spraying bullets before ultimately making his way into rooms 111 and 112.
In room 109, Avila repeatedly texted for help, according to messages reviewed by The Associated Press. First at 11:35 a.m. in the text to her family that she says was meant for the teacher group chat. Then at 11:38 in a message to the school’s vice principal. At 11:45, she responded to a text from the school’s counselor asking if her classroom was on lockdown with: “I’m shot, send help.” And when the principal assured her that help was on the way, she replied simply: “Help.”
“Yes they are coming,” the principal wrote back at 11:48 a.m.
It’s unclear whether her messages were relayed to police. District officials did not respond to requests for comment on actions taken to communicate with law enforcement on May 24, and an attorney for then-Principal Mandy Gutierrez was not available for comment.
According to a legislative committee’s report that described a botched police response, nearly 400 local, state and federal officers stood in the hallway of the fourth-grade wing or outside the building for 77 minutes before some finally entered the adjoining classrooms and killed the gunman. Lawmakers also found a relaxed approach to lockdowns — which happened often — and security concerns, including issues with door locks. State and federal investigations into the shooting are ongoing.
The district is working to complete new security measures, and the school board in August fired the district’s police chief, Pete Arredondo. Residents say it remains unclear how — or even if — trust between the community and officials can be rebuilt, even as some call for more accountability, better police training and stricter gun safety laws.
Avila recalls hearing the ominous bursts of rapid fire, then silence, then the voices of officers in the hallway yelling, “Crossfire!” and later more officers standing nearby.
“But still nobody came to help us,” she said.
As Avila lay motionless, unable to speak loud enough to be heard, some of her students nudged and shook her. She wished for the strength to tell them she was still alive.
A light flashed into their window, but nobody identified themselves. Scared it might be the gunman, the students moved away.
“The little girls closest to me kept patting me and telling me, ‘It’s going to be OK miss. We love you miss,’” Avila said.
Finally, at 12:33 p.m. a window in her classroom broke. Officers arrived to evacuate her students — the last to be let out in the area, according to Avila.
With her remaining strength, Avila pulled herself up and helped usher students onto chairs and tables and through the window. Then, clutching her side, she told an officer she was too weak to jump herself. He came through the window to pull her out.
“I never saw my kids again. I know they climbed out the window and I could just hear them telling them, `Run, run, run!’” Avila said.
She remembers being taken to the airport, where a helicopter flew her to a San Antonio hospital. She was in and out of care until June 18.
Avila later learned that a student in her class was wounded by shrapnel to the nose and mouth but had since been released from medical care. She said other students helped their injured classmates until officers arrived.
“I am very proud of them because they were able to stay calm for a whole hour that we were in there terrified,” Avila said.
As her students prepare to return to school for the first time since that traumatic day, Avila is on the way to recovery, walking up to eight minutes at a time on the treadmill in physical therapy and going to counseling. She looks forward to teaching again someday.
Outside of a shuttered Robb Elementary, a memorial for the people killed overflows at the entrance gate. Teachers from across Texas stopped by this summer to pay their respects and reflect on what they would do in the same situation.
“If I survive, I have to make sure they survive first,” said Olga Oglin, an educator of 23 years from Dallas, her voice breaking.
“Whatever happens to a student at our school, it just happens to one of my kids,” Olgin said, adding that as the person to greet parents, students and staff at the door in the mornings, she likely would be the first person shot.
Ofelia Loyola, who teaches elementary school in San Antonio, visited with her husband, middle school teacher Raul Loyola. She was baffled at the delayed response from law enforcement, as seen on security and police video.
“They are all kids. It doesn’t matter how old they are, you protect them,” she said.
Last week, Avila and several of her students met for the end-of-year party they were unable to have in May. They played in the pool at a country club and she gave them each a bracelet with a little cross to remind them that “God was with us that day and they are not alone,” she said.
“We always talked about being kind, being respectful, taking care of each other — and they were able to do that on that day,” Avila said.
“They took care of each other. They took care of me.”
___
More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting | https://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-us-headlines/ap-16-uvalde-fourth-graders-waited-an-hour-with-injured-teacher/ | 2022-09-05T17:38:25Z |
Acquisition Gives UTA a Significant Industry Advantage to Deliver Clients More Impactful Insights
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading global entertainment, talent, and sports agency UTA has acquired MediaHound, a software and data analytics company that helps entertainment and media companies develop proprietary insights to most effectively utilize information to benefit talent, content, and audiences.
The acquisition will accelerate UTA's already substantial data and analytics capabilities and allow it to drive value for the agency's clients at scale. UTA IQ - the agency's research, data analytics, and digital strategy division - will utilize MediaHound's proprietary technology, which includes The Entertainment Graph®, a deep database of film and television content and talent that has been used by leading studios, streamers, and agencies to produce actionable insights and fuel user recommendation engines.
MediaHound and its team of engineers and product developers will become part of UTA IQ.
"Although Talent and creativity remain the coin of the realm, data aligned with strong insights is also a critical tool for our colleagues and clients," said Jeremy Zimmer, UTA CEO. "Today's acquisition is a strong addition to the potency of our capabilities in this space."
"Since the launch of UTA IQ in 2018, our team has been synthesizing information from multiple sources to create unique tools and insights for our clients and agents, and along the way we became aware of the impressive products and services MediaHound offers the industry," said Joe Kessler, Partner and Global Head of UTA IQ. "Now that we can combine MediaHound's capabilities with ours, we can exponentially expand and hasten UTA's ability to navigate multiple layers of data to support critical client transactions and provide insights to inform their strategies."
"In UTA, we found a partner that shares our vision and ideals about the growing value and impact of data-driven software solutions in entertainment and media," said Addison McCaleb, CEO and founder of MediaHound. "We could not be happier than to move into the next phase of our evolution as part of such a dynamic, visionary company."
In addition to its technical expertise and unique IP, MediaHound operates two consumer web sites, "Autum" and "Date Night," that help streaming consumers select content that will appeal to them based on their preferences and prior viewership.
MediaHound's financial advisor for the deal was Qualia Legacy Advisors.
UTA unites ideas, opportunities and talent. The company represents some of the world's most iconic, barrier-breaking artists, creators and changemakers—from actors, athletes and musicians to writers, gamers and digital influencers. One of the most influential companies in global entertainment, UTA's business spans talent representation, content production, as well as strategic advisory and marketing work with some of the world's biggest brands. UTA is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, New York and London. More information can be found at unitedtalent.com.
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SOURCE United Talent Agency | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/uta-acquires-mediahound-accelerate-data-analytics-capabilities/ | 2022-06-08T16:53:19Z |
Community Health Accreditation Partner Awards SimiTree's QAPI Program Its "CHAP-Certified" Status
HAMDEN, Conn., June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SimiTree, an outsourced services, coding, professional services and talent management resource for post-acute and behavioral health organizations, has been awarded the prestigious "CHAP Verified" status by Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) for its Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program.
"A review of various SimiTree QAPI processes and documents confirmed a robust QAPI program for home health and hospice agencies," said Teresa Harbour, SVP Accreditation at CHAP. "Their tools were very comprehensive and easy to use."
SimiTree's QAPI Program achieved CHAP Verified status through a thorough product survey to verify that SimiTree's QAPI program allows organizations to meet the intent of CHAP's applicable standards, said Harbour.
"Through SimiTree's QAPI program, we show home health and hospice agencies to drive patient engagement and satisfaction, improve clinical expertise, raise total performance scores under VBP, address agency vulnerabilities, and more," said J'non Griffin, SimiTree Principal and Senior Vice President, Coding and OASIS. "We're honored to receive this recognition for our QAPI team's expertise, who are knowledgable in developing and tracking data-based performance improvement projects and support."
SimiTree, an outsourced services, coding, professional services and talent management resource serving the home health, hospice, applied behavioral analysis, palliative care, and other post-acute organizations, was created by the merger of Simione Healthcare Consultants and BlackTree Healthcare Consulting in May 2021. SimiTree further expanded its behavioral health footprint in 2022 with a strategic alignment with INFINITY, a SimiTree company.
In addition to clinical, financial, and operational consulting, SimiTree offers a robust suite of outsourced services, including billing, coding, OASIS, Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) and Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI), and revenue cycle management; executive placement, interim management, retention consulting and other talent solutions; mergers and acquisitions support; compliance assessments and risk mitigation plans; sales and growth training; and benchmarking and data analytics. For more information, visit www.SimiTreeHC.com.
CHAP is an independent, nonprofit organization accrediting providers of home and community-based care. Founded in 1965, CHAP was first to recognize the need for and value of home and community-based care standards and accreditation. As a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)–approved accrediting organization, CHAP surveys organizations providing home health, hospice, and home medical equipment services to establish if Medicare Conditions of Participation and DMEPOS Quality Standard are met and recommend certification to CMS. CHAP's purpose is to partner with organizations nationwide to advance quality in the delivery of care and services in the home and community.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Lynn Eastep, Vice President, Marketing, SimiTree, leastep@simitreehc.com
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SOURCE SimiTree | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/simitrees-qapi-program-awarded-chap-verified-seal/ | 2022-06-30T18:39:35Z |
For PTSD awareness month, the focus of this live discussion is PTSD and Suicide.
COLUMBIA FALLS, Maine., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Wreaths Across America Radio is proud to announce the sixth in its series of roundtable discussions focused on Veteran Healing through sharing stories of resilience, purpose, and success. This live discussion will take place on Thursday, June 30, 2022, at 12PM ET, and can be heard exclusively on Wreaths Across America Radio.
The discussion will focus on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and veteran suicides, discussing the causes, highlighting the avenues to get help, and learning how to make those connections so veterans can empower themselves into building supportive communities. Guest panelists – listed below – will be interviewed by Wreaths Across America's Executive Director Karen Worcester and Director of Military & Veteran Outreach, Joe Regan, United States Army Veteran.
Guest Panelists Include:
Major General (ret) Gregg Martin: General Martin is a 36-year Army combat veteran, retired two-star general, and bipolar survivor, thriver, and warrior. A qualified Airborne-Ranger-Engineer and Strategist, he has commanded soldiers in combat, as well as a company, battalion, and brigade. As a general officer, he commanded the Corps of Engineers Northwest Division, the Army Engineer School, Fort Leonard Wood, the Army War College, and the National Defense University. A graduate of West Point, MIT, and both the Army and Naval War Colleges, he is an ardent and full-time mental health advocate. He lives with his wife in Cocoa Beach, Florida, where he writes, speaks, and confers. His forthcoming book is entitled: "Bipolar General: my 'forever war' with mental illness."
Cindy Roberts: Cindy is the Department of New York, President, American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. She and her husband Bob are the proud parents of SGT Kristie Roberts who served in the Army National Guard as a medic. Kristie took her own life on Aug. 21, 2012, and every day since her parents have worked tirelessly to help "stop the negative stigma" associated with suicide. This includes service and support to the national nonprofit Mission 22.
"I have the utmost respect for all those who have served and are serving our country," said Karen Worcester, Executive Director, Wreaths Across America. "This discussion, like all our Roundtables have been to date, is so important to be had, if it can help even one person find a path forward."
The goal of the Wreaths Across America Radio roundtable series on Veteran Healing is to help reduce barriers for veterans by:
- Supporting generational bonds between service veterans through stories of service and success;
- Destigmatizing issues faced by veterans and asking for help;
- Combating inaccurate perceptions of veterans by discussing the diverse experiences, challenges, and success of service members, veterans, and their families; and
- Connecting veterans with valuable resources.
You can listen to Wreaths Across America Radio's 24/7 internet stream anytime and anywhere on the iHeart Radio app, Audacy app, TuneIn app, or at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/radio
This is the sixth broadcast in this series, Roundtable discussions are broadcast on Wreaths Across America Radio at least once per quarter. All panel discussions are broadcast exclusively on Wreaths Across America Radio.
About Wreaths Across America Radio
Wreaths Across America Radio is a 24/7 Internet stream. Its unique format provides informational and inspiring content about members of the U.S. armed forces, their families, military veterans, and volunteers throughout the country and overseas who support the mission to Remember, Honor and Teach. Along with the inspiring content, Wreaths Across America Radio plays a variety of music with roots firmly planted in patriotism and a country music thread running through the core of the stream. Wreaths Across America Radio has a live morning show every weekday morning from 6 am to 10 am eastern, along with a variety of special programs that support the mission.
Listen live at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/radio and most recently, via the iHeart Radio app, or download it at the App Store or on Google!
About Wreaths Across America
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization's mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as thousands of veterans' cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.
For more information or to sponsor a wreath please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.
**NOTES TO MEDIA AND PRESS MATERIALS***
Moderators Karen Worcester and Joe Reagan will be available for interviews leading up to each event. Recorded presentations will be available for re-broadcast and distribution after each event.
To help you build your stories quickly, general press information, pictures, and B-roll can be found by visiting https://learn.wreathsacrossamerica.org/mediaresources
Karen Worcester, Executive Director, Wreaths Across America
Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenworcester
Pic: https://www.dropbox.com/s/sogkvijyufe2i65/karenheadshot21_hJePz5gl.jpg?dl=0
Joe Reagan, Director of Military & Veteran Outreach, Wreaths Across America, and United States Army Veteran
Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-reagan
Pic: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fbl9yhy97huod2w/Joe.jpeg?dl=0
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SOURCE Wreaths Across America | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/wreaths-across-america-radio-hosts-sixth-series-roundtable-discussions-veteran-healing/ | 2022-06-22T17:24:46Z |
Friends of 35 years keep promise, split $361K lottery jackpot: ‘He is a true friend’
LEXINGTON, N.C. (Gray News) - North Carolina residents and friends of 35 years followed through on a promise the two made to split any big lottery wins with each other.
Scott Edwards and Perry Charles kept that pact when Charles recently won a $361,527 Fast Play jackpot.
“I looked at the amount you could win and thought to myself, ‘Man, I want this!’” Charles said.
According to the North Carolina Education Lottery, Charles chose to wait until he got home to see if he’d won. When he saw that he had, he called Edwards and kept his word.
“He is a true friend. I know that anything he says is the truth. So, I knew he wasn’t pulling my leg,” Edwards said.
Lottery officials said the two met while working for the Winn-Dixie supermarket company.
“We always talked about if we would hit something big, it didn’t matter if we went in together to get the ticket or if we got it separate, we were going to share it,” Charles said.
According to officials, Charles bought his winning $5 Double Win ticket from a Mast Food Mart on Old U.S. 64 East in Lexington. When he purchased his ticket, the Fast Play jackpot stood at a record $723,054. A $5 ticket receives 50% of the jackpot amount.
The odds of winning a Fast Play jackpot are 1 in 320,000, as shared by the NC Lottery.
Officials said the men arrived at lottery headquarters on Wednesday and collected their prize. After taxes, they received $128,361. Both said they were looking forward to paying some bills with the money.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/07/16/friends-35-years-keep-promise-split-361k-lottery-jackpot-he-is-true-friend/ | 2022-07-16T00:22:48Z |
ANCHORAGE, Ala., June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 14, Dr. Traci Morris, Ph.D., Executive Director of Arizona State University's American Indian Policy Institute (AIPI), will introduce and moderate a discussion with Tribal leadership, Beyond Tribal Self-Determination, during the First General Assembly at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) 2022 Mid Year Conference in Anchorage, Alaska. In addition, Morris will be a panelist in a discussion about the challenges of establishing broadband infrastructure entitled Missed Connections: The importance of Robust Broadband & Cellular Networks.
"I am honored to be invited to participate in NCAI's Mid Year Conference and am looking forward to listening to what Tribal leaders have to say during the First General Assembly," said Dr. Traci Morris, Ph.D. "NCAI's conferences provide a crucial space where we can work together in support of Tribal sovereignty."
In addition, Morris and a cohort representing AIPI will participate in telecommunications and technology sub-committee meetings throughout the week.
NCAI's 2022 Mid Year Conference will be held in-person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference engages Tribal leaders, NCAI members, Native youth, and partners to meet and discuss critical issues impacting Indian Country.
The conference will take place June 12-16 at the Dena'ina Civic & Convention Center in Anchorage, with the theme of "Thinking Beyond Self-Determination." For more information, visit https://ncai.events/.
Dr. Morris, the executive director of the American Indian Policy (AIPI) Institute at Arizona State University, is a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma. Under her leadership, the AIPI has grown and diversified its service to Indian country providing policy analysis, tribally driven research, and economic development capacity building and working with such Indian Country partners as NCAI, NAFOA, and AISES.
In her work at both ASU and prior, Morris has worked with Native American nations, Tribal businesses, and Native American non-profits. Morris is a strong advocate for digital inclusion and equity and a national expert in tribal broadband and access, testifying at the Federal Communications Commission and Capitol Hill.
Morris's research and publications are focused on Internet use, digital inclusion, network neutrality, digital equity, and the development of broadband networks in Indian country. She spearheaded and co-authored the groundbreaking Tribal Technology Assessment: The State of Internet Service on Tribal Lands in 2019. Her book, Native American Voices: A Reader, continues to be a primary teaching tool in colleges throughout the country.
The American Indian Policy Institute is an Indigenous-led and staffed research institute at Arizona State University, whose work supports Tribal communities and Indigenous peoples nationwide. We do this by creating academic research, analyzing and developing policy on the key issues in Indian Country, and by building capacity within an ecosystem of lifelong learning.
The AIPI was established in 2006 with the commitment to carry out Tribally-led participatory research in which Tribal governments identify their own research needs and seek out collaborations with the university.
AIPI's core commitment to Indian Country focus' on new directions and initiatives centered on sovereignty, community service, dedication to research and learning through public service, and supporting tribal communities and leaders in finding solutions while allowing AIPI to be part of the solution in shaping new strategies for Indian Country.
The National Congress of American Indians, founded in 1944, is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities.
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SOURCE ASU's American Indian Policy Institute | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/09/executive-director-american-indian-policy-institute-address-tribal-leaders-national-congress-american-indians-mid-year-gathering-alaska/ | 2022-06-09T23:06:14Z |
Advocates call for change after homeless camp bulldozings
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Topeka resident Ken Saffer says he didn’t have time to move his belongings from the homeless camp where he lived before the city moved in with bulldozers on May 10th.
Saffer says he lost many important items.
“I lost an oxygen settling tank, two tailgater generators, a Honda tiller and some hand tools, and personal property, paperwork, clothing,” he said.
Saffer says the city came in a day earlier than expected.
Social worker and homeless advocate Dr. Russel Burton also says the city did not meet its requirements in assisting the homeless.
“The city is obligated by court decision to sort out property,” he said. “They can’t just come and bulldoze without sorting out bikes, tools and generators and clothing and other sorts of property that they’re obligated to sort out. They didn’t. They’re obligated to sort that property out, take it to the city, provide a method by which the folks can get it back, which they did provide a method by which the folks could get it back and they did notify them, but they didn’t take any property. They didn’t take a single piece of property. You can ask anybody out here. If they didn’t put it on the levy it was bulldozed.”
Even if they had, Burton says the city only must store the items for 30 days.
He wants to see the time extended to 60 days for people to claim their items, and require outreach workers to visit before a camp is bulldozed and remain until city workers leave.
City officials declined an interview on-camera, but in an email, they say they could consider additional storage time for personal items, but it is paid with taxpayer dollars.
The city also says they gave individuals ample opportunity to remove items of personal value, and ensured there was nothing remaining that would require storage, before beginning the clean-up.
Dr. Burton says he plans to take his views to the city council.
“If the city is interested in public health let’s talk about dumpsters down here, let’s talk about trash bags down here, let’s talk about trash bags down here, let’s talk about porta potties down here, let’s talk about some potable water down here. If the city is really concerned about public health I’m concerned about public health too. Let’s address it,” he said.
The Topeka City Council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 7.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/06/07/advocates-call-change-after-homeless-camp-bulldozings/ | 2022-06-07T01:33:55Z |
Shawnee Co. caretaker charged with dependent woman’s murder
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - A Shawnee Co. caretaker has been charged with the murder of a dependent adult woman after her death was the alleged result of a Medicaid scheme.
The Kansas Attorney General’s Office tells 13 NEWS that Jennifer R. Johnson, 35, of Topeka, has been charged with Murder in the First Degree, Mistreatment of a Dependent Adult, and Making a False Claim, Statement or Representation to the Medicaid Program.
According to the complaint filed in Shawnee Co. District Court, indicates that around Dec. 10, 2021, through Jan. 19, 2022, Johnson allegedly killed Andrea Mauer, who ultimately died on Jan. 28.
The complaint also states that Johnson allegedly deprived Mauer of treatment, goods or services needed to maintain her mental and physical health.
Lastly, the report indicated that between July 25, 2021, and Jan. 19, 2022, Johnson allegedly intentionally executed a scheme to defraud the Medicaid program which resulted in Mauer’s death.
Booking records indicate that Johnson was arrested on Saturday, June 23, and is being held on a $200,000 bond. Her first court appearance has been set for 3:30 p.m. on June 30.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/06/23/shawnee-co-caretaker-charged-with-dependent-womans-murder/ | 2022-06-23T17:51:06Z |
Groups Sue EPA over water quality, manatee deaths
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (News Service of Florida) --- Three conservation groups have filed a second federal lawsuit involving poor water quality in Florida that is blamed for “catastrophic mortality” of manatees.
The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and the Save the Manatee Club filed the lawsuit Tuesday in federal court in Orlando. The groups are seeking to require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to re-engage in talks with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service about water quality in the Indian River Lagoon, which has been the site of numerous manatee deaths in 2021 and this year.
The lawsuit, which also contends sea turtles are being harmed by water degradation, alleges that water-quality standards set in 2009 aren’t being “adequately followed or enforced.” The lawsuit points to “unchecked pollution” in the Indian River Lagoon from wastewater-treatment discharges, leaking septic systems, fertilizer runoff and other sources that have killed thousands of acres of seagrass, which manatees depend on for food.
