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Milan Campus Expected to Be One of the Largest Data Center Developments in Italy, a Critical Market for Hyperscale Customers
DALLAS and LONDON, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Compass Datacenters and Hines, the global real estate firm, have acquired land in the Milan metro area with the intention to build one of the largest data center campuses in Italy. The 2.3 million square foot Noviglio-located site aims to support 48MW+ of IT load with construction to begin in 2023.
The joint venture marks the entry of Compass Datacenters, one of the world's leading data center developers, into the European market for the first time, and is anticipated to be the first data center project to be delivered by Hines in Europe.
"Building our first European campus in Milan is a major step in Compass' global expansion strategy. It's geographic location, undersea cable connectivity, robust fiber availability and affordable power makes it an ideal location for hyperscalers," said AJ Byers, President and Chief Development Officer at Compass Datacenters. "Hines' vision for Italy align with our own, and our combined resources should accelerate the timeline for customer availability."
Mario Abbadessa, senior managing director and country head, Italy, at Hines, commented: "This first investment into the Italian and European data center market establishes a new area of development for Hines, representing significant opportunities in a high-growth sector. The Italian data center market is becoming a leading destination for cloud providers with growing capacity requirements commonly referred to as hyperscalers, with $2.6 billion projected to be invested by 2026. Milan's high level of network connectivity and the region's multiple submarine cable termination points were key elements in both companies' mutual identification of the Novigilio site as an ideal data center campus location in Milan's supply-constrained market."
"Sustainability is a hallmark of the approach that Compass and Hines use. Our sustainable construction methodologies include the use of materials produced using GHG reduction technology, the use of renewable fuel generators, and low-waste construction methodologies," said Byers. "When customers work with us, they have the assurance that their digital infrastructure will exceed regulatory requirements while also supporting corporate sustainability strategies."
Compass and Hines' sustainable approach to design and construction align with the EU's goals on carbon reduction and is consistent with our customer's green strategies in Europe," said Abbadessa. "Both companies view green construction as a core tenet while also attempting to reduce the customer's total cost of ownership."
Hines is a privately owned global real estate investment firm founded in 1957 with a presence in 285 cities in 28 countries. Hines oversees investment assets under management totaling approximately $90.3 billion¹. In addition, Hines provides third-party property-level services to 373 properties totaling 114.2 million square feet. Historically, Hines has developed, redeveloped or acquired approximately 1,530 properties, totaling over 511 million square feet. The firm currently has more than 198 developments underway around the world. With extensive experience in investments across the risk spectrum and all property types, and a foundational commitment to ESG, Hines is one of the largest and most-respected real estate organizations in the world. Visit www.hines.com for more information.
¹Includes both the global Hines organization as well as RIA AUM as of December 31, 2021.
Compass makes lives better by providing the world's technology leaders a secure place to plug in wherever they grow. We provide custom, move-in ready data centers from edge deployments to core facilities serving hyperscale, cloud and enterprise customers. Since our inception, we have embraced sustainability with the efficient use of land, green energy, water free cooling and building materials. Our campus approach empowers customers with easily scalable capacity, high levels of control and ultimate flexibility with the long-term perspective and financial strength of private investors, RedBird Capital Partners, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and the Azrieli Group. For more information, visit www.compassdatacenters.com.
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SOURCE Compass Datacenters | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/08/compass-datacenters-enters-european-data-center-market-joint-venture-with-hines-milan/ | 2022-08-08T14:07:31Z |
squawkbox@albanyherald.com
If 102.1 can call itself a rock station, then I’m a rock star. And I can’t sing or play an instrument.
If the Albany City Commission can deny a businessman a legitimate zoning change because one person complained about “light pollution,” surely this neighborhood’s concerns over a 40-child day care should be considered a detriment to the safety and integrity of their neighborhood.
Amen, Fletcher. I may not have met or encountered as many city workers as you have, but I’ve definitely run into some rude ones. They seem to forget that we are the ones paying their salaries. Unprofessionalism abounds.
Congratulations, Carlton, you deserve it.
Nice story on the Deerfield-Windsor students and teachers involved in their musical. We as a community need to appreciate these programs more. I’m looking forward to seeing these two in “Beauty and the Beast.”
Squawker, we like to call them our conservative views, beliefs and rules of life. One man’s ways are another man’s propaganda. Welcome to America. The Patriot
So on the “advice” of an SMR, I watched the “Pretty Polly” video. I watched and listened all the way to the end. All I experienced were two talented singers backed by an equally talented band, especially the violinist. When Patty Loveless held that note, I found myself tapping my feet. Sorry to disappoint you SMR, but I enjoyed that song. Signed, Yours Truly
Have you noticed Trumpsters call Biden and other Democrats liars or criminals but never offer any facts. Just lies like their cult leader.
I don’t expect Morgan Wright will be a bitter old man, sitting around writing hateful squawks. He will probably be doing good things for others.
We need more stories on local artists like the one on Evan Barber. Great job.
So Albany voters get rid of the best city commissioner, B.J. Fletcher, and replace her with someone named “Dip” who wants to take care of “his people.” It’s a sign of the End Times.
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
Pat-riot, most of us know you are lying so cut the “I research my ideas” jazz. You could not drive from Pine to Gillionville without getting lost, much less drive someone crazy with your falsehoods. I will write my squawks when I want, how I want, and on what I want. The Herald will or will not publish them as they see fit, as they have with yours.
Here’s what to do when you see a snake: First off, don’t try to kiss it to turn it into a prince. That’s frogs.
Mayor Bo Dorough should be ashamed for lying about the speed traps and revenue generation. Bo, you know money can be shifted around the budget if less money is required to fund the APD. Don’t pee on our legs and tell us it’s raining.
The state legislature went after Sanford Bishop on marching orders from the Trump crowd, but I don’t see Bishop losing to any of the Republicans piled up in the clown car to challenge him.
Morgan Wright, you wrote a beautiful essay. But you have a lot to learn about the nature of the bums that prey on the sympathy of nice young people like yourself. | https://www.albanyherald.com/features/squawkbox/article_a6d953a0-c3de-11ec-bddf-23d96360835a.html | 2022-04-24T23:16:13Z |
TAIYUAN, China, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- One of main paths for achieving the goal of zero carbon emissions and improving the energy structure in the European region is to develop energy-saving buildings. As a Chinese stated-owned new-energy company having strong presence in the European market, Jinneng Clean Energy Technology Ltd. ("Jinergy" or "Company") has been always devoted to cost reduction and efficiency improvement based on high-efficiency heterojunction (HJT) and has recently launched its products of Universe and Development Series, including the new upgraded 182mm new light-weight module products which are more suitable for the market of distributed products, providing a new high-quality solution for the development of energy-saving buildings in Europe.
Green buildings constitute an integral part of the market of distributed products as well as one of the key sectors to which Jinergy pays close attention. The light-weight PV modules of the new type, with the feature of light weight and those excellent ones developed from regular modules, can not only meet the demands of the market of distributed products but also eliminate the pain points existing in regular modules, like heavy weight, large area, difficulty in matching with the load bearing capacity of a roof and later-stage operation and maintenance, as well as guarantee the profitability of customers and the reliability of products. The significantly optimized weight and size and the convenient installation, operation and maintenance allow the new products to have wide applications and especially advantages in the renovation of industrial and commercial factory buildings. At present, the series of light-weight module 1.0, launched for the first time, has made a breakthrough in its shipment in Southeast Asia, whose good qualities such as reducing input costs and improving power generation efficiency per household have been well accepted by customers in the Southeast Asia region, constantly injecting new vitality into the low-carbon transformation of this region.
While developing green buildings, Europe is confronted with two problems. One is the expensive labor costs which significantly increase the expenses of installation and operation and maintenance at later stages. The other is the high requirements for safety, aesthetic degree, profitability, and carbon footprint of products, which dramatically decrease the number of standard-compliant PV products and further reduce the options in the market.
The brand-new version 108 light-weight modules recently launched by Jinergy is upgraded from those of the light-weight module series 2.0, which adopt silicon wafers of large size (182mm), improving the power to 415W and the efficiency to 21.3% and more focusing on the demands of the European market for high quality installation. It is worth mentioning that this brand-new module with the size of a standard module in the industry only has the weight of 15.5kg and this optimized light weight decreases by 25%+ when compared with that of a product of the same type and is able to satisfy the demands of most roofs for installation designs. In respect of weight, the weight of a mainstream distributed product in the market is approximately 21kg, which is also the industry-recognized reasonable weight carried by a single person, and the weight of the new product (15.5kg only) further decreases the difficulty in installation, operation, and maintenance by a single person and reduces the relevant labor costs. As for safety, the new product has passed the 25mm-hail load test and reached the load requirements for front face (5,400Pa) and back face (2,400Pa), which can cope with most climatic conditions. The power of 415W and the power generation efficiency of 21.3% make the new products belong to the first echelon of distributed products, which can bring higher power generation profits to customers. For the 182mm new light-weight module products, full-black appearance can be customized to meet the demand of high-end customers in Europe for aesthetic degree.
To sum up, Jinergy has new upgraded its light-weight modules, multi-dimensionally made distributed products with lower carbon, higher safety, and more convenience, and exploited new PV application schemes for roofs. By virtue of its advantage of origin of manufacturing inland, Jinergy is able to deliver products to customers in Europe within 30 days via a China-Europe freight train, to help customers lower their logistics costs and overseas storage risks, efficiently boost the implementation of partnership projects, and fully guarantee the supply to customers, finally for the purpose of boosting the upgrading of the green buildings in Europe.
Jinergy, as a representative of Chinese state-owned new-energy enterprises, has strong presence and makes commitment to taking state-of-the-art technologies as the core, and focuses on customer service upgrading, to provide long-term guarantee for customers in respect of such key interests as product supply, project operation and maintenance, and financial security, bring efficient and reliable and diversified products to customers, and also reduce cooperative and commercial risks.
In the future, Jinergy will develop more customized products based on market demands with the open attitude towards cooperation under the product development idea "PHENOMENAL PERFORMANCE" through technological innovations, as well as constantly perfecting the product ecosystem, and solving the problems in specific applications. The Company devotes itself to exploring products with high application value and bringing environment-friendly, high-yield, and zero-carbon emission experience to customers.
About Jinergy
Founded on December 31, 2013, Jinneng Clean Energy Technology Ltd. ("Jinergy") is one of companies of Jinneng Holding Power Group, a coal giant ranking the third place in the world and the second in the People's Republic of China (PRC). As a stated-owned enterprise boasting the earliest development and operation, largest installed capacity, and strongest manufacturing capability in Shanxi Province, PRC, Jinergy has its business mainly covering a full industry chain from investment in, and development, construction, and operation of wind power and PV power generation projects, to R&D and manufacturing of PV cells and modules and PV engineering construction. It is devoted to R&D and manufacturing of PV cells and modules and is the first manufacturer realizing large-scale mass production of HJT technologies in the PRC. Since 2019, Jinergy has been named a Tier 1 Module Supplier in Global PV by the prestigious research institute Bloomberg Finance Energy News (BNEF) for four successive years; and in 2022, Jinergy was elevated to a higher rank on the PV ModuleTech Financing Ranking Pyramid, establishing itself as a global high-quality module supplier.
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SOURCE Jinergy | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/29/jinergys-light-weight-module-20-boosts-upgrading-green-buildings-europe/ | 2022-07-29T10:18:44Z |
Is the hot labor market strengthening or weakening? Or doing both at the same time?
The U.S. added 372,000 jobs in June while the unemployment rate remained at a low 3.6% for the fourth month in a row, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported July 8. The strong employment growth surpassed many economists’ forecasts and indicated that demand for workers remains high.
But cracks are emerging in select spots. U.S. companies announced more than 32,000 layoffs in June, a sharp increase from May and the highest monthly total since February 2021, according to global placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The deepest cuts were in the automotive sector, followed by entertainment-leisure and real estate.
“Employers are beginning to respond to financial pressures and slowing demand by cutting costs,” said Andrew Challenger, senior vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. “While the labor market is still tight, that tightness may begin to ease in the next few months.”
The report tabulates announced layoffs and can serve as a proxy for developing trends. Many sectors increasing layoffs, for example, are dealing with a slowdown in the housing market, Challenger said. That was started by the Federal Reserve raising interest rates to combat inflation.
Some high-profile companies have embraced workforce cuts recently, including Netflix, Peloton, Coinbase Global and real estate firms Redfin and Compass. Others, such as Tesla and Meta (formerly Facebook), seem eager to push out some workers.
“I think some of you might decide that this place isn’t for you, and that self-selection is OK with me,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees at Meta, according to The New York Times. “Realistically, there are probably a bunch of people at the company who shouldn’t be here.”
How Texas is faring
In Texas, companies have filed layoff notices for over 2,200 employees this year. In Dallas-Fort Worth, three companies recently filed layoff notices. In late June, First Guaranty Mortgage Corp. terminated 428 of 565 employees working at its Plano office.
“We’re seeing anecdotes and some evidence in the data that layoffs are starting to tick up,” said Mallory Vachon, senior economist at ThinkWhy, a Dallas-based software services company that focuses on the labor market. “But there’s just enough demand out there in the economy that workers aren’t staying unemployed for long.”
In May, Dallas-Fort Worth’s unemployment rate was 3.3%, down from 5.1% a year ago. D-FW has been growing jobs at a fast clip, adding nearly 295,000 positions in the 12 months ended in May. That’s roughly three times more net hires than in a typical month before the pandemic.
Talk of recession
The strong hiring has continued despite growing headwinds. There are serious concerns about the effects of inflation and gasoline prices; the Fed’s interest rate hikes; constraints in the supply chain; and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“There’s been a lot of talk about recession, and I think rightfully so,” Vachon said. “But the labor market clearly hasn’t gotten the memo.”
The June layoff announcements compiled by Challenger were 57% higher than in May, a meaningful increase. But the longer trend has been muted. For the first six months of the year, total announced layoffs were the lowest since the firm started tracking the data in 1993.
As the economy has recovered from the pandemic and employers have been eager to hire, layoffs nationwide have been running at their lowest rates ever. According to the BLS, companies cut just under 1.4 million positions in May, compared with nearly 2 million layoffs in the month before the pandemic.
Friday’s jobs report included a slight slowdown in the growth of average pay. Average hourly earnings rose 0.3% for a 12-month increase of 5.1%. That’s down from 5.6% in March.
Gasoline prices also have declined recently, offering more potential progress on inflation.
Another rate hike?
But June’s strong job gains underscore the Fed’s concerns about the tight labor market and support the view that the Fed will raise interest rates by three-quarters of a point later this month, said Lydia Boussour, lead U.S. economist for Oxford Economics.
Higher rates will soften consumer spending and lower profitability, and she expects that to reduce job growth significantly: “This should help bring worker demand and supply closer into balance,” Boussour wrote in an investor note.
She projects that companies nationwide will add an average of 160,000 jobs per month in the fourth quarter — less than half the average in June. In 2023, she projects monthly gains of just 65,000 jobs.
Good signs for D-FW
June’s job growth was led by professional and business services, followed by leisure and hospitality, and health care.
Those gains are good signs for Dallas-Fort Worth.
Professional jobs have been booming for most of the pandemic, and the category has been a major contributor to D-FW’s growth — adding 113,000 jobs in the past three years.
Leisure and hospitality, which includes restaurants and hotels, finally recovered its pandemic job losses this spring, at least in D-FW. Nationwide, the category remains about 1.3 million jobs below its pre-pandemic level.
Health care jobs follow a similar track. They haven’t recovered fully nationwide, but D-FW has more workers in health care and social assistance than before the pandemic.
With job openings near a historic high, in both the U.S. and Texas, Vachon expects the growth to continue.
ThinkWhy ranks the 150 largest metros by job gains, net migration, wage growth, education and more. At the top of the list: Dallas-Fort Worth, followed by Austin-Round Rock.
“It’s just not letting up,” she said.
Editor’s note: This story was distributed by the Associated Press. | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/article_d58604fc-0581-11ed-8d4a-afb77d84f862.html | 2022-07-17T04:01:21Z |
AMBLER, Pa., Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Crossings at Ambler Station is now leasing, and it's the first new apartments to hit the Ambler borough in 50 years. Ideally located in the heart of Montgomery County, the property offers an easy commute to major thoroughfares, including Route 309 and the Fort Washington entrance of the PA Turnpike. The exquisitely designed, pet-friendly community will feature 114 one and two-bedroom apartment homes with an impressive list of premier amenities. Residents have access to multiple co-working spaces, various pet amenities to keep a pup active, clean, and happy, a club-quality fitness center, numerous lounges, and social spaces, including a 23,000 square foot beautifully landscaped village green, and more.
Designed with luxury finishes and amenities that rival any development in the area, this suburban community offers residents an exceptional living experience.
The apartments boast modern home features including keyless entry, stainless steel appliances, chic quartz countertops, and premium wood-plank flooring. "We are proud to bring a new living concept to the Ambler Borough, a geographical location our firm is passionate about developing to its full potential," said Developer John Zaharchuk, Principal at Summit Realty Advisors.
Sizes range from 669 square feet to 1,155 square feet, with rents for a one-bedroom apartment starting at $1,870. Two-bedroom apartments are priced at around $2,540.
The property location provides ultimate convenience. Situated next to The Ambler Train Station and a short walk from Ambler's main strip, residents can get wherever they want to go quickly. "Location is key for today's renter, and The Crossings definitely hits the mark. The community is steps away from Ambler's best dining, shopping, and entertainment and a short ride away from Center City. Residents will love the convenience of living here," said Jessica Scully, President of Scully Company.
The apartments will be ready for their first move-ins in late August, and the project will be fully complete in November 2022. For more information or to schedule a tour, visit TheCrossingsAmbler.com .