Under the federal Clean Water Act, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2009 set “total maximum daily loads” for nitrogen and phosphorus. Those levels were expected to preserve the natural balance of flora and fauna in the lagoon without impacting manatees and other species. The EPA approved the state levels in 2013.
“New information demonstrates that the TMDLs fail to account for contributions from historic pollution sources, underestimate contributions from septic systems and do not account for the impacts of climate change,” the lawsuit, filed by attorneys from the Earthjustice environmental-law organization, said.
“This failure harms manatees, green sea turtles, loggerhead sea turtles, smalltooth sawfish and other ESA-listed species that depend on the health of the ecosystem of the Indian River Lagoon, thereby decreasing plaintiffs’ members’ opportunities to observe and enjoy them in their natural habitats,” the lawsuit said, using an acronym for the federal Endangered Species Act.
The number of manatee deaths in Florida leaped to 1,101 last year, after averaging 625 the prior five years. The state had already recorded 537 deaths through April 29 this year.
Many of the deaths in 2021 and this year have been caused by manatees starving because of a lack of seagrass. Watercraft have accounted for 112 manatee deaths a year over the past six years, including 103 in 2021.
The state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services in recent months sought to make up for the lost seagrass by providing more than 200,000 pounds of lettuce to starving manatees.
The unprecedented feeding program ran from Dec. 14 to March 31, mostly around Florida Power & Light’s Cape Canaveral Clean Energy Center, where manatees congregate in the winter seeking warm water.
The lawsuit also contends that the EPA refused an Aug. 10, 2021, request by the Fish and Wildlife Service to reinitiate talks on water quality, as required under the Endangered Species Act.
In response to the lawsuit, the EPA’s Southeast region issued a statement that said the agency is committed to improving water quality in the Indian River Lagoon.
“The EPA is very concerned that degraded water quality in the Indian River Lagoon is contributing to seagrass loss and other factors affecting the long-term survival of manatee and other species,” EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman said in a news release. “The unusual mortality event that is claiming the lives of so many manatees highlights the need for accelerated action by the state of Florida to control nutrients reaching the Indian River Lagoon watershed.”
The release said the EPA will continue to work on improving the lagoon’s water quality with Florida and federal agencies, along with the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program.
Elizabeth Forsyth, an attorney for Earthjustice, said more action is needed.
“We’re glad that EPA recognizes that the state isn’t moving fast enough in this crisis to solve the water pollution catastrophe plaguing manatees in the Indian River Lagoon. But simply asking the state to do more is not enough,” Forsyth said in a statement. “That’s why we’ve filed suit asking EPA to use its powerful authority under the Endangered Species Act to ensure manatees and other threatened and endangered species have the clean water they need to survive.”
In February, the three conservation groups filed a separate lawsuit in federal district court in Washington, D.C., contending the Fish and Wildlife Service violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the Endangered Species Act.
That lawsuit, which is pending, contended the federal wildlife agency did not take final action on a 2008 petition to revise what is known as a “critical habitat” designation for manatees. The lawsuit described such designations as key “for ensuring the survival and effectuating the recovery of imperiled species such as the Florida manatee.”
The Fish and Wildlife Service in 2017 changed the listing of manatees from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/05/11/groups-sue-epa-over-water-quality-manatee-deaths/ | 2022-05-11T21:06:13Z |
LOS ANGELES, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery Behavioral Health, Inc., an expanding network of evidence-based mental health, substance use and eating disorder treatment centers, has appointed David Semanco as Program Director of New Life Addiction Counseling & Mental Health Services in Pasadena, Maryland, just outside of Annapolis.
Semanco is a Master Addiction Counselor specializing in the application of complementary therapies to enhance the addiction treatment and recovery process. He transitioned into the addiction treatment field in 2002 following successful careers in information technology and music. He continues to incorporate technology and music into clinical practice as evidenced by his work with neurofeedback and music therapy.
New Life is an outpatient co-occurring disorders center, providing treatment tailored to strengthen those who are struggling with substance abuse, drug and alcohol addiction along with the mental health issues that can contribute to the addiction. By offering a variety of treatment tactics—from outpatient group therapy and 12-step program recommendations to medication-assisted treatment (MAT)— patients can begin recognizing their behaviors, identify challenges, and develop a healthy lifestyle.
A graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Semanco says his journey to the behavioral health profession began in the 1980s when a professor lent him his "newfangled Apple personal computer" to complete his Master's degree thesis. Realizing he had a knack for conveying complex information into layman's term, he soon found himself helping academic colleagues learn the nascent field of computer science. Eventually, he earned another Master's degree in Human Services with an emphasis in Addiction Treatment
"If there's a common thread running through my career, it's that I like to help people," he says.
Samanco has worked in hospital, residential and outpatient settings, providing direct care and developing programs for adolescents and adults. Over the past two decades he's seen a major shift in the public's perception of substance use disorder.
"There's been a definite shift away from stigmatizing alcohol and drug addiction as a moral failing and toward the realization that it is a chronic brain disease. Likewise, treatment has moved from a singular focus on changing behavior or changing 'bad people to good people' to addressing brain chemistry as the root cause," he says.
Known for his ability to create and nurture strong yet compassionate multidisciplinary clinical teams, he is the 2020 recipient of William "Bill" Callahan Award by the Association of Addiction Professions (NAADAC) for sustained mission to increase awareness of addiction and advocacy for prevention, treatment and recovery support at the national level.
"David's extraordinary career, varied life experience and his pioneering work in neurofeedback all complement our company's commitment to innovative treatment methods," says John Peloquin, CEO and President of DBH.
About Discovery Behavioral Health
Everyone deserves a happy, rewarding life. That's why Discovery Behavioral Health has made evidence-based, outcome driven healthcare accessible and affordable since inception. With a full continuum of care – detoxification, medical residences, residential treatment centers, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, outpatient, psychiatric and addiction medicine, TMS, virtual and telehealth services, we can offer the right care at the right time for adults or teens struggling with mental health, substance use or eating disorders. We are a contracted provider with 100 payers and other managed care organizations. Our portfolio of more than 130 treatment centers includes service lines in successful operation since 1985. When treatment is complete, our patients become part of Discovery's growing family of alumni, connected through free aftercare programs, support groups, activities, and a caring community. Because when quality behavioral healthcare is within reach, so is happiness.
Press Contact:
Greg Ptacek
Communications
Discovery Behavioral Health, Inc.
323-841-8002 mobile
gPtacek@discoverybh.com
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SOURCE Discovery Behavioral Health | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/discovery-behavioral-health-appoints-david-semanco-program-director-new-life-treatment-center-maryland/ | 2022-06-29T22:58:31Z |
Integration Builds Momentum for Sector-wide Common Applications, Benchmarking, and Reporting
CHICAGO and SAN FRANCISCO, May 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Impact Genome Project® announced Fluxx will integrate with the Impact Genome's universal nonprofit impact registry. Fluxx joins SmartSimple in uniting philanthropy technology leaders in standardizing and quantifying social outcomes. Together, these grants platforms include more than 500 foundations and represent $23 billion in annual giving.
"This is a new day for philanthropy. A simple idea – creating a common, centralized registry for nonprofits to store their impact data – has the potential to revolutionize the social sector," said Jason Saul, CEO, the Impact Genome Project. "By integrating with the Impact Genome, Fluxx and SmartSimple are leading the field toward greater equity, transparency and accountability."
For funders, a common registry enables a new generation of functionality, including 'closest matching' searches, verified impact reporting, portfolio analysis, and benchmarking. For nonprofits, access to the Impact Genome's standardized and centralized registry will reduce administrative costs and avoid the need to continuously enter the same data into different grant systems.
"One of the key legacies of the global crises of the past two years is that we need shared infrastructure to ease nonprofit burden," said Chantal Forster, executive director, Technology Association of Grantmakers. "Increasingly, grantmakers have realized that investing in common data and shared technology tools across the sector reduces nonprofit overhead, improves equitable access to funding, and enables room for trust-building and collaboration."
For Grantmakers: A New Way to Invest in Social Impact
The Impact Genome provides an objective and efficient way to source, compare, and independently evaluate social impact, enabling grantmakers to operate more like investors. The system also offers grantmakers the ability to view individual grantee scorecards as well as aggregate impact reports, rolling up common data from across their entire grants portfolio. Even before they make a grant, funders can view standardized, comparable impact data on more than two million nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and Canada.
The impact registry's 'closest matching' search feature allows funders to find nonprofits that focus on specialized outcomes aligned to their strategic priorities. Organization matching can help to streamline an RFP process and reduce unqualified grant applications.
"Integrating with the Impact Genome's universal registry enables Fluxx to help our customers benchmark and act on their impact data," said Kerrin Mitchell, chief development officer and co-founder, Fluxx. "By standardizing on impact taxonomies, we can reduce the reporting burden on grantees and continue to forge relationships between givers and doers."
For Nonprofits: Accelerating Access to Funding
The Impact Genome's universal registry will automate grant applications and reports by allowing nonprofits to store and access organizational and program data from a centralized clearinghouse. Currently, nonprofits spend 15 hours or more on each grant report¹ amounting to billions of dollars spent on redundant administrative tasks each year. With a universal registry, nonprofits can store information on their program design, beneficiaries, theory of change, impacts, DEI, and evidence in one centralized location.
By using a registry, nonprofits can now be more discoverable by funders seeking to fund specific outcomes and beneficiaries. This new level of discoverability is intended to help nonprofits of all sizes be equally capable of competing for funding based on their ability to deliver results, instead of their marketing materials or connections.
Standardized data will also help nonprofits tell their impact stories in consistent and structured ways, using data on program efficacy and cost-per-outcome. The Impact Genome also helps nonprofits set quantifiable goals and provide outcomes-based reports to funders, increasing transparency between grantor and grantee.
"With the Impact Genome integration, we are now better able to help our grantmaking clients adopt more equitable practices and significantly elevate their social impact reporting," said Mike Reid, co-founder and chief operating officer, SmartSimple.
Nonprofits can join the registry at no cost by completing a profile here. Foundations, corporations, and other grantmaking organizations should contact their Fluxx and SmartSimple representatives for more information about how the Impact Genome integrates with their grants management systems.
About The Impact Genome Project
The Impact Genome Project is a universal registry that enables nonprofits and funders to standardize, verify and report social outcomes. The project is a public-private research initiative developed in collaboration with leading social scientists, economists, statisticians, and data entrepreneurs. With the Impact Genome's standardized data, nonprofits and funders can evaluate and report on more than 132 common social outcomes. The Impact Genome Project is an initiative of Mission Metrics, LLC.
About Fluxx
Fluxx is the most trusted cloud-first grantmaking solution. Purpose-built by grantmakers for grants management, Fluxx is women-led, a DEI champion, and a Pledge 1% member organization. More than 350 world-class foundations and government organizations use Fluxx, including 10 of the top 20 foundations, granting more than $15 billion annually and impacting more than 150,000 non-profits. Find out more at www.fluxx.io and follow @fluxxlabs on Twitter.
About SmartSimple
Founded in 2002, SmartSimple Software has pioneered cloud-based workflow and collaboration solutions for two decades. SmartSimple's platform, SmartSimple Cloud, is award-winning and highly rated by organizations looking for flexibility, security, and advanced features. Trusted by 450+ clients globally, including prominent foundations, Fortune 500 companies, and government funders, the platform connected 1.8 million end-users to billions of dollars in critical grant funding last year alone. To learn why SmartSimple was recently rated highest in advanced features, visit smartsimple.com and follow them on LinkedIn.
- Center for Effective Philanthropy, Working Well with Grantees. 2013.
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SOURCE Impact Genome Project | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/19/leading-grants-platform-fluxx-adopts-impact-genome-projects-universal-impact-registry/ | 2022-05-19T17:03:18Z |
NEW YORK, June 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Unilever PLC (NYSE: UL).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/unilever-plc-loss-submission-form/?id=29062&from=4
This lawsuit is on behalf of all persons who purchased or otherwise acquired Unilever American Depositary Receipts between September 2, 2020 and July 21, 2021, inclusive.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until August 15, 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, Unilever PLC issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: a) in July 2020, the board of Ben & Jerry's, one of Unilever's marquee brands, passed a resolution to end sales of its ice cream in "Occupied Palestinian Territory" ; and b) this boycott decision risked adverse governmental actions for violations of laws, executive orders, or resolutions aimed at discouraging boycotts, divestment, and sanctions of Israel adopted by 35 U.S. states.
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.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/24/ul-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-unilever-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-august-15-2022/ | 2022-06-24T10:46:52Z |
Pegzilarginase BLA submitted to the FDA; if approved, pegzilarginase would be the first FDA-approved treatment for Arginase 1 Deficiency
Additional PEACE data supporting potential efficacy of pegzilarginase presented at SIMD
Enrollment continues in Phase 1/2 trial of AGLE-177; IND now open for U.S. site initiation
AUSTIN, Texas, May 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aeglea BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGLE), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a new generation of human enzyme therapeutics as innovative solutions for rare metabolic diseases, today announced financial results for the first quarter 2022 and provided program updates.
"We have started off 2022 with significant progress in both our clinical programs. With AGLE-177, we were pleased to see total homocysteine lowering in all patients in our first, low dose cohort and we look forward to sharing clinical data later this year. This program is another example of innovation with human enzyme therapies and has the potential to address a significant unmet need," said Anthony Quinn, M.B., Ch.B., Ph. D., president and chief executive officer of Aeglea. "I'm also proud of the work we have done with our pegzilarginase program enabling our recent BLA submission to the FDA with what we believe are very compelling data to support approval for the treatment of Arginase 1 Deficiency. Some of these data were presented recently at the SIMD Annual Meeting, providing additional insight into the potential positive impact of pegzilarginase treatment. We look forward to working with the FDA throughout the review of our BLA as they assess the potential effectiveness of pegzilarginase in addressing the unmet need that impacts the lives of Arginase 1 Deficiency patients and their families."
Program Updates
Pegzilarginase in Arginase 1 Deficiency
- Submitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pegzilarginase for the treatment of Arginase 1 Deficiency (ARG1-D).
- Presented new data from the PEACE Phase 3 clinical trial at the Society for Inherited Metabolic Disorders (SIMD) Annual Meeting, including patient-level outcomes, results from additional secondary endpoints and previously announced topline results. Highlights of the data presented include:
- On track to submit a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2022.
AGLE-177 in Homocystinuria
- Working to initiate U.S. sites to support enrollment in the ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial and a potential pivotal Phase 3 trial after opening an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the FDA.
- Expect to announce Phase 1/2 clinical data in the second half of 2022.
First Quarter 2022 Financial Results
As of March 31, 2022, Aeglea had available cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and restricted cash of $68.6 million. The Company expects its cash, cash equivalents and investments will enable it to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the first quarter of 2023.
Aeglea recognized development fee revenues of $1.4 million in the first quarter of 2022, as a result of its license and supply agreement with Immedica for the commercial rights to pegzilarginase in certain territories outside the U.S. The revenues recorded in the first quarter of 2022 are related to the PEACE Phase 3 trial and BLA package. Aeglea recognized no revenue for the first quarter of 2021.
Research and development expenses totaled $17.0 million for the first quarter of 2022 and $11.9 million for the first quarter of 2021. The increase was primarily associated with expenses related to the BLA submission, management and dosing of ongoing patients in the PEACE Phase 3 trial, and increased enrollment in our Phase 1/2 trial of AGLE-177 for the treatment of patients with Homocystinuria.
General and administrative expenses totaled $8.8 million for the first quarter of 2022 and $6.4 million for the first quarter of 2021. This increase was primarily due to ramping-up the Company's commercial capabilities and infrastructure as well as personnel expenses.
Net loss totaled $24.4 million and $18.2 million for the first quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively, with non-cash stock compensation expense of $2.1 million and $1.8 million for the first quarter of 2022 and 2021, respectively.
About Pegzilarginase in Arginase 1 Deficiency
Pegzilarginase is a novel recombinant human enzyme engineered to degrade the amino acid arginine and has been shown to rapidly and sustainably lower levels of the amino acid arginine in plasma. Aeglea is developing pegzilarginase for the treatment of people with Arginase 1 Deficiency (ARG1-D), a rare debilitating and progressive disease characterized by the accumulation of arginine. ARG1-D presents in early childhood and patients experience spasticity, seizures, developmental delay, intellectual disability and early mortality.
The PEACE Phase 3 clinical trial met its primary endpoint with a 76.7% reduction in mean plasma arginine compared to placebo. Additionally, 90.5% of pegzilarginase treated patients achieved normal plasma arginine levels. The arginine lowering was accompanied by a positive trend in Gross Motor Function Measure Part E, a measure of patient mobility. Aeglea's Phase 1/2 and Phase 2 Open-Label Extension (OLE) data for pegzilarginase in patients with ARG1-D demonstrated clinical improvements and sustained lowering of plasma arginine. Pegzilarginase has received multiple regulatory designations, including Rare Pediatric Disease, Breakthrough Therapy, Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as well as Orphan Drug Designation from the European Medicines Agency.
About AGLE-177 in Homocystinuria
AGLE-177 is a novel recombinant human enzyme, which is engineered to degrade the amino acid homocysteine and its dimer, homocystine. AGLE-177 is currently being studied in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of patients with Classical Homocystinuria, a rare inherited disorder of methionine metabolism that results in elevated levels of total homocysteine. Homocysteine accumulation plays a key role in multiple progressive and serious disease-related complications, including thromboembolic vascular events, skeletal abnormalities (including severe osteoporosis), developmental delay, intellectual disability, lens dislocation and severe near sightedness. Preclinical data demonstrated that AGLE-177 improved important disease-related abnormalities and survival in a mouse model of Homocystinuria. AGLE-177 has received both U.S. and EU Orphan Drug Designation as well as U.S. Rare Pediatric Disease Designation.
About Aeglea BioTherapeutics
Aeglea BioTherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company redefining the potential of human enzyme therapeutics to benefit people with rare metabolic diseases with limited treatment options. In April 2022, Aeglea announced it had submitted a Biologics License Application to the FDA for its lead product candidate, pegzilarginase, in patients with Arginase 1 Deficiency. Pegzilarginase achieved the primary endpoint of arginine reduction in the PEACE Phase 3 clinical trial and has received both Rare Pediatric Disease and Breakthrough Therapy Designations. Aeglea also has an ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial of AGLE-177 for the treatment of Homocystinuria. AGLE-177 has been granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation. Aeglea has an active discovery platform focused on engineering small changes in human enzymes to have a big impact on the lives of patients and their families. For more information, please visit http://aeglea.com.
Safe Harbor / Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "goal," "seek," "believe," "project," "estimate," "expect," "strategy," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "will" and similar references to future periods. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what we expect. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding our ability to obtain regulatory approval for, and commercialize, pegzilarginase, recognize milestone and royalty payments from our agreement with Immedica, the timing and success of our clinical trials and related data, the timing and expectations for regulatory submissions and approvals, including the FDA's review of our BLA for pegzilarginase and the timing of the MAA for pegzilarginase, timing and results of meetings with regulators, the timing of announcements and updates relating to our clinical trials and related data, our ability to enroll patients into our clinical trials, the expected impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and clinical trials, success in our collaborations, the length of time that we believe our existing cash resources will fund operations, the potential addressable markets of our product candidates and the potential therapeutic benefits and economic value of our lead product candidate or other product candidates. Further information on potential risk factors that could affect our business and its financial results are detailed in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and our other reports as filed with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Financials
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SOURCE Aeglea BioTherapeutics, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/05/aeglea-biotherapeutics-reports-first-quarter-2022-financial-results-provides-program-updates/ | 2022-05-05T12:05:11Z |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Drowned in the Rio Grande. Murdered in Mexico. Perished in the Arizona desert. For migrants traveling to the United States, the journey has always been full of peril.
A tragic reminder came this week when at least 51 people died after being abandoned in the back of a tractor-trailer in sweltering San Antonio. Authorities believe the vehicle was part of a human-smuggling operation.
While the scale of the calamity was shocking, it’s only the most recent example to illustrate how U.S. officials have struggled to find the right strategy for patrolling the border and preventing deaths.
Lax enforcement can encourage more people to travel north in hopes of a better life. But clamping down is not always a deterrent. Instead, migrants may rely on riskier routes to avoid detection, or put themselves in the hands of smugglers who promise that they can evade authorities for a price.
The San Antonio tragedy triggered familiar reactions across the U.S. political spectrum, indicating that a solemn record as the deadliest smuggling attempt in the nation’s history will do little or nothing to reshape a debate that has hamstrung Washington for decades. Finger-pointing began almost immediately.
President Joe Biden, in Europe this week for international summits, said the deaths were “horrifying and heartbreaking.”
“Exploiting vulnerable individuals for profit is shameful, as is political grandstanding around tragedy, and my administration will continue to do everything possible to stop human smugglers and traffickers from taking advantage of people who are seeking to enter the United States between ports of entry,” Biden said.
The migrants were discovered on Monday when a city worker heard a cry for help from the abandoned truck that was parked on the side of a back road. Dozens were already dead; more died at nearby hospitals.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican who is investing billions of dollars of state money on border security, tweeted within hours of the grisly discovery that the deaths were “on Biden.”
“They are a result of his deadly open border policies. They show the deadly consequences of his refusal to enforce the law,” Abbott said.
Immigration advocates disagreed with Abbott’s criticism and said Biden was too focused on enforcement. A federal judge has kept in place a Trump-era policy that denies many migrants a chance to seek asylum on grounds of preventing spread of COVID-19.
“If the Biden administration continues to illegally turn away migrants and deny their chance to rightfully seek asylum, individuals and families escaping persecution, war, and climate disasters will continue to face violence and death,” advocacy group RAICES Texas said in a statement.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One — as Biden was flying between summits in Germany and Spain — that the administration was focused on the victims and holding human smugglers accountable.
“The fact of the matter is, the border is closed, which is in part why you see people trying to make this dangerous journey using smuggling networks,” she said.
The U.N. migration agency has reported that nearly 3,000 people went missing or died trying to cross the border from Mexico into the United States since 2014. The San Antonio tragedy pushed the total to nearly 300 for the first half of this year.
The International Organization for Migration, along with the U.N. refugee agency, called for a swift investigation.
“Without sufficient pathways to safety, vulnerable and desperate people will continue to be preyed upon by smugglers or forced to resort to desperate measures to cross borders,” said Matthew Reynolds, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees’ representative to the United States and Caribbean.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which counts deaths differently, reported 557 people perished on the southwest border in the 12 months ending Sept. 30, more than double the 247 deaths reported in the previous year and the highest since it began keeping track in 1998.
Deaths became commonplace on the border after “Operation Gatekeeper,” launched in 1994, pushed migrant traffic to the Arizona deserts from San Diego. Despite billions of dollars spent every year on border security since then, neither Republican or Democratic administrations have been able to stem the loss of life.
Migrants routinely take risks to cross into the United States.
Jose Castillo, 43, left Nicaragua with his wife and 14-year-old son in January but didn’t cross the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas, until May, paralyzed with fear that they would drown. He and his wife finally decided that one of them could die, as long as their child made it safely. They took a chance — and it worked.
“We can never return to Nicaragua,” he said.
Under Trump and Biden, Border Patrol agents have been stretched extremely thin because they spend long stretches of time processing cases for immigration court. Such responsibilities take them out of the field, making it easier for people to cross undetected. The Border Patrol recently began releasing tens of thousands of migrants on parole in hopes of freeing up more agents to be in the field to try to stop migrants.
The number of people found crossing the border illegally is at or near the highest in about two decades. Decisions to migrate are complex, but it could be that many people are getting through undetected and encouraging others to come. Migrants who succeed sometimes tell their stories to family and friends back home, encouraging them to follow.
At the same time, Title 42 has encouraged repeat attempts to cross the border because there are no legal consequences, such as criminal charges or records of deportation, for getting caught. Many people cross several times until they succeed.
It’s unclear whether any of the migrants who died in San Antonio had previously been expelled.
Isis Peña, 45, fled Honduras with a friend, who urged her to cross the border illegally. Peña refused but began to regret her decision after the friend soon called from San Antonio to say she made it easily and U.S. authorities didn’t even ask her any questions before getting released.
The next day, Peña tried to cross. Although she made it across the river, she was expelled to Mexico under Title 42 authority.
___
Spagat reported from San Diego. | https://cw33.com/news/politics/ap-politics/biden-calls-migrant-deaths-horrifying-and-heartbreaking/ | 2022-06-29T02:43:04Z |
My wife is a fan of Matthew McConaughey, so when he was pontificating about the Uvalde school shooting (because it’s where he was born and the administration wanted to use his coattails) I heard much of it.
I was unimpressed. I am generally against celebrities using notoriety to influence political issues. They are usually very ill-prepared and almost always have a bias, sometimes an extreme, uninformed bias. I don’t care what side or party they support.
Surfing for something to watch while I fell asleep, I came upon “Killer Joe” starring McConaughey. The basic theme is some trailer trash guys engaged a Dallas cop to murder an ex-wife and mother of the two.
Almost the first scene was female frontal nudity. Later there was full frontal nudity of an ingénue playing a retarded teenager. The dialog was filled with profanity. The plot had no redeeming social value. The movie was full of gratuitous violence including the brutal beating of a woman and murder of several. I watched the whole thing because I didn’t want to criticize it without having seen it.
For an actor who agreed to such a worthless movie to assume he can give any meaningful advice is the worst hypocrisy. Worse, he lied that he did not support gun control. Only three years ago he spoke at the Texas Capitol for confiscation of “assault weapons.”
Movies are not real, but the juxtaposition of his blithering of no useful significance about Uvalde and such trash made me sick. I am not a “gun nut” and realize school shootings must be stopped, but rights must be protected.
McConaughey is a hypocrite of the first order. He should be run out of Texas on a rail.
RH Hutchins
Temple | https://www.tdtnews.com/article_3bcb19e2-ee8e-11ec-a3d2-8b37ac133c1f.html | 2022-06-19T12:59:18Z |
Accused shooter in Lady Gaga dog theft mistakenly freed
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A gunman accused of shooting and seriously wounding Lady Gaga’s dog walker and stealing her two French bulldogs was mistakenly released from jail and is being sought, authorities said Friday.
James Howard Jackson, 19, was facing an attempted murder charge when he was released from Los Angeles County’s jail on Wednesday “due to a clerical error,” the county Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
The Major Crimes Bureau is working on finding him, the statement said.
Jackson is one of five people arrested in connection with the Feb. 24, 2021, attack in Hollywood. Prosecutors said Jackson and two other alleged gang members had driven around looking for expensive French bulldogs to steal, then spotted, tailed and robbed Ryan Fischer as he walked Lady Gaga’s dogs near Sunset Boulevard.
During a violent struggle, Fischer was hit, choked and then shot in an attack captured by the doorbell camera of a nearby home.
The camera recorded the dog walker screaming “Oh, my God! I’ve been shot!” and “Help me!” and “I’m bleeding out from my chest!”
Fischer lost part of a lung.
“While I’m deeply concerned at the events that led to his release, I’m confident law enforcement will rectify the error,” Fischer said in a statement obtained by KABC-TV. “I ask for Mr. Jackson to turn himself over to the authorities, so resolution to the crime committed against me runs its course, whatever the courts determine that outcome to be.”
The pop star’s dogs were returned two days later by a woman who claimed she had found them tied to a pole and asked about Lady Gaga’s offer of a $500,000 reward if the dogs were returned “no questions asked.” The singer was in Rome at the time filming a movie.
She’s charged with receiving stolen property and the father of another suspect is charged with helping him avoid arrest.
Jackson already had been charged in the attack and had pleaded not guilty when the county district attorney’s office filed a superceding indictment Tuesday charging him with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit a robbery and assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
The move was done “to speed up the legal process” and Jackson was arraigned Wednesday under a new case number, the DA’s office said in a statement.
“Mr. Jackson was subsequently released from custody by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. We are unsure as to why they did so,” the statement said.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/04/09/accused-shooter-lady-gaga-dog-theft-mistakenly-freed/ | 2022-04-09T09:23:46Z |
WATCH: Teen trapped after tree falls on Miss. home
JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - Exclusive body cam video released by the Jones County Sheriff’s Department, with the family’s permission, shows first responders rescuing a 14-year-old boy trapped under a fallen tree.
Kenneth Harvey says around 5 a.m. on July 12, a large tree landed on his family’s mobile home in Soso, Mississippi. He and his wife immediately ran to check on their three children, and that’s when they found two of their sons under the tree and covered in debris.
“Sitting, watching your child trapped and there’s nothing you can do, is just a parent’s worst nightmare,” Kenneth Harvey said.
Wyatt Harvey, 17, escaped the incident with minor scrapes, WDAM reports. He and his younger brother, 14-year-old Christian, share a room.
“It looked like a whole bunch of white stuff had done fallen on my face, and I just looked like, I don’t know, it scared me,” he said. “Next thing I know, daddy comes running in, and momma goes screaming, and I didn’t ever hear my brother, so I was kind of worried.”
Christian had been pinned underneath the tree and was unresponsive. Firefighters had to use chainsaws and the Jaws of Life to raise the tree just enough to pull the boy out.
Christian was then taken to South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel and later transferred to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
“Christian has had to have two surgeries,” his father said. “They had to repair his bladder, which had busted during (the accident), and they had to redo his pelvis cause it crushed on both sides, and then it broke in the front and back, so they had to put plates and screws in too.”
Kenneth Harvey said his son is, thankfully, doing a bit better and breathing on his own.
Meanwhile, he and his wife are staying in Jackson to be close to the 14-year-old, while his other two sons are staying with family to attend West Jones High School. Christian was also supposed to start at West Jones this fall.
“I’ve come back to work, and I’ll just be going back and forth during the weekends and staying up there,” Kenneth Harvey said.
A 911 dispatcher set up a GoFundMe account to help the family with medical expenses and the loss of their home. Kenneth Harvey said he’s thankful for that dispatcher and extremely grateful for everyone’s help - from first responders to family and neighbors.
“We’ve had people donate, and just the number of people who got a hold of us telling us they are praying for him and everything, it’s just, it’s humbling the way everybody has come together through all of this,” he said.
Kenneth Harvey said he doesn’t know what caused the tree to fall, but according to an insurance adjuster, heat may have played a role.
Copyright 2022 WDAM via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/07/26/watch-teen-trapped-after-tree-falls-miss-home/ | 2022-07-26T09:59:19Z |
Vlad Jr homers off Shohei Ohtani, Blue Jays top Angels 6-3
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered off Shohei Ohtani for the first time, and George Springer hit a leadoff home run in the Toronto Blue Jays’ 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani struck out 10 while yielding five runs over six innings in his eighth mound start of the season. He fell behind 5-2 in the sixth on a drive off the left field pole by Guerrero, who finished right below the Angels’ two-way star in last year’s AL MVP voting. Luis Rengifo had an RBI single for the Angels, who have lost two straight and six of nine. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/05/26/vlad-jr-homers-off-shohei-ohtani-blue-jays-top-angels-6-3/ | 2022-05-27T07:59:54Z |
FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago: What happens next?
WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI’s unprecedented search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence ricocheted around government, politics and a polarized country Tuesday along with questions as to why the Justice Department — notably cautious under Attorney General Merrick Garland — decided to take such a drastic step.
Answers weren’t quickly forthcoming.
Agents on Monday searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, which is also a private club, as part of a federal investigation into whether the former president took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence, people familiar with the matter said. It marked a a dramatic escalation of law enforcement scrutiny of Trump, who faces an array of inquiries tied to his conduct in the waning days of his administration.
From echoes of Watergate to the more immediate House probe of the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, Washington, a city used to sleepy Augusts, reeled from one speculative or accusatory headline to the next. Was the Justice Department politicized? What prompted it to seek authorization to search the estate for classified documents now, months after it was revealed that Trump had taken boxes of materials with him when he left the White House after losing the 2020 election?
Garland has not tipped his hand despite an outcry from some Democrats impatient over whether the department was even pursuing evidence that has surfaced in the Jan. 6 probe and other investigations— and from Republicans who were swift to echo Trump’s claims that he was the victim of political prosecution.
All Garland has said publicly is that “no one is above the law.”
FBI agents descended on Trump’s shuttered-for-the-season home — he was in New York, a thousand or so miles away — with search warrants.
Monday’s search intensified the months-long probe into how classified documents ended up in boxes of White House records located at Mar-a-Lago earlier this year. A separate grand jury is investigating efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, and it all adds to potential legal peril for Trump as he lays the groundwork for a potential repeat run for the White House.
Familiar battle lines, forged during a a four-year presidency shadowed by investigations, quickly took shape again. Trump and his allies sought to cast the search as a weaponization of the criminal justice system and a Democratic-driven effort to keep him from winning another term in 2024 — though the Biden White House said it had no prior knowledge and current FBI Director Christopher Wray was appointed by Trump five years ago.
Trump, disclosing the search in a lengthy statement late Monday, asserted that agents had opened a safe at his home, and he described their work as an “unannounced raid” that he likened to “prosecutorial misconduct.”
Justice Department spokesperson Dena Iverson declined to comment on the search, including whether Garland had personally authorized it.
About two dozen Trump supporters stood in protest at midmorning Tuesday in the Florida summer heat and sporadic light rain on a bridge near the former president’s residence. One held a sign reading “Democrats are Fascists” while others carried flags saying “2020 Was Rigged,” “Trump 2024″ and Biden’s name with an obscenity. Some cars honked in support as they passed.
Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence, a potential 2024 rival, tweeted on Tuesday: “Yesterday’s action undermines public confidence in our system of justice and Attorney General Garland must give a full accounting to the American people as to why this action was taken and he must do so immediately”
Trump was planning to meet Tuesday at his Bedminster, New Jersey, club with members of the Republican Study Committee, a group headed by Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana that says it is committed to putting forth his priorities in Congress.
The FBI reached out to the Secret Service shortly before serving a warrant, a third person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Secret Service agents contacted the Justice Department and were able to validate the warrant before facilitating access to the estate, the person said.
The Justice Department has been investigating the potential mishandling of classified information since the National Archives and Records Administration said it had received from Mar-a-Lago 15 boxes of White House records, including documents containing classified information, earlier this year. The National Archives said Trump should have turned over that material upon leaving office, and it asked the Justice Department to investigate.
There are multiple federal laws governing the handling of classified records and sensitive government documents, including statutes that make it a crime to remove such material and retain it at an unauthorized location. Though a search warrant does not necessarily mean criminal charges are near or even expected, federal officials looking to obtain one must first demonstrate to a judge that they have probable cause that a crime occurred.
Two people familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the search on Monday was related to the records probe. Agents were also looking to see if Trump had additional presidential records or any classified documents at the estate.
Trump has previously maintained that presidential records were turned over “in an ordinary and routine process.” His son Eric said on Fox News on Monday night that he had spent the day with his father and that the search happened because “the National Archives wanted to corroborate whether or not Donald Trump had any documents in his possession.”
Asked how the documents ended up at Mar-a-Lago, Eric Trump said the boxes were among items that got moved out of the White House during “six hours” on Inauguration Day, as the Bidens prepared to move into the building.
“My father always kept press clippings,” Eric Trump said. “He had boxes, when he moved out of the White House.”
Trump himself, in a social media post Monday night, called the search a “weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don’t want me to run for President in 2024.”
Trump took a different stance during the 2016 presidential campaign, frequently pointing to an FBI investigation into his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, over whether she mishandled classified information via a private email server she used as secretary of state. Then-FBI Director James Comey concluded that Clinton had sent and received classified information, but the FBI did not recommend criminal charges.
Trump lambasted that decision and then stepped up his criticism of the FBI as agents began investigating whether his campaign had colluded with Russia to tip the 2016 election. He fired Comey during that probe, and though he appointed Wray months later, he repeatedly criticized him, too, as president.
Thomas Schwartz, a Vanderbilt University history professor who studies and writes about the presidency, said there is no precedent for a former president facing an FBI raid -- even going back to Watergate. President Richard Nixon wasn’t allowed to take tapes or other materials from the White House when he resigned in 1974, Schwartz noted, and many of his papers remained in Washington for years before being transferred to his presidential library in California.
The probe is hardly the only legal headache confronting Trump. A separate investigation related to efforts by him and his allies to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election — which led to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol — has also been intensifying in Washington. Several former White House officials have received grand jury subpoenas.
And a district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, is investigating whether Trump and his close associates sought to interfere in that state’s election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/08/09/fbis-search-mar-a-lago/ | 2022-08-09T20:23:35Z |
- Proposal does not apply to Eurodollar futures and options that expire before June 30, 2023
- Conversion date aligns with OTC market plans
- Market participants invited to provide feedback until September 30
- SOFR options to be added to portfolio margining solution
CHICAGO, Sept. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today announced that based on initial client feedback, it is proposing to convert Eurodollar futures and options open interest into corresponding SOFR contracts on April 14, 2023, under the company's previously adopted fallbacks plan. Eurodollar futures and options contracts that expire before June 30, 2023 are excluded from this proposal and will continue to trade until their expiry.
"Our proposed conversion date will help our clients complete their operational work as early as possible in the transition process, while closely aligning with the recently published industry timelines for over-the-counter interest rate swaps," said Agha Mirza, CME Group Global Head of Rates and OTC Products. "SOFR futures and options are now the leading liquidity pool, as open interest has reached 19 million contracts and volume has significantly outpaced Eurodollars. Based on this growth, today's announcement provides a practical timeline by which clients can bring remaining Eurodollar contracts into the SOFR market."
In the month of August, CME Group reported record average daily volume of nearly 2.5 million contracts and record open interest of 19 million contracts for SOFR futures and options contracts. SOFR options had record volume and open interest in August and SOFR futures had record open interest during the same period. Additional highlights include:
Ahead of the final conversion under fallbacks, liquid standard and reduced-tick Inter-Commodity Spread (ICS) instruments are available to facilitate the voluntary conversion of Eurodollar open interest via the SED Spread for futures and the LS Spread for options.
In addition, to further support the deepening of SOFR markets, CME Group plans to add SOFR options to its portfolio margining solution for cleared products in December 2022, subject to regulatory approval. Portfolio margining enables clients to reduce margin requirements by offsetting their exposure on cleared swaps versus interest rate futures and options.
Now among the world's deepest and most consistently liquid markets, SOFR futures and options have broad participation from global banks, hedge funds, asset managers, principal trading firms and other types of traders.
SOFR futures and options are listed with and subject to the rules of CME. For more information, please visit www.cmegroup.com/sofr.
About CME Group
As the world's leading derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) enables clients to trade futures, options, cash and OTC markets, optimize portfolios, and analyze data – empowering market participants worldwide to efficiently manage risk and capture opportunities. CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural products and metals. The company offers futures and options on futures trading through the CME Globex platform, fixed income trading via BrokerTec and foreign exchange trading on the EBS platform. In addition, it operates one of the world's leading central counterparty clearing providers, CME Clearing.
CME Group, the Globe logo, CME, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Globex, and, E-mini are trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. CBOT and Chicago Board of Trade are trademarks of Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, Inc. NYMEX, New York Mercantile Exchange and ClearPort are trademarks of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc. COMEX is a trademark of Commodity Exchange, Inc. BrokerTec and EBS are trademarks of BrokerTec Europe LTD and EBS Group LTD, respectively. Dow Jones, Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and S&P are service and/or trademarks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and S&P/Dow Jones Indices LLC, as the case may be, and have been licensed for use by Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
CME-G
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SOURCE CME Group | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/06/cme-group-proposes-april-14-2023-fallbacks-conversion-eurodollar-futures-options-contracts/ | 2022-09-06T11:26:03Z |
RICHMOND, Va., April 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Markel Corporation (NYSE: MKL) will hold its 2022 shareholders meeting at Virginia Credit Union LIVE! at the Richmond Raceway, 900 E. Laburnum Avenue, Richmond, Virginia on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, starting at 2:00 p.m. ET. After concluding the regular business session of the meeting, company leadership will provide a financial and strategic business update and host a question and answer session with attendees.
In addition to the formal meeting, the company will host a series of panel discussions in the morning, including a C-Suite conversation with executives from Markel Ventures and other organizations, starting at 8:30 a.m. ET, moderated by Richard Coughlan, an award-winning educator and Associate Professor of Management at the University of Richmond's Robins School of Business, and a Robotti Value Live panel discussion, starting at 10:00 a.m. ET, with thought leaders discussing the challenges facing the investment world and opportunities for investing in today's marketplace.
Commenting on the new approach for this year's shareholders meeting, Markel Co-Chief Executive Officer Richie Whitt said that, "We've expanded the events for this year's meeting to give shareholders, employees, and friends of Markel from around the world the opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and learn new things." Markel Co-Chief Executive Officer Tom Gayner added: "Over the years, we've seen firsthand the power of the serendipitous moments that can happen when a group of smart people with shared values gets together. That's why we are thrilled to offer a full day of engaging events, and look forward to gathering with everyone afterwards to enjoy food trucks, drinks, and a band."
Shareholders and others interested in attending the meeting as well as other events are encouraged to register in advance at https://www.markel.com/events.
About Markel Corporation
Markel Corporation is a diverse financial holding company serving a variety of niche markets. The Company's principal business markets and underwrites specialty insurance products. In each of the Company's businesses, it seeks to provide quality products and excellent customer service so that it can be a market leader. The financial goals of the Company are to earn consistent underwriting and operating profits and superior investment returns to build shareholder value. Visit Markel on the web at markel.com.
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SOURCE Markel Corporation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/04/21/markel-announces-expanded-events-2022-shareholders-meeting/ | 2022-04-21T22:04:50Z |
BARCELONA, Spain, June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Openbravo has announced the launch of its brand new Point-of-Sale (POS) for Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) and Fast Casual Restaurants, which will be first presented June 14 and 15 during the Resto Days event in Deauville, France.
The phenomenal and continued global growth of this sector in the last decade is expected to continue in the coming years, creating new challenges for quick service restaurants. Customers obviously expect rapid service, but they have heightened expectations and are demanding more personalization, greater menu diversity and the ability to use new channels, especially online. At the same time, restaurants are under increasing pressure to maximize efficiency and improve profit margins.
To give restaurants the right tools to effectively manage these challenges Openbravo launches a cloud-based quick service POS system designed for speed, customer service and operational efficiency, which is especially well suited to multi-location Quick Service and Fast Casual Restaurants because of its robust features and scalable architecture.
"Quick service restaurant chains are in the midst of a rapid transformation, facing similar key challenges and needs to those affecting specialty retailers. This confluence of business challenges made the option of building a new quick service POS a very interesting next step in our product strategy. Thanks to our modular platform, we have been able to extend our strong retail-centric functional footprint with restaurant-specific features." said Matthijs Kneppers, Chief Product Officer of Openbravo.
Key features of the solution include fast and flexible creation of menus and a powerful pricing engine with options like the definition of specific prices based on restaurant areas and delivery modes. It allows order customization, supports a variety of payment and delivery options, and offers restaurants the ability to easily integrate with online ordering solutions, kitchen systems, as well as delivery platforms for order preparation and delivery.
Powered by a rich and adaptable user interface technology, the solution supports a variety of restaurant touchpoints. It also avoids the use of local servers and possible service interruptions due to temporary connection outages, thanks to its cloud-native design and its offline resilient technology. These features allow the reduction of total hardware costs and increase IT agility.
"We are extremely excited to announce our Quick Service POS for the growth opportunity it represents for Openbravo and our distribution partners. Quick Service Restaurants can benefit from a modern solution that has been designed with their business challenges in mind and we are confident in our ability to add value in this sector just as we do in retail, where Openbravo is already a player of reference." said Marco de Vries, Chief Executive Officer of Openbravo.
The new solution is currently running in pilot phase for a major restaurant chain, with full-scale rollout due to start after the summer, ultimately reaching over 200 locations.