Summit Realty Advisors, LLC is a leading provider of real estate and investment management services. Areas of expertise include land development management, construction management, strategic advisory, and investment. Summit is committed to the development of real estate projects that are responsive to the objectives of their clients and sensitive to the communities and neighborhoods within which they operate. Summit possesses a proven track record of providing innovative, practical, and effective solutions through its team of experienced real estate professionals. For more information, visit SummitRealtyAdvisors.com
Management Company
Established over seventy years ago, Scully Company brings generations of family know-how and professional experience to the acquisition, development, construction, management, and asset management of apartment communities for institutions, private investors, and their own portfolio. Scully Company specializes in multi-family real estate in both ownership and management capacities, currently managing thousands of units consisting of large-scale garden, mid-rise, and high-rise apartment communities in Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Operating in diverse locations with a keen focus on strategies specific to local markets, Scully Company has achieved recognition as a leader in the multi-family industry. For more information, visit ScullyCompany.com
Scully Company
Renee McIntyre
(215) 887-8400
rmcintyre@scullycompany.com
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SOURCE Scully Company | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/now-leasing-amblers-first-apartments-50-years/ | 2022-08-09T13:03:39Z |
RSBN will exclusively stream coverage of major political events through 2022 on Rumble, the neutral video platform
LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. , June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the video-sharing platform Rumble announced a exclusive partnership with Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN) to manage advertisements, including host-read "live" advertisements, for the network through the end of 2022. As part of the partnership, RSBN will stream the featured portions of its live political coverage exclusively on Rumble, including its coverage of rallies by 45th President Donald J. Trump.
Right Side Broadcasting Network hosts such popular shows as "The Right View with Lara Trump" and "The Michael Savage Show." RSBN's YouTube account has over 1.5 million subscribers with over 236 million total views. Through the end of 2022, RSBN will begin coverage of live events on other platforms, then switch to exclusive streaming on Rumble for the featured or main portion of the event.
"Rumble's partnership with RSBN is one more victory against Big Tech's cancel culture," said Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski. "This partnership is just the most recent example of Rumble's first-in-class services and capabilities, providing creators and viewers with a one-of-a-kind free and open platform."
"RSBN's deal with Rumble grants our business future growth and extends our reach while giving us an outlet free of censorship," said RSBN CEO Joe Seales. "With Rumble, we can continue to provide coverage of political events without fear of a Big Tech crackdown."
Rumble is a high-growth neutral video platform that is creating the rails and independent infrastructure designed to be immune to cancel culture. Rumble's mission is to restore the Internet to its roots by making it free and open once again. Additionally, the company announced in December 2021 the execution of a definitive business combination agreement with CF Acquisition Corp. VI (NASDAQ: CFVI). See the announcement here: https://corp.rumble.com.
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SOURCE Rumble | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/rumble-partners-with-rsbn-exclusive-livestreams-ad-management/ | 2022-06-28T13:44:07Z |
When Cassandra and Gary Wiseman bought 185 acres of land in rural Jackson County, they envisioned preserving the land through sustainable forestry stewardship. Over the next decade, they recognized the abundance of naturally growing muscadine vines throughout the property. This bounty ultimately sparked the dream of operating a vineyard and winery on the property.
After learning as much as they could about viticulture, the business of operating a vineyard, the particulars of their forested land and the local climate, they celebrated their first harvest in 2021. They produced 1,200 pounds of “Villard Blanc” and “Carlos” grapes and went on to win a bronze medal at the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in the White Native American/Hybrid category.
“If it weren’t for UGA, we wouldn’t be opening this business,” Cassandra Wiseman said. “UGA’s support has given us the confidence to invest in the business, and we are excited to expand our vineyards with the addition of ‘Lomanto’, ‘Norton’, ‘Lenoir’ and ‘Chardonel’ vines this year.”
That’s because the owners of Blue Cielo Farms — Jackson County’s first farm winery — worked directly with Greg Pittman, the Jackson County Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Pittman and a UGA viticulturist came onsite and coached the fledgling winery owners in selecting the right kind of grapes to grow and consulted on the design of the vineyard’s rows and trellises.
The owners attended various workshops offered through the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, including how to put together a spray program to keep pests at bay. They were also connected with UGA’s Small Business Development Center, a unit of UGA Public Service and Outreach, where business consultant David Stob helped them develop a sound business plan. And all of those services came without cost.
“UGA has made our dreams possible,” Wiseman said. “Our wines are every bit as beautiful as the ones in California.”
Blue Cielo Farms Vineyards and Winery is scheduled to open to the public for wine tastings and events in late 2022.
Georgia is now home to more than 100 farm wineries and vineyards, and UGA Extension agents work with nearly all of them, Phillip Brannen, a UGA fruit disease extension specialist and plant pathologist. The state’s wine industry is continuing to grow, not just in the north Georgia mountains, but also west of Atlanta and in south Georgia, he said. The differences in the regions are reflected by geography and grapes.
The northeast Georgia mountains are home to the state’s most developed grape-growing region. In fact, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau designated the region as an American Viticultural Area in 2018, dubbing it the “Dahlonega Plateau.” The region’s clay soil and plentiful rainfall make growing grapes challenging, but the higher elevations and cooler winter temperature in comparison to other parts of Georgia are an advantage — those factors kill both fungi and bacteria that damage vines, said Nathan Eason, the UGA Extension agent for White County, which is home to five vineyards and six wineries.
Like other extension agents, Eason teaches vineyard owners how to prune, manage shoots and develop a management technique for canopies. Ranging from as small as an acre to larger than 40 acres, most of the vineyards have been planted since the early 2000s, and the industry in northeastern Georgia continues to grow, Eason said.
“Our climate is a challenge for growing grapes,” Brannen said.
For most of the grapes, diseases are one of the primary challenges given that Georgia is wet, humid and hot, “generally a perfect environment” for airborne fungi spread by insects. Heavy rainfall and cloud cover contribute to a wider range of airborne fungal diseases compared with conditions in California and Europe, said Clark MacAllister, the UGA Extension agent in Lumpkin and Dawson counties.
“The fungal diseases are mostly spread through microscopic spores by the wind,” he said.
Of particular concern is Pierce’s disease, a deadly bacterial infection that kills grapevines from California to Florida, including Georgia, where it thrives in the subtropical climate. Much of the decision on which grapes to grow in Georgia is based on determining the most Pierce’s disease-resistant vines. UGA Extension agents work directly with vineyard growers to help their businesses succeed.
In the emerging grape-growing region west of Atlanta, growers primarily plant French-American hybrid grapes and “Norton” grapes, a native species that is Pierce’s disease-resistant. And because the Georgia wine industry is in its infancy, much of the Georgia-specific research happening is focused on how to best grow vines here to maximize a vineyard owner’s chances of success.
“Research comes from your Extension specialists and is specific to which grape you are growing,” Paula Burke, the UGA Extension agent for Carroll County, said.
Ten years ago, the county perched on the Alabama border was home to just one vineyard. Now, there are at least seven in the region.
In south Georgia, vineyards are devoted almost exclusively to native muscadines, with a smattering of hybrids, Brannen said. South Georgia vineyard owners are getting creative about the wines they produce, including new products such as muscadine brandies.
The Georgia wine industry may still be underappreciated by wine enthusiasts, Brannen said.
“Folks have a misperception that, if it’s Georgia wine, it’s going to be bad,” said Brannen, who conducts research and technology transfer for many fruits, including grapes and muscadines. “But our wines are every bit as beautiful as the ones in California.”
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/features/wineries-are-cropping-up-all-over-georgia/article_35b05788-31e2-11ed-a1d3-8bf6662c56a9.html | 2022-09-13T16:41:07Z |
Chaotic scene: 6 injured in graduation party shooting, police say
ANNISTON, Ala. (Gray News) - Police in Alabama are investigating a shooting that injured multiple people after a graduation event.
The Anniston Police Department reports the shooting occurred early Friday morning after more than 150 people gathered for a graduation party.
Police said six people were struck by gunfire, ranging in ages from 14 to 20-years-old, with another person injured while trying to escape the area.
Stray bullets also hit multiple vehicles. Authorities said dozens of shell casings and several firearms were recovered.
Anniston police said the impulse for young people to use firearms is a tragedy and a shame. They additionally thanked the Oxford Police Department for assisting them during the chaotic scene.
The injured people are expected to survive, but police said their investigation continues, and they are committed to helping reduce such violent incidents.
Anyone with further information on Friday’s shooting was urged to contact the Anniston Police Department Investigative Division at 256-240-4000.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/28/chaotic-scene-6-injured-graduation-party-shooting-police-say/ | 2022-05-28T04:27:46Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Levi & Korsinsky, LLP notifies investors in 17 Education & Technology Group Inc. ("17EdTech" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: YQ) of a class action securities lawsuit.
CLASS DEFINITION: The lawsuit seeks to recover losses on behalf of 17EdTech investors who were adversely affected by alleged securities fraud. This lawsuit is on behalf of persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired publicly traded 17EdTech securities pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and related prospectus issued in connection with 17EdTech's December 2020 initial public offering. Follow the link below to get more information and be contacted by a member of our team:
YQ investors may also contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. via email at jlevi@levikorsinsky.com or by telephone at (212) 363-7500.
CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that defendants made false statements and/or concealed that: (1) 17EdTech's K-12 Academic AST Services would end less than a year after the Company's initial public offering; (2) as part of its ongoing regulatory efforts, Chinese authorities would imminently curtail and/or end 17EdTech's core business; and (3) as a result, defendants' statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
WHAT'S NEXT? If you suffered a loss in 17EdTech during the relevant time frame, you have until September 19, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
NO COST TO YOU: If you are a class member, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket costs or fees. There is no cost or obligation to participate.
WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, the team at Levi & Korsinsky has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. Our firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States.
CONTACT:
Levi & Korsinsky, LLP
Joseph E. Levi, Esq.
Ed Korsinsky, Esq.
55 Broadway, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10006
jlevi@levikorsinsky.com
Tel: (212) 363-7500
Fax: (212) 363-7171
www.zlk.com
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SOURCE Levi & Korsinsky, LLP | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/11/yq-lawsuit-alert-levi-amp-korsinsky-notifies-17-education-amp-technology-group-inc-investors-class-action-lawsuit-upcoming-deadline/ | 2022-08-11T11:18:52Z |
July accident at Faircrest steel plant stalling TimkenSteel production
CANTON – A July 27 accident at the Faircrest Steel Mill has hampered TimkenSteel's production and melt shop operations.
Company executives told stock analysts on Friday that the incident still is being investigated and equipment still is being repaired. Melt shop operations — the process of melting scrap metals to make new steel ― have been stalled by the investigation and repairs, said Mike Williams, president and chief executive officer.
TimkenSteel explosion update: One worker hospitalized, two treated and released
It's expected that melt shop operations won't resume until mid-August, he said.
"We're going to be back up and running very soon," Williams told analysts.
Three men were injured in the accident, which was described as an explosion. One of the injured workers remains hospitalized at the MetroHealth Medical Center Burn Unit in Cleveland.
Second quarter income, sales rise
Williams discussed the situation during a conference call to review the company's second quarter financial results. TimkenSteel reported a profit, and Williams said he doesn't expect the July 27 accident to have a significant impact on financial results for the rest of the year.
TimkenSteel reported net income of $74.5 million, of $1.60 per share, for the second quarter ended June 30, a 38% jump compared with net income of $54 million last year. Net sales rose 27% to $415.7 million compared with $327.3 million in the 2021 second quarter.
Through the first half of 2022, net income has jumped 75% to $111.6 million, or $2.40 per share, from $63.8 million, or $1.40 per share. Net sales topped $767.7 million, a 27.7% increase from $600.9 million through the first six months last year.
The company benefited from higher prices, and by supplying targeted end markets, Williams said. The company is focused on high-value end markets, including defense, renewable energy and electric vehicles.
WIlliams said the company continues to add contracts to supply parts for electric vehicles. He expects that market to grow in the coming years as automakers move away from gasoline-fueled engines and begin building more electric vehicles.
But the company has seen a slip in sales with automotive customers because of ongoing supply chain problems. The company estimates that mobile segment sales are down about $13 million so far this year. The company expects supplies will stabilize later this year, with improvements possible next year.
Industrial shipments increased during the second quarter, Williams said. The company has seen "robust demand" from the energy market because of increased oil and gas drilling, as well as completion of wells.
Williams: Safety is paramount
Williams was confident the Faircrest melt shop would be producing steel in a few weeks. Until then TimkenSteel is supplying customers by processing steel from inventory it had, as well as some steel supplied by a partner, he said.
TimkenSteel to idle some Harrison operations, cuts 100 jobs
Faircrest has TimkenSteel's only operating melt shop. In 2021, the company idled its melt shop at the Harrison Steel mill. Kristopher Westbrooks, executive vice president and chief financial officer, told analysts that while the company waits for repairs at Faircrest, it expects a negative impact on melt utilization and manufacturing costs.
Williams said safety is paramount at TimkenSteel and said the company launched safety programs earlier this year.
"I find our employees to be dedicated, flexible and resilient. Unfortunately that resiliency was tested last week," Williams told analysts as the discussion began. Later, he thanked employees for their hard work and added that TimkenSteel is "committed to taking tangible actions to improve our safety culture."
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident.
At the end of June, the federal agency fined TimkenSteel $315,000 because of a fatality in December at the Gambrinus Steel Mill, and — citing past accidents ― placed the company in OSHA's serious violator program.
Reach Edd at 330-580-8484 or edd.pritchard@cantonrep.com On Twitter: @epritchardREP | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/business/manufacturing/2022/08/05/timkensteel-melt-operations-stalled-by-repairs-investigation/65392223007/ | 2022-08-05T19:20:09Z |
LANDRUM, S.C., June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FlackTek SpeedMixer® has been recognized by Global Health and Pharma (GHP), and their publication GHP News, as the Most Innovative Cannabis Technology Platform for 2021. The Global Health & Pharma magazine was initially launched to act as an information-sharing platform for those in the health care and pharmaceutical industries. It has expanded its scope to "magnify the work of those that are setting the pace and looking to change their respective sectors for the better."
FlackTek SpeedMixer services over 40 industries—from aerospace and cosmetics to food and pharmaceuticals—including cannabis. Our FlackTek SpeedMixer® is utilized in extraction labs and production kitchens because our cannabis clients need fast, repeatable and better-quality mixing for their end-products," stated Ted Reynolds, Cannabis Account Manager. "We can meet those rigorous standards. With our top-of-the-line equipment and technical support, we differentiate ourselves and our clients reap the benefits."
Reynolds handles dozens of cannabis-specific accounts across the U.S. and is regarded within the industry as one of the industry's earliest adopters — pioneering the use of SpeedMixer™ for cannabis applications. "Cannabis had already driven several technology innovations for SpeedMixer™ and will continue to do so," stated Reynolds. With the FlackTek SpeedMixer®, cannabis clients can create a diverse array of products such as budders/badders, live resin, infused flower, vape formulations, edibles, emulsions, and more.
Located in a state-of-the art manufacturing facility next to the Rocky Mountains, FlackTek SpeedMixer leverages decades worth of mixing knowledge combined with the highest grade sourced parts. FlackTek upholds the highest quality standards, reputation and recognition for mixing performance and service across the U.S. The FlackTek SpeedMixer® utilizes dual asymmetric centrifugal technology for top-quality homogenizing, solvent removal, grinding and formulating in a single machine.
FlackTek is highly regarded—as evidenced by the recent Global Health and Pharma award— for its attention to detail across every part of the machine configuration process from model selection and implementation to supply orders and billing. Plus, FlackTek's exceptional field team travels across the country to provide invaluable preventative maintenance and service for its customers.
Headquartered in Landrum, South Carolina, FlackTek has been providing customers with mixing solutions since 1996. With a core focus on quality and performance, it strives to deliver industry-best results at every point in the mixing process. To that end, it offers SpeedMixer™ machines in a wide range of sizes, supplies, and accessories for all scales of needs ranging from R&D to production, as well as in-depth training, technical service, laboratory mixing help and customer support.
For more information about FlackTek SpeedMixer® https://www.speedmixer.com.
To see the complete SpeedMixer™ GHP Innovation award ghp-news.com/issues/q2-2022/28/
Contact:
Michelle Jun
Marketing
FlackTek SpeedMixer Inc
Michelle@FlackTek.net
571-455-4334
Ted Reynolds
Cannabis Account Manager
Ted@FlackTek.net
864-895-7441
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SOURCE FlackTek SpeedMixer | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/15/flacktek-speedmixer-named-most-innovative-cannabis-technology-platform-2021-by-global-health-pharma/ | 2022-06-15T21:25:49Z |
High inflation leaves food banks struggling to meet needs
(AP) – Kendall Nunamaker and her family of five in Kennewick, Washington, faced impossible math this month: How to pay for gas, groceries and the mortgage with inflation driving up prices?
Like many other working families, the Nunamakers are grappling with the 8.3% inflation in the consumer price index in April announced Wednesday — slowing slightly from the March figure which was the largest year-over-year increase since 1981, according to the Labor Department. The national average gas price reached a record high Wednesday of $4.40 a gallon. And global food prices are climbing after shortages caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine and other supply chain problems.
Food banks across America say those economic conditions are intensifying demand for their support at a time when their labor and distribution costs are climbing and donations are slowing. The problem has grown to the point where last week President Joe Biden called for a Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health in September, the first since 1969.
For many families like the Nunamakers, food insecurity became a painful surprise.
“There’s no reason us as a couple and a family should be struggling so hard,” Nunamaker said. “We make decent money.”
She works three days a week at a home décor store for $15.25 an hour; her husband, Nick, works a full-time union job as a paratransit driver at $27 an hour. Though they receive some money from a state nutrition program for young children that their two youngest qualify for, they still spent $360 on groceries last week.
Because of inflated prices, those groceries didn’t go far enough to feed everyone. And the family still lacked money to pay other household bills, leaving Nunamaker wondering how she would stretch their next paychecks to cover those bills and their mortgage this month.
In the past, to bridge the gap, the family sold off possessions like VR headsets and firearms.
“At some point,” Nunamaker said, “we’re not going to have anything because we would have sold everything.”
So Nunamaker and her husband visited two local food banks for the first time last week.
The pandemic forced roughly 60 million Americans to seek help for food insecurity, according to Feeding America. At the end of 2021, as hiring boomed, demand for food banks returned to regular levels. But the relief was short-lived.