To know more visit openbravo.com/solutions/products/quick-service-pos-restaurants.
About Openbravo
Openbravo is the software platform of choice for brands, retailers and restaurants looking to accelerate their unified commerce strategy and increase the agility of their operations. It is a fully modular platform that integrates the online and offline channels and provides intelligent order management, a single, real-time view of customers and inventory, a complete store solution and restaurant POS to deliver more personalized and convenient experiences. It is an all-in-one cloud-based solution.
International clients such as BUT, Decathlon, Norauto, Sharaf DG, Toys 'R' Us Iberia and Zôdio prefer Openbravo, which is today used in over 50 countries with more than 10,000 back office users and in more than 40,000 points of sale.
To learn more, visit openbravo.com.
MEDIA CONTACT: Xavier Places, Marketing Director, +34 607 676 568, xavier.places@openbravo.com
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SOURCE Openbravo | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/09/openbravo-launches-new-quick-service-pos-system-respond-demands-qsr-fast-casual-restaurant-chains/ | 2022-06-09T14:04:08Z |
NEW YORK, May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A number of macro variables have deteriorated since our most recent economic growth forecast at the end of March, said S&P Global in its article "Global Macro Update: Growth Forecasts Lowered On Longer Russia-Ukraine Conflict And Rising Inflation." We've marked down our GDP forecasts due to weaker first-quarter numbers in many countries, higher energy and commodity prices, a longer-than-expected Russia-Ukraine conflict, faster monetary policy normalization, and slower Chinese growth.
"We now expect U.S. growth to decline by 80 basis points to 2.4%, eurozone growth to drop by 60 basis points to 2.7%, and China's growth to fall by 70 basis points to 4.2%. Changes to 2023-2025 are relatively minor," said Global Chief Economist Paul Gruenwald. "The balance of risks to our baseline has deteriorated since our last forecast and remains firmly on the downside."
The global economy continues to face an unusually large number of negative shocks. At the beginning of 2022, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were in retreat in most geographies. As a result, we forecast a robust but uneven rebound, with above-trend growth in most countries and moderately high but transitory inflation. The main questions were when economies would regain their pre-COVID-19 path of output, and what changes brought about by the pandemic would be structural.
Two developments have altered the macro picture. One is Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February. This sent energy and commodities prices (even) higher for (even) longer and put a dent in confidence, which was at high levels. The second is inflation, which has turned out to be higher, broader based, and more persistent than thought just a few quarters ago.
This report does not constitute a rating action.
Media Contact:
Orla O'Brien, New York (1) 857-407-8559
orla.obrien@spglobal.com
S&P Global Ratings is the world's leading provider of independent credit ratings. Our ratings are essential to driving growth, providing transparency and helping educate market participants so they can make decisions with confidence. We have more than 1 million credit ratings outstanding on government, corporate, financial sector and structured finance entities and securities. We offer an independent view of the market built on a unique combination of broad perspective and local insight. We provide our opinions and research about relative credit risk; market participants gain independent information to help support the growth of transparent, liquid debt markets worldwide.
S&P Global Ratings 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.spglobal.com/ratings.
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SOURCE S&P Global | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/economic-growth-forecasts-lowered-longer-russia-ukraine-conflict-rising-inflation-article-says/ | 2022-05-18T16:29:25Z |
Mrs. Wallace loves her students, has the ‘heart of a teacher’
BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) – Spend a few minutes in Dru Wallace’s first grade class at Rowlett Academy and you can tell she adores each and every one of the sixteen students. She loves to teach the impressionable young minds about numbers, pronunciations and more. Those who know her say she has the heart of a teacher.
A parent wrote to ABC7 urging us to name Mrs. Wallace a Chalkboard Champ. The parent said when the family fell on hard times, Mrs. Wallace started a meal train for them and has created an environment for all her students to excel. Mrs. Wallace told us, " The K-1, I just love seeing the light in their eyes every day. The excitement, the love for learning, for being here. "
After reading the parent’s plea, ABC7 and Carl Reynolds Law named Wallace the Chalkboard Champ for Manatee County for the month of April. Carl Reynolds presented the winning teacher with a $500 dollar check as the children cheered.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/06/02/mrs-wallace-loves-her-students-has-heart-teacher/ | 2022-06-02T17:18:45Z |
West Branch officials court older voters to support Nov. 8 ballot issue
KNOX TWP. − The last time West Branch Local Schools passed new permanent tax dollars was 1976.
So much has changed since.
For example, district officials handle more security and mental health concerns involving students now, and there is a shortage of skilled laborers.
"The world has drastically changed," Superintendent Micki Egli told a group of senior citizens gathered Friday for a levy discussion and a soup supper at Knox Elementary School. "We simply do not have the funds to keep up with those changes.
Egli and others invited retirees to the school last week to lay out the district's request for a five-year, 0.5% earned income tax that will face voters on the Nov. 8 ballot.
If approved, the tax would generate $1.3 million in new revenue for the district. That money would be used on security upgrades and mental health resources, officials said.
The revenue also would allow the district to localize trade-based career programs and continue to provide preschool and daycare services at Knox.
"It is not a property tax. I cannot stress this enough," Egli said.
Here's who would pay the tax
In outlining the issue, Egli explained who would pay the tax − and who won't.
She said earned income taxes apply only to those who receive W-2 or self-employment income. The levy would cost $19 a month per $50,000 of earned income annually. It would be $38 a month for someone who earns $100,000 per month.
Egli said the tax issue would not affect:
- Retirement income.
- Social Security income.
- IRA distributions.
- Pensions.
- Unemployment.
- Workers compensation.
- Interest Income.
- IRA distribution.
Egli said many other types of income also would not fall under the levy.
"We're still operating on 1976 dollars," Egli said.
She said a 20-year bond issue − a property tax − to fund building the district's new schools will end in December. "That (tax) will be gone," Egli told seniors.
Here's what the district plans to do
Egli and Dennis Postiy, corporate vice president at MAC Trailer and a member of the levy committee, outlined how the district plans to use new tax dollars, if approved.
Safety and Security
First, the district would address safety and security needs in every school facility. That included putting full-time resource officers in every building and improving security at entrances.
"Unfortunately, we have to have law enforcement in our schools now," Egli said, pointing to another need that has arisen nationwide.
Other proposed security upgrades included a system to track school buses, more lighting in the parking lots and impenetrable ballistic film at entrances.
Career Tech
Second, the Knox school reopened this year to provide preschool and daycare services for the area. It had been closed for the past two years.
Egli said officials want to continue those services, but they also want to turn part of the Knox school into trade-based academy to meet local demand.
The district currently partners with Mahoning County Career and Technical Center in Canfield for career technology classes. "It's a great partnership," Egli said, but there are drawbacks.
For example, she said West Branch loses 80% of state funds for every student that attends the center. And, she noted, some students are turned away due to space limitations.
Postiy, in championing the tax issue, told senior citizens that providing a career-tech program would keep students local at West Branch and help companies with a shortage.
"What we're looking for is technical skills, but also soft skills," he said. Like, he added: "Being employable, understanding what it means to come to work and showing up every day."
"We looked at West Branch in our own backyard and very few students came out of the school. We do a great job preparing them for college, but that's not for everyone," Postiy said.
Mental health
Third, Egli said new tax dollars would improve mental health resources within the district by hiring a full-time social worker and expanding mental health care access to students.
She said the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the student body, and cited 2021 district results from the Ohio Healthy Youth Environments Survey.
The survey was for grades seven through 12 and examined health, safety and behavioral health factors. A similar survey will be conducted later this year.
Egli said 45% of West Branch students who participated in the survey claimed they saw a therapist for anxiety and/or depression; and that 2% attempted suicide at least six times.
"Mental health is an extreme concern," she said.
Here's what some seniors thought about the tax
About 30 seniors attended the presentation. Most said they would support the tax issue.
Carol Briggs, 78, of Salem resides in the district that covers 111 square miles within two counties − Columbiana and Mahoning − just east of Alliance.
"I think the tech school is a marvelous idea. We need that in our district," she said.
Nancy Thomas, 78, of Damascus also said she supports the tax issue. "She did a very good of explaining (the issue). I wish there had been more people."
"I think it's needed. We're losing people who know how to do stuff," Thomas added.
To learn more about the tax issue, go to www.wblevy2022.com. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/education/2022/09/18/west-branch-knox-earned-income-tax-election-ohio-2022/69492444007/ | 2022-09-18T17:43:28Z |
Tik Tok influencer speaks out following latest news of son’s murder
More than anything she just wants the person responsible off the streets.
MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) -Local social media star Ophelia Nichols is speaking out following the latest news of her son’s murder.
18-year-old Randon Lee was shot at a gas station in Prichard Friday.
At a press conference Monday, Prichard Police revealed Lee was selling the two suspects marijuana, when he was gunned down.
After finding out, Nichols was understandably upset but doesn’t blame Randon for the choice he made.
More than anything she just wants the person responsible off the streets.
There are still no arrests for Lee’s murder.
According to investigators, two suspects showed up, one got in the car with him, and shot him.
Detective Jason Hadaway says they do have the two suspects on camera.
“We noticed on video that the suspect, both, and the victim pulled up at the pumps,” Hadaway explained. “The suspects in the black vehicle got inside the victim’s vehicle. We know there was one shot.”
Nichols spoke out after finding out what her son was doing on St. Stephens Road that night.
In a post on social media she says,
“Please don’t think badly of my son for the circumstances of how he was taken. We are not ashamed of him, and never will be. When i was 18, I made poor choices myself.”
She goes on to say she plans to do something positive to honor her son,
“No one’s life should be taken over marijuana or anything else. I have a huge platform and a voice that is heard everywhere. I plan to use that voice in Randon’s name to help other youth in my city stay on the right track.”
In her original post that’s reached 24 million views on Tik Tok , Nichols makes an emotional plea for someone to come forward.
“I ain’t never asked ya’ll for anything. But I need your help with this. There’s almost 7 million people that follow me. Somebody’s gotta know something,” Nichols pleaded.
Prichard Police say they do believe multiple people are involved in Lee’s murder.
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Copyright 2022 WALA. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/06/29/tik-tok-influencer-speaks-out-following-latest-news-sons-murder/ | 2022-06-29T18:45:04Z |
NEW YORK (AP) — More than 4 in 10 U.S. high school students said they felt persistently sad or hopeless during the pandemic, according to government findings released Thursday.
Several medical groups have warned that pandemic isolation from school closures and lack of social gatherings has taken a toll on young people’s mental health.
“This really gives us the evidence to say with certainty that the pandemic was incredibly disruptive for young people and their families,” said Kathleen Ethier of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The reports are based on anonymous online surveys of about 7,700 public and private high school students from 128 schools during the first six months of 2021. It is based on a similar survey the CDC conducts every other year in schools,
Among the findings:
—44% reported feeling persistently sad of hopeless during the past year. A similar survey before COVID-19 hit put the figure at 37%.
—66% said they found it more difficult to complete their schoolwork.
—29% said a parent or other adult in their home lost a job and 11% said they experienced physical abuse by a parent or other adult at home.
—24% said they went hungry during the pandemic because there was not enough food at home.
There likely was some underreporting, especially for certain questions about emotional or physical abuse in the home. Teens might be afraid that an abusive parent or other adult might see their responses, said Ilan Cerna-Turoff, a Columbia University researcher who studies children’s mental health.
CDC officials said that the pandemic did not affect teens equally. LGBT youth reported poorer mental health and more suicide attempts than others. About 75% said they suffered emotional abuse in the home and 20% reported physical abuse. By comparison, half of heterosexual students reported emotional abuse and 10% reported physical abuse, the CDC said.
___
The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://cw33.com/health/ap-health/pandemic-took-a-toll-on-teen-mental-health-us-study-says/ | 2022-04-01T18:05:16Z |
Did you know that today is National Tequila Day? And oddly enough, it's also National Parents' Day. Of course, some would argue that when you're a parent, every day is Tequila Day ... and who am I to disagree?
Here's what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.
The weekend that was
• The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday declared the monkeypox outbreak a global public health emergency.
• An editorial published Friday in the New York Post, owned by conservative Rupert Murdoch, An editorial in the New York Post said former President Trump is "unworthy to be this country's chief executive again."
• A new California wildfire outside Yosemite National Park has burned nearly 12,000 acres and forced thousands of residents to evacuate.
• The man accused of attempting to stab New York gubernatorial nominee Rep. Lee Zeldin on stage at a campaign event was arrested Saturday on a federal assault charge.
• Pope Francis left the Vatican today for a weeklong visit to Canada, where he's set to apologize for the Catholic Church's role in the abuse of Indigenous children in residential schools.
The week ahead
Monday
An otherwise quiet summer week begins with separate appearances in Washington, DC, by former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence. Pence is scheduled to address the conservative Heritage Foundation on Monday about his "Freedom Agenda" policy initiatives. Pence is thought to be actively exploring a 2024 presidential bid as he seeks to further distance himself from his old boss.
Tuesday
Trump, meanwhile, will speak on Tuesday at the America First Policy Institute's two-day summit. It will be his his first trip back to the nation's capital since leaving office on January 20, 2021.
Wednesday
The Federal Reserve will announce its decision on interest rates at the conclusion of its two-day meeting on Wednesday. Economists are anticipating another rate hike of three-quarters of a percentage point to curb inflation, but a full percentage point increase is not off the table given recent inflation data. If the Fed decides to make such a dramatic move, Wall Street could be in for a wild ride.
Thursday
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for the man accused of opening fire on the Highland Park, Illinois, July Fourth parade, killing seven people and wounding dozens more. The suspect faces seven charges of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting, which authorities said he carried out by climbing on the rooftop of a nearby business and firing more than 80 times only minutes after the parade started, sending spectators and participants running for safety.
Photos of the week
Check out more moving, fascinating and thought-provoking images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.
What's happening in entertainment
Bey's 'Renaissance'
Beyoncé's new album comes out on Friday. Last week she shared a track list of 16 songs on "Renaissance," that includes her already released single "Break My Soul," as well as "Alien Superstar," "Move," "Virgo's Groove," "America Has a Problem" and "I'm That Girl."
What's happening in sports
LIV Golf at Trump National
The controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series heads to Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Friday. LIV announced last week the 45 players that will compete, with three more golfers to be named "in the coming days."
Quiz time!
Take CNN's weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 63% of readers who took the quiz got eight or more questions right. How will you fare?
Play me off
'One Margarita, Two Margarita ...'
There is perhaps no better way to beat the summer heat and celebrate National Tequila Day than by sipping a margarita on the beach. Just ask Luke Bryan. (Click here to view)
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The views and opinions depicted here are those of the artists and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication. Click for more. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/start-your-week-smart-monkeypox-ny-post-california-wildfire-zeldin-pope-francis/article_6b0d5754-cfc4-58bd-9184-b0124a309e06.html | 2022-07-24T15:04:07Z |
A new era in league bowling is coming.
RICHMOND, Va., June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) will be launching its League Bowler Certification program this fall across more than 300 bowling centers in the United States with over 180,000 league bowlers enrolled. This will be a new national membership program offering a multitude of exciting benefits for league bowlers. The program will start with Bowlero Corp.'s footprint, and soon after the PBA will work to expand to all U.S. bowling centers.
The PBA, which has featured the greatest bowlers in the world since 1958 coupled with the sport's largest media reach, and parent company Bowlero Corp., owners of the biggest chain of bowling centers in the world, are combining their resources and expertise to create the PBA League Bowler Certification program in order to enhance the league bowler experience.
"It's exciting that league bowlers of all skill levels will be able to gain real value from this new PBA-certified membership program," said Tom Clark, PBA Commissioner. "The competition and camaraderie of league bowling creates a strong community and the fresh opportunities ahead will make it even stronger."
As the program rolls out for the 2022 fall league season, there will be new benefits under four key pillars that bowlers will have access to, in addition to their current league benefits.
Starting with statistics: League bowlers will have access to official averages, full league standings, leaderboards, and special accomplishments. These statistics will be accessible in real-time through PBA LeaguePals, a robust technology platform.
The second pillar will include exclusive new tournaments for all skill levels. The tournaments included in the PBA League Bowler Certification program will be highlighted by a new national tournament that will feature unprecedented prize money, national TV exposure and digital coverage.
The third pillar will be awards. League bowlers of all skill levels will be recognized for their accomplishments, stamped with PBA approval, through a creative and engaging digital awards program.
Finally, there will be new rules and an equipment specifications department, led by a world-renowned expert Neil Stremmel, former Vice President of Rules and Equipment Specifications at the United States Bowling Congress and for World Bowling. The regulations in PBA League Bowler Certification program and tournament competition will be supremely transparent and work toward the betterment of the game and its bowlers.
"I am truly honored to work with the PBA," said Neil Stremmel, incoming PBA Rules and Equipment Director. "In this new role I am looking forward to launching such an incredible program to support the bowling community starting this fall."
Stay informed about the PBA League Bowler Certification by visiting pba.com or following @PBAtour for more updates.
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is the world's preeminent organization dedicated to the sport of bowling and its professional competition, with thousands of members and millions of fans throughout the world. The PBA plays host to bowling's biggest tournaments from the PBA Tour, PBA Regional Tour, and PBA50 Tour. In 2020, the PBA launched PBA Jr., a club for elite youth bowlers under the age of 17 and the PBA Pinsiders, a membership for fans of the sport. For more information, please visit PBA.com.
Bowlero Corp. is the worldwide leader in bowling entertainment, media, and events. With more than 300 bowling centers across North America, Bowlero Corp. serves more than 26 million guests each year through a family of brands that includes Bowlero, Bowlmor Lanes, and AMF. In 2019, Bowlero Corp. acquired the Professional Bowlers Association, the major league of bowling, which boasts thousands of members and millions of fans across the globe. For more information on Bowlero Corp., please visit BowleroCorp.com.
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SOURCE Professional Bowlers Association | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/professional-bowlers-association-launch-league-bowler-certification-program/ | 2022-06-23T16:26:05Z |
Parties Reach an Agreement that Concludes Outstanding Intellectual Property Disputes
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nevro Corp. (NYSE: NVRO) and Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE: BSX) announced today that they have reached a settlement in their ongoing intellectual property litigations that gives Boston Scientific the freedom to operate using the features and capabilities embodied in its current line of products for frequencies below 1,500 Hz, and gives Nevro the freedom to operate using the features and capabilities embodied in its current line of products.
Nevro will grant Boston Scientific a worldwide, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to practice paresthesia-free therapy at frequencies below 1,500 Hz and a covenant not to sue for any features embodied in any current Boston Scientific products for frequencies below 1,500 Hz. Boston Scientific also will grant Nevro a worldwide, non-exclusive, non-transferable license under Boston Scientific's asserted patent families and a covenant not to sue for any features embodied in any current Nevro products.
This settlement concludes all of the existing litigations between Nevro and Boston Scientific, and includes a net payment from Boston Scientific to Nevro of $85 million.
Internet Posting of Information
Nevro routinely posts information that may be important to investors in the "Investor Relations" section of its website at www.nevro.com. The company encourages investors and potential investors to consult the Nevro website regularly for important information about Nevro.
About Nevro
Headquartered in Redwood City, California, Nevro is a global medical device company focused on delivering comprehensive, life-changing solutions that continue to set the standard for enduring patient outcomes in chronic pain treatment. The company started with a simple mission to help more patients suffering from debilitating pain and developed its proprietary 10 kHz Therapy, an evidence-based, non-pharmacologic innovation that has impacted the lives of more than 80,000 patients globally. Nevro's comprehensive HFX™ spinal cord stimulation (SCS) platform includes a Senza SCS system and support services for the treatment of chronic trunk and limb pain and painful diabetic neuropathy.
Senza®, Senza II®, and Senza Omnia™ are the only SCS systems that deliver Nevro's proprietary 10 kHz Therapy. Nevro's unique support services provide every patient with an HFX Coach™ throughout their pain relief journey and every physician with HFX Cloud™ insights for enhanced patient and practice management.
Senza, Senza II, Senza Omnia, HFX, HXF Coach, HFX Cloud, HFX Connect, Nevro and the Nevro logo are trademarks of Nevro Corp.
To learn more about Nevro, connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Investors and Media:
Julie Dewey, IRC
Nevro Corp.
Chief Corp Communications and Investor Relations Officer
650-433-3247 | julie.dewey@nevro.com
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SOURCE Nevro Corp. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/nevro-boston-scientific-announce-settlement-their-ongoing-intellectual-property-litigations/ | 2022-08-01T11:43:52Z |
PITTSBURGH, June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a system to motivate drivers to move over or slow down for emergency vehicles stopped along the roadside," said an inventor, from Brooklyn, N.Y., "so I invented the SAFE- SPACE. My design ensures that a safe buffer zone is created to comply with state law and to reduce additional accidents."
The patent-pending invention provides an effective way to encourage motorists to move over when approaching a police car, ambulance or wrecker stopped along the roadside. In doing so, it could enhance safety and compliance with state law. It also could provide a form of revenue for the city or state. The invention features a reliable design that is easy to use so it is ideal for emergency services, utility companies, wrecker services, etc. Additionally, it is producible in design variations.
The original design was submitted to the Manhattan sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-MBQ-154, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/inventhelp-inventor-develops-camera-system-emergency-vehicles-mbq-154/ | 2022-06-21T16:58:22Z |
TEL AVIV, Israel, PARIS and LYON, France and ERLANGEN, Germany, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantum Machines, creator of the Quantum Orchestration Platform, Alice&Bob, a leading European developer of quantum processors, and top-European quantum computing research groups led by Prof. Benjamin Huard from the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon and Prof. Florian Marquardt of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, today announced the launch of Project ARTEMIS. The 3-year project will work to establish and commercialize a radically new approach to quantum control based on Neural Networks.
Project ARTEMIS will work to overcome two of the main challenges in quantum computing - quantum error correction and optimal control. To accomplish this, the research will focus on the development of a quantum controller that incorporates real-time neural networks capable of generating controls. This is set to resolve one of the main bottlenecks towards scaling up error correction and optimal control methods.