“In the last few months, with this increase in inflationary pressures, we’re seeing 95% of our 200 member food banks saying that they have seen either leveling or an increase in need,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America.
In the area along the Columbia River where Nunamaker lives, the number of clients seeking food aid at a church pantry jumped 40% between December and March, according to Eric Williams, director of community partnerships at Second Harvest, an organization that works to supply local pantries with food.
He said his organization must make more happen with less because its suppliers are subject to the same cost increases. The price that Second Harvest pays for obtaining donated produce has risen from about 6 cents a pound a year ago to about 10 or 11 cents a pound now, Williams said.
Some of Feeding America’s food pantry partners have closed because of dwindling donations and higher costs for receiving and delivering food. Others have less food on their shelves even though they have higher demand.
“Our network emphasizes access and equity,” Babineaux-Fontenot said. “So we are working extra hard to reach people who have the deepest food insecurity rates. Well, how far out can we go when gas prices are high? We have data that shows that race and place are significant indicators of whether or not you will be food insecure and how deeply you will be food insecure.”
Because of inflation and a reduction in aid, a food bank that serves three counties in Ohio — also called Second Harvest — is facing a drop in the amount of food it’s able to provide.
“Compared to last year at this time, we’re about 50% down in what we have received in the past in federal food donations and then about 20% down from food drives in our collection of food at the grocery stores,” Executive Director Tyra Jackson said. “All of that combined is truly having an impact on our budget because we’re needing to purchase more food outright.”
The struggles of families are heightened by the fact that government benefits that were increased during the pandemic like food stamps or unemployment insurance have stopped or will end shortly.
“Our work is always important,” Babineaux-Fontenot said. “It’s increasingly important when we have all of these headwinds.”
Williams, of Spokane, extended gratitude to the donors and volunteers that keep his organization running, some of whom worked more than 100 shifts last year. He said it can be difficult to witness first hand the scale of the food insecurity in his community when helping with distributions at a mobile food bank.
“You see the need and you just go, ‘Oh God, oh my God,’ " Williams said. “But then as you hand somebody a box of food and they drive off: ‘Yeah, we were able to help,’ which is heart-wrenching on one hand and heartwarming on the other.”
Because it upsets her so much, Nunamaker said, she hasn’t discussed her family’s struggles with her three children, age 2, 4 and 7, or her network of friends and relatives. She said the food banks helped her family last week.
“People should know that just because you have to go to a food bank or you have to seek assistance, that doesn’t make you any less of a parent or a person,” she said. “Because everybody needs help sometimes.”
___
Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/11/high-inflation-leaves-food-banks-struggling-meet-needs/ | 2022-05-11T18:32:24Z |
VANCOUVER, BC, July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (NASDAQ: GP) (TSXV: GPV) ("GreenPower" or the "Company"), a leading manufacturer and distributor of zero-emission, electric-powered, medium and heavy-duty vehicles, today announced fourth quarter and full year fiscal financial results for the period ended March 31, 2022.
The Company will host an update call next week on GreenPower's school bus initiatives which will include a discussion on the fourth quarter and 2022 fiscal year-end.
- Recorded revenues of $17,236,773 for the year ended March 31, 2022 an increase of 30% over the restated revenue of $13,286,184 for the previous fiscal year
- Cash including restricted cash of $6.9 million at year-end
- Inventory of $32.3 Million at year-end compared to $12.5 million at the previous year-end
- Working capital at year-end was $31,581,470 an increase of $773,095 over the working capital of $30,808,375 at the previous year-end
"Customers for all-electric school buses put on hold purchase decisions as they waited for the recently announced $500 million of funding federally with online applications opening on May 20, 2022 for ninety days and awards to be announced thereafter. We are well positioned to commence deliveries as we have inventory of our Type D Beast and Type A Nano Beast all-electric school buses," stated Fraser Atkinson, CEO of GreenPower. "In the meantime, we have over 1,600 customer orders scheduled to be delivered over the next two fiscal years. The second quarter will see an uptick in deliveries to customers with a significant increase over the ensuing quarters."
There were a number of notable firsts for GreenPower. The company was recognized by the NJ ZIP program as the first OEM dealer to apply for a voucher redemption in the state. GreenPower has been actively pursuing sales in New Jersey and has seen significant demand in the state for its 22-foot cargo van, which was its first sale of this new product. In addition, GreenPower launched the new Nano-BEAST 's all-electric Type A school bus, and has seen significant interest in the product from a number of recent events.
GreenPower continued to expand its dealer network across the United States. During the year GreenPower signed dealership agreements that will expand GreenPower's sales footprint into new territories including the states of Arizona, Nevada, and Washington State, New Jersey, New York, and several specialized dealership relationships in the state of California. This expansion continues with dealer agreements in process covering BEAST, Nano BEAST and EV Stars in over 10 additional states with multiple dealer relationships in larger markets.
GreenPower completed a significant partnership with the state of West Virginia, entering into a lease-purchase agreement with the state for an 80,000 square foot facility on six acres of land to manufacture all-electric school buses for the U.S. market. As part of this partnership the state will provide worker training and hiring support, up to $3.5 million in employment incentive payments in exchange for meeting hiring targets and has agreed to purchase up to $15 million of GreenPower vehicles produced at the facility.
GreenPower signed a contract to sell 1,500 EV Star Cab and Chassis to Workhorse which they will use to produce Workhorse branded panel vans for the North American market.
The Company has corrected and restated the presentation of revenue and cost of sales in its consolidated statements of income for the years ended March 31, 2021 and 2020. After discussion with experts and further consideration of interpretations of IFRS 16, the Company has changed its determination of revenue and cost of sales at lease inception for finance leases to include the present value of the purchase option on finance leases. In addition, the Company identified an error in the calculation of revenue and cost of sales associated with cancelled leases and subsequent vehicle sales that took place in the year ended March 31, 2020. The restatement resulted in an increase in revenue and a corresponding increase in cost of sales of $1,401,606 for the year ended March 31, 2021 and an increase in revenue and an increase in cost of sales of $896,755 for the year ended March 31, 2020. There was no impact on operating income, net income, working capital, assets, liabilities or cash flow from these changes.
For the year ended March 31, 2022 the Company generated revenue of $17,236,773 compared to restated revenue of $13,286,184 for the previous year, an increase of 29.7%. Cost of sales of $13,360,068 including additional one-time costs in the fourth quarter yielded a gross profit of $3,876,705 or 22.5% of revenue. Revenue for the year was generated from the sale of 18 BEAST school buses, 11 EV Stars, 4 EV Star + and 21 EV Star cab and chassis, as well as 1 EV Star and 10 EV Star CC's for which the Company provided lease financing, and 28 EV Stars that had previously been on lease and whose leases were cancelled and the vehicles were subsequently sold. Operating costs consist of administrative fees of $5,807,744 relating to salaries, project management, finance, and administrative services; transportation costs of $231,472 which relate to the use of trucks, trailers, tractors as well as other operational costs needed to transport company products around North America; insurance expense of $1,244,505; travel, accommodation, meals and entertainment costs of $641,500 related to travel for project management, demonstration of company products, and trade shows; product development costs of $1,381,101; sales and marketing costs of $686,544; interest and accretion of $515,618; professional fees of $1,207,920 consisting of legal and audit fees; as well as non-cash expenses including $5,771,475 of share-based compensation expense, depreciation of $661,958, and an allowance for credit losses of $8,940. The remaining operating costs for the period amounted to $419,398 in officeexpenses, other income of $364,296 primarily related to the forgiveness of a PPP loan, a foreign exchange loss of $65,117 and a write down of assets of $607,579 resulting in a consolidated net loss of $15,009,920.
For the three-month period ended March 31, 2022 the Company generated revenues of $4,313,964, cost of revenues of $3,716,931 including additional one-time costs in the quarter yielded a gross profit of $597,033, related to the sale of 8 BEAST school buses, 9 EV Star CC's and 2 EV Stars. Operating costs consist of administrative fees of $1,784,985 relating to salaries, project management, accounting, and administrative services; transportation costs of $45,098 which related to the use of trucks, trailers, contractors as well as other operational costs needed to transport company products around North America; insurance expense of $439,765; travel, accommodation, meals and entertainment costs of $222,419 related to travel for project management, demonstration of company products, and trade shows; product development costs of $454,426; interest and accretion of $150,083; professional fees of $415,988 consisting of legal and audit fees; as well as non-cash expenses including $2,983,653 of share-based compensation expense, allowance for credit losses of $91,176 and depreciation of $269,273. Excluding a foreign exchange loss of $571, the remaining operating costs for the period amounted to $126,964 in general corporate expenses and a write down of assets of $607,579, resulting in a consolidated net loss of $7,076,553.
Media and Investor Contacts:
Fraser Atkinson, CEO
(604) 220-8048
Michael Sieffert, CFO
(604) 563-4144
Brendan Riley, President
(510) 910-3377
Mike Cole, IR
(949) 444-1341
Allie Potter
Skyya PR for GreenPower
(218) 766-8856
allie@skyya.com
GreenPower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, cargo van, and a cab and chassis. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric vehicles that are purpose built to be battery powered with zero emissions while integrating global suppliers for key components. This OEM platform allows GreenPower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. GreenPower was founded in Vancouver, Canada with primary operational facilities in southern California. Listed on the Toronto exchange since November 2015, GreenPower completed its U.S. IPO and NASDAQ listing in August 2020. For further information go to www.greenpowermotor.com
This document contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, GreenPower's business and operations and the environment in which it operates, which are based on GreenPower's operations, estimates, forecasts, and projections. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections about future events, and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "upon", "may", "should", "will", "could", "intend", "estimate", "plan", "anticipate", "expect", "believe" or "continue", or the negative thereof or similar variations. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict or are beyond GreenPower's control. A number of important factors, including those set forth in other public filings (filed under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com), could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. Consequently, readers should not place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. In addition, these forward-looking statements relate to the date on which they are made. GreenPower disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. All amounts expressed in U.S. dollars © 2022 GreenPower Motor Company Inc. All rights reserved.
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SOURCE GreenPower Motor Company | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/01/greenpower-reports-revenue-172-million-fiscal-year-ended-march-31-2022-an-increase-30-over-last-year/ | 2022-07-01T07:09:20Z |
STAMFORD, Conn., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- O'Donnell Learn+ISG and Northeastern University are building on an extensive partnership with the launch of the Faculty Success Program. This service is grounded in O'Donnell Learn+ISG's Faculty Concierge, which provides institutions with scalable, high-touch, and quality faculty learning experience design and delivery consultation.
As a global research university and recognized leader in experience-driven lifelong learning, Northeastern continuously innovates the way high-quality instruction is delivered. Many of Northeastern University's courses are led by adjunct faculty, who bring valuable experience from their field into the classroom. However, while these faculty are experts in their subject area, many do not have the in-depth knowledge of online course delivery necessary to create exceptional online learning experiences. Jared Auclair, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Professional Programs and Graduate Affairs for Northeastern University College of Science, recognized the challenges these instructors face in translating their experience and expertise to online. Dr. Auclair turned to O'Donnell Learn+ISG to bridge the gaps within the internal team and provide expert, scaled support for their faculty.
Leveraging the dynamic instructor services and technology platform offered by the Faculty Concierge, O'Donnell Learn+ISG developed the Faculty Success Program. This short-term, curated service meets faculty where they are with proactive outreach, one-on-one consultation, tips, and resources. This empowers them to create purposeful online learning experiences while using their time effectively.
"Through the Faculty Success Program, the University is able to bolster existing resources on the campus level, and provide personalized support to faculty in designing and delivering humanized, inclusive and engaged learning," said John Falchi, Senior Vice President, Growth and Product Strategy. Dr. Auclair recognizes the value, "The Faculty Success Program provides crucial online learning support to our faculty, thus ensuring the success of both students and faculty."
O'Donnell Learn+ISG and Northeastern are working as true partners in developing the program and promoting faculty learning design support at scale. Since 2018, this partnership with the University has contributed to the development of over 100 courses, including projects with the Lowell Institute, D'Amore McKim School of Business, Khoury School of Computer Science, and the Global Resilience Institute. Beyond the Faculty Success Program, the partners are currently developing courses that address data science skills gaps in the production engineering workforce.
O'Donnell Learn+ISG and Northeastern will present the findings from the program during the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Annual Innovate Conference on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in Dallas, TX.
About O'Donnell Learn+ISG
O'Donnell Learn + ISG is the data-driven Learning Experience Company delivering people-centric solutions that meet the demands of modern learners and educators. Their technology-powered managed services are delivered in a purchasing model that's flexible, accessible, and predictable for today's institution. O'Donnell Learn + ISG is uniquely positioned to help improve learning experiences at scale. To learn more, please visit this website.
About Northeastern University
Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experience-powered lifelong learning. Northeastern's world-renowned experiential approach empowers their students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create impact far beyond the confines of discipline, degree, and campus.
CONTACT:
Stefanie Scott
O'Donnell Learn
Email: sscott@odlearn.com
Phone: 203-973-0635
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SOURCE O'Donnell Learn | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/07/odonnell-learnisg-northeastern-university-expand-partnership-support-online-faculty/ | 2022-04-07T22:42:00Z |
SOUTHLAKE, Texas, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Knowledge Matters, an eDynamic Learning company and the leading provider of career-based simulations for high schools, colleges, and corporations, announces the official release of two new Case Simulation collections. The Entrepreneurship and Management Case Simulation collections are now available in time for fall classes, and join the Marketing, Hotel, Sports Management, and Restaurant Case Simulation collections as immersive resources for professors to meet the needs of today's college students and keep them engaged. In Case Simulations, students are in the virtual driver's seat to apply their knowledge of business concepts learned in lectures in these areas of study in a zero risk, game-like setting, whether they are learning remotely or in the classroom.
Maureen Ginley, General Manager of Knowledge Matters said, "Knowledge Matters is thrilled to bring the Entrepreneurship and Management Case Simulation collections to the market. In the Entrepreneurship collection, college students can now choose from 20 simulated businesses to apply fundamentals like: business planning and operation, hiring and employee management, and marketing, and take part in special projects like Mega-Mogul. The new Management Case Simulation collection is exciting and unique because it takes students on a journey through operations management, pricing and sales, and also includes a focus on human resources management, which is a notable differentiator in the business simulation space."
"eDynamic Learning is excited to expand offerings to college professors and students all over the world through the new Case Simulation collections." said Jerry Wooden, President and CEO of eDynamic Learning. "The simulations help professors connect with modern college students through experiential learning in a capacity that empowers them to make the important business decisions they may face after graduation. The zero-risk virtual environment gives them the confidence to continually try new things and learn by doing, and the game-like setting makes it entertaining and fun."
Knowledge Matters' simulations are used by leading universities in five continents and in over one-third of all U.S. high schools. The company also has a long standing relationship with Collegiate DECA, iCHRIE, and other leading CTSOs where students across the globe participate in simulation competitions. These competitive events are valued by professors and students alike, as they provide an elevated level of engagement for important hospitality and business concepts, and also a chance to win cash prizes and industry conference registrations. Many student competitors also include their competition scores and accomplishments on graduate school applications and resumes.
Knowledge Matters continually creates new content and simulations based on feedback from leading collegiate partners, in fact, additional new Case Simulations are planned for release later this year. The latest news on product updates, releases, podcasts, funding information, and industry content can be found on their social media channels Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Knowledge Matters is the leading simulation-based educational content solution for Business, Marketing, Finance, Hospitality, & Human Services. Knowledge Matters' online visual simulations allow students to control their own virtual businesses - learning valuable business and marketing concepts using simulation game-based technology. The Virtual Business line of simulations are used in over one-third of all the US high schools and the Case Simulation collections are used by leading universities globally.
With offices in Southlake, Texas and Kelowna, BC, Canada, eDynamic Learning is a teacher-founded company, established with a mission to support schools in helping students find their passion and ensure they leave high school with the knowledge and preparation needed to make life-shaping college and career decisions. eDynamic Learning offers over 200 CTE and career-focused elective digital courses and Knowledge Matters' career-based simulations. All curriculum is available online and works continuously in any instructional model, and is compatible with nearly all LMS systems.
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SOURCE eDynamic Learning | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/edynamic-learning-announces-new-experiential-learning-case-simulations-college-students-knowledge-matters/ | 2022-08-03T11:18:26Z |
DALLAS — As Texas’ exploding real estate market dramatically drives up home values, homeowners are getting sticker shock after receiving notice of their properties’ new appraised values — which help determine how much they pay in property taxes.
The growth rate of home values in the state’s major metropolitan areas has surged by double digits. In Harris County, the state’s most populous county, residential values have risen between 15% and 30%, according to Roland Altinger, the county’s chief appraiser.
In Bexar County, the median value of a home appreciated nearly 25% to $265,540.
And in Travis County, where the state’s housing crunch has been most apparent, the median home value has skyrocketed — climbing more than 50% since last year to $632,208.
“We have never seen anything like this,” said Marya Crigler, chief appraiser at the Travis County Appraisal District. “This is unprecedented for us in Travis County. And I think that same unprecedented appreciation is being seen statewide.”
But an increase in value doesn’t necessarily guarantee a dramatically larger tax bill, appraisers and property tax experts caution.
“Many factors complicate how property taxes are calculated,” said Adam Perdue, a research economist at the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University.
It’s likely that at least some local governments will have to cut their property tax rates in order to fall in line with recent state laws meant to slow property tax growth. And the state’s top elected officials are already making new promises to bring down Texans’ property tax bills. But recent laws haven’t stopped property tax growth altogether.
Property tax collections have risen more than 20% since 2017, according to data from the Texas Comptroller’s office. Texans paid an estimated $73.2 billion in property taxes in 2021, which went to school districts, cities, counties and other taxing entities that then use the revenue to fund everything from public schools and police departments to road maintenance.
Facing reelection, Gov. Greg Abbott has deemed property tax reduction a top priority when state lawmakers reconvene next year.
“One of my top goals this coming session is to reduce property tax substantially, and that will reduce the cost of doing business,” Abbott said during a March event for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Austin. “It will also reduce the cost of living.”