The expected outcomes of the project are:
- The deployment of a universal quantum controller with a user-friendly interface and accompanying open-source code libraries for the implementation of the new approach on a variety of quantum processors and devices.
- The public availability of a cloud-based quantum processor with a unique user interface, allowing for the programming and execution of a rich variety of real-time neural networks. This will allow researchers to explore the new approach toward practical quantum computing and quantum sensing, even if they do not have direct access to quantum hardware.
"The future viability of practical quantum computing is heavily dependent on achieving error correction in a consistent and efficient way," said Dr. Yonatan Cohen, CTO of Quantum Machines. "We expect the neural networks being developed as part of ARTEMIS to help improve our control over larger numbers of qubits, even in the face of environmental decoherence, to help facilitate the real-world deployment of quantum computers."
"Alice&Bob's roadmap is predicated on a lean inspiration: we aim to reduce the minimum quantum resources required to build a fault-tolerant quantum computer," said Dr. Théau Peronnin, CEO of Alice&Bob. "By making control more efficient, ARTEMIS advances that philosophy outside the cryostat and brings the reality of practical quantum computing one step closer."
The project will utilize the combined expertise of the participating companies and institutions in the fields of microwave engineering, machine learning, control theory, experimental quantum physics, commercial product design, and realization. Industrial level quantum computers will be used to realize the full potential of the project.
"We expect neural networks to help identify new strategies for quantum control," said Benjamin Huard, Professor at Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon in France. "In particular, we expect a sizable improvement for discovering the optimal control laws in imperfect experimental settings. We are excited to gather such a strong consortium to test these ideas experimentally and build useful tools for quantum computing."
About Quantum Machines
Quantum Machines (QM) powers quantum breakthroughs and accelerates the path towards the new age of quantum computing. The company's Quantum Orchestration Platform (QOP) fundamentally redefines the architecture of the control and operations of quantum processors. The full-stack hardware and software platform is capable of running even the most complex algorithms right out of the box, including quantum error correction, multi-qubit calibration, and more. Helping achieve the full potential of any quantum processor, the QOP allows for unprecedented advancement and speed-up of quantum technologies as well as the ability to scale into the thousands of qubits. Visit us at www.quantum-machines.co
About Alice and Bob
Alice & Bob is a VC-backed Parisian startup whose mission is to build a large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer. Alice&Bob's unique technology based on superconducting cat qubits provides a lean and efficient shortcut toward quantum error correction. The 40 people team will deliver its first commercial product in 2023
Media Contact for Quantum Machines:
Lazer Cohen
lazer@westraycommunications.com
+347-753-8256
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SOURCE Quantum Machines | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/european-institutions-announce-research-project-develop-neural-networks-quantum-error-correction/ | 2022-04-13T13:59:55Z |
- Cloud revenue up 34% and up 24% at constant currencies to become the largest revenue stream
- Current cloud backlog exceeds €10 billion, up 34% and up 25% at constant currencies
- SAP S/4HANA current cloud backlog extends its growth trend, up 100% and up 87% at constant currencies
- Cloud gross profit up 39% (IFRS), up 38% (non-IFRS) and up 28% (non-IFRS at constant currencies), leading to a strong cloud gross margin expansion
- IFRS operating profit down 32%, non-IFRS operating profit down 13% and down 16% at constant currencies, primarily due to the impact of the war in Ukraine
- SAP reaffirms 2022 revenue and free cash flow outlook, updates operating profit outlook range
WALLDORF, Germany, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.
Christian Klein, CEO: "As our Q2 results demonstrate, SAP's portfolio is more relevant than ever. Our transition to the cloud is ahead of schedule and we have exceeded topline expectations, with cloud revenue becoming SAP's largest revenue stream. Our pipeline is strong, and we are winning market share underpinned by the very strong 100% growth of S/4HANA current cloud backlog."
Luka Mucic, CFO: "This quarter again proves that our strategy is resonating, even in an increasingly challenging external environment. We continued to deliver strong topline growth, exceeding revenue expectations and increasing cloud profitability. This quarter, we have recognized the main impact of the war in Ukraine. We believe that we are now able to capitalize on our substantial growth investments of the last 18 months, by delivering sustained growth and profitability expansion."
Financial Performance
Cloud Performance – Second quarter 2022
1 For a breakdown of the individual adjustments, see table "Non-IFRS Adjustments by Functional Areas" in this Quarterly Statement.
2 As this is an order entry metric, there is no matching IFRS equivalent.
3 Software as a service
4 Platform as a service
5 Infrastructure as a service
Due to rounding, numbers may not add up precisely
Cloud Performance – Six months ended June 2022
1 For a breakdown of the individual adjustments, see table "Non-IFRS Adjustments by Functional Areas" in this Quarterly Statement.
2 As this is an order entry metric, there is no matching IFRS equivalent.
3 Software as a service
4 Platform as a service
5 Infrastructure as a service
Due to rounding, numbers may not add up precisely
The Q1-Q2 2022 results were also impacted by other effects. For details, please refer to the disclosures on page 31 of this document.
Financial Highlights
Current cloud backlog exceeded €10 billion for the first time and was up 34% to €10.40 billion and up 25% at constant currencies, accelerating from 23% at constant currencies in the first quarter and demonstrating a strong foundation of future cloud revenue.
Driven by double-digit growth across the SaaS and PaaS portfolio, cloud revenue was up 34% to €3.06 billion, up 24% at constant currencies.
Our cloud gross margin was up 2.3 percentage points to 69.8% (IFRS) and up 1.8 percentage points to 71.9% (non-IFRS). This was driven by a strong increase in our SaaS margin, despite increased investments into our next generation cloud delivery program. Revenue growth, alongside cloud gross margin expansion, drove strong cloud gross profit growth of 39% (IFRS), 38% (non-IFRS) and 28% (non-IFRS at constant currencies).
IFRS operating profit decreased 32% to €673 million and IFRS operating margin decreased by 5.8 percentage points to 8.9%. Non-IFRS operating profit was down 13% to €1.68 billion and decreased 16% at constant currencies. Non-IFRS operating margin decreased by 6.5 percentage points to 22.4% and was down by 5.8 percentage points at constant currencies. This was mainly driven by reduced contribution from software licenses revenue, as well as significant bad debt expenses related to the war in Ukraine. In addition, IFRS operating profit was affected by restructuring expenses of €130 million, primarily incurred due to the exit from Russia and Belarus. Estimated immediate financial impacts of the war in Ukraine lowered IFRS operating profit growth by 28 percentage points, non-IFRS operating profit growth by 8 percentage points and non-IFRS operating profit growth at constant currencies by 6 percentage points.
IFRS earnings per share decreased 75% to €0.29 and non-IFRS earnings per share decreased 45% to €0.96. The year-over-year decline of earnings per share reflects a contribution to financial income by Sapphire Ventures that, due to current market conditions, was lower than in the same period last year. Our effective tax rate was 62.2% (IFRS) and 29.3% (non-IFRS). The year-over-year effective tax rate increase mainly resulted from changes in tax exempt income and non-deductible expenses. For non-IFRS, the changes in non-deductible expenses do not apply due to respective adjustments of pre-tax figures.
Free cash flow for the first six months was down 36% to €2.08 billion. The decrease versus last year is mainly attributable to the development of profitability and impacts from working capital due to SAP's continuing move to the cloud. In the second half-year, we expect a more favorable cash flow development due to lower cash taxes and better profitability. We are therefore reiterating our free cash flow outlook for the year.
On January 13, SAP announced a new share repurchase program to support the transition of SAP's share-based compensation programs to equity settlement, which was completed on April 29. SAP had repurchased 10,004,763 shares at an average price of €99.63 with a purchased value of approximately €997 million. In addition, on July 21, SAP announced another share buyback program of approximately €500 million. Repurchased shares will primarily be used to service awards granted under share-based compensation plans for employees.
Impact of War in Ukraine
In the first six months, SAP's business was impacted by the war in Ukraine and SAP's decision to wind down its business operations in Russia and Belarus.
In the second quarter current cloud backlog was approximately €64 million lower due to the termination of existing cloud engagements, reducing current cloud backlog growth by approximately 1 percentage point at constant currencies. IFRS and non-IFRS operating profit were lowered mainly due to reduced software licenses and support revenues and bad debt reserves recorded on trade receivables. IFRS operating profit was additionally affected by restructuring expenses of approximately €120 million incurred due to severance payments to employees in Russia and Belarus and further impairments of assets. The increase of restructuring expenses versus prior expectations is due to the appreciation of the Russian ruble over the past quarter. The overall impact on IFRS operating profit was approximately €280 million (first six months: approximately €350 million) and on non-IFRS operating profit approximately €160 million (first six months: approximately €230 million).
For the fiscal year, we expect a total revenue impact of approximately €300 million at constant currencies from lack of new business and discontinuation of existing business. For non-IFRS operating profit we expect an impact of approximately €350 million at constant currencies from the revenue gaps mentioned above and other expense items.
Other impacts due to this rapidly evolving situation are currently unknown and could potentially subject our business to materially adverse consequences should the situation escalate beyond its current scope.
Business Highlights
More than 650 customers chose SAP S/4HANA in the quarter, increasing total adoption to approximately 20,000 customers, up 15% year over year, of which more than 14,500 are live. In the second quarter, more than 60% of the additional SAP S/4HANA customers were net new.
In the second quarter, customers around the globe chose "RISE with SAP" to drive end-to-end business transformation, including ABB Information Systems, Bridgestone Australia, Capitec Bank, EisnerAmper, Hisense Group, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, Moderna, Pitney Bowes, RWE, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Zoomlion. Customers continue to expand their SAP landscape: Microsoft invested in "RISE with SAP", while GlobalFoundries, HeidelbergCement, Malaysia Airlines, and Mapletree Investments combined the "RISE with SAP" offering with further solutions.
Key customer wins across SAP's solution portfolio included: ALTANA, Analog Devices, ASUS, BeiGene, Coop Genossenschaft, Corning, Ericsson, Fisker Inc., FUNKE Mediengruppe, Kyndryl, Moët Hennessy, Persán, Positivo Tecnologia, Sportradar, Votorantim, Wieland-Werke. Antonio Puig, CONA Services, HCL Technologies, and Wittenstein all went live on SAP solutions in the second quarter.
SAP's cloud revenue performance for the quarter was strong across all regions. Germany had an outstanding cloud revenue performance while the U.S., Brazil, Japan, India and Switzerland were particularly strong.
On May 4, SAP and Google Cloud announced an expansion of their relationship, unveiling new integrations between Google Workspace and SAP's flagship cloud ERP, SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
On May 11, SAP and IBM announced the latest milestone in their long-standing partnership as IBM undertakes one of the world's largest corporate transformation projects based on SAP ERP software, designed to fuel the company's growth and better support its clients.
On May 18, SAP announced that the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of SAP SE approved all proposals of the Executive Board and Supervisory Board. Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Hasso Plattner, Dr. Rouven Westphal and Dr. Gunnar Wiedenfels were reelected and Jennifer Xin-Zhe Li was elected to the Supervisory Board. With these elections, the Supervisory Board has reached gender parity. In addition, the compensation report was approved and to ensure a smooth transition between auditors, KPMG, for fiscal year 2022, and the new auditor, BDO, for fiscal year 2023, were elected. Furthermore, the dividend proposal of €2.45 per share for fiscal year 2021 was approved. This amount includes a special dividend of €0.50 to mark the Company's 50th anniversary.
Segment Results at a Glance
At the beginning of 2022, the Services segment was integrated into the former Applications, Technology & Support segment which was re-named to Applications, Technology & Services.
Therefore, SAP now has two reportable segments: the Applications, Technology & Services segment and the Qualtrics segment.
In addition, certain marketing costs that we primarily incur for product and solution-specific activities in the Applications, Technology & Services segment are now presented in the results of this segment and are no longer allocated to SAP's corporate functions.
Segment Performance Second Quarter 2022
1 Segment information for comparative prior periods were restated to conform with the new segment composition.
SAP's two reportable segments showed the following performance:
Applications, Technology & Services (AT&S)
Segment revenue in AT&S was up 11% to €7.11 billion year over year, up 4% at constant currencies. Segment performance was mainly due to strong Cloud Revenue growth, driven by SAP S/4HANA as well as Business Technology Platform. Software licenses revenue decreased due to the shift to the cloud as more customers are adopting our 'RISE with SAP' offering. Segment support revenue was up 5% to €2.98 billion year over year and flat at constant currencies.
Qualtrics
Qualtrics segment revenue was up 57% to €330 million year over year, up 39% at constant currencies. The continued strong growth was driven by robust renewal rates and expansions. LINE Plus, Merck KGaA, the New York City Department of Education, PGA TOUR, PNC Financial Services Group, Progress Residential, Scarlet Health, Tata Digital, Toyota North America, and Venues NSW, among others, selected Qualtrics Experience Management Solutions.
Business Outlook 2022
SAP is executing on its cloud-led strategy, which is driving accelerating cloud growth through both new business and cloud adoption by existing customers. The pace and scale of SAP's cloud momentum places the Company well on track towards its mid-term ambition.
Financial Outlook
For 2022, SAP now expects:
- €7.6 – 7.9 billion non-IFRS operating profit at constant currencies (2021: €8.23 billion), down 4% to 8% at constant currencies. The updated non-IFRS operating profit outlook range reflects the expected 2022 non-IFRS operating profit impact of approximately €350 million at constant currencies from the war in Ukraine and a potential continued marked decline of software licenses revenue. The previous range was €7.8 – 8.25 billion at constant currencies.
Despite the expected total revenue impact of approximately €300 million at constant currencies of the war in Ukraine and a further accelerated move of our customers from upfront software licenses revenue to the cloud in the current macro-environment, SAP continues to expect for 2022:
- €11.55 – 11.85 billion cloud revenue at constant currencies (2021: €9.42 billion), up 23% to 26% at constant currencies.
- €25.0 – 25.5 billion cloud and software revenue at constant currencies (2021: €24.08 billion), up 4% to 6% at constant currencies.
- The share of more predictable revenue (defined as the total of cloud revenue and software support revenue) is expected to reach approximately 78% (2021: 75%).
- Free cash flow above €4.5 billion (2021: €5.01 billion).
SAP is also updating its full-year 2022 effective tax rate outlook (IFRS) to 34.0% to 38.0% (previously: 28.0% to 32.0%). The adjustment mainly results from an updated projection of non-deductible expenses and of the lower 2022 financial income contribution of Sapphire Ventures given current market conditions. As the updated non-deductible expenses are not included in non-IFRS, SAP continues to anticipate a full-year 2022 effective tax rate (non-IFRS) of 23.0% to 27.0% but expects to be at the upper end of this range.
While SAP's full-year 2022 business outlook is at constant currencies, actual currency reported figures are expected to be impacted by currency exchange rate fluctuations as the Company progresses through the year. See the table below for the Q3 and FY 2022 expected currency impacts.
Expected Currency Impact Assuming June 2022 Rates Apply for the Rest of the Year
Non-Financial Outlook
SAP now expects the Employee Engagement Index to be in a range of 80% to 84% in 2022 (previously: 84% to 86%).
In 2022, SAP continues to expect:
- a Customer Net Promoter Score of 11 to 15 (2021: 10)
- Net carbon emissions of 70 kt (2021: 110 kt)
Ambition 2025
SAP reiterates its mid-term ambition published in its Q3 2020 Quarterly Statement including the commitment of double-digit growth of operating profit in 2023. In light of its strong cloud momentum and most recent favorable currency exchange rates development, SAP expects to update its mid-term ambition in the upcoming quarters.
The full Q2 2022 Quarterly Statement can be downloaded from: https://www.sap.com/investors/sap-2022-q2-statement.
Additional Information
This press release and all information therein is preliminary and unaudited.
SAP Performance Measures
For more information about our key growth metrics and performance measures, their calculation, their usefulness, and their limitation, please refer to the following document on our Investor Relations website: SAP Performance Measures.
Webcast
SAP senior management will host a financial analyst conference call on Thursday, July 21st at 2:00 PM (CET) / 1:00 PM (GMT) / 8:00 AM (Eastern) / 5:00 AM (Pacific). The conference will be webcast live on the Company's website at www.sap.com/investor and will be available for replay. Supplementary financial information pertaining to the first quarter can be found at www.sap.com/investor.
About SAP
SAP's strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: SAP customers generate 87% of total global commerce. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers' businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want – without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improve people's lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com.
This document contains forward-looking statements, which are predictions, projections, or other statements about future events. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to materially differ. Additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties may be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the risk factors section of SAP's 2021 Annual Report on Form 20-F.
© 2022 SAP SE. All rights reserved.
SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional information.
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SOURCE SAP SE | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/sap-announces-q2-2022-results/ | 2022-07-21T05:14:34Z |
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The sixth annual GlobalSTL Health Innovation Summit (GHIS) on Workforce offers solutions for the healthcare workforce crisis that is impacting access to care and quality of care and is estimated to have reduced health systems' profitability by $54 billion in 2021. The challenges are larger than what HR alone can address and require innovative workforce solutions.
In a continuous effort to drive solutions to GlobalSTL's healthcare partners, the GlobalSTL Health Innovation Summit, August 17, 2022, will focus exclusively on meeting workforce challenges with actionable, innovative solutions to the industry's most difficult current problems. Register now for virtual or in-person attendance at Hillman Hall, Washington University in St. Louis.
The significance of the healthcare workforce shortage by the numbers (American Hospital Association):
- 20 percent of the healthcare workforce has quit; 33 percent of the remaining workforce contemplate quitting
- 132 percent increase in the use of agency and temporary workers; 52 percent jump in overtime (2021)
- $54 billion in reduced profitability after $176 billion CARES Act funding; $24 billion increase in labor costs (2021)
GlobalSTL, an initiative of BioSTL, is the premier business development platform for digital health companies looking to access Midwest customers. The GlobalSTL platform of strategic business development partners includes 18 healthcare organizations from five Midwestern states whose combined revenues are $410 billion (10% US healthcare spend).
GlobalSTL has a proven track record of sourcing cutting-edge innovations from around the globe to solve pain points related to healthcare and delivery and hospital operations for regional hospital systems and providers, payers, and pharmacy benefits managers. Overwhelming, GlobalSTL's partners stated the number one concern is retaining and attracting a workforce to handle the ever-shifting healthcare needs, especially since the height of the pandemic.
"Today's healthcare workforce crisis affecting the cost of care and increasingly access to care will not go away with the same thinking that we have used in the past," said Vijay Chauhan, GlobalSTL Lead. "The workforce landscape will not look the same as it did pre-pandemic. Health systems must adapt and implement innovative solutions in addition to developing their own change-management strategies. Our Summit showcases curated case studies of health systems addressing the workforce challenges head-on and in a 'no spin-zone' environment with healthcare's key decision makers to provide a one-of-a-kind learning experience for attendees."
BioSTL's international initiative recruits high-growth companies from around the world that enrich and expand St. Louis' innovation economy and bring competitive advantage to local corporations and health systems. Globalstl.org and on twitter @global_stl.
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SOURCE BioSTL | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/16/sixth-annual-globalstl-health-innovation-summit-delivers-healthcare-workforce-solutions-address-national-emergency/ | 2022-08-16T18:46:07Z |
Gaudette scores shootout winner, Senators beat Canucks 4-3
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Adam Gaudette scored the shootout winner in the fifth round and the Ottawa Senators beat the Canucks 4-3, snapping Vancouver’s six-game win streak. Alex Formenton had a pair of goals in regulation for the Senators. Parker Kelly also scored and Nikita Zaitsev had two assists. J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser each had a goal and an assist for Vancouver, and Travis Dermott scored his first goal for the Canucks. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/04/19/gaudette-scores-shootout-winner-senators-beat-canucks-4-3/ | 2022-04-20T06:52:49Z |
SEOUL, South Korea, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lunit, a global provider of AI-powered cancer solutions, announced today that it made its stock market debut on the South Korean KOSDAQ under the ticker "A32813". Lunit's initial public offering of 1,215,800 shares of its common stock was priced at KRW 30,000 (US$ 23) apiece. Shares closed at the upper limit price, KRW 40,000 (US$ 30.5), surging 29.87% in its debut.
Lunit expects to raise approximately KRW 36.4 billion (US$ 28 million). Lunit intends to use the proceeds for R&D of its new AI products and global market development.
"I sincerely appreciate everyone who supported us through the entire IPO journey, especially our investors, stakeholders, and team Lunit," said Brandon Suh, CEO of Lunit. "The IPO itself is a remarkable accomplishment. But we will step forward towards our bigger goal of strengthening our technological innovation and business development and securing an unrivaled position in the market. We will also strive to optimize our stakeholders' value. And above all, we will continue on our mission to conquer cancer through AI."
About Lunit
Lunit is a medical AI software company devoted to developing AI solutions for precision diagnostics and treatment support, mainly focused on conquering cancer.
Lunit has partnered with global medical device giants such as GE Healthcare, Philips, and FujiFilm. The company also focuses on its biomarker business through an exclusive partnership with Guardant Health, a leading global liquid biopsy company.
Lunit has earned international recognition for its unprecedented, state-of-the-art AI technology. More than half of its employees are research and development (R&D) specialists, with more than 12 medical doctors working as full-time staff.
Lunit's flagship products are Lunit INSIGHT and Lunit SCOPE. The FDA-cleared and CE-marked Lunit INSIGHT series provide AI-powered detection of chest abnormalities and breast cancer with 96-99% accuracy. As of March 2022, Lunit INSIGHT products are being used in approximately 600 medical sites in more than 40 countries. Lunit SCOPE series provide AI detection and analytics for tissue data, quantifying key features and scores that enhance elevated response prediction for immunotherapy. By receiving CE Mark in April 2022, Lunit SCOPE PD-L1 TPS has been officially approved for deployment and use in European pathology practices.