Democratic opponent Beto O’Rourke, a former El Paso congressman, sees an opportunity to lay the blame for the state’s rampant growth in property taxes at Abbott’s feet. In a new line of attack, O’Rourke has pointed out that the amount of property taxes paid by property owners has grown by more than $20 billion since Abbott took office in 2015. (Abbott’s campaign has said the Legislature has spent $18 billion since 2015 to limit how much school property taxes grow.)
“He (Abbott) is the single greatest driver of inflation in the state of Texas, and it’s causing real pain to our fellow Texans right now,” O’Rourke said at a Wednesday press conference in southern Dallas.
Here’s a quick primer on how Texas got here:
Why are property taxes in Texas so high?
Texas’ local governments rely heavily on property taxes to pay the salaries of police officers and firefighters and for government services like roads, libraries, parks and public schools. Coupled with the fact that Texas has no state income tax, Texans’ property tax bills are among the highest in the nation.
Texas homeowners pay a higher proportion of their home value toward property taxes than most homeowners in other parts of the nation, according to the Tax Foundation. Texas depends more on property taxes than almost any other state to pay for government services — edged out only by New Hampshire, Alaska and New Jersey.
In no arena is that more apparent than in Texas’ public schools — which depend greatly on property taxes for funding.
School districts use local property tax revenue to cover as much of their base budgets as possible — then the state chips in the rest. Over time, that formula has often resulted in fewer state dollars paying for public education as local property values have grown.
In any given year, revenue from property taxes makes up more than half of the state’s pot of funds to pay for public schools, the rest of which comes from state and federal sources. Of the $69.3 billion that went to public education in fiscal year 2020, property taxes kicked in $38.4 billion while the state provided $23.3 billion. The rest came from federal funds.
As a result, school property taxes make up the bulk of a typical Texas homeowner’s tax bill. More than half of all property tax revenue in the state comes from school property taxes, according to data from the Texas Comptroller’s office.
“The only way to really institute meaningful property tax reductions would either be to find some other revenue source or to substantially cut education budgets,” said Dr. Charles Gilliland, a research economist who studies property taxes at the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University. “Neither one of those options is palatable in today’s political atmosphere, so that’s how we got into this situation.”
Has anyone tried to fix this?
Texas legislators have tried numerous ways to limit property tax growth.
Lawmakers have raised the state’s homestead exemption — the portion of a homeowner’s home value exempt from taxation — to $25,000.
State law also limits the taxable value of a home from rising more than 10% in a given year on an owner’s primary residence. In Travis County, the median market value of a home grew nearly 54%. But the median taxable value of a home in Travis County rose by about 11% after also accounting for the construction of new homes just coming onto tax rolls for the first time.
In 2019, lawmakers passed a pair of laws aimed at slowing growth. House Bill 3 was an $11.6 billion school finance bill that included $5.1 billion to lower school district taxes, $6.5 billion in new school spending and caps on school districts’ tax rates. Senate Bill 2 required many cities, counties and other taxing units to get voter approval if they want to raise the property tax revenue they collect from all property owners by 3.5% or more than the previous year.
According to a study by the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, the bills worked — sort of. The study says Texas taxpayers would have shelled out $6 billion more in property taxes than they did in 2021 if not for the two bills — the result of falling tax rates.
But that doesn’t mean everyone’s paying less in taxes. School tax rates dropped by 13% since the bills passed in 2019, but taxable property values rose by 23%, according to the study.
“Values are still rising faster than school tax rates,” said Dale Craymer, president of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association. “But taxpayers now at least benefit as their values rise. They benefit from falling tax rates. That didn’t happen before 2019.”
Meanwhile, ideas like making the sales prices of properties public — which advocates say would ensure properties aren’t exorbitantly valued and that owners of expensive properties are paying their fair share of taxes — have gone nowhere.
What’s on the table now?
With campaign season comes new promises to cut property taxes.
Abbott has touted a “taxpayer bill of rights” that includes proposals to further reduce school property tax rates, make property appraisals more transparent and limit local governments from taking on new debt without voter approval.
On Wednesday, O’Rourke put forth a set of ideas to reduce Texans’ property tax burden. That would include making sure that the state picks up 50% of the tab for public schools, expanding Medicaid to ease the property tax bill for publicly funded hospitals, plus legalizing marijuana and taxing its sale. He also floated the idea of legalizing casino gambling and sports betting as a way of generating more tax revenue.
Texas voters will have the opportunity to cut their own taxes at the May ballot box. On the ballot is a measure to raise the state’s homestead exemption from $25,000 to $40,000 for school district property taxes. The average homeowner would see about $176 in savings on their annual property tax bill, according to Republican state Sen. Paul Bettencourt of Houston, the proposal’s author.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in the state House and Senate are weighing ideas to use state and federal funds to cover some school expenses so that districts could lower property taxes. They’re looking at a $12 billion surplus in state revenue along with $3 billion in federal stimulus dollars that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan set aside to pay for tax relief when the Legislature convenes in 2023.
Whether state lawmakers will be able to use federal stimulus funds to pay for property tax cuts hasn’t been settled. The $3 billion comes out of the American Rescue Plan Act, the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill aimed at pandemic relief, which prohibits the use of stimulus funds for tax cuts.
Texas, joined by Louisiana and Mississippi, sued the federal government last year alleging that the prohibition is unconstitutional. A federal judge in Amarillo sided with Texas earlier this month, but the decision is likely to be appealed.
One idea that has gained momentum in Republican circles is the abolition of school districts’ maintenance and operations tax, which Patrick instructed senators to look into this year.
Craymer, the TTARA president, is dismissive of that.
“I don’t think we’re getting rid of the school M&O tax anytime soon,” Craymer said. “I don’t think we’re getting rid of the property tax anytime soon.”
Other ideas abound. During a Thursday meeting of the Texas House Ways & Means Committee, state Rep. Morgan Meyer, a Dallas Republican, asked the comptroller’s office to look into what effect lowering the appraisal cap on residential taxable values and creating such a cap for commercial properties would have on tax revenue.
But lawmakers have left little room for themselves to maneuver on property taxes, observers have said. The state’s lack of an income tax has long been a carrot to attract employers and new residents to Texas. And Texas voters won’t allow one; in 2019, they voted to enshrine a ban on a state income tax in the state’s constitution.
“Texas has kind of painted itself into a corner by now having a constitutional prohibition against what is a major source of funding for other states by concentrating on reducing property taxes, rather than expanding the people who pay their fair share,” said Dick Lavine, senior fiscal analyst with the liberal-leaning Every Texan.
Disclosure: Every Texan, Texas A&M University, Texas Taxpayers and Research Association and US Chamber of Commerce have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism.
This story was first published at www.texastribune.org by The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/article_0ea4e44a-c27c-11ec-a67d-735ae5cc46d2.html | 2022-04-22T23:47:50Z |
New federally-sponsored study by Abt Associates shows $2.46 return to society as a whole for every $1 invested in Year Up and program's protective impact on earnings during COVID-19
BOSTON, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The nonprofit Year Up announced today the results of a new report by Abt Associates showing the program's net benefits to society grows larger each year. Over a seven-year study period, every $1.00 spent on Year Up produced a $2.46 benefit to society — up from $1.66 in the last report, which covered only five years.
Large, continuing earnings gains for Year Up participants drove the increase. Young adults (ages 18-24) assigned to the Year Up group continued to see sustained average annual earnings gains of nearly $8,000 relative to young adults assigned to a control group and directed to other community programs.
The earnings gains persisted throughout the economic downturn caused by COVID-19, which has had a disproportionate economic impact on young people of color, Year Up's student demographic. Greater access to jobs in Information Technology, Business and Financial Services was key to maintaining or increasing pre-pandemic earnings impacts for treatment compared to control group members.
"This report confirms that Year Up provides tremendous, long-term value not only to our students but to society at large," said Year Up Founder and CEO Gerald Chertavian.
Researchers found that Year Up's long-term earnings impacts are among the highest ever reported across all racial and ethnic groups; however, its impacts for Black and Hispanic/Latino individuals — who comprise the majority of Year Up students — are lower than those for non-Black, non-Hispanic participants.
"Year Up must build on its success and continue broadening its role with employers to help ensure our graduates can fulfill their potential throughout their careers," said Chertavian. "Forward-thinking leaders recognize that equitable recruitment, retention, and advancement practices are critical to maintaining top-performing businesses."
The study also found that Year Up participants were more likely to have jobs offering a full array of benefits, including health insurance, paid vacation holidays and sick days, as well as retirement or pension benefits — benefits that can add a significant amount to participants' overall compensation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of December 2021, benefit costs accounted for 29.5 percent of employers' total compensation costs for private industry workers.
"The latest findings attest to the remarkable staying power of Year Up's benefits," said Abt's David Fein, the lead study author. "Our report also offers a series of suggestions for increasing equity and scale in future iterations of the program. The study is an example of how a rigorous evaluation can help both to prove a program's success and guide its improvement."
In Year Up's yearlong program model, participants receive six months of in-demand technical and professional skills training at no cost, followed by a six-month internship at a leading company such as JPMorgan Chase, Salesforce, and AT&T.
Students earn an educational stipend and college credits throughout the year, and receive wrap-around support services to help them complete the rigorous program. Nationwide, 80 percent of Year Up graduates are employed or attending college within four months of completing the program.
Year Up is one of nine programs Abt evaluated for the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families.
To read the full report, visit: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/benefits-last-long-term-impact-and-cost-benefit-findings-year-up.
Abt's full portfolio of findings on Year Up can be found at: https://www.abtassociates.com/projects/evaluating-year-ups-programs-for-young-adults
About Year Up Inc.
Year Up is a national 501(c)3 workforce development organization committed to ensuring equitable access to economic opportunity, education, and justice for all young adults—no matter their background, income, or zip code. Year Up is offered at no cost to participants, and utilizes a high expectations, high support model where students learn in-demand technical and professional skills and apply them during a corporate internship. Year Up has served more than 36,000 young adults across 19 geographies since its founding in 2000 and has been voted one of the "Best Non-Profits to Work For" by The NonProfit Times. Nationwide, 80 percent of Year Up graduates are employed or attending college within four months of completing the program, with average starting salaries of $44,000/year. To learn more, visit www.yearup.org, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About Abt Associates
Abt Associates is a global consulting and research firm that uses data and bold thinking to improve the quality of people's lives. From combatting infectious disease and conducting rigorous program evaluations, to ensuring safe drinking water and promoting access to affordable housing - and more - Abt partners with clients and communities to tackle their most complex challenges.
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SOURCE Year Up | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/17/year-up-announces-increasing-return-investment-sustained-8000-earnings-gains-young-adults/ | 2022-05-17T18:17:27Z |
Man charged with raping child found dead with alleged victim’s relative, troopers say
ASHTABULA COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO/Gray News) – A child rape suspect was found dead along with a family member of the alleged victim Sunday morning.
The deaths are still being investigated, but Ohio State Highway Patrol said they believe it was a murder-suicide.
Troopers found the bodies of 34-year-old Wesley Thomas and his 31-year-old girlfriend at the New Lyme Wildlife Area in Ashtabula County around 8:20 a.m. Sunday.
Officials said the bodies were found with gunshot wounds on the ground near a vehicle, and a gun was found at the scene.
Troopers did not say who they believe fired the weapon.
Thomas had been indicted on four counts of felony rape June 9 for a case involving a child victim, who officials said is a relative of the woman.
Thomas pleaded not guilty and was released on a $75,000 bond Aug. 19. He was being tracked with a GPS ankle monitor and was not allowed to contact the woman or the child.
Ashtabula County Prosecutor Colleen O’Toole explained why someone accused of raping a child would be allowed out on bond.
“The issue of child sexual assault is always very complicated … because the child was removed from the home, and he had no access to the child, because he had no access to the child, he was considered according to all of our evidence-based practices as being a low risk to re-offend in the area of sexual assault, and he has no prior offenses that we have in our system,” O’Toole said of the decision.
WOIO discovered Thomas pleaded guilty to three counts of endangering the welfare of a child in Pennsylvania in 2013. The charges were listed as first-degree misdemeanors, according to the dockets.
“I do not necessarily know that this (murder-suicide) would’ve been prevented‚” O’Toole said.
O’Toole said the rape case against Thomas will be dismissed as soon as it is officially verified that he is dead.
Copyright 2022 WOIO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/09/14/man-charged-with-raping-child-found-dead-with-alleged-victims-relative-troopers-say/ | 2022-09-14T17:11:58Z |
DETROIT (AP) — Automakers reported nearly 400 crashes of vehicles with partially automated driver-assist systems, including 273 involving Teslas, according to statistics released by U.S. safety regulators on Wednesday.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cautioned against using the numbers to compare automakers, saying it didn’t weight them by the number of vehicles from each manufacturer that use the systems, or how many miles those vehicles traveled.
Automakers reported crashes from July of last year through May 15 under an order from the agency, which is examining such crashes broadly for the first time.
“As we gather more data, NHTSA will be able to better identify any emerging risks or trends and learn more about how these technologies are performing in the real world,” said Steven Cliff, the agency’s administrator.
Tesla’s crashes happened while vehicles were using Autopilot, “Full Self-Driving,” Traffic Aware Cruise Control, or other driver-assist systems that have some control over speed and steering. The company has about 830,000 vehicles with the systems on the road.
The next closest of a dozen automakers that reported crashes was Honda, with 90, but Honda says it has about six million vehicles on U.S. roads with such systems. Subaru was next with 10, and all other automakers reported five or fewer.
In a June 2021 order, NHTSA told more than 100 automakers and automated vehicle tech companies to report serious crashes within one day of learning about them and to disclose less-serious crashes by the 15th day of the following month. The agency is assessing how the systems perform and whether new regulations may be needed.
NHTSA also said that five people were killed in the crashes involving driver-assist systems, and six were seriously hurt.
Tesla’s crash number also may be high because it uses telematics to monitor its vehicles and get real-time crash reports. Other automakers don’t have such capability, so their reports may come slower or crashes may not be reported at all, NHTSA said. A message was left seeking comment from Tesla.
Tesla’s crashes accounted for nearly 70% of the 392 reported by the dozen automakers. Although the Austin, Texas, automaker calls its systems Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving,” it says the vehicles cannot drive themselves and the drivers must be ready to intervene at all times.
Manufacturers were not required to report how many vehicles they have on the road that have the systems, nor did they have to report how far those vehicles traveled, or when the systems are in use, NHTSA said. At present, those numbers aren’t quantifiable, an agency official said.
However, NHTSA may seek such information later. In the meantime, the new data has enabled it to find out about crashes much faster than before. At present, it’s using the crash data to look for trends and discuss them with the companies, the agency said.
Already NHTSA has used the data to seek a recall, open investigations and provide information for existing inquiries, officials said. Also, they said it’s difficult to find out how many drivers actually use the technology.
“This will help our investigators quickly identify potential defect trends that can emerge,” Cliff said. “These data will also help us identify crashes that we want to investigate and provide more information about how people in other vehicles interact with the vehicles.”
Honda said it has packaged the systems to sell more of them, which could influence its numbers. “The population of vehicles that theoretically could be involved in a reportable event is much greater than the population of vehicles built by automakers with a less-aggressive deployment strategy,” the company said.
Also, reports to NHTSA are based on unverfied customer statements about whether automated systems were running at the time of a crash. Those crashes may not qualify for reporting to NHTSA after more data is gathered, Honda said.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents most automakers, said the data collected by NHTSA isn’t sufficient by itself to evaluate the safety of automated vehicle systems.
NHTSA’s order also covered companies that are running fully autonomous vehicles, and 25 reported a total of 130 crashes. Google spinoff Waymo led with 62, followed by Transdev Alternative Services with 34 and General Motors-controlled Cruise LLC with 23.
Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit of Alphabet Inc., said it has more than 700 autonomous vehicles in its fleet. The company is running a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Arizona and testing one in California. The company said all the crashes happened at low speeds, with air bags inflating in only two of them.
In 108 of the crashes involving fully autonomous vehicles, no injuries were reported, and there was only one serious injury. In most of the crashes, vehicles were struck from the rear. | https://cw33.com/technology/ap-technology/us-report-273-teslas-with-automated-driving-systems-crashed/ | 2022-06-15T16:01:07Z |
Combined with donations from FirstEnergy Corp., initiative has collectively gifted $7 million to organizations since 2020
AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The FirstEnergy Foundation awarded more than $3.43 million to nearly 100 organizations across its six-state service territory for the final round of "Investing with Purpose," an initiative focused on supporting nonprofit organizations that advance health and safety, workforce development, educational and social justice initiatives. In addition, FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) provided $220,000 to five organizations as part of the initiative. The grants build on $3.3 million in charitable contributions the Foundation awarded in December 2020 as part of the initial round of giving, which has collectively gifted $7 million to nearly 200 nonprofit organizations making a difference in the communities served by FirstEnergy's 10 electric companies.
"Investing with Purpose" was developed in response to the COVID pandemic, which created health, financial and educational hardships for customers across FirstEnergy's footprint, and in response to the events of 2020 that highlighted racial and social injustices impacting our nation. With those issues in mind, the Foundation identified philanthropic opportunities through nonprofit organizations across its service territory that are responding to needs of vulnerable populations. The "Investing with Purpose" initiative represents an additional commitment on top of the company's annual charitable giving, which averages approximately $10 million per year.
"Many of our communities are still facing a significant hardship due to the pandemic. Nonprofit organizations on the frontline of our current health and economic crisis have realigned to support current needs in the community, including housing, workforce development and training, and the continued support of our healthcare workers," said Lorna Wisham, vice president of Corporate Affairs & Community Involvement and president of the FirstEnergy Foundation. "We've witnessed the positive impact these grants made for deserving organizations in 2020, and we look forward to seeing how the second round of contributions will help strengthen the communities we serve."
"Investing with a Purpose" grants were presented to organizations that support initiatives in four key areas:
- Health & Safety – Approximately $1 million was presented to organizations that provide food and shelter, disaster relief, protective equipment, financial assistance, health screenings and other important services to underserved populations and to those active in the fight against COVID. Recipients include hospitals, youth organizations, shelters and other organizations across FirstEnergy's footprint.
- Workforce Development – To assist those impacted by job loss and to continue to foster a viable workforce in the community, approximately $993,000 was presented to organizations working to enhance job training, mentorship and opportunities for non-traditional workers. Grant recipients include organizations such as technical schools and programs, disability services, economic development agencies and job resource programs.
- Education – The Foundation granted nearly $682,000 to organizations supporting learning initiatives, including resources for parents and teachers, and to those who are working to combat the challenge of the digital divide. Recipients include schools, libraries and community education programs, among others.
- Social Justice – Approximately $448,200 was granted to social justice organizations that help advance multicultural awareness, equality and inclusion. Grants were provided to both national and local nonprofits actively assisting minority business development, LGBTQ cultural programming and other important causes, including a donation to The Tri-State Diversity Council to conduct unconscious bias training and assist formerly incarcerated individuals with training to return to the workplace in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
For a full list of "Investing with Purpose" grant recipients, visit the FirstEnergy Foundation on the company's website.
The FirstEnergy Foundation is funded solely by FirstEnergy Corp. and provides support to non-profit, tax-exempt health and human services agencies; educational organizations; cultural and arts programs and institutions; and civic groups in areas served by FirstEnergy's 10 electric operating companies and in areas where the company conducts business.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its ten electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com. Follow FirstEnergy and its utilities on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp, @ToledoEdison, @IlluminatingCo, @OhioEdison, @MonPowerWV, @JCP_L, @Penn_Power, @Penelec, @Met_Ed, @PotomacEdison, @W_Penn_Power.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/firstenergy-foundation-completes-final-round-investing-with-purpose-grants-community-organizations/ | 2022-08-18T20:17:52Z |
- Throughout April, company will focus on organizations, programs that enhance natural resources of state.
- This week's nonprofit – TreesUpstate – provides free trees to residents, along with information on how they can help reduce energy consumption.
GREENVILLE, S.C., April 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Throughout the month of April, Duke Energy will highlight organizations in South Carolina that promote sustainability and environmental efforts across the state.
This campaign will provide nearly $400,000 to numerous nonprofits and governmental agencies and highlight global efforts like Earth Day and Arbor Day at the local level.
This week, the company highlights TreesUpstate and the Energy Saving Trees Program. TreesUpstate is a nonprofit with the mission to plant, promote and protect trees in the Upstate.
Since 2016, Duke Energy Foundation funding has supplied more than 15,000 free trees through the TreesUpstate Energy Saving Trees Program to residents along with information on how planting the right tree in the right place can reduce energy consumption by up to 20% each year.
Most recently, $78,000 in grant funding has supported expanding the program by focusing outreach to underrepresented Hispanic communities and translating materials into Spanish.
"Trees help save on energy, reduce utility bills, and help clean the water and air throughout the Upstate," said Joelle Teachey, executive director of TreesUpstate. "With the Duke Energy Foundation's continued support, we can share even more trees and this message with more residents."
Last week, Duke Energy kicked off the monthlong initiative by providing PalmettoPride $100,000 to support the programs in local communities managed by the 37 Keep South Carolina Beautiful affiliate organizations, who focus on litter pick up and beautification throughout their areas.
"We think it's important to work alongside our community partners to ensure all of the beautiful places in South Carolina can be enjoyed for years to come," said Mike Callahan, Duke Energy South Carolina state president.
"The organizations these funds support will aid in the protection of the environment and provide communities with much-needed resources to promote good stewardship of the natural beauty around us."
Additional funding will be distributed over the next month to support organizations that manage and maintain public trails, plant and giveaway trees, foster flood prevention and mitigation, and cleanup rivers and roadsides in communities across the Palmetto State.
Duke Energy employees and retirees will also be volunteering their time and efforts with these and other organizations throughout the month to assist these programs in their neighborhoods.
The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 51,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.
Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy strategy to create a smarter energy future for its customers and communities. The company has goals of at least a 50 percent carbon reduction from electric generation and net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030, and net-zero emissions by 2050 from its electric and natural gas businesses, including Scopes 1, 2 and certain Scope 3 emissions. The company also is investing in major electric grid upgrades and expanded battery storage, and exploring zero-emitting power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.
Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2022 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media contact: Ryan Mosier
800.559.3853
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SOURCE Duke Energy | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/04/08/duke-energy-continues-400000-monthlong-focus-sustainability-environmental-efforts-south-carolina-by-helping-grow-energy-saving-trees-program/ | 2022-04-08T17:29:48Z |
MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) today declared a quarterly common stock dividend payment of 23.5 cents per share, payable November 18, 2022 to stockholders of record at the close of business on October 31, 2022.
The board also declared today a dividend of $28.25 per share on the corporation's outstanding shares of the 5.65% Series A Fixed-Rate Reset Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, equal to $0.02825 per $1 of its liquidation preference, payable December 15, 2022 to stockholders of record at the close of business on November 23, 2022
In addition, the board declared today a dividend of $406.25 per share on the Corporation's 6.50% Series B Fixed-Rate Reset Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, equal to $0.40625 per depositary share, each representing a 1/1000th interest in a share of the Series B Preferred Stock, payable December 15, 2022 to stockholders of record at the close of business on November 23, 2022.
About NiSource
NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) is one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.2 million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers across six states through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. Based in Merrillville, Indiana, NiSource's approximately 7,500 employees are focused on safely delivering reliable and affordable energy to our customers and communities we serve. NiSource is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability - North America Index. Additional information about NiSource, its investments in modern infrastructure and systems, its commitments and its local brands can be found at www.nisource.com. Follow us at www.facebook.com/nisource, www.linkedin.com/company/nisource or www.twitter.com/nisourceinc. NI-F
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SOURCE NiSource Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/nisource-declares-common-preferred-stock-dividends/ | 2022-08-09T20:39:28Z |
Limited-edition Collection Now Available for Pre-Order with Proceeds to Benefit the Bar Community
NEW YORK, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of their decades-long friendship built within a bar, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day are launching a whiskey brand that pays tribute to the four walls the gang calls home.
The bar as we know it today is an offspring of the Irish Pub and the American Saloon. Its inherent Irish American spirit carries the warmth and comfort of familiar faces and repeated stories, along with the unpredictability and energy that generate the wild moments we will never forget and keep us coming back. "We wanted to create a brand celebrating the four walls that have held our favorite memories in and kept our troubles out," states Glenn Howerton. "We were shooting Season 15 when bars were shutting down all across America. So we decided to source some really great whiskeys and create something as a tribute to the bar and kick it off by giving back," adds Rob McElhenney. "We learned just how rare and how collectible old Irish Whiskey is, and we couldn't believe we got our hands on some and wanted to release it and do something for the people and places that do so much for all of us - the bars and the bartenders," says Charlie Day.
Watch their announcement video here: https://youtu.be/SBY_zKwyyMk
The limited-edition Four Walls whiskey collection will include two products - a rare Irish Whiskey with premium commemorative packaging for serious whiskey collectors and a blended Irish and Straight Pennsylvania Rye offering crafted with bartenders in mind and made to celebrate with fans, both available for purchase starting today.
The commemorative bottle is a 15+-year-old, single-barrel, cask-strength Irish Whiskey made to celebrate the record-breaking 15th season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, all episodes currently streaming on Hulu/FXX, and the success of the It's Always Sunny podcast. With premium packaging that includes signatures by Glenn, Rob, and Charlie, and a mirrored, engraved box, this package will retail for $999 and is only being released in a run of 755 bottles.
The second release is a mix of hand-selected barrels of grain and malt Irish whiskeys blended with Pennsylvania Straight Rye Whiskey for a new Irish & American tradition. Blended with bartenders in mind, it is smooth enough to be served neat but also holds up in a cocktail. This 90-proof spirit comes in a collectible premium box and retails for $89. Only a few hundred cases will be released now, with opportunities for fans to taste the spirit at special events over the coming months including the just-announced The Always Sunny Podcast live events at Bourbon & Beyond festival and at The Met Philadelphia.
All proceeds from this collection will be donated to the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association's HARP (Hospitality Assistance Response of Pennsylvania).
The liquid in both bottles, in addition to having the blessing of Master Distillers at all partner distilleries and from the gang themselves, recently received high praise during a blind tasting by members of the Barleycorn Society with co-founder John McCarthy declaring the 15-year Four Walls, "a single malt rivaling any in the world" and the blended offering a "no-brainer for high-end cocktails as well as a perfect vehicle for neat sipping armchair contemplation."
Shop the Four Walls limited-edition collection and sign-up to join the Four Walls bar family to be the first to learn about future releases at www.FourWallsWhiskey.com
Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton have always had a knack for crafting fine things together. The trio is responsible for creating It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which has now become the longest-running live-action sitcom in television history. First barreled in 2005, Sunny stars McElhenney, Day, and Howerton -- along with Kaitlin Olson and Danny DeVito -- as the owners of one of South Philly's most notorious Irish pubs. The show, like a fine whiskey, has only gotten richer and intensified its distinct flavor through the years. It's since become a landmark for dark comedy and American satire, uniting the most devoted of fans from all over the country and abroad, and this monumental 15th season is truly one to crack open and celebrate. Continuing to deliver some of the hardest laughs on television while tackling society's most pressing issues, Sunny turns its fearless focus both outward and inward: to a national and international level but also to a deeply personal level. In addition to writing, producing, starring in, and occasionally directing the series, Rob, Charlie & Glenn now run a podcast devoted to deep-diving into the history and lore behind the show. "The Always Sunny Podcast" debuted in November 2021 and rocketed up to the #1 comedy podcast across all platforms.
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SOURCE Four Walls Whiskey | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/glenn-howerton-rob-mcelhenney-charlie-day-announce-four-walls-whiskey/ | 2022-06-23T14:39:52Z |
China’s March exports grow despite virus; imports flat
BEIJING (AP) — China’s exports rose 15.7% in March over a year earlier while imports were flat due to disruptions from coronavirus outbreaks. Customs data show exports rose to $276.1 billion despite anti-virus controls in Shanghai and other industrial centers that caused factories to reduce output. Imports rose less than 1% to $228.7 billion. The ruling Communist Party “zero-tolerance” anti-virus strategy is weighing on consumer and factory activity by confining most of Shanghai’s 25 million people to their homes and suspended access to other manufacturing centers. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/04/12/chinas-march-exports-grow-despite-virus-imports-flat/ | 2022-04-13T06:30:47Z |
Chipotle is closing a Maine store that had been leading efforts to unionize the chain.
Employees at the Augusta, Maine, Chipotle filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board in June asking to hold a union election at the store. It was the first of the Mexican food chain’s stores to file such a petition, according to NLRB filings.
The NLRB had scheduled a hearing Tuesday on Chipotle’s objections to the union election. But early Tuesday, Chipotle announced it was permanently closing the store.
Labor organizers say they will fight the closure. They say Chipotle is retaliating for their unionization efforts and trying to send a message to other stores that might try to unionize.
“We’re calling this union busting 101,” said Jeffrey Young, an attorney for Chipotle United, the group that was trying to unionize the Augusta store.
But Chipotle said the closure was due to staffing issues and not related to union activity.
“Chipotle respects our employees’ rights to organize,” said Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs officer, in a statement.
The closure comes amid a broader unionization push across the country. Chipotle United has said it was inspired by labor organizers at Starbucks, who have unionized more than 180 U.S. stores since late last year. Amazon workers at a warehouse in New York also voted to unionize in the spring
Newport Beach, California-based Chipotle said the Augusta store had been closed to the public since June 17 because of staffing issues. The company said it was facing “excessive” absences and lack of availability from existing staff and was having a hard time finding managers for the store.
Chipotle said the store’s workers will receive severance pay and assistance finding new jobs. Young said there were about 20 workers at the store.
Young said inadequate staffing at the store is one of the chief complaints of union organizers. Chipotle United plans to ask the NLRB to file an injunction that would prevent Chipotle from closing the Augusta store and allow the union election to go forward.
Starbucks has also been criticized by labor organizers for closing stores that have unionized, including a store it shuttered last month in Ithaca, New York.
Unlike Starbucks’ unionization effort, which is backed by the larger Workers United union, Chipotle United is an independent organization.
But big unions are also backing organizing efforts at Chipotle. The Teamsters filed a unionization petition with the NLRB this month on behalf of workers at a Chipotle store in Lansing, Michigan. There is also a group called Chipotle Workers Union that is backed by the Service Employees International Union.
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. owns and operated nearly 3,000 U.S. stores. | https://cw33.com/business/ap-business/chipotle-closes-store-in-maine-thwarting-union-efforts/ | 2022-07-20T16:24:11Z |
Viking Mergers & Acquisitions of Tampa, Florida, proudly welcomes to the team, industry leader and Florida native, Mr. Robert Lugo.
TAMPA, Fla., July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking Mergers & Acquisitions of Tampa, Florida, is pleased to announce the addition of Senior Advisor, Mr. Robert Lugo, to the Viking team.
Born and raised in Florida, Mr. Lugo grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. After obtaining two Bachelor's Degrees in Finance and Accounting, he went on to earn his Master's in Entrepreneurship from the University of South Florida. Mr. Lugo excelled in finance and accounting roles in the healthcare and energy industries before joining the University of South Florida and becoming their Director of Business & Administration for the College of Nursing. He later worked as a Controller with an oncology healthcare company and as CFO with a law firm before joining Viking this year.
Mr. Lugo brings over 20 years of financial and operational experience in a broad range of public and private sector companies with a proven record of leading organizations to unprecedented growth. His highly diverse career and broad spectrum of senior leadership experience has tied him into nearly every facet of business, providing senior level operational leadership that culminated in improved profits and ensured overall company future growth and success. Mr. Lugo's experience gives him a unique perspective that allows him to recognize corporate operational impacts as well as financial barriers, seamlessly assisting his clients in the sale or purchase of their business.
Clients enlisting the services of Mr. Lugo know they are getting an industry leader to personally address their needs; he focuses completely on his clients and their situation or needs. After carefully analyzing their specific requirements, Mr. Lugo works collaboratively with clients to form a succinct strategic plan which helps them to effectively facilitate the most favorable business divestiture. Mr. Lugo values the importance of communication with clients to provide the best customer care as they transition to new opportunities.
Viking provides exit strategies and M&A services to middle-market business owners. In business since 1996, 50% of Viking's brokers are former business owners. Viking has an 85% close rate, representing more than 800 successful transactions.
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SOURCE Viking Mergers & Acquisitions | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/29/viking-mampa-celebrates-addition-new-senior-advisor/ | 2022-07-29T19:00:00Z |
HONG KONG, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CNOOC Limited (the "Company", SEHK: 00883, SSE: 600938) announced today that Dongfang 1-1 Gas Field Southeast Zone and Ledong 22-1 Gas Field South Block Development Project commenced production ahead of schedule.
The development projects locate in Yinggehai, Western South China Sea, with an average water depth of 90 meters. Utilizing the existing processing facilities of Dongfang 1-1 platform and Ledong 22-1 platform, the projects plan to commission 4 development wells and to produce through 2 subsea production systems, 2 mixed transportation pipelines of oil and gas and 2 umbilicals. The projects are expected to reach their peak production of approximately 44 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.
CNOOC Limited holds 100% interest in Dongfang 1-1 Gas Field Southeast Zone and Ledong 22-1 Gas Field South Block Development Project.
Notes to Editors:
More information about the Company is available at http://www.cnoocltd.com.
This press release includes forward looking information, including statements regarding the likely future developments in the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, such as expected future events, business prospects or financial results. The words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "objective", "ongoing", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by the Company as of this date in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company currently believes are appropriate under the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will meet the current expectations and predictions of the Company is uncertain. Actual results, performance and financial condition may differ materially from the Company's expectations, including but not limited to those associated with fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas prices, macro-political and economic factors, changes in the tax and fiscal regimes of the host countries in which we operate, the highly competitive nature of the oil and natural gas industry, environmental responsibility and compliance requirements, the Company's price forecast, the exploration and development activities, mergers, acquisitions and divestments activities, HSSE and insurance policies and changes in anti-corruption, anti-fraud, anti-money laundering and corporate governance laws.
Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company cannot assure that the results or developments anticipated will be realised or, even if substantially realised, that they will have the expected effect on the Company, its business or operations.
For further enquiries, please contact:
Ms. Ariel Wang
Media & Public Relations
CNOOC Limited
Tel: +86-10-8452-6832
Fax: +86-10-8452-1441
E-mail: mr@cnooc.com.cn
Mr. Bunny Lee
Porda Havas International Finance Communications Group
Tel: +852 3150 6707
Fax: +852 3150 6728
E-mail: cnooc.hk@pordahavas.com
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SOURCE CNOOC Limited | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/cnooc-limited-announces-dongfang-1-1-gas-field-southeast-zone-ledong-22-1-gas-field-south-block-development-project-commenced-production/ | 2022-09-01T09:07:23Z |
Lennox International Reports Record First Quarter Revenue and Earnings Per Share
Published: Apr. 25, 2022 at 7:30 AM EDT|Updated: 29 minutes ago
Revenue up 9% to first-quarter record $1.01 billion
GAAP EPS up 4% to first-quarter record $2.29
Adjusted EPS up 4% to first-quarter record $2.36
Repurchased $200 million of stock in the quarter
Raising 2022 guidance for revenue growth from 5-10% to 7-11%
Reiterating 2022 guidance for GAAP and adjusted EPS of $13.50-$14.50
Reiterating guidance for $400 million of stock repurchases for the full year
DALLAS, April 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lennox International Inc. (NYSE: LII), a global leader in energy-efficient climate-control solutions, today reported financial results for the first quarter of 2022. All comparisons are to the prior-year period.
Lennox International reported record first-quarter revenue of $1.01 billion, up 9%. GAAP operating income was $112 million, down 2%. GAAP earnings per share was a first-quarter record $2.29, up 4%.
Total segment profit was $115 million, down 1%, and total segment margin was 11.3%, down 110 basis points. Adjusted earnings per share was a first-quarter record $2.36, up 4%.