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SOURCE Lunit | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/ai-based-cancer-solution-pioneer-lunit-makes-market-debut/ | 2022-07-21T14:12:18Z |
New Chief Technology Officer Joins Organization Poised for Major Platform Enhancements
SALT LAKE CITY, June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Swell, the customer experience platform for local businesses, announced a new executive leadership team member has joined the company, Bryan Sparks, as chief technology office (CTO) alongside Keith Maynard who joins as head of product.
The technology team is responsible for Swell's mobile app and web dashboard, which empower small businesses with communication and reputation management tools that are otherwise often designed and priced for much larger companies.
Sparks and Maynard join Swell at a moment of huge growth, following soon after new leaders were announced for both the sales and marketing teams.
Sparks' background includes over 25 years of executive leadership roles in software as a service (SaaS) businesses, having founded and served as chief executive officer of several companies. In the past eight years, Sparks led technology teams at two companies. He is experienced in building teams dedicated to enterprise-scale, best-practiced, and well-behaved modern SaaS offerings.
"After serving as an advisor to Swell, I'm excited to join as CTO to help the company grow by building great solutions in software and by building an innovative product culture to better serve our customers," said Sparks.
Maynard will guide Swell's product team after leading product design groups for over a decade. In the past he has worked with high-profile organizations including the United Nations and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and has worked on projects in industries ranging from education to artificial intelligence.
"I joined Swell because I saw a tremendous opportunity to work with a stellar leadership group and continue to grow an already great product," said Maynard. "I will be working to integrate design thinking into our product development process, and keeping our customers at the heart of everything we do. I see a real opportunity to provide experiences through our product platform that will transform the way our customers do business."
Swell is a customer experience platform that empowers local businesses to modernize their customer journey and grow their business. Swell puts customer interaction front and center and uses messaging tools to automate every touchpoint, tap into powerful consumer insights, and generate reviews that bring in new business. Learn how Swell is shaping the future of customer experience for local business at www.swellcx.com.
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SOURCE Swell | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/02/swell-invests-cutting-edge-leadership-platform-growth/ | 2022-06-02T11:50:32Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Tuya Inc. ("Tuya" or the "Company") (NYSE: TUYA). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.
The investigation concerns whether Tuya and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.
On or around March 18, 2021, Tuya conducted its initial public offering ("IPO"), selling more than 45 million American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") priced at $21.00 per ADS. On May 11, 2021, an article on techcrunch.com revealed that over the past few days, "several top Chinese sellers disappeared from Amazon." The article reported that over 13.1 million records documenting a massive fake review scam had been uncovered, implicating more than 200,000 Amazon accounts. The article added that "[i]n total, the suspended accounts contribute over a billion dollars in gross merchandise value (GMV) to Amazon." The article quoted Amazon as stating: "'We take swift action against those that violate [our policies], including suspending or removing selling privileges.'" Then, on August 18, 2021, Tuya issued a press release announcing the Company's financial results for the second quarter of 2021. The release also provided the outlook for the third quarter of 2021, stating that the Company expects revenue to be in a range of just $83 million to $86 million, which surprised and disappointed analysts and investors. During an earnings call held that same day with analysts and investors, Chief Financial Officer Yao (Jessie) Liu revealed the reason for the low third quarter revenue forecast, explaining that "our customers face a series of challenges, including Amazon's strict execution of seller policy," in which Amazon had banned cross-border e-commerce stores. After the call, analysts estimated that the Amazon bans would negatively affect Tuya's 2021 second half revenues by 10%, and that 20% of all Tuya IoT-enabled devices were sold through online channels such as Amazon. By August 2022, Tuya ADSs had fallen below $2.00 per ADS, representing a decline of 90% from the IPO price.
Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
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SOURCE Pomerantz LLP | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/10/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-investigates-claims-behalf-investors-tuya-inc-tuya/ | 2022-08-10T19:23:36Z |
HERNDON, Va., July 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mara Motherway, senior vice president, Government and Customer Relations, will participate on an Aspen Security Forum panel discussing "The Future of Resilient Supply Chains" on Wednesday, July 20 at 1:40 p.m. MDT.
The panel can be viewed via livestream on July 20 at aspensecurityforum.org.
Joining Motherway on the panel will be Stephen Biegun, who served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State from 2019-2021, and Bruce Andrews, corporate vice president and chief government affairs officer at Intel, who served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce from 2014-2017. The panel will be moderated by Peter Spiegel, U.S. managing editor of the Financial Times.
Motherway, a recognized expert in government relations and public policy, is responsible for developing and executing Peraton's public policy and government affairs strategies in alignment with corporate and sector strategic priorities and leading interactions with the legislative branch, the executive branch, state and local officials, think tanks, and trade associations.
Before joining industry, Motherway served on active duty as a U.S. naval officer for over two decades. Her diverse experience spans combat operations in the Middle East, acquisition oversight for U.S. government satellite and special communications, and legislative affairs director for the Defense Intelligence Agency.
The Aspen Security Forum, an annual three-and-a-half day conference in Aspen, CO, is one of the preeminent conferences on national security, featuring an array of decision-makers and thought leaders from around the world. Domestic and foreign government officials, business executives, leading academics, and noted journalists convene for three and a half days to discuss solutions to the most pressing national security and foreign policy challenges.
About Peraton
Peraton drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As the world's leading mission capability integrator and transformative enterprise IT provider, we deliver trusted and highly differentiated national security solutions and technologies that keep people safe and secure. Peraton serves as a valued partner to essential government agencies across the intelligence, space, cyber, defense, citizen security, health, and state and local markets. Every day, our employees do the can't be done, solving the most daunting challenges facing our customers. Visit Peraton.com/News and follow Peraton on LinkedIn for news and updates.
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SOURCE Peraton | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/18/peraton-executive-mara-motherway-speak-aspen-security-forum/ | 2022-07-18T13:23:42Z |
CARPINTERIA, Calif., Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PlanMember Financial Corporation is pleased to announce the opening of their new Financial Center, Inspire Financial, in Richardson, TX. Inspire Financial will expand retirement and investment planning and financial education opportunities to school districts, employer groups and individual investors throughout the area.
The new Financial Center will be managed by CEO Tyson King and Chad Harris. Inspire Financial has a team of six financial professionals and three other locations within the state of Texas.
Inspire Financial was founded 25 years ago by Tyson King with a mission to help change the world one family's dream at a time. In addition, they place a special emphasis on supporting educators and the 403(b) marketplace. "Our parents were teachers, and in some cases we were previously teachers ourselves," says Mr. Harris, "So we're very passionate about supporting the education and pension community." To learn more about Inspire Financial, go to inspirefinancialgroup.com.
PlanMember, with more than $17 billion in assets, specializes in the 403(b), 457(b) and 401(k) marketplace. To date, PlanMember has established 43 Financial Centers in 24 states, with a goal of expanding to 80 Financial Centers nationwide.
"The relationship with Inspire Financial is another important milestone as we expand our Financial Center business model across the country," says Jon Ziehl, President and CEO of PlanMember. "We look forward to a successful long-term partnership."
About PlanMember: For more than three decades PlanMember Financial Corporation, through its operating subsidiaries, has provided personalized retirement planning and administrative services to public and private sector employers and employees utilizing a broad selection of investment programs. The company is headquartered in Carpinteria, CA.
Securities and advisory services are offered through PlanMember Securities Corporation (PSEC), a registered broker/dealer, investment advisor and member FINRA/SIPC. Inspire Financial and PlanMember Securities Corporation are independently owned and operated companies.
planmember.com/financial | LinkedIn
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SOURCE PlanMember Securities | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/16/planmember-opens-new-financial-center-richardson-tx/ | 2022-08-16T15:43:33Z |
Bank Director's New RankingBanking Study Ranks All 300 Of The Largest Publicly Traded Banks In The Country
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank Director, the leading information resource for directors and officers of financial institutions nationwide, released its RankingBanking study, sponsored by Crowe LLP. This study ranks the 300 largest publicly traded banks in the country by metrics that examine profitability, asset quality, capital adequacy and total shareholder return.
Bank Director identified the best banks overall and also ranked institutions by asset size, showcasing the best in each category. The top ranked banks are:
The Top 25 Banks
PCB Bancorp (PCB)
Los Angeles, California
$50 Billion and Above
Western Alliance Bancorp. (WAL)
Phoenix, Arizona
$5 Billion to $50 Billion
The Bancorp (TBBK)
Wilmington, Delaware
$1 Billion to $5 Billion
PCB Bancorp (PCB)
Los Angeles, California
"Since its inception in 1991, Bank Director has focused on what makes a strong bank. This ranking uncovers the institutions that were the best of the best for 2021 performance," says Emily McCormick, Bank Director's vice president of research. "While profitability can vary from year to year, affected by various initiatives and strategic moves, we find some perennial top performers float toward the top every year. These are the banks that we focus on in this report, along with the industry's best for the year."
The RankingBanking study examines public banks using calendar year 2021 data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The analysis was conducted by Piper Sandler & Co.
To review the full results of Bank Director's RankingBanking study, along with previous RankingBanking reports, please visit BankDirector.com.
Bank Director reaches the leaders of the institutions that comprise America's banking industry. Since 1991, Bank Director has provided board-level research, peer-insights and in-depth executive and board services. Built for banks, Bank Director extends into and beyond the boardroom by providing timely and relevant information through Bank Director magazine, board training services and the financial industry's premier event, Acquire or Be Acquired. For more information, please visit BankDirector.com.
Crowe LLP (www.crowe.com) is a public accounting, consulting and technology firm with offices around the world. Crowe uses its deep industry expertise to provide audit services to public and private entities. The firm and its subsidiaries also help clients make smart decisions that lead to lasting value with its tax, advisory and consulting services. Crowe is recognized by many organizations as one of the best places to work in the U.S. As an independent member of Crowe Global, one of the largest global accounting networks in the world, Crowe serves clients worldwide. The network consists of more than 200 independent accounting and advisory services firms in more than 130 countries around the world.
Source:
For more information, please contact Bank Director's Director of Marketing, Deahna Welcher at dwelcher@bankdirector.com.
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SOURCE Bank Director | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/16/bank-director-announces-top-25-banks-us/ | 2022-08-16T15:37:34Z |
More than 50,000 small and medium-sized businesses have downloaded the multicamera app, Live2.Social
MIAMI, Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Streann Media announced the launch of Live2.Social, the first multi-camera video app for iOS and Android. The disrupting service is the next-generation tool for content creators to produce outstanding quality video from their mobile devices with multiple camera angles.
The key benefit of multi-camera is that creators can literally be in two or more places at once: They can go live on different social media platforms, and they can add exclusive features like behind-the-scenes clips, interviews, tours, and more.
"We are thrilled to push new boundaries and build the new era of video content creation! This market is huge, and now video creators worldwide will be able to bring remote production to the next level with Live2.Social. Multi Camera streaming is expensive, not anymore. We are lowering significantly the cost of quality video production while increasing content creation mobility," commented Gio Punzo, CEO of Streann Media.
The dominance of streaming services and social media platforms continues to disrupt the media world, enabling the rise of hundreds of millions of independent creators who upload video on a daily basis. Now we are witnessing the beginning of a new era. Up until now, social media and monetization platforms have provided creators the means to distribute their content, while generating limited revenue. These creators, realizing that social media platforms have all the control, have begun experimenting with Web 3.0 innovations, experimenting successfully with nonfungible tokens (NFTs), cryptocurrency, and even the Metaverse. They are discovering for the first time how these crypto-assets provide them with control over the distribution and monetization of their content and likeness.
The acceleration of digital video tools for broadcasters, schools, churches, influencers, e-commerce, real estate, and corporations is here to stay, as mobile video represents try far the largest share of internet traffic around the world. Live2.Social is a perfect solution to make quality programs, gatherings, round tables, interviews, events, and visual radio, with live broadcasts through YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitch Live, LinkedIn, and OTT platforms.
The app is free for 10 minutes of streaming, with paid weekly, monthly, and yearly tiers. Additional Web 3.0 features will be released in Q4 2022 and available via in-app purchase. The App is available globally, on Apple and Google stores, in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian language.
On September 6th, 2022 Live2.Social will be available on one of the biggest technology marketplaces in the world.
Streann Media®️ is the world's most innovative and interactive content creation, distribution, engagement, and monetization streaming platform. With Streann, content providers can create live streaming content and build next-generation Web 3.0 business models, with more than 150 proprietary features. Established in Miami, Florida, the company has won several industry awards for its innovations and has millions of active users in 141 geographies. For more information, visit www.streann.com.
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SOURCE Streann Media | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/streann-launches-multicamera-content-creation-app-web-30-era/ | 2022-08-30T21:47:08Z |
Firms aligned in helping financial advisors diminish cybersecurity risk, protect client data and comply with fast-changing regulations
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and MORRISTOWN, N.J., July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Entreda, an award-winning developer of integrated cybersecurity compliance software and solutions for the wealth management and insurance industries, today announced that Private Advisor Group, one of the largest and fastest-growing independent wealth management firms in the country*, which oversees over $30 billion in client assets, has selected Entreda as its cybersecurity risk mitigation and compliance solution.
The two companies are aligned in helping financial advisors diminish cybersecurity risk, protect client data and comply with fast-changing regulations. Starting in April, Entreda was made available to Private Advisor Group's Investment Advisor Representative community as a benefit of affiliation. Being that LPL Financial is also partnered with Entreda to help protect systems against cyber-attacks, this launch makes the application a fit for Private Advisor Group's entire advisor community. Services are offered through Entreda's Unify Platform featuring 24x7 monitoring and response for threats and vulnerabilities.
Sid Yenamandra, CEO and founder of Entreda, a Smarsh company, said, "As the wealth management universe adapts to modern technology and remote advisor-client relationships, firms more than ever need to know whether they can trust their networks across different time zones and geographical location. Industry leaders see that the quality of services provided to clients cannot be guaranteed, however, a robust third-party risk-management capability allows safer access to cloud-based apps and other tools. Entreda's edge in identifying and fixing gaps in all-important networks and our high-profile partnerships with some of the nation's largest wealth management firms, make us a great solution for firms like Private Advisor Group."
Philip Coniglio, Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer at Private Advisor Group said, "Independent financial advisors need to know that the networks they and their clients use enhance security and protect them from cyberattacks, particularly ransomware. Private Advisor Group is a family of like-minded advisors who hold high value in placing clients' interests first and are committed to growing their business as entrepreneurs and financial experts. Entreda will allow our advisors to safely build thriving practices while staying ahead of the competition."
The Unify Platform will provide Private Advisor Group's advisor community with constant, around-the-clock endpoint monitoring. Unify complements existing security software and was built to provide an added layer of protection and to save advisors time with adhering to security requirements. Entreda's risk-based authentication uses scores to determine whether a computer poses a security threat. It also aids in detecting issues and giving a path to addressing threats quickly and compliantly.
Entreda is the leading provider of comprehensive cybersecurity software, systems and training to the independent financial advice industry. Its Unify platform monitors endpoints on client networks, offers advanced network vulnerability scanning and automatically remediates vulnerabilities. Entreda's proprietary Cyber Risk Number safeguards clients' data and its Third-Party Risk Management program helps firms easily implement their own vendor risk assessment process. Entreda acquired cloud-based platform Privva in October 2021, further consolidating its position as a provider of vendor risk management services for wealth management. Entreda won the Wealth Management Industry Award for Top Cybersecurity vendor in 2019 and 2020 and was named in the 2021 T3 Inside Information Advisor Software Survey as the market leader for cybersecurity resources. For more information, visit the Entreda Unify page on Smarsh.com.
Entreda was acquired by Smarsh, the recognized global leader in electronic communications archiving solutions for regulated organizations, in May 2020. For more information, visit www.smarsh.com.
Founded in 1997 in Morristown, N.J., Private Advisor Group is one of the nation's leading financial services firms. Serving over $30 billion in assets under management, the firm leverages its resources to deliver strategies that strive to improve financial outcomes for individual investors and inspire growth, fiduciary adherence, succession solutions and a client-centric approach for independent financial advisors' practices. Barron's has recognized Private Advisor Group as a top ten registered investment advisory firm since 2019.
*Barron's "Top 100 RIA Firms" ranking is based upon quantitative and qualitative criteria including: regulatory records, client retention reports, assets managed, revenue generated, technology spending, number of clients, size and diversity of staff, placement of a succession plan, and more. Investor experience and returns are not considered. Neither Private Advisor Group nor its financial advisors pay a fee to Barron's in exchange for the ranking.
For more information, visit www.privateadvisorgroup.com.
Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advice offered through Private Advisor Group, a registered investment advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial.
Media Contacts:
Entreda and Smarsh
Joseph Kuo/Elizabeth Shim
Haven Tower Group
424 317 4851 or 424 317 4861
jkuo@haventower.com or eshim@haventower.com
Private Advisor Group
Kelly Coulter
480-815-8695
kelly.coulter@privateadvisorgroup.com
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SOURCE Entreda | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/12/private-advisor-group-launches-entreda-cybersecurity-risk-mitigation-compliance-solution/ | 2022-07-12T11:11:30Z |
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 360training, a leading regulatory and compliance training platform, is pleased to announce its recent acquisition of TIPSalcohol.com, the leading affiliate of TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) alcohol safety training, expanding the accessibility of TIPS training online.
"Safety is not expensive, it is priceless. We take safety very seriously at 360training and adding tipsalcohol.com to our portfolio of alcohol safety will expand our ability to prevent alcohol-related incidents." Samantha Montalbano, COO of 360training.
For the past 15 years, TIPSalcohol has been a recognized reseller affiliate promoting all TIPS online alcohol training courses. Through this transaction, customers and students will have direct access to 360training's extensive technical and customer support.
As a leader in online training, 360training leverages state-of-the-art techniques to offer valuable courses that allow individuals to complete training and get on the job faster. Students who enroll in TIPS-appealing, user-friendly courses can not only expect to gain the skills and confidence required to sell and serve alcohol responsibly, but they will also be considered a more attractive job candidate.
360training is an integrated digital training and compliance platform for highly regulated industries. Through a unique combination of differentiated technology and deep regulatory expertise, 360training enables professionals to attain jobs and maintain industry-mandated requirements while helping organizations develop their workforces and remain compliant. 360training's robust, proprietary content library offers over 6,000 courses across major business verticals: Environment Health & Safety, Food & Beverage, Real Estate, Healthcare, Financial Services, and more.
Since 1997, 360training.com, Inc. has delivered over 11 million training plans across multiple brands, including HIPAA Exams, Meditec, AgentCampus, VanEd, TIPS, TIPSalcohol, OSHAcampus, OSHA.com, and Learn2Serve. Please visit www.360training.com or their social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to learn more.
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SOURCE 360training.com | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/26/360training-acquires-tipsalcoholcom-expanding-alcohol-safety-training/ | 2022-08-26T19:59:22Z |
BERLIN (AP) — People infected with COVID-19 will no longer have to quarantine themselves in Austria if they don’t exhibit any symptoms, the country’s health minister announced Tuesday.
The alpine country is scrapping mandatory quarantine for people who have tested positive but don’t feel ill, Austrian news agency APA reported. The new regulations will apply next month.
However, infected people still need to wear masks if they leave their homes unless they are outside or can keep a distance of at least two meters (six feet) from others. They are also not allowed to enter places catering to especially vulnerable people such as hospitals nursing homes or facilities for the disabled.
The decision was also made taking into account the pandemic’s psychological and social impact, Austrian Health Minister Johannes Rauch said.
He told daily Tiroler Tageszeitung that one must “simply take note that we cannot live with this level of pandemic-related crisis mood for years.”
Mandatory reporting of COVID-19 infections to local health authorities remains in place. | https://cw33.com/health/ap-health/austria-ends-covid-19-quarantine-for-those-with-no-symptoms/ | 2022-07-26T17:57:27Z |
PLEASANTON, Calif., Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bakkal Corporation today announced a seed round investment of $3 million from new and existing investors.
Bakkal is a B2B2C marketplace and last mile delivery platform for ethnic goods founded in 2021.The company aims to reshape local corner stores by providing them strategic business tools and services.
"We believe small grocery stores are a key part of our community and culture. Consumers from diverse ethnic backgrounds have access to healthy and affordable food through these organizations. Ethnic grocery options deserve more than a tiny corner of the grocery store," said Bakkal Founder & CEO Murat Karslioglu. "We are digitizing the ethnic grocery supply chain and making it easier for small local stores to source inventory. By helping high quality and international brands stock their products reliably at stores, we increase affordable food options."
Bakkal's new round increased the valuation of the company to $20M. Bakkal launched its services in Los Angeles in late 2021 and expanded to Bay Area, California in early 2022.
New resources will help Bakkal to fund technology development, grow its engineering team and expand marketing activities.
Bakkal apps are available on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
BAKKAL Press Kit: [https://getbakkal.com/press-kit]
Stay up-to-date on all things Bakkal and shop-local-culture on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Bakkal is an ethnic grocery marketplace in the U.S. The company provides services to brands on its platform to market international products to the U.S market. Bakkal has offices in California, Istanbul, Kyrgyzstan and Tel Aviv. Visit us online at GetBakkal.com.© 2022 Bakkal Corporation. All rights reserved. Bakkal wordmark and logo are trademarks owned by Carsly, Inc. dba Bakkal Corporation.
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SOURCE Bakkal Corporation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/11/bakkal-receives-funding-accelerate-growth/ | 2022-08-11T12:18:02Z |
NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs determined that Brave, Inc. supported the implied claim that its Brave web browser does not share personal data with third parties. However, NAD recommended that the advertiser discontinue two other claims stating that:
- "Brave stops online surveillance."
- "Shields everything . . . that can destruct your privacy."
Brave is an open-source privacy company that offers Shields, a web browser feature that, according to the advertiser, protects a user's privacy by blocking network requests for third-party advertising and tracking.
The claims at issue were challenged by NAD as part of its independent routine monitoring of truth and transparency in U.S. national advertising. In its inquiry, NAD examined online privacy protection claims, the accuracy of which consumers may not be able to assess on their own.