"Lennox International posted record first-quarter revenue and EPS, led by strong growth in our Residential and Refrigeration businesses," said Chairman and Interim CEO Todd Teske. "Both Residential and Refrigeration set new first-quarter highs for revenue and profit. In Residential, revenue was up 13%, led by double-digit growth in both replacement and new construction business. Segment profit rose 12% as segment margin was down slightly to 15.8%. In Refrigeration, revenue was up 15% as reported and up 18% at constant currency, led by more than 20% growth in North America. Refrigeration profit rose 78% as segment margin expanded 350 basis points to 9.8%.
"In Commercial, demand remained strong, but the business continued to be hit the hardest on the production front with labor constraints and global supply chain disruptions. Commercial revenue was down 6% and profit was down 77% in the first quarter as segment margin contracted 1,040 basis points to 3.4%. The Commercial team continues to take aggressive actions to resolve tight labor market, supply chain and production challenges, and we are seeing signs of improvement from these initiatives.
"Looking ahead for the company overall, demand remains strong, and we have announced a second round of price increases for 2022 to continue to offset broad inflationary pressures. We are raising 2022 revenue growth guidance from 5-10% to 7-11% and reiterating EPS guidance of $13.50-$14.50. We repurchased $200 million of stock in the first quarter and are reiterating plans for $400 million of stock repurchases for the full year."
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Revenue: Revenue was a first-quarter record $1.01 billion, up 9%. Volume was down, and price and mix were up. Foreign exchange was neutral to revenue.
Gross Profit: Gross profit was $268 million, up 5%. Gross margin was 26.5%, down 110 basis points. Gross profit was positively impacted by price and mix. Partial offsets included lower volume due to global supply chain disruptions and labor constraints, factory inefficiencies, and higher material, freight, distribution, and warranty costs.
Net Income: On a GAAP basis, net income for the first quarter was $83.6 million, or $2.29 per share, compared to $84.2 million, or $2.20 per share, in the prior-year quarter.
Adjusted net income in the first quarter was $86.1 million, or $2.36 per share, compared to $86.9 million, or $2.27 per share, in the prior-year quarter. Adjusted net income for the first quarter of 2022 excludes after-tax charges of $2.5 million, consisting of: a net charge of $1.5 million for items excluded from segment profit, $0.5 million for excess tax expense from share-based compensation, and a total of $0.5 million for restructuring charges and pension settlements.
Cash from Operations, Free Cash Flow and Total Debt: Net cash used in operations in the first quarter was $98 million compared to $18 million in the prior-year quarter. Capital expenditures were approximately $25 million in the first quarter compared to $24 million in the prior-year quarter. Free cash flow was ($123) million compared to ($42) million in the first quarter a year ago. Total debt at the end of the first quarter was $1.61 billion. Total cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $40 million at the end of the quarter. The company paid approximately $34 million in dividends in the first quarter and repurchased $200 million of stock.
BUSINESS SEGMENT HIGHLIGHTS
Residential Heating & Cooling Revenue in the Residential Heating & Cooling business segment was a first-quarter record $682 million, up 13%. Foreign exchange was neutral to revenue. Segment profit was a first-quarter record $108 million, up 12%. Segment margin was 15.8%, down 10 basis points. Residential results were primarily impacted by favorable price and mix. Partial offsets included higher material, freight, and warranty costs, global supply chain disruptions and factory inefficiencies, lower joint venture income, distribution investments, and higher SG&A.
Commercial Heating & Cooling Revenue in the Commercial Heating & Cooling business segment was $188 million, down 6%. Foreign exchange was neutral to revenue. Segment profit was $6 million, down 77%, and segment margin was 3.4%, down 1,040 basis points. Commercial results were primarily impacted by lower volume and factory inefficiencies due to labor constraints and global supply chain disruptions, higher material, freight, distribution, and other product costs, and higher SG&A. Partial offsets included favorable price and mix.
Refrigeration Revenue in the Refrigeration business segment was up 15% to $144 million. Foreign exchange had a 3% negative impact to revenue growth. Segment profit rose 78% to $14 million. Segment revenue and profit were both first-quarter records, adjusted for historical divestitures. Segment margin expanded 350 basis points to 9.8%. Refrigeration results were primarily impacted by higher volume and favorable price and tariffs. Partial offsets included unfavorable mix, global supply chain disruptions, and higher material, freight and SG&A costs.
FULL-YEAR GUIDANCE
For 2022, the company is raising revenue growth guidance and reiterating EPS guidance.
Raising guidance for revenue growth from 5-10% to 7-11%; neutral foreign exchange.
Reiterating GAAP and adjusted EPS guidance of $13.50-$14.50.
Reiterating corporate expense guidance of approximately $95 million.
Reiterating effective tax rate guidance of 18-20% on an adjusted basis for the full year.
Reiterating capital expenditures guidance of approximately $125 million.
Reiterating free cash flow guidance of approximately $400 million.
Reiterating stock repurchase guidance of $400 million for the full year.
CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION A conference call to discuss the company's first-quarter results and outlook will be held this morning at 8:30 a.m. Central time. To listen, call the conference call line at 844-291-6356 (U.S.) or 234-720-6989 (international) at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and use participant code 5188402. The conference call also will be webcast on Lennox International's web site at www.lennoxinternational.com. A replay will be available from approximately 11:00 a.m. Central time on April 25 through May 9, 2022 by dialing 866-207-1041 (U.S.) or 402-970-0847 (international) and using access code 1972402. The call also will be archived on the company's website.
ABOUT LENNOX INTERNATIONAL Lennox International Inc. is a global leader in energy-efficient climate-control solutions. Dedicated to sustainability and creating comfortable and healthier environments for our residential and commercial customers while reducing their carbon footprint, we lead the field in innovation with our air conditioning, heating, indoor air quality, and refrigeration systems. Lennox International stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and traded under the symbol LII. Additional information on Lennox International is available at www.lennoxinternational.com or by contacting Steve Harrison, Vice President, Investor Relations, at 972-497-6670.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS The statements in this news release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding the 2022 full-year outlook and expected consolidated and segment financial results for 2022, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available as well as management's assumptions and beliefs today. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements, and investors should not place undue reliance on them. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements include risks that the North American unitary HVAC and refrigeration markets perform worse than current assumptions. Additional risks include, but are not limited to: the impact of higher raw material prices, availability and timely delivery of raw materials and other components, the impact of new or increased trade tariffs, LII's ability to implement price increases for its products and services, economic conditions in our markets, regulatory changes, the impact of unfavorable weather, a decline in new construction activity and related demand for products and services, and any resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic impact on the company and its employees and customers. For information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, see LII's publicly available filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. LII disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/04/25/lennox-international-reports-record-first-quarter-revenue-earnings-per-share/ | 2022-04-25T11:59:49Z |
Gale Strategies Addresses Demand for Results-Driven B2B Technology Marketing
DARIEN, Conn., Sept. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Gale Strategies announced the launch of its first principles marketing platform. Building on their already widely successful marketing and public relations process - connecting businesses with the audiences that drive their growth - Gale Strategies' new capabilities take marketing performance to a new level.
"We pursue a first principles approach, which is to say we don't just do things for our clients because it's considered marketing," said Gale Strategies co-founder Chris Gale. "We narrow down to a process focused on actually bringing in deals, investments or credible category leadership. We cut away the nonsense and exercise healthy skepticism in selecting, testing and proving the right package and sequence of tactics, and overall strategy for our clients."
Gale Strategies was launched to dispense with B2B technology public relations and marketing that could not show its value and relied on vague measures of success. The new platform includes:
- Publication relations
- Social marketing
- Branding
- SEO
- SalesOps
Gale Strategies' offering is rooted in bringing in specific opportunities in a highly targeted manner that aligns with clients' sales pipelines, investor relations and deal flow. The team was built from the ground up to deliver a scalable, seamless, tech-driven marketing platform. Gale Strategies delivers high touch service with intuitive processes, connecting audiences with businesses through intelligent, efficient production.
The firm's clients include leading private equity, enterprise technology and tech startup teams. Gale Strategies intentionally diversifies the industry verticals they serve to focus on intersections where technology is transforming longstanding, complex, high stakes work.
About Gale Strategies
Gale Strategies streamlines marketing and public relations on a single platform. The firm was founded in Darien, Connecticut in 2019 and operates nationwide and in Europe. For more information visit www.GaleStrategies.com.
CONTACT: Chris Gale at Chris@GaleStrategies.com
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SOURCE Gale Strategies LLC | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/06/gale-strategies-launches-first-principles-marketing-platform/ | 2022-09-06T11:30:56Z |
DALLAS, May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Anurag Jain, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Access Healthcare, has been named one of the Top 50 Healthcare Technology CEOs in 2022. Anurag joins the illustrious list of highly accomplished CEOs from leading healthcare technology and services businesses, published each year by The Healthcare Technology Report.
Under Anurag's leadership, Access Healthcare has emerged as the partner of choice for revenue cycle business process and technology services. Access Healthcare is committed to solving some of the most critical revenue cycle management challenges health systems, hospitals, physician practices, DME suppliers, and aggregators face. The company applies its award-winning robotic process automation platform echo, its integrated business process management suite "arc.in" and a global team of revenue cycle experts to help clients save millions of dollars in costs and achieve transformational process outcomes.
"It is an honor to be recognized among an exceptional team of healthcare technology CEOs. I am thankful to The Healthcare Technology Report for choosing me for the recognition", says Anurag Jain. "My gratitude goes to all our team members worldwide for their relentless pursuit of our vision and innovating continuously to achieve massive productivity and efficiency gains. In the last eleven years since we started, we have emerged as the go-to company for revenue cycle services".
Anurag's ability to harness and leverage technology paired with a global mindset has enabled him to launch multiple companies successfully. As Chairman and CEO of Access Healthcare, he has built a robust healthcare services platform utilizing A.I. and RPA to transform the revenue cycle management industry. This company has scaled from 100 people in 2012 to over 22,000 global employees today.
ABOUT THE HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY REPORT'S TOP 50 HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY CEOS OF 2022
This year's list comprises a wide array of some of the most accomplished executives in the healthcare technology industry. They have led their firms in advancing and revolutionizing healthcare solutions, spearheading innovations in patient experience and software platforms, medical devices, therapeutics, and other areas. This year's awardees have also impacted the broader global community through their efforts beyond their organizations. Many are professors, board members of associations and other companies advancing the health-tech field, or generous philanthropists. And in addition to overseeing their companies' operations, nearly half either founded or co-founded the company they lead. They come from various backgrounds and have wide-ranging professional histories, but they share at least one thing in common: they have all led their company to new heights through their dedication, ingenuity, and commitment to their employees and their customers.
Please read the full article here: https://thehealthcaretechnologyreport.com/the-top-50-healthcare-technology-ceos-of-2022/
ABOUT ACCESS HEALTHCARE
Access Healthcare provides business process outsourcing, applications services, and robotic process automation tools to hospitals, health systems, providers, payers, and related service providers. The company operates from 19 global delivery centers in the US, India, and the Philippines. Their 20,000+ staff is committed to bringing revenue cycle excellence to clients by leveraging technology, emerging best practices, and global delivery. Based in Dallas, TX, the company supports over 400,000 healthcare providers through 85+ clients, serving 80+ specialties, processing over $70 billion of A/R annually, and ascribing medical codes to over 30 million charts annually.
With over 3,500 virtual bots in operation, Access Healthcare's proprietary robotic process automation platform helps its clients improve efficiency. Access Healthcare is HITRUST, PCI DSS, SOC, ISO 27001, and ISO 9001 certified, providing the needed security, availability, and confidentiality of sensitive health information. Their people program, integrated processes, and proven track record of service delivery have earned Access Healthcare the "Leader" and "Star Performer" award by Everest Group's Healthcare Provider BPO Peak Matrix 2021. For more information, visit www.accesshealthcare.com.
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SOURCE Access Healthcare | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/19/anurag-jain-named-among-top-50-healthcare-technology-ceos-2022/ | 2022-05-19T21:42:56Z |
ATLANTA — The Tedeschi Trucks Band, the revered 12-piece collective founded by husband-and-wife duo, guitarist Derek Trucks and singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi, announced recently the most ambitious studio project of their storied career: “I Am The Moon,” an epic undertaking in four albums with 24 original songs.
Inspired by a mythic Persian tale of star-crossed lovers, and emotionally driven by the isolation and disconnection of the pandemic era, the thematic “I Am The Moon” totals more than two hours of music, unfolding across a robust tapestry of genre-defying explorations that propel the treasured American ensemble into new and thrilling creative territory.
The four albums that comprise “I Am The Moon” — I. Crescent, II. Ascension, III. The Fall, and IV. Farewell — will be released in successive months beginning with I. Crescent, available digitally and on CD June 3. (All vinyl configurations, including individual LPs and the 4-LP “I Am The Moon” Deluxe Box will be available on Sept. 9.)
Tedeschi Trucks return to the Fox Theatre for two nights, July 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. with the “Wheels of Soul Tour.” Support acts Los Lobos and Gabe Dixon will perform both nights. Tickets, starting at $29 (plus applicable fees) for the Atlanta shows, are on sale now at foxtheatre.org or by calling (855) 285-8499.
The decision to sequence and release “I Am The Moon” in four distinct episodes came “when we started thinking of records we love,” Trucks says, citing “Axis: Bold as Love,” the 1967 LP by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. “It’s 36 minutes long. That’s the way to digest a record.”
With that approach in mind, TTB will present “I Am The Moon: The Film,” immersive visual companions to each album. The corresponding films will debut three days prior to each audio release, offering fans an early opportunity to digest each album in its entirety as a communal listening and viewing experience via the band’s YouTube channel. Directed by Alix Lambert, the films combine studio and performance footage with atmospheric photography and imagery beautifully capturing the music’s kaleidoscopic textures. The project launches with the first episode: “I Am The Moon: The Film — I. Crescent” on May 31 at 9 p.m. PT.
The concept behind I Am The Moon, the GRAMMY-winning band’s fifth studio recording, was suggested by TTB vocalist Mike Mattison in May 2020, two months after the band was forced off the road by the pandemic. The 12th-century poem “Layla & Majnun” by Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi was the title inspiration for Eric Clapton’s 1970 double-LP with Derek and the Dominos, “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs” — an influential album for TTB.
But Ganjavi’s source material resonated with Mattison and the rest of the band in an altogether different way. Finding complex themes and storylines that inspired their creative process, they forged a new, modern interpretation of the vast 100-page poem. “I Am The Moon” was written collectively and collaboratively, with band members contributing their own unique perspectives on the work. By January 2021 the band was recording at Tedeschi and Trucks’ home studio, Swamp Raga, in Jacksonville, Fla., with Derek behind the soundboard as producer and long-time studio engineer Bobby Tis in charge of recording and mixing.
Operatic in scope, Tedeschi Trucks Band explores romantic relationships, collective struggle, faith, and the human experience on “I Am The Moon.”
“It’s amazing,” Trucks says, “because we wrote most of this music in a pretty short time span. There are even chord changes that mirror other tunes on the albums — themes and variations, lyrical allusions, that pop back up.
“You always want to do something bigger and thematic. This is the first time it happened naturally.”
Tedeschi Trucks Band have extensive tour dates planned for 2022 including their annual headlining Wheels of Soul summer U.S. tour. See list of dates below.
TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND — I AM THE MOON: ALBUM + FILM RELEASE DATES:
I Am The Moon: I. Crescent: Film Premiere: May 31, Album Release: June 3
I Am The Moon: II. Ascension: Film Premiere: June 28, Album Release: July 1
I Am The Moon: III. The Fall: Film Premiere: July 26, Album Release: July 29
I Am The Moon: IV. Farewell: Film Premiere: Aug. 23, Album Release: Aug.26
I Am The Moon — All Vinyl Configurations: individual LPs + the 4-LP Deluxe Box Available Sept. 9.
The Tedeschi Trucks Band are Susan Tedeschi (Vocals/Guitar), Derek Trucks (Guitar), Gabe Dixon (Keys/Vocals), Brandon Boone (Bass Guitar), Tyler Greenwell (Drums/Percussion), Isaac Eady (Drums/Percussion), Mike Mattison (Vocals/Guitar), Mark Rivers (Vocals), Alecia Chakour (Vocals), Kebbi Williams (Saxophone), Ephraim Owens (Trumpet), and Elizabeth Lea (Trombone).
Tedeschi Trucks Band has close ties to Atlanta as numerous band members and crew call the state home, including drummer Tyler Greenwell, saxophonist Kebbi Williams, singer/guitarist Mike Mattison, bassist Brandon Boone and singer Mark Rivers. In addition, the group’s recent press photos and video shoot were filmed at the internationally renowned arts site Pasaquan in Buena Vista. | https://www.albanyherald.com/entertainment/tedeschi-trucks-band-plans-four-album-release-return-to-fox-theatre/article_f487951a-d164-11ec-9a57-db9b7b8dc917.html | 2022-05-14T20:30:47Z |
1 killed after small plane crashes alongside 210 Freeway in Sylmar
By KCAL/KCBS Staff
Click here for updates on this story
SYLMAR, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A plane crashed Wednesday afternoon along the westbound lanes of the 210 Freeway in Sylmar.
The crash happened just before 12:30 p.m. alongside the westbound lanes at the Hubbard Street, according to the California Highway Patrol. The plane was described as a red Cessna.
The only person on board the twin-engine Cessna 337 Skymaster was the pilot, who was killed according to the FAA. Los Angeles firefighters contained a small fuel leak and a search of the area did not turn up anyone else who had been in the plane.
The pilot’s name has not been released.
The plane landed in the middle of trees on an embankment along the freeway and did not hit any vehicles, but authorities say drivers should avoid the area. The crash did not spark any flames.
The NTSB is en route to the scene and will handle the investigation of the crash, according to the LAFD.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://localnews8.com/cnn-regional/2022/04/20/1-killed-after-small-plane-crashes-alongside-210-freeway-in-sylmar/ | 2022-04-21T02:46:51Z |
Burger’s homer off Hill lifts White Sox over Red Sox
CHICAGO (AP) — Jake Burger hit a three-run homer off Rich Hill, Lucas Giolito overcame a shaky first inning and the Chicago White Sox beat the Red Sox 3-1 to end Boston’s six-game winning streak. The White Sox won for the fourth time in six games. Burger, recalled Tuesday from Triple-A Charlotte after Luis Robert was placed on the COVID-19 injured list, hit an 0-2 breaking pitch in the fifth inning that traveled an estimated 444 feet. Giolito threw 27 pitches in the first but still allowed fewer than two runs for the fourth time this season. Hill held the White Sox hitless through four innings but lost his lead quickly. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/05/25/burgers-homer-off-hill-lifts-white-sox-over-red-sox/ | 2022-05-26T09:22:10Z |
DENVER, April 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Morris Animal Foundation is proud to be recognized by The NonProfit Times as one of the top 50 Best Nonprofits To Work For 2022. The Foundation, which works with researchers from around the world to advance animal health, ranked 17th among medium-sized nonprofits. The award, designed to identify and recognize the best employers in the nonprofit industry, is the second in as many years for the Foundation.
"We are honored to be recognized by The NonProfit Times as a Best Nonprofits To Work For 2022, particularly given the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in workplaces globally," said Tiffany Grunert, Morris Animal Foundation President and CEO. "Year two of primarily remote work came with its own set of unique challenges for us, but I am so proud of how our leadership team, staff members and Board of Trustees were able to adapt and thrive.
"Our mission as a foundation has always been to advance the health and well-being of animals around the world and it's our incredible staff members who make it all possible."
As the pandemic stretched into year two, Morris Animal Foundation continued to practice its safety-first approach and maintain its work-from-home policy. Having a year of remote experience helped the Foundation refine its approach which included new virtual activities to help employees stay connected, expanded benefits, more investment in virtual infrastructure, expanded cybersecurity efforts and other enhancements.
Today, the Foundation continues to focus on investing in its mission and its people by supporting the well-being of all staff members and nurturing a thriving, inclusive culture grounded in the Foundation's core values of excellence, respect, compassion, collaboration, innovation and determination.
The Best Nonprofits To Work For survey and awards process is conducted by Best Companies Group. Winners are announced and published in The NonProfit Times, the leading national business publication for nonprofit managers.
Nonprofits from across the country compete for the prestigious honor by entering a two-part survey process. Part one consists of an evaluation of the organization's workplace policies, practices, philosophies, systems and demographics. The second part of the survey process measures employee satisfaction. When combined, the scores determine which organizations make the list of top 50 nonprofits in the country.
About Morris Animal Foundation
Morris Animal Foundation's mission is to bridge science and resources to advance the health of animals. Headquartered in Denver, and founded in 1948, it is one of the largest nonprofit animal health research organizations in the world, funding more than $142 million in critical studies across a broad range of species. Learn more at morrisanimalfoundation.org.
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SOURCE Morris Animal Foundation | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/04/08/morris-animal-foundation-named-one-top-50-best-nonprofits-work-2022-by-nonprofit-times/ | 2022-04-08T17:33:24Z |
Cala is the featured speaker for Chopra Global's free Journey to Well-being experience throughout the month of July. His five-part program, available in the Chopra App, will guide listeners to activate their unique gifts and discover their life purpose.
MIAMI, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ismael Cala life and human development strategist, journalist, bestselling author, philanthropist, and international speaker, will be the feature speaker in July for Chopra Global's Journey to Well-Being, an initiative created with the aim of sharing the experience of personal growth around the world.
Journey to Well-Being comprises monthly themes addressing all aspects of life and is designed to offer an intuitive on-ramp to self-care along with customized practices for a more meaningful experience and impact. The experience is rooted in Ayurveda, a traditional 5,000-year-old healing system, translated as "the science of life," that provides a framework for taking care of our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health by empowering the inherent healing power that lives within all of us. As a personalized lifestyle medicine, Ayurveda considers health to be a state of wholeness—the dynamic and balanced integration of body, mind, and spirit.
In his five part program, available for free throughout July, Cala will guide participants to connect with their universal truth and life purpose. Listeners will overcome limitations, tap into their deepest desires, and activate their unique gifts, through mindfulness meditation, reflection and the practice of gratitude.
"For me, it is a true honor to be the guest of a great life mentor such as Deepak Chopra, but also, to be connected with one of my related topics which is purpose, since I consider it the basis that can bring us more wellbeing on our path. Being able to share this knowledge in a free way makes me happy to fulfill my purpose of helping as many people as I can connect with themselves and their purposes," said Ismael Cala.
"Given the state of the world, personal health and well-being are now more important than ever," said Mallika Chopra, CEO of Chopra Global. "The Chopra Meditation & Well-Being App is designed to be a companion guide to improve your life. I couldn't be more excited to take this Ayurvedic journey with you all."
Participants will have free access to this five-part program (entirely in English) inside the Chopra App for iOS and Android, in addition to downloadable workbooks and tools to support their journey to well-being. Register now and gain access to a special virtual event with Ismael Cala and Mallika Chopra where they will discuss the pathway to purpose on July 11th at 9:30 am PT, 12:30 pm ET.
To register, simply access the following link.
About Ismael Cala
Life and business strategist, best-selling author on leadership, entrepreneurship, and personal development. Host on CALA, a prime time show in CNN en Español for more than 5 years. Founder and president of Cala Group and Ismael Cala's Foundation and author of bestsellers such as "Wake up with Cala,", "Life is a Pinata,", "The Emotional Illiterate,", "The Power of Listening,", "A good son of P…" ,", "The Secret of Bamboo" and "Flow so as not to suffer". Ambassador to the concept of Corporate Happiness for more than 400 companies in Latin America. He has collaborated with great experts such as Deepak Chopra and John C. Maxwell and received personalized training from renowned international coaches such as Tony Robbins and Miguel Ruiz.
About Chopra Global
Chopra Global is a leading whole health company that is empowering personal transformation for millions of people globally to expand our collective well-being. Anchored by the life's practice and research of Dr. Deepak Chopra, a pioneer in integrative medicine, Chopra Global's signature programs have been proven to improve overall well-being through a focus on physical, mental, and spiritual health. Chopra Global has been at the forefront of health and wellness for more than two decades with a portfolio that includes an editorial archive of more than 2000 health articles, expansive self-care practices and meditations, a comprehensive mobile app, masterclasses, teacher certifications, immersive live events, and personalized retreats. In 2020, Chopra Global launched The Chopra Meditation & Well-being app, which offers simple, self-care guidance and meditation for mind, body, and spirit. The vast library of content features hundreds of meditations and practices with an integrative approach to help create and sustain a healthier life, with an emphasis on stress, energy, sleep, mood management, purpose, relationships, and growth. By providing tools, guidance and community, Chopra aims to advance a culture of well-being and make a healthy, peaceful, and joyful life accessible to all. For more information, interact with the team on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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SOURCE Cala Enterprises Corporation | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/ismael-cala-collaborates-chopra-globals-journey-well-being-experience/ | 2022-06-29T18:49:00Z |
Gianna Bryant and her father, former NBA player Kobe Bryant, attend the WNBA All-Star Game 2019 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in July 2019 in Las Vegas.
Gianna Bryant and her father, former NBA player Kobe Bryant, attend the WNBA All-Star Game 2019 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in July 2019 in Las Vegas.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Vanessa Bryant, the widow of Kobe Bryant, leaves a federal courthouse in Los Angeles on August 10.
A former Los Angeles County fire captain walked off the witness stand three times during testimony Monday while being questioned about whether he took photos of Kobe Bryant's remains at the 2020 helicopter crash that killed Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others.
Citing stress from working the crash, Brian Jordan resisted questions that took him back to his actions that day, when attorneys for Bryant's widow, Vanessa, claim he was led around by a sheriff's deputy to take site photography of the scene, including crash wreckage and victims' remains.
"Kobe Bryant's remains were among the pictures?" asked Bryant's attorney Luis Li before being cut off by Jordan.
"I need a break, I need a break," Jordan said as he stood up. "Sorry your honor," he said as he walked off the stand for the first of three times.
At one point, Li noted in questioning that Jordan exited with his attorney each time.
Steven Haney, Jordan's attorney, told CNN his client's departures from the court room didn't concern legal issues, but a reaction to "a medical condition associated with his viewing of the crash scene and it causes him to suffer trauma."
Jordan repeatedly said he did not remember taking photographs because he has blocked that day out of his memory since retiring in early 2021.
Later, when asked by another plaintiff attorney about whether he took photos of specific body parts, Jordan said "The way the whole scene looked, that's going to haunt me forever, and excuse me cause I'm about to take another break."
At times Jordan rejected pointed questions from attorneys about exactly what he photographed that day and why.
"The only reason I'm sitting here is because someone threw my name into this whole thing," Jordan said on the witness stand. He says a supervisor asked him to take site photography as part of the fire department's response to the crash.
"Maybe that was the day I should have been insubordinate," Jordan said defiantly.
At one point, Haney, Jordan's attorney who is not one of the lawyers representing defendant L.A. County, objected from near the courtroom gallery to a question asked by the plaintiffs, saying "asked and answered." When the judge realized who was making the objection, he instructed Haney not to make any further objections.
Vanessa Bryant's federal civil lawsuit alleges the county invaded her privacy and failed to fully contain the spread of the photos, causing her to live in fear that the photos could surface online at any moment.
L.A. County maintains the photos were part of necessary accident site photography and that it sufficiently contained their spread, arguing that the photos have never surfaced online.
Testimony continued with a series of Los Angeles County sheriff deputies who received and shared the sensitive photos with each other, one of whom was a trainee who showed the photos to a bartender he considered a friend.
"Looking back, do you think there was any reason for you to receive these accident photos?"asked plaintiff attorney Craig Lavoie.
"Looking back on it today, no." Deputy Joey Cruz said, though he maintained he initially accepted them thinking he may have later been tasked to write a report on the incident.
Regarding the bartender, Cruz added: "He's a close friend that I vent to... I took it too far, something I shouldn't have done."
Cruz is to return to the witness stand on Tuesday.
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/former-fire-captain-repeatedly-walked-off-the-witness-stand-during-testimony-over-kobe-bryant-crash/article_4f1e7cb5-23d6-5c63-b4da-8f83a5b6688a.html | 2022-08-16T02:03:45Z |
(NEXSTAR) – Two airline passengers accused of assaulting crew members and fellow passengers face two of the largest fines ever proposed, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday.
The FAA said it will levy penalties of $81,950 and $77,272, respectively, against the unnamed passengers.
The first passenger was flying from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, to Charlotte, North Carolina on July 7, 2021 when the FAA says the woman fell while she was out of her seat during the flight. She then allegedly threatened to hurt a flight attendant who offered help, shoved the flight attendant aside and tried to open the cabin door.
When two other flight attendants tried to restrain her, she allegedly struck one on the head repeatedly. The crew managed to get her in zip-tie style restraints, but the woman “spit at, headbutted, bit and tried to kick the crew and other passengers,” the FAA said. Officers arrested her after the plane landed in Charlotte.
Another female passenger, who faces a $77,272 fine, was flying Delta from Las Vegas to Atlanta on July 16, 2021 when the FAA says she tried to hug and kiss the passenger next to her. She’s also accused of walking to the front of the aircraft and trying to leave the airplane mid-flight.
The crew had to restrain her after she allegedly bit another passenger multiple times.
“If you are on an airplane, don’t be a jerk and don’t endanger the flight crews and fellow passengers. If you do, you will be fined by the FAA,” U.S. Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg told The View Friday.
The passengers must respond within 30 days after receiving the FAA’s letter.
The fines are part of the roughly $2 million in proposed penalties the FAA announced Jan. 1. | https://cw33.com/news/faa-proposes-combined-159k-fine-the-most-ever-against-two-unruly-passengers/ | 2022-04-11T23:37:03Z |
Sun Life also establishes long-term strategic partnership with UK's largest long-term savings and retirement business
TORONTO and LONDON, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) announced today it has entered into an agreement to sell SLF of Canada UK Limited ("Sun Life UK") to Phoenix Group Holdings plc ("Phoenix Group") (LSE: PHNX). Headquartered in London, Phoenix Group is the UK's largest long-term savings and retirement business with more than 13 million customers and £310 billion of assets under administration.
Sun Life UK manages life and pension policies and annuity blocks for UK Clients. The company is closed to new sales and has been operating as a run-off business in the life and pension policies segment since 2001.
Sun Life will sell Sun Life UK to Phoenix Group for a closing price of £248 million (approximately C$385 million) and will retain its economic interest in UK's payout annuities business. This transaction will also provide further growth opportunities for Sun Life's asset management businesses.
As part of the sale, Sun Life will form a long-term partnership to become a strategic asset management partner to Phoenix Group. Sun Life's asset management companies, MFS and SLC Management, will continue to manage approximately C$9 billion of Sun Life UK's general account upon the close of the sale.
Phoenix Group has set a goal to invest approximately US$25 billion in North American public and private fixed income and alternative investments over the next five years. MFS and SLC Management will be material partners to Phoenix Group in achieving this goal.
"We're excited to partner with Phoenix Group. A great deal of consideration was taken to find the right buyer and partner for our UK business. Phoenix Group is a purpose-led company with similar values to Sun Life and a strong focus on delivering outcomes for their customers. We're also pleased about our asset management partnership, which will bring the strength of MFS and SLC Management to Phoenix Group customers," said Kevin Strain, President and CEO of Sun Life. "Thank you to our UK team for all of their efforts in delivering solid results year-after-year in our life, pension and annuities businesses. We believe Phoenix Group will be a great organization for our UK employees and Clients."
"This acquisition is highly attractive for Phoenix Group. As the UK's largest long-term savings and retirement business with a strong track record of UK closed book integrations, we look forward to offering a safe home for Sun Life UK Clients over the long term and enabling them to benefit from our broad range of Standard Life products in our Open division," said Andy Briggs, Phoenix Group, CEO. "I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the colleagues who will join us from Sun Life UK. We are also pleased to enter into a new, long-term strategic asset management partnership with MFS and SLC Management, Sun Life's Asset Management businesses. This partnership will complement our existing relationships and further enhance our liquid and illiquid credit capabilities in North America by building on their strong presence in the region."
Since 2016, Phoenix Group has successfully completed four acquisitions totaling approximately £7.5 billion. This has supported increasing their assets under administration by more than 300% over the past five years through organic and inorganic growth.
Strain added, "The sale of the Sun Life UK business is consistent with our strategy to grow fee-based and capital light businesses. It also frees up capital to continue on our journey of creating long-term value for our shareholders. This transaction also aligns with our objective to continue building our Sun Life asset management pillar by creating an attractive long-term partnership with the UK's leading long-term savings and retirement business."
This transaction is expected to close during the first half of 2023, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
Fenchurch Advisory Partners acted as a financial advisor to Sun Life for this transaction and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP served as legal counsel.
Slides related to this announcement are available at www.sunlife.com.
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of June 30, 2022, Sun Life had total assets under management of C$1.26 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.
Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.
Phoenix Group is the UK's largest long-term savings and retirement business. With £0.3 trillion of assets under administration, we offer our c.13 million customers a broad range of products across our market-leading pensions, savings and life insurance brands which include Standard Life and Sun Life. We support people throughout their savings cycle, and our vision is to help even more people on their journey to and through retirement, providing the right support at the right time.
A member of the FTSE 100, we're a sustainably growing business united by a common purpose – to help people secure a life of possibilities. This drives everything we do and means taking responsible and sustainable investment decisions and using our presence and voice to drive forward change for the better for our customers, our colleagues, and our wider community.
We have been recognised as a leading employer for many years. We are accredited as a Living Wage Employer and as a Carer Positive Exemplary Employer for offering the best support to colleagues who are carers.
Linkedin: PhoenixGroup-UK Twitter: @PhoenixGroupUK
From time to time, Sun Life makes written or oral forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws, including the "safe harbour" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements contained in this release include, without limitation, statements (i) relating to our strategies, (ii) relating to our anticipated divestiture of Sun Life UK, (iii) relating to our growth initiatives and other business objectives, (iv) relating to the expected timing of the closing of the transaction, (v) relating to the expected impact of the transaction on our business and financial results, (vi) that are predictive in nature or that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and (vii) that include words such as "intends", "expect", "will", and similar expressions.
These statements represent our current expectations, estimates, and projections regarding future events and are not historical facts, and remain subject to change, particularly in light of the ongoing and developing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global economy and its uncertain impact on our business. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. The forward-looking statements in this news release do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other special items or of any dispositions, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or other transactions that may be announced or that may occur after the date of this news release. If any non-recurring or other special item or any transaction should occur, the financial impact could be complex and the effect on our operations or results would depend on the facts particular to such item and we cannot describe the expected impact in a meaningful way or in the same way we could present known risks affecting our business.
Forward-looking statements are presented for the purpose of assisting investors and others in understanding our expected financial position and results of operations as at the date of this news release, as well as our objectives for the transaction, strategic priorities and business outlook following the transaction, and in obtaining a better understanding of our anticipated operating environment following the transaction. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements may not be appropriate for other purposes and undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements.
The following risk factors are related to our intention to divest Sun Life UK that could have a material adverse effect on our forward-looking statements: (i) the ability of the parties to complete the transaction; (ii) failure of the parties to obtain necessary consents and approvals or to otherwise satisfy the conditions to the completion of the transaction in a timely manner, or at all; (iii) our ability to realize the financial and strategic benefits of the transaction; and (iv) the impact of the announcement of the transaction and the dedication of our resources to completing the transaction. These risks all could have an impact on our business relationships (including with future and prospective employees, Clients, distributors and partners) and could have a material adverse effect on our current and future operations, financial conditions and prospects. Other important risk factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements in this presentation are set out in our MD&A for the period ended June 30, 2022 and in SLF Inc.'s other annual and interim regulatory filings filed with Canadian securities regulators or furnished to U.S. securities regulators, which are available for review at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively.
The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.
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SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/04/sun-life-announces-intention-sell-its-uk-business/ | 2022-08-04T07:08:58Z |
GREENBELT, Md., Aug. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has awarded a contract to Sierra Nevada Corporation of Madison, Wisconsin, to develop and demonstrate a microgravity-compactible Trash Compaction and Processing System (TCPS) Phase B, for the International Space Station (ISS).
This contract provides firm-fixed-price core requirements and indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, firm-fixed-price task orders, along with additional option periods.