NAD determined that Brave's implied claim that it does not share personal data with third parties was supported by the fact that its practices are consistent with its privacy policy and its practice of not storing user data or sharing it with third parties, because it does not know who its users are, and its user searches are not stored.
However, NAD noted that the challenged claims that Brave "stops online surveillance" and "shields everything that can destruct your property" are unqualified and affirmatively promise total protection from surveillance, third-party tracking, and that Brave will not share personal data with third parties.
In support of its claims, Brave relied on:
- The results of a study it conducted that reproduced searches on both Brave and Google Chrome to demonstrate the level of privacy protection provided in Brave through the Brave Shields feature, compared to the standard privacy settings in Google Chrome.
- A study designed to assess the privacy risks associated with backend data exchanges between servers that occurs during general web browsing, including whether a browser's IP address can be tracked and if the browser discloses visits to third-party websites.
- Its use of other privacy safeguards including its own filter lists based on community reports of privacy issues or concerns, and engagement with third-party lists.
NAD determined that although Brave's privacy protection might represent best practices in the industry, the evidence was not a good fit for the broad unqualified claims that Brave "stops online surveillance" and "shields everything that can destruct your privacy" and recommended that the claims be discontinued.
NAD noted that nothing in its decision prevents Brave from making properly qualified claims about its ability to protect consumers online.
In its advertiser statement, Brave stated that it "agrees to comply with NAD's recommendations" . . . because it "strongly supports self-regulation and NAD's mission." The advertiser further stated that "while we disagree with NAD's conclusion that the evidence Brave presented was 'not a good fit' for some of the statements that Brave used to describe its product, we no longer use" the two express claims that NAD examined.
All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive.
About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs is where businesses turn to enhance consumer trust and consumers are heard. The non-profit organization creates a fairer playing field for businesses and a better experience for consumers through the development and delivery of effective third-party accountability and dispute resolution programs. Embracing its role as an independent organization since the restructuring of the Council of Better Business Bureaus in June 2019, BBB National Programs today oversees more than a dozen leading national industry self-regulation programs, and continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-directed marketing, and privacy. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.
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SOURCE BBB National Programs | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/national-advertising-division-finds-brave-inc-claim-that-it-does-not-share-data-with-third-parties-supported-recommends-two-other-claims-be-discontinued/ | 2022-06-22T14:00:53Z |
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — North Macedonia’s fugitive former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has been handed a 9-year prison sentence for illegally ordering the 2011 demolition of a multimillion-dollar residential and business complex owned by a former political ally turned opponent.
The Criminal Court in the capital, Skopje, found that the demolition was an “act of political revenge” against Fijat Canoski, then the leader of the small Party for European Future (PEI), who had left Gruevski’s conservative government coalition and joined the opposition.
Three other former officials at the time of the demolition were also sentenced late Friday. Toni Trajkovski, the former mayor of the Gazi Baba municipality, one of the 10 neighborhoods that make up Skopje, and a former municipal official were sentenced to 4 years each in prison while former Transport Minister Mile Janakieski got three years in prison. The three were also sentenced to pay a total of 11 million euros ($11.6 million) in damages.
Three other officials were acquitted.
This is Gruevski’s fourth conviction since he left office in 2016 after nearly ten years in power.
In 2018, he was sentenced to two years for unlawfully influencing interior ministry officials over the purchase of a luxury armored car. In 2020, he got one and a half years in prison for orchestrating violence against his political opponents in 2013. In April 2022, he was sentenced to seven years for using his party’s funds to enrich himself.
Gruevski fled to Hungary in 2018 before his first sentence could be carried out. He has compared himself in social media postings to Joseph K., the main character of Franz Kafka’s novel “The Trial” who is convicted and executed without ever learning of what he is accused.
There are two more cases pending against Gruevski for corruption, election irregularities and abuse of office. The charges stem from a wiretapping scandal that broke in 2015, when it emerged that the phone conversations of more than 20,000 people had been illegally recorded, including those of politicians, judges, police, journalists and foreign diplomats.
The scandal brought down Gruevski’s government and he lost the subsequent 2016 election to Social Democrat Zoran Zaev. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/fugitive-north-macedonian-ex-premier-gets-9-year-sentence/ | 2022-05-21T22:48:26Z |
Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, as general partner of the fund managed on behalf of Samsung C&T Corporation, invests in Powin to expand support of projects behind energy transition
PORTLAND, Ore., June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Powin LLC, a global leader in the design and manufacture of safe and scalable energy storage solutions, today announced that it has signed an agreement to sell a minority interest to and obtain strategic equity funding from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, a fund managed on behalf of Samsung C&T (Engineering & Construction Group), a global Engineering Procurement and Construction firm that has built some of the world's most iconic infrastructure projects. As a part of the agreement, Samsung C&T has designated Powin as a preferred storage provider and will bid for new projects with Powin as the BESS hardware and software provider.
The partnership will enable Powin to accelerate its international expansion into key markets including the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The transaction also allows Samsung C&T to invest in the long-term growth of a BESS platform that aligns with its corporate objectives to support the energy transition. The transaction marks the first strategic agreement that Samsung C&T has entered with a BESS integrator.
Powin CEO Geoff Brown said, "We are pleased to establish a strategic and forward-looking partnership with Samsung C&T as we accelerate our international growth. The long-term relationships that Samsung C&T has built with customers across the globe and their project execution experience and reputation will be instrumental as we enter new markets. We look forward to learning from Samsung C&T's immense execution experience as we build the future of energy."
Samsung C&T Executive Vice President Byungsoo Lee said, "Samsung C&T has enhanced its competitiveness in the global BESS market through strategic partnership with Powin, and furthermore, this agreement is expected to be part of strengthening Samsung's global strategy to move forward eco-friendly business portfolios in the renewable sector."
About Powin, LLC (Powin):
Powin is a global leader in the design and manufacture of safe and scalable energy storage solutions. Our innovative and cost-effective hardware and software are revolutionizing the way energy is generated, transmitted, and distributed, helping the world achieve decarbonization objectives. Powin has delivered over 2,500 MWh of BESS in 12 states and eight countries, and has a contracted pipeline to supply over 6,500 MWh of energy storage systems globally over the next three years. To learn more, please visit www.powin.com.
About Samsung C&T(Engineering & Construction Group):
Samsung C&T Engineering and Construction Group is a global leading EPC constructor with more than 40 years of experience operating throughout the world. The group has a variety of experienced construction and engineering professionals ranging from industrial plants to renewable energy, and utilizes the latest and the most advanced techniques, tools, and solutions to deliver the highest value to all its clients. Its landmark projects include the Burj Khalifa - the world's tallest building, Riyadh Metro Project in Saudi Arabia, and the UAE's Barakah Nuclear Power Plant Project. To learn more, please visit www.samsungcnt.com.
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SOURCE Powin Energy | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/15/powin-accelerate-global-growth-with-samsung-campt-corporations-support/ | 2022-06-15T12:12:27Z |
BEIJING, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Waterdrop Inc. ("Waterdrop", the "Company" or "we") (NYSE: WDH), a leading technology platform dedicated to insurance and healthcare service with a positive social impact, recently opened its first agency outlet in Wuhan. It will provide local residents with a range of specialized insurance services, such as insurance customization, security risk assessment, policy consulting, and entrusted policy management.
At the end of 2020, China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission ("CBIRC") released relevant policies, encouraging insurance practitioners to open outlets in urban communities, counties, and towns.
Over the past few years, Waterdrop Insurance Marketplace has kept exploring the new path that combines online and offline presence. In March 2022, Waterdrop kicked off the recruitment of independent insurance agents nationwide, with the aim to cultivate professional elites who are proficient in digital operations.
Aiming at our independent insurance agents, Waterdrop earlier launched exclusive rules with industry-leading income allocation methods, thereby improving our agent retention rate and providing customers with more professional and qualified services.
Besides, by delving into local communities, Waterdrop's agency outlets in community learn more about customer needs, improve customers' recognition of insurance products, including the product features, the processes for insurance application and claims settlement, as well as the meanings of health declaration and other relevant clauses, thereby assuring customers in purchases.
Li Jia, Waterdrop Vice President in Insurance, said, "the Wuhan agency outlet is one of the first pilot outlets set up by Waterdrop; after the sustainable operation capability is proven, Waterdrop will expand the model into more cities and communities."
Shen Peng, our Founder, Chairman and CEO, commented, "Waterdrop will build a highly-specialized and well-trained professional team, so as to provide clients with customized insurance services through efficient online and deep-going offline operations. The agency outlets in community will enhance the stability and professionalism of insurance practioners, raise the awareness of compliant operation, improve the industry's overall image, and facilitate the high-quality development of the industry."
About Waterdrop Inc.
Waterdrop Inc. (NYSE: WDH) is a leading technology platform dedicated to insurance and healthcare service with a positive social impact. Founded in 2016, with the comprehensive coverage of Waterdrop Insurance Marketplace and Waterdrop Medical Crowdfunding, Waterdrop aims to bring insurance and healthcare service to billions through technology. For more information, please visit www.waterdrop-inc.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "likely to," and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Waterdrop's beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Waterdrop's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Waterdrop does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
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SOURCE Waterdrop Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/waterdrop-insurance-marketplace-opens-its-first-agency-outlet-wuhan/ | 2022-08-17T15:20:14Z |
Murphy HR, 3 RBIs as A’s beat O’s; Mancini, Hyde ejected
By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Sean Murphy hit a two-run homer and an RBI double, Cristian Pache also connected and the Oakland Athletics beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-4. Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde and designated hitter Trey Mancini were ejected after an odd play in the fourth. A’s starter Paul Blackburn allowed one run on three hits, struck out four and didn’t walk a batter over five innings for his first career victory over the Orioles as Oakland took three of four in its first home series of the year. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/04/21/murphy-hr-3-rbis-as-as-beat-os-mancini-hyde-ejected/ | 2022-04-21T23:33:16Z |
STOCKHOLM, Sept. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandvik has completed the previously announced acquisition of the Portugal-based company Frezite. Frezite's offering primarily consists of made-to-order polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tools for metal and wood applications, with exposure to the automotive, general engineering and aerospace segments. The company will be reported within Walter, a division within Sandvik Manufacturing and Machining Solutions.
In 2021, the company had revenues of approximately SEK 450 million and an EBITA margin that is slightly dilutive to Sandvik Manufacturing and Machining Solutions. Impact on Sandvik's earnings per share will be limited, yet positive.
Stockholm, September 2, 2022
Sandvik AB
For further information, contact Louise Tjeder, Vice President Investor Relations, phone: +46 70 782 6374 or Johannes Hellström, Press and Media Relations Manager, phone: +46 70 721 1008.
This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com
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SOURCE Sandvik | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/02/sandvik-completes-acquisition-pcd-tools-manufacturer/ | 2022-09-02T08:03:23Z |
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s next leader, John Lee, received an official letter of appointment from Beijing on Monday, a month before he is to take over the leadership of the semi-autonomous city.
Lee received his letter of appointment from Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who congratulated him on his selection as Hong Kong’s next chief executive.
He also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi said Lee “loves the country and Hong Kong” and has “contributed in terms of protecting national security and protecting Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.”
“You have the affirmation and the trust of the central government,” Xi said.
Xi said the “one country, two systems” framework under which Britain handed Hong Kong over to China in 1997 has been “universally recognized” as a success.
Critics say the framework, which provides Hong Kong with semi-autonomy and special freedoms for 50 years, is threatened by growing restrictions imposed by Beijing.
Lee thanked Xi for trusting him with the position and said he would do all that he can to live up to the expectations of Beijing and the Hong Kong people.
Premier Li also expressed full support for Lee and urged him to develop Hong Kong’s economy and improve the livelihoods of its people.
Lee’s visit to Beijing comes weeks after he won an uncontested election earlier this month, gaining over 99% of all votes cast by an election committee made up largely of pro-Beijing members.
It is customary for the chief executive-elect to visit Beijing after winning election to receive a letter of appointment from Beijing. Lee flew to Beijing on Saturday for a four-day visit.
Lee’s appointment comes during a continuing political crackdown in the city nearly three years after anti-government protests in 2019.
Critics say Beijing has tightened its grip over Hong Kong and rolled back freedoms with the imposition of a tough new national security law and changes to its electoral laws that shut out pro-democracy candidates from running for office.
Lee, a Beijing loyalist, is known for his support of the national security law, which outlaws subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign collusion to intervene in the city’s affairs. Over 150 people have been arrested under the law since it came into effect in June 2020.
Prior to winning the election, Lee was the city’s No. 2 official. He spent most of his civil service career in the police force and later in the security bureau.
Lee is expected to be sworn in as Hong Kong’s new chief executive on July 1, the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/hong-kongs-next-leader-receives-official-appointment-letter/ | 2022-05-31T07:59:41Z |
WASHINGTON, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As they prepare to return to Earth later this month, NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts will answer media questions about their time aboard the International Space Station during an in-orbit news conference at 1:20 p.m. EDT Friday, April 15.
NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, will participate in the news conference. The event will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website.
Interested media must contact the newsroom at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston by calling 281-483-5111 or emailing jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov no later than 10 a.m. Friday, April 15. To ask questions, reporters must dial into the news conference no later than 1 p.m. Those wishing to submit a question on social media may do so using #AskNASA.
The Crew-3 astronauts have been living and working on the station since their launch Nov. 10, 2021. During their mission, the crew members contributed to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations. They worked on a variety of plant growth experiments, testing new systems for growing crops and studying potentially drought-resistant cotton plants. In addition, they tested a handheld bioprinter designed to print bandages made from skin cells directly onto a wound, and a miniature scanning electron microscope. Crew members also installed a new device to support studies on fire safety in microgravity, and conducted one of the first archaeological experiments in space. Working in pairs, the astronauts also completed four spacewalks to prepare the station for upcoming solar array upgrades by assembling and installing modification kits and successfully replacing a faulty antenna on the Port-1 truss structure.
The Crew-3's SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, which they named Endurance, will undock from the space station later this month, splashing down off the coast of Florida to conclude the mission.
NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 mission is the third crew rotation mission of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. Regular, long-duration commercial crew rotation missions enable NASA to continue the important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the station. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future exploration of the Moon and Mars starting with the agency's Artemis missions, which includes landing the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface.
Follow Chari, Barron, Marshburn, and Maurer on social media, and learn more about their scientific journey and download images and video on NASA's website.
Follow updates on Crew-3 mission at:
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SOURCE NASA | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/11/nasas-spacex-crew-3-astronauts-discuss-mission-splashdown/ | 2022-04-11T19:19:40Z |
NORTHBROOK, Ill., July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a notification from UL Solutions that the pipe hangers for Fire Protection Services identified below bear unauthorized UL Marks for the United States and Canada. These pipe hangers have not been evaluated by UL Solutions to the appropriate Safety Standards and it is unknown if they comply with any safety requirements.
Name of Product: Model FR-62, FR-78, FR-91, FR-117, FR-169, DN50, DN65, DN80, DN100, or DN150 Pipe Hangers for Fire Protection Services
Manufacturer: Hangzhou Jinyao Machinery Co Ltd
Remedy: UL Solutions recommends that these products be removed from service.
Identification on the Products:
The Pipe Hangers bear unauthorized UL Marks and the following:
SMOOTHFLOW
FR APPROVED
One of the following Model numbers identified:
FR-62, FR-78, FR-91, FR-117, or FR-169
DN50, DN65, DN80, DN100, or DN150
For photos visit ul.com/solutions
Known to be distributed and sold by: Smoothflow Pumps Pty Ltd in Australia
About UL Solutions
A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 100 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support our customers' product innovation and business growth. The UL Certification Marks serve as a recognized symbol of trust in our customers' products and reflect an unwavering commitment to advancing our safety mission. We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future. Our science is your advantage.
Peyton Zylke
Corporate Communications
UL Solutions
847.226.3483
Peyton.Zylke@ul.com
Release No. 22PN-15
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SOURCE UL Solutions | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/29/ul-solutions-warns-unauthorized-ul-marks-pipe-hangers-fire-protection-service/ | 2022-07-29T21:03:39Z |
Dear Heloise: I love reading your column in the Waterbury, Connecticut, Republican-American and have done so for years.
In order to save water when cleaning bottles and jars for recycling, I fill the container halfway with water, add a small dot of dishwashing liquid, put the lid or cap back on tightly, and shake. Substances that are sticky, such as peanut butter, are able to be removed if allowed to sit for a time and given a vigorous shake every now and then. Containers generally do not have to be sparkling clean to be acceptable for recycling.
Also, to save water and energy on laundry, I regularly spot-treat areas of the garment — such as where deodorant was used or the collar — with warm water, as tolerated by the fabric, working in a little bar or dish soap. The load of laundry can be washed in cold water and still have soil removed. I put the warm water in the sink and use it for multiple garments. Of course, hang to dry whenever possible.
— Lisa G.,
Middlebury, Conn. | https://www.tdtnews.com/life/advice_columns/article_ff9765f4-d522-11ec-96bf-5bbdde61d78d.html | 2022-05-17T09:57:10Z |
Duke’s Williams entering NBA draft after sophomore season
By AARON BEARD
AP Basketball Writer
Duke big man Mark Williams is entering the NBA draft. The 7-foot-1, 242-pound sophomore announced his decision in a social media video Monday evening. Williams is ranked as the No. 18 draft prospect by ESPN. He was a finalist for national defensive player of the year. Williams averaged 11.2 points and 7.4 rebounds, and ranked 12th nationally with 2.82 blocks per game. Williams also shot 70.4 percent through two college seasons and improved at the foul line. Williams started all 39 games for Duke last season, helping the Blue Devils reach the Final Four. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/04/18/dukes-williams-entering-nba-draft-after-sophomore-season/ | 2022-04-19T00:20:06Z |
Available in two sizes, ENGO 2 brings real-time performance data and a great fit to runners and cyclists
BOSTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ENGO Eyewear, the leading manufacturer of connected eyewear for endurance athletes, today unveiled ENGO 2, the lightest, and most technologically advanced eyewear created specifically for endurance athletes. Developed to provide instant, intuitive, real-time access to performance data directly in the natural field of view, ENGO 2 features advanced ActiveLook 2.0 technology. ENGO 2 also offers industry leading battery life and can be used for 10-12 consecutive hours before being recharged, and weighs just 36 grams for the standard size - the lightest HUD on the market.
ENGO 2 eliminates the need for athletes to break stride or slow down to look at a watch or cycling computer. For endurance athletes, this can be a significant advantage over the course of a marathon or triathlon. In addition, ENGO 2's touchless gesture control makes it easy to toggle between custom data screens by waving a hand in front of the lens.
Available in two sizes to fit a variety of face shapes, ENGO 2's frameless design comes with ENGO Eyewear's 100% satisfaction guarantee to ensure a comfortable, secure fit, and a clear, stable view of the user's data. ENGO 2 also features high-definition optics, moisture and dust resistance, impact protection, and 100% ultraviolet protection.
"The ActiveLook 2.0 technology embedded in ENGO 2 gives users greater ability to customize the data projected into their field of view based on what is most useful to them," said Eric Marcellin-Dibon, ENGO Eyewear CEO. "Garmin users now have the ability to connect an array of compatible watches and cycling computers and configure and view custom data fields directly in ENGO 2."
"ENGO eyewear gives you real-time control. You can glance at it—you're not having to stare at the numbers the entire time," said Paul Thomas, gravel racer and ENGO Eyewear customer. "They're really helpful. By having real-time control, you never go into the red. With these ENGO, I'm faster, safer, and a more confident rider."
"By having your pace always available at a glance, there's no need to question 'is your exertion correct? Is your pace correct?' It's right in front of you," said 7-time Boston Marathon runner, Pam Nisevich-Bede. "Having the data in real time can give you confidence with executing the plan because anytime you can chip away at that properly designed plan and see it come to life, confidence just builds."
ENGO 2 is available now for pre-order for $329 with orders expected to ship in September 2022. Learn more at www.engoeyewear.com.
Founded in Grenoble, France, ENGO Eyewear is the leader in connected eyewear for endurance athletes. Its ActiveLook® microdisplay technology, recognized with an Innovation Award at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2021, is the first product of its kind to provide a clear and stable display in ambient daylight conditions, is very lightweight, and has best-in-class battery life. Learn more at www.engoeyewear.com.
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SOURCE ENGO Eyewear | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/engo-eyewear-introduces-engo-2-lightest-heads-up-display-training-competition-endurance-athletes/ | 2022-08-03T11:38:57Z |
WASHINGTON, July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly half of workers in the U.S. do not have access to a retirement plan at work, according to a new AARP study. Nearly 57 million people — 48% of American private sector employees ages 18 to 64 — work for an employer that does not offer either a traditional pension or a retirement savings plan.
"Having access to a retirement plan at work is critical for building financial security later in life. And we know people are much more likely to save for retirement if they can do so automatically through their paycheck." said Debra Whitman, AARP's Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer. "We applaud the many states — with AARP's support — that have already created programs that give workers access to retirement savings options and provide small businesses an effective way to attract and retain employees."
AARP's new research found that employees at small businesses are less likely to have access to a retirement plan than those at larger workplaces. About 78% of worker at companies with fewer than 10 employees and 65% who work in companies with 10 to 24 employees lack access to a plan. Even among employers with more than 1,000 workers, one-third of employees do not have access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan.
Access to a retirement plan varies by educational attainment. Just over three-quarters of workers with less than a high school degree (76%) do not have an employer-provided retirement plan — compared to half (50%) of workers with some college and nearly one-third (32%) with a bachelor's degree or higher.
The data also reveals disparities by race and ethnicity. Nearly 64% of Hispanic workers, 53% of Black workers, and 45% of Asian American workers lack access to an employer-provided retirement plan. Together, these employees account for about 46% (26 million) of the total 57 million uncovered workers.
"While Social Security is essential to retirement security, the average benefit is only about $1,600 a month," said Whitman. "Providing workers with a convenient way to save for retirement helps ensure they will have additional resources beyond the foundation provided by Social Security."