If all options are exercised, the total potential contract value is $13,775,324. The period of performance is from Sept. 1, 2022, through Aug. 31, 2027, and it includes four option periods.
The contractor will develop and demonstrate a microgravity-compactible processing system, including processing of trash, heat transfer, fluid flow, liquid/vapor condensation, phase separation, and effluent processing and management, as well as implementation of a detailed Concept of Operations and crew trash handling/interaction with the TCPS aboard the ISS. Reliability and maintainability, ISS interface requirements, and safety will be addressed as the TCPS unit is launched to ISS for a technology demonstration.
The work will be performed at the contractor's facility in Madison, Wisconsin.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
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SOURCE NASA | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/26/nasa-awards-demonstration-trash-compacting-system-iss/ | 2022-08-26T22:26:42Z |
Next generation real estate analytics company strengthens board with seasoned executives from Capital Markets, Insurance, and Public Policy
BELLEVUE, Wash., July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Plunk—the first real-time analytics platform for residential real estate—today announced the appointment of Joan Woodward and Jeff Zajkowski as Company Directors.
Joan Woodward is Executive Vice President of Public Policy for Travelers and President of The Travelers Institute, and currently serves as a member of the company's Management Committee. Woodward joined Travelers in 2008 to establish The Travelers Institute as the company's thought leadership and public policy platform.
Prior to Travelers, Woodward worked at Goldman Sachs for ten years, where she was the founding Executive Director of the company's Global Markets Institute. She also spent 12 years in Washington, D.C., serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff on the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, as Policy Director on the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, and as the Chief Economist for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Budget. One of Woodward's major contributions toward championing consumer financial well-being was the development and introduction of the Roth IRA.
"Providing Americans with greater access to home ownership and increased financial security has been a careerlong commitment of mine," Woodward commented. "Plunk's analytics are enabling us to make significant progress toward achieving equity in housing."
Jeff Zajkowski most recently served as Managing Director and Head of Equity Capital Markets, Americas for J.P. Morgan, where he advised issuer clients on equity financing alternatives in the public, private, and derivative capital markets. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Zajkowski spent 12 years as Managing Director at Goldman Sachs where he similarly oversaw their Equity-linked capital markets transactions.
"Residential real estate is the world's largest asset class and yet has only recently captured Wall Street's full attention," Zajkowski noted. "What excites me is that Plunk's AI-powered approach delivers a new level of analytics that will fuel its adoption as a mainstream investment."
"Joan's and Jeff's experience and insights represent invaluable resources to our leadership team," said Brian Lent, Co-founder and CEO of Plunk. "Their guidance will certainly accelerate our ability to serve the insurance, lending and investment communities."
Plunk is an advanced analytics company revolutionizing the way homeowners, home experts, and investors value and invest in residential real estate—through the next-generation application of Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and image analysis.
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SOURCE Plunk | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/26/plunk-appoints-insurance-finance-industry-leaders-joan-woodward-jeff-zajkowski-company-directors/ | 2022-07-26T13:39:22Z |
This US airport has reclaimed its title as the world’s busiest
By Marnie Hunter, CNN
Move over, Guangzhou. Georgia’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is once again the world’s busiest airport.
The US airport was knocked off its No. 1 perch to the No. 2 slot in passenger volume in 2020 by Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China, breaking the Atlanta airport’s 22-year streak in the top slot.
But in the 2021 rankings released on Monday by trade association Airports Council International, ATL is back on top, a sign of recovery from 2020’s precipitous plunge in air traffic as the pandemic took hold.
In 2021, the Atlanta airport saw 75.7 million passengers. That figure is up a whopping 76% from 2020 but still nearly 32% below pre-pandemic 2019 figures.
Guangzhou’s airport dropped to No. 8 in 2021, with 40.3 million passengers. Another airport in China, Chengdu’s Shuangliu International Airport, is ninth on the 2021 list, down from No. 3 in 2020.
US airports dominated the passenger traffic rankings in 2021, with eight of the top 10 in the United States.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas was the second-busiest in 2021, with about 62.5 million passengers, and the international airport in Denver, Colorado, ranked third, with 58.8 million passengers.
Chicago’s O’Hare and Los Angeles International rounded out the top five.
The list shows “an encouraging trend of recovery,” Luis Felipe de Oliveira, ACI World’s director general, said in a statement.
“Although we are cautious that recovery could face multiple headwinds, the momentum created by reopening plans by countries could lead to an uptick in travel in the second half of 2022,” de Oliveira said.
In 2021, there were an estimated 4.5 billion passengers globally, according to ACI. That figure represents a nearly 25% increase from 2020 but more than 50% drop from 2019.
US and China switch places
Given the much faster recovery of domestic travel compared with international travel, airports that were way down the list of the world’s busiest airports pre-pandemic have leaped up into the top 10.
The airports in Charlotte, North Carolina (No. 6); Orlando, Florida (No. 7); and Las Vegas (No. 10) are new to the top 10 this year. Vacation magnets Orlando and Las Vegas were No. 31 and No. 30 for passenger traffic before the pandemic in 2019.
The United States’ strong showing in the top 10 is a reversal from 2020, when airports in China took seven of the top 10 slots.
China’s dominance in 2020 was because of the early rebound of domestic travel in China. The country still has not reopened to international visitors.
“If we look back on 2020, China was one of the first to come out of the initial waves of the pandemic and it actually almost reached a full recovery by the end of 2020,” said Patrick Lucas, ACI World’s vice president for economics.
But in 2021, domestic traffic in China dropped significantly with renewed lockdowns, while the United States saw a big jump.
The United States has the world’s largest domestic travel market, followed by China.
Airports that routinely landed in the top 10 of the world’s busiest airports list — such as Dubai International, London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle — have been absent during the pandemic.
“Those markets that had very high proportions of international traffic were of course hurt as a result of all these restrictions and quarantine requirements,” Lucas said.
The significant role of international traffic is also part of the reason that Beijing’s Capital and Shanghai’s Pudong International airports have dropped out of the top 10. Beijing Capital — once routinely No. 2 in passenger traffic — is also seeing its traffic split by the city’s new Daxing International Airport.
Rolling back restrictions
ACI is advocating a “risk-based approach” to easing travel restrictions, following Covid-19 data, Lucas said.
“Vaccines actually have been the passport to travel, but as we can see now, many major markets are opening up and … a lot of countries have come to realize that curbing travel or imposing travel restrictions actually does not do anything,” he said.
“If anything, it creates even more harm. So meaning that it disrupts the socioeconomic gains of air transport and tourism and so on.”
As it stands, ACI expects total passenger traffic numbers to recover to pre-pandemic levels in 2024.
However, strong domestic markets, including the United States, are expected to recover by 2023. And markets with a high proportion of international traffic aren’t expected to rebound until 2025, Lucas said.
Globally, there are “different forces moving in opposite directions.”
There’s very strong pent-up demand and the lifting of restrictions that have dampened travel versus the rising cost of travel and geopolitical concerns related to what’s happening in Eastern Europe, Lucas said.
But overall, ACI is upbeat. “We have a sense that consumers, passengers, will bite the bullet, so to speak, despite the rise in the cost of travel.”
World’s top 10 busiest airports for passenger traffic in 2021
1. Atlanta (ATL): 75.7 million passengers, up 76% from 2020
2. Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW): 62.5 million passengers, up 59% from 2020
3. Denver (DEN): 58.8 million passengers, up 74% from 2020
4. Chicago O’Hare (ORD): 54 million passengers, up 75% from 2020
5. Los Angeles (LAX): 48 million passengers, up 67% from 2020
6. Charlotte (CLT): 43.3 million passengers, up 59% from 2020
7. Orlando (MCO): 40.4 million passengers, up 87% from 2020
8. Guangzhou (CAN): 40.3 million passengers, down 8% from 2020
9. Chengdu (CTU): 40.1 million passengers, down 1.5% from 2020
10. Las Vegas (LAS): 39.8 million passengers, up 79% from 2020
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/entertainment/cnn-style/2022/04/11/this-us-airport-has-reclaimed-its-title-as-the-worlds-busiest/ | 2022-04-11T08:19:30Z |
Against all odds, a Ukrainian artist and his curators bring ‘Fountain of Exhaustion’ to Venice
Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN Contributors: Eliza Mackintosh, Jacqui Palumbo, Max Burnell, Angelica Pursley
On the evening on February 24, just hours after Russia launched its full-blown attack on Ukraine, art curator Maria Lanko got into her car and left her home in Kyiv. Unsure of her exact plan, and with a potentially dangerous journey ahead, she packed only a few personal items into her trunk along with 78 bronze funnels belonging to one of the country’s most important living artists, Pavlo Makov. Her mission was to drive them out of the country to safety.
Last summer, 63-year-old Makov and his team of curators — including Lanko — had won a bid to represent Ukraine at the Venice Biennale, a prestigious international event known as the “Olympics” of the art world. The funnels were crucial parts of their proposed entry, a water fountain sculpture called the “Fountain of Exhaustion.”
The artwork was first conceived in Kharkiv, a city in northeast Ukraine, where Makov has lived and worked for over three decades. It was the mid-’90s, and the post-Soviet country was still undergoing a period of transition after its people voted for independence in a 1991 referendum. The fountain was intended to be a metaphor for the social and political exhaustion Makov witnessed as his country grappled with the civic and economic challenges of rebuilding an independent state. Constant water shortages in the city also inspired him to view the project from an ecological perspective as he ruminated on the idea that resources are finite.
Over the years, “Fountain of Exhaustion” took many forms, from sketches and prints to technical drawings and physical installations. The version planned for Venice was to be the first fully functioning fountain, with the 78 funnels mounted in such a way that the initial stream of water divides again and again as it makes its way down the triangular arrangement, its flow weakening until it reaches the bottom.
The week before Russia invaded Ukraine, Makov and his team ran a test on the newly constructed fountain to ensure the water flowed properly. Thanks to design and technical assistance from Forma (ФОРМА), a Kyiv-based architectural practice, the installation worked. The team was elated.
Soon after that, everything changed. While the threat of conflict had been building, giving the team time to consider contingency plans, the sudden attack on Ukraine made the possibility of unveiling the installation in Venice, then less than two months away, seem impossible.
The journey from Ukraine to Italy
Personal safety was the team’s priority in the conflict’s early days, as they scrambled together escape and shelter plans with family and friends. One of Lanko’s co-curators, Lizaveta German, was heavily pregnant and living in an apartment in Kyiv when the war began. Just days away from her due date when the first missiles were launched, German wanted to stay in the city to be close to her maternity ward. But as the situation worsened, she and her husband made the difficult decision to move west to Ukraine’s cultural capital Lviv, a city that was under less immediate threat. There, she was joined by the project’s third co-curator, Borys Filonenko.
Lanko, meanwhile, was still driving. After six days on the road, the 78 funnels crammed into three boxes, she crossed the border into Romania. Later, exhausted from the near-constant travel, she made a rest stop in Budapest, Hungary, before eventually ending up in Austria’s capital, Vienna.
There she waited for Makov, who was working on his own evacuation plan. He had been in Kharkiv when the war began, gathering his family in his apartment for the first two days. But the city was under such heavy bombardment that they were forced into a bomb shelter for nearly a week, and as the situation worsened, the artist decided to flee, driving out of the city with his 92-year-old mother, his wife and two other women.
German gave birth to a baby boy on March 16 in Lviv. Speaking to CNN in a hotel in the city ten days later, she reflected on art’s role in times of extreme crisis. “I do believe that art has this symbolic potential to celebrate people’s lives and to show that we are still here — to show that Ukraine isn’t just a war victim,” she said.
By that point, Lanko had made it to Italy. She found a production company in Milan that agreed to re-create the parts of the installation she had left behind in Ukraine.
Suddenly, it seemed that — against all odds — they would make it to Venice. There was also a growing sense among the team members that they should act as ambassadors for their country. As their fellow Ukrainians fought Russia on the front lines, served in hospitals and took volunteer roles, Makov and his team were beginning to mount a different kind of defense against the invasion.
“Ukrainian art has been overshadowed for a very long time by Russia,” said German, holding her baby close to her chest. “The cultural field has to be a battlefield as well, and we have to fight.”
Weeks later, Lanko, Filonenko, Makov and German (with her infant) were eventually reunited in Venice to complete final preparations together.
Attention ‘paid by blood’
Speaking on Monday, two days before the project’s press unveiling, Makov said he did not think of himself as an artist but rather a citizen of Ukraine whose duty it is to represent his country.
“I realized that it would be important for Ukraine to be represented (at the Biennale).”
With an influx of interest from media and the art world, the sculpture, once a broad reflection on how the world has exhausted itself, had taken on a new meaning. It had, by default, become a piece of “war art” — and being in the spotlight has proved difficult for the team. “It’s a little bit paid by blood,” said Lanko.
“We embrace all the attention because we understand that we’re the ‘speakers’ at the moment — the ambassadors of our country and of our culture,” she continued, explaining that she hopes the conversation surrounding the pavilion can address Ukrainian art more generally.
As it turns out, Makov was not the only Ukrainian artist whose work was on show during the Venice Biennale’s opening week. A solitary work by the late Maria Prymachenko hangs subtly near the entrance of the main pavilion, in the festival’s Giardini area — a quiet tribute to one of the country’s most esteemed 20th century artists, whose name made headlines last month when a museum containing more than a dozen of her works was attacked by Russian forces. It’s feared that not all of the art was salvaged from the blaze.
A message from the President
Further afield, in a building about 30 minutes walk from the main Biennale site, there also stands a exhibition of work made by Ukrainian artists over the last few weeks. It’s a powerful reminder of the many creative people who have been impacted by the war, and another example of the determination and resilience of Ukrainian artists.
One such artist, Lesia Khomenko, is showing a series of large-scale portraits called “Max in the army,” which she named after one of her subjects: her husband, Max, who joined the military resistance. Another work, “Difficulties of Profanation II” by Nikkita Kadan, sees large pieces of shrapnel and rubble — collected from Donbas in 2015 during the last Russian attack on Ukraine, and then from Kyiv in 2022 — hanging from a frame.
Speaking via video at the exhibition’s opening event, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said, “Art can tell the world things that cannot be shared otherwise,” as he urged the audience to support his country with art, words and their “influence.”
The exhibition’s curator, Björn Geldhof, orchestrated the show in just four weeks. During a walk-through of the space, he said: “Creating in war time is not easy. But that’s one of the things we wanted to do is show the incredible resilience that Ukrainian contemporary artists have.”
This strength of character was on full display at the Ukraine pavilion on its opening day. A press conference to mark the unveiling began with a moment of silence for the people in Ukraine. And while media and visitors continued to voice suggestions that the team behind the installation are heroes, Makov and his curators batted away platitudes by reminding people that the real heroes are those on the battlefield, in the hospitals and in areas under siege.
The team was also measured in its assessment of art’s ability to end conflict. “I’m always saying that art is more diagnosis than a medicine,” said Makov. “I’m not quite sure it can save the world, you know? But it can help to save the world.”
Speaking weeks before, Lanko had expressed similar views: “Art won’t stop the war right now, but it might stop the next one,” she said.
For German, the “Fountain of Exhaustion” is not a symbol of optimism, but she believes the fact they got it to Venice at all will “give hope” and show that Ukraine is capable of forging ahead in the darkest of times.
“Even although the war is still around, we are capable of building our future.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/entertainment/cnn-style/2022/04/22/against-all-odds-a-ukrainian-artist-and-his-curators-bring-fountain-of-exhaustion-to-venice-2/ | 2022-04-22T19:00:05Z |
HOUSTON and LONDON, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) today announced it has declared a dividend of $1.19 per share, to be paid September 6, 2022, to shareholders of record on August 29, 2022, with an ex-dividend date of August 26, 2022.
About LyondellBasell
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UFO sightings date back to biblical times.
In the Bible’s Book of Ezekiel, a mysterious ship is described as appearing from the sky in Chaldea (modern-day Kuwait). Strange sightings were recorded around Rome in 218 B.C. A wave of mysterious apparitions showed up in fourth-century China when a “moon boat” was documented floating overhead once every 12 years. A smattering of other, unfamiliar objects in the sky were noted in Germany in 1561, Hull, England, in 1801, and multiple times during World War II when Allied pilots used the term “foo fighters” to describe the odd circles of light pilots noticed flanking their planes during combat.
The term “UFO,” short for “unidentified flying object,” was coined in 1953 by the United States Air Force as a bucket term for unexplained sightings like these. Stateside sightings were hardly restricted to military flyover zones, however. The first recorded UFO sighting dates to 1639 when, long before the era of planes and satellites, John Winthrop wrote in his diary about a large, strange light in the sky that shot back and forth. By the time he and the other men on his boat got their wits about them, their vessel was a mile from where it had been when they first spotted the light.
Since its founding in 1974, the National UFO Reporting Center has processed more than 150,000 reports. Stacker compiled a ranking of the states with the most reported UFO sightings by analyzing data from NUFORC’s 24/7 hotline, which has been around since 1974. NUFORC’s dataset includes reports dating back to 1400.
For each state, we’ve also included details of famous UFO sightings in that state. Of note is that the vast majority of all UFO sighting reports in the United States occur between 4 p.m. and midnight, and peak between 9 and 10 p.m. Food for thought next time you’re out scoping for alien life.
The first documented image of a UFO was captured in 1870 on the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. More sightings were reported at Mount Rainier in Washington in 1947, and of course several in Roswell, New Mexico. Since then, countless numbers of unusual shapes in the sky—and their supposed inhabitants—have been exhaustively reported without sufficient explanations beyond the possible existence of extraterrestrial life.
A surge in eyewitness accounts begot even more sightings along with attempts to protect against invasions and abductions. More than 40,000 Americans bought into alien protection insurance, which offers customers monetary relief should a loved one get carted away by little green men. One Roper Poll in 1991 suggests that around 4 million Americans believe they’ve been abducted by aliens.
The longstanding, official position of the U.S. government has been that claims of alien life stem from hoaxes or mistaking other objects like weather balloons for UFOs or alien life. A highly anticipated U.S. intelligence report on UFOs officially