In a recent AARP survey, 96% of likely voters age 25 and over who are currently participating in a workplace retirement plan report the plan is important in helping them save for retirement. Nine in ten (91%) respondents also support establishing a state-facilitated program to help workers save for retirement if their employer does not currently offer them a way to save. To date, 14 states have enacted state-facilitated payroll deduction retirement savings or "Work & Save" programs.
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org, www.aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates, @AliadosAdelante on social media.
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SOURCE AARP | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/new-aarp-research-nearly-half-americans-do-not-have-access-retirement-plans-work/ | 2022-07-13T14:07:08Z |
BENSALEM, Pa., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces that investors with substantial losses have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit against Missfresh Limited ("Missfresh" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: MF).
Class Period: June 2021 IPO
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: September 12, 2022
Investors suffering losses on their Missfresh investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in this class action at 888-638-4847 or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com.
The complaint filed alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Missfresh provided false financial figures in its Registration Statement; (2) Missfresh would need to amend its financial figures; (3) Missfresh, among other things, had lesser net revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2021; and (4) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020, by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com, or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
Contacts
Law Offices of Howard G. Smith
Howard G. Smith, Esquire
215-638-4847
888-638-4847
howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com
www.howardsmithlaw.com
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SOURCE Law Offices of Howard G. Smith | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/05/mf-investors-have-opportunity-lead-missfresh-limited-securities-fraud-lawsuit/ | 2022-08-05T17:34:21Z |
Chargers hoping Spiller can provide depth at running back
By JOE REEDY
AP Sports Writer
COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers are set with Austin Ekeler as their lead running back. Trying to find a dependable backup has been a work in progress the last two seasons. With recent draft picks Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree struggling to adjust to the NFL, and Justin Jackson a free agent, the Chargers are hoping fourth-round pick Isaiah Spiller can come in and provide a boost. Spiller was on the practice field Friday for the start of rookie minicamp. Most of his time was spent in individual drills with running backs coach Derrick Foster. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/05/13/chargers-hoping-spiller-can-provide-depth-at-running-back/ | 2022-05-14T00:46:46Z |
YANGLING, China, Sept. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 29th China Yangling Agricultural High-tech Fair (CAF), with the theme 'Innovation, Cooperation and Food Security', will be held from September 15 to 19 in the Yangling Agricultural Hi-tech Industries Demonstration Zone, the so-called Agri City of China.
This year's CAF, which will cover an exhibition area of 48,000 square meters, will feature Chinese and international agricultural high-tech achievements and advanced applicable technologies in 1,450 booths across three indoor exhibition halls. Ten-plus major events will be held concurrently, including the 2022 SCO Modern Agriculture Development Roundtable and the Seminar on the Past and Future of China-Africa Agricultural Exchange and Cooperation, according to the Organizing Committee.
800 exhibitors from 31 countries and regions and Chinese provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions will participate in this year's Fair. Uzbekistan will be the guest of honor this year.
Since its inception in 1994, the CAF has attracted tens of thousands of enterprises from the agricultural sector, as well as scientific and educational institutions from more than 70 countries and regions, with more than 1 trillion yuan in investments and transactions. It has evolved into a vital platform for demonstration and promotion of China's agricultural hi-tech achievements and an important window for international cooperation and exchange in agricultural science and technology.
In recent years, China has intensified cooperation and exchange with SCO member states. For example, at the 19th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State held on June 14, 2019, an initiative taken by China was the establishment of an SCO Demonstration Base for Agricultural Technology Exchange and Training in Shaanxi Province, the goal being to strengthen cooperation with regional countries in the field of modern agriculture.
As the earliest agricultural high-tech industries demonstration zone in China, Yangling is home to a cluster of agricultural colleges and universities including Northwest A&F University, seed R&D companies, and agricultural technology innovation teams. As the host city for the SCO Demonstration Base for Agricultural Technology Exchange and Training, Yangling has promoted exchange and cooperation opportunities among SCO member countries, covering modern agriculture, food production, trade and investment via international agricultural exchanges, training and demonstrations, and has delivered an array of international cooperative parks in agricultural high-techs.
The SCO Demonstration Base for Agricultural Technology Exchange and Training was inaugurated during the 28th CAF in Yangling in 2021, signaling agricultural hi-tech as the new envoy of SCO member states. To support the development of the SCO Demonstration Base and to promote Shaanxi's high-standard opening-up, the 1st SCO Agricultural Expo will be held concurrently during the 29th CAF through a range of multilateral and bilateral international cooperation and exchange events.
Yangling has formed more than 10 SCO platforms for agricultural research exchange and cooperation, held 28 agricultural technology training sessions for SCO member states, and expedited the construction of SCO agricultural hi-tech demonstration parks. Going forward, increasing programs in agricultural exchange, training and demonstration will be delivered.
For more information, please visit http://en.agri-fair.com/
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SOURCE The Organizing Committee of China Yangling Agricultural Hi-Tech Fair | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/09/29th-china-yangling-agricultural-high-tech-fair-take-place-shaanxi-china/ | 2022-09-09T09:30:38Z |
WASHINGTON (AP) — Many Americans don’t expect to rely on the digital services that became commonplace during the pandemic after COVID-19 subsides, according to a new poll, even as many think it’s a good thing if those options remain available in the future.
Close to half or more of U.S. adults say they are not likely to attend virtual activities, receive virtual health care, have groceries delivered or use curbside pickup after the coronavirus pandemic is over, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Less than 3 in 10 say they’re very likely to use any of those options at least some of the time.
Still, close to half also say it would be a good thing if virtual options for health care, for community events and for activities like fitness classes or religious services continue after the pandemic.
“Rather than this either-or, I think we’re more likely to be facing a hybrid future,” said Donna Hoffman, director of the Center for the Connected Consumer at the George Washington School of Business. “People have found convenience in some of these virtual options that just makes sense, and they don’t necessarily have anything to do with like keeping you safe or the pandemic even though they came of age during the pandemic.”
Digital daily routines became the default in 2020 as the nation reacted to the rapidly spreading virus, which prompted lockdowns, closed schools and shuttered businesses. Some substitutions, like online shopping and video conference calling, already existed. Others were reimagined or popularized during the pandemic.
Either way, Hoffman said, there was “rapid” deployment and adoption of virtual services. It was a question of “how are we going to make this work?” she said.
Cornelius Hairston said his family took precautions throughout the pandemic because his wife is a first responder in the health care field.
“We tried to stay in as much as we could and only come out for essentials,” said Hairston, 40, who recently moved to Roanoke, Virginia.
Hairston joked that his twin 4-year-old boys are “COVID babies” who didn’t even go to a grocery store for much of their young lives. The family used delivery services almost exclusively to avoid venturing out to crowded stores. But going forward, he only expects to use them “from time to time.”
For Angie Lowe, the convenience of telemedicine and time saved was reason enough to do it again even though she and her husband returned to doing things in public more than a year ago.
Lowe had her first telemedicine appointment early in the pandemic when feeling “lonely” and “stuck at home” kept her from sleeping well. She was able to talk with the doctor without having to take extra time off of work to drive to and wait in a medical center.
“It was my first telemedicine appointment, but it won’t be my last,” said Lowe, 48, of Sterling, Illinois. “If I can do it, I’m going to do it.”
For many, though, drawbacks outweigh the benefits of relying on digital services in the future. Adults age 50 or older are especially likely to say they are not planning to use the virtual options asked about on the poll going forward, even though many were introduced during the pandemic to protect the at-risk population.
Despite feeling antsy about COVID-19 and infection rates in Phoenix, Tony DiGiovane, 71, said he found curbside pickup at grocery stores and restaurants to be more hassle than they’re worth.
“By the time I picked up the stuff, I needed more stuff,” he said of his grocery orders, and “something’s always missing or wrong” on takeout orders.
Karen Stewart, 63, recognizes the benefits of video calls, but she’s also found them to be limiting. That’s the case in her job organizing after school programming for kids. She also now sees some of her doctors online, one who provides virtual care almost exclusively and another who uses virtual care in between office visits.
She likes that she doesn’t have to drive, but it means a doctor or nurse can’t take her vitals or be “hands on” in her care. It was “scary,” for example, when all of her appointments in the lead-up to a surgery were online, she said.
“When I do that they they can’t take my blood pressure, my pulse. There’s things that a doctor might pick up on that they can’t see online,” said Stewart of Perris, California.
The pandemic created an opportunity to balance in-person and virtual services to support the physical and mental health of older adults, said Alycia Bayne, a principal research scientist at NORC. That “could be particularly beneficial to older adults with different health issues, mobility limitations, people who lack transportation options, people who do not have or live near a robust social networks like family and friends to lean on,” she said.
Still, there remain limitations with technology access, broadband access and digital literacy, which Bayne said may help explain why the poll finds older adults less likely to use digital services after the pandemic.
Despite the age gap on use of services, similar percentages of adults across ages say it’s a good thing for virtual options for health care, for community events and meetings and for activities to continue after the pandemic.
“They recognize the benefits of virtual services, but they’re also ready to start getting back to their pre-pandemic routines,” she said. “The silver lining, of course, is that these services are now available.” | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/many-wont-rely-on-virtual-services-after-covid-poll-finds/ | 2022-07-05T17:49:11Z |
Student loan relief limited for many by US drug war’s legacy
(AP) - President Joe Biden says he hopes his proposal to forgive federal student loans will narrow the nation’s racial wealth gap. But a generation of Black and Hispanic Americans was disproportionately shut out of one of the keys to Biden’s plan: the Pell Grant program.
As part of the “war on drugs” — a consequential, anti-crime legislative agenda that Biden championed as a U.S. senator — an estimated hundreds of thousands of convicted drug offenders had their access to federal financial aid delayed or denied, including Pell Grants and student loans. If they wanted to go to college after their prison terms ended, these offenders had to take on larger, often predatory, private student loans.
Some were discouraged from seeking federal aid by a requirement to disclose their drug record on financial aid applications, while others put off attending college or dropped out entirely.
The people most harmed by these policies: Black and Latino men, thanks to drug laws in the 1990s with harsh punishments for crack cocaine and marijuana offenses. Incarceration rates for men of color skyrocketed. The policies remained in place for 25 years, until Congress repealed the Pell Grant ban in 2020.
America’s student loan debt burden, which now tops $1.6 trillion, “is especially heavy on Black and Hispanic borrowers, who on average have less family wealth to pay for it,” Biden said last week as he announced the forgiveness plan.
The administration has offered to forgive up to $10,000 in student debt for individuals earning annual incomes of less than $125,000, or less than $250,000 for families. And its offer doubles the debt relief to $20,000 for borrowers who also received Pell Grants, a federal program that gives the neediest undergraduates aid that they don’t have to repay.
Studies show that Pell Grants — one of the nation’s most effective financial aid programs — routinely help more than half of Black students and almost half of Hispanic students afford college. According to the White House, among the 43 million borrowers who are eligible for debt relief under Biden’s plan, more than 60% are Pell Grant recipients.
The White House said in a statement to The Associated Press that the student debt relief plan will wipe away about half of the average debt held by Black and Hispanic borrowers, not counting the additional $10,000 cancellation for Pell Grant recipients.
Amid debate over whether Biden’s forgiveness plan goes far enough for disproportionately indebted communities, criminal justice reform advocates say the president’s solutions to the student debt crisis must be as comprehensive as the anti-drug laws were.
“I think there’s a particular onus on this administration and on this president to be part of the solution for issues that he was very deeply involved in,” said Melissa Moore, the director of civil systems reform at Drug Policy Alliance.
There’s a generation of former drug offenders who borrowed to pay for school, but don’t have Pell Grants or federal loans, and won’t have any of their student debt forgiven. According to a Student Borrower Protection Center report on private loan debt, Black students are four times as likely as white students to struggle in repayment of private loans.
“For people who previously would have had to check that box, there should be some mechanism by which, if you were excluded in the past, you are prioritized now for relief,” Moore said.
An AP review last year of federal and state incarceration data showed that, between 1975 and 2019, the U.S. prison population jumped from 240,593 to 1.43 million Americans, as a result of the war on drugs that President Richard Nixon declared in 1971. About 1 in 5 people were incarcerated with a drug offense listed as their most serious crime.
Nixon’s Democratic and Republican presidential successors would go on to leverage drug war policies, responding to an alarming national surge in violent crime linked to the illegal drug trade, cementing the drug war’s legacy.
Following the passage of stiffer state and federal penalties for crack cocaine and other drugs, the incarceration rates for Black and Hispanic Americans tripled between 1970 and 2000. By comparison, the white incarceration rate only doubled in that same timespan.
Biden’s Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 put in place the ban on Pell Grants and other federal financial aid for people incarcerated in federal or state prison. However, then-Sen. Biden reportedly opposed the amendment that added the ban to his bill. At the time, his spokesperson said Biden believed education programs could break the cycle of recidivism among formerly incarcerated individuals.
Ultimately, Biden worked passionately to pass the crime bill he sponsored. Academic programs in federal and state prisons, which had been robust, dwindled severely nationwide.
Later, in 1998, Congress expanded the ban to exclude any student with a state or federal drug conviction from receiving Pell Grants and federal student loans, for as little as one year or indefinitely, depending on the number of convictions. Biden voted in favor of the measure, although his opinion on the Pell Grant provision was unclear.
In just the five years after the expanded ban took effect, the measure cost more than 140,000 would-be college students between $41 million and $54 million in Pell Grants per year, and between $100 million and $164 million in federal student loans per year, according to an estimate by the federal Government Accountability Office.
However, in 2006, Congress changed the ban on grants to drug offenders. It applied only to students whose convictions happened while they were receiving federal student aid, narrowing its effect significantly, although experts say the law still forced hundreds of enrolled students to drop out of college when they lost their aid. The ban on Pell Grants for incarcerated individuals was fully repealed when Congress passed the omnibus spending and COVID-19 relief legislation in December 2020.
Drug convictions no longer affect a student’s financial aid eligibility, although the question still appears on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. In April, the U.S. Department of Education expanded its Second Chance Pell Program, which provides grants to incarcerated students to help them enroll in academic programs. A further expansion of Pell Grants to incarcerated students begins in July 2023, according to the Department of Education.
For DeAnna Hoskins, the legacy of the war on drugs nearly cost her much-need Pell Grants and student loans. She attended college after her incarceration and, by happenstance, just after Congress lifted the ban on aid to people with drug convictions.
“The ‘94 crime bill was so comprehensive in the destruction that it did,” said Hoskins, the president of JustLeadershipUSA, a criminal justice reform group. She questions how Biden’s debt relief plan was crafted. “I feel like you’re piecemealing our liberation back to us.”
There are tens of thousands of people who had to get private student loans at high interest rates, because of the ban on Pell Grants, Hoskins added.
“This is why it’s so important, when decisions like this are being made, that the voices of people with lived experiences are present,” she said. “We can help you obtain the equity you’re seeking.”
___
Associated Press news researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed.
___
Aaron Morrison is a New York City-based national writer for the AP’s Race and Ethnicity team. Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aaronlmorrison.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/30/student-loan-relief-limited-many-by-us-drug-wars-legacy/ | 2022-08-30T11:38:14Z |
Destination Toronto's first U.S.-facing marketing campaign since 2019 showcases Toronto through the eyes of passionate insiders
TORONTO, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Through the eyes of five proud and passionate Toronto insiders, including actor and writer Simu Liu, You Gotta See What We See uses video storytelling to invite viewers to see the city through their lens, highlighting the diversity and uniqueness of Canada's largest city.
In addition to Liu, the Canadian actor and New York Times bestselling author, known for portraying Shang-Chi in the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the campaign features: Nick Liu, critically-acclaimed chef and owner of DaiLo; Mariah Amber, live and digital host for the Toronto Raptors; Santee Siouxx, a Dakhota and Odawa content creator who focuses on Indigenous history, representation, cultural appropriation, and sustainable brands; and Sonia Mangat, host and reporter on CTV's ETalk and CP24 Breakfast Television.
"Toronto has played such an integral role in the launch of my career," said Simu Liu. "I am thrilled to be a part of this campaign sharing my love of this city. I owe everything to the arts and theater scene here; It's an incredible community for the exchange of ideas, cultural perspectives and extraordinary stories."
Each video takes a first-person approach to storytelling, featuring the insider's favourite spots in the city, their unique perspectives on what makes Toronto special, and stories about what they love about the city.
"Toronto is best experienced by engaging with its people, neighbourhoods, cultures, festivals, cuisine and more. Our role is to share the stories from this incredible city - in this case directly from those who know and love Toronto best - to fuel curiosity and inspire exploration," said Scott Beck, President & CEO of Destination Toronto. "Our new campaign, You Gotta See What We See, is a video content series developed to amplify the voices of Toronto insiders, sharing their diverse and authentic local perspectives on what they love about the city."
Running until October 2022, You Gotta See What We See targets the major cities of New York/New Jersey, San Francisco/San Jose, Chicago and Washington D.C. with the primary goal of building brand awareness, fueling curiosity and ultimately encouraging travel to Toronto.
This is the first U.S.-facing marketing campaign since 2019, when the city saw almost 2 million American travellers who brought nearly $1.36 billion in spending to the visitor economy. You Gotta See What We See follows the recent announcement of the country's first MICHELIN Guide coming to Toronto later this year, and the recent addition of Canada's first Ace Hotel and the soon-to-be opened Nobu hotel.
Toronto's visitor economy is a vital economic engine for the city, generating more than $10 billion in economic activity and supporting 70,000 jobs in 2019. Destination Toronto's mandate is to reflect the breadth and diversity of Toronto's people, places and culture to inspire residents and visitors to meet, visit and explore our city. Operating in partnership with the City of Toronto, the Greater Toronto Hotel Association and the Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, Destination Toronto markets and promotes the city to global travellers, attracts and supports major meetings and events, and supports local businesses to maximize the opportunities of visitor spending. For more information please visit DestinationToronto.com.
@DestinationToronto @Destination_Toronto @SeeTorontoNow
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SOURCE Destination Toronto | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/toronto-insider-simu-liu-shares-his-love-toronto-you-gotta-see-what-we-see/ | 2022-08-23T10:34:22Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney Advertising -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Latch, Inc. f/k/a TS Innovation Acquisitions Corp. ("Latch" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: LTCH, LTCHW, TSIA, TSIAW, TSIAU) and certain of its officers, on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased, or otherwise acquired Abbott securities between May 13, 2021, to August 25, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/ltch.
This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws.
The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) there were unreported sales arrangements related to hardware devices; (2) as a result, the Company had improperly recognized revenue throughout fiscal 2021 and first quarter 2022; (3) there were material weaknesses in Latch's internal control over financial reporting related to revenue recognition; (4) as a result of the foregoing, Latch would restate financial statements for fiscal 2021 and first quarter 2022; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.
A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint you can visit the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/ltch or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Law Clerk and Client Relations Manager, Yael Nathanson of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484. If you suffered a loss in Latch you have until October 31, 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.
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Contact:
Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
Peretz Bronstein or Yael Nathanson
212-697-6484 | info@bgandg.com
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SOURCE Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/02/investor-alert-bronstein-gewirtz-amp-grossman-llc-notifies-latch-inc-fka-ts-innovation-acquisitions-corp-ltch-ltchw-tsia-tsiaw-tsiau-investors-class-action-actively-participate/ | 2022-09-02T15:58:19Z |
EP+Co wins John Deere Construction and Sonoco
GREENVILLE, S.C., June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EP+Co today announced two new business wins: John Deere Construction and Sonoco.
EP+Co has been named Agency of Record for John Deere's Construction Division and has also served as AOR for Deere's Residential Agriculture and Turf Division since 2018. The agency will lead the creation of a revitalized brand platform and long-term marketing strategy designed to drive growth and position Deere as the category leader in reliable, innovative construction equipment. The full scope includes brand, strategy, creative and content — leveraging EP+Co's unique in-house production capabilities. Heather Hartley, Manager of Creative and Content Delivery for John Deere, added, "We're excited to evolve messaging for our construction audience through this new relationship. We considered several agencies but found the strategy and energy we were looking for in EP+Co."
In addition, global packaging solutions leader, Sonoco, has tapped EP+Co for the production of a marketing asset that positions the brand's products for buyers seeking premium materials.
Jeff Hoffman, Chief Growth Officer, said: "Because of incredible partnerships like these, every day is another opportunity to UnThink Everything at EP+Co. We look forward to staying true to that mission as we continue to grow and evolve, well into the future."
This influx of new business is a demonstration of EP+Co's proven ability to solve any and every business problem for their diversified roster of brand clients.
An Ad Age A-List Standout Agency and one of PR Week's Top 5 Up-and-Coming Agencies, EP+Co is headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, with a supporting office in New York City. Redefining what it means to be an integrated agency, EP+Co leverages a range of specialized in-house capabilities to lead creative for some of America's most iconic brands, including John Deere, Morgan Stanley, Verizon, Planet Oat, Bojangles, Duke Health, The UPS Store, Tide Cleaners, Rubbermaid, Calphalon and Contigo. Known for their untraditional team of builders and creators, and their ability to "UnThink Everything," it's EP+Co's commitment to begin each process with a blank slate that allows them to deliver creative like no other — Every. Single. Time.
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SOURCE EP+Co | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/epco-named-agency-record-john-deere-construction/ | 2022-06-08T16:48:31Z |
PITTSBURGH, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I thought there should be a shopping cart that could provide convenient item scanning for in-cart accounting purposes," said an inventor, from Houston, Texas, "so I invented the SALES SAVING CARD. My design ensures accurate cart basket inventory at all times."
The patent-pending invention provides a smart design for a shopping cart. In doing so, it helps to make the checkout process more efficient. As a result, it increases convenience and it could help to reduce shoplifting. The invention features a practical and user-friendly design that is easy to use so it is ideal for stores and other retail shopping establishments.
The original design was submitted to the Houston sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-HUN-838, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/inventhelp-inventor-develops-smart-shopping-cart-hun-838/ | 2022-06-29T19:40:33Z |
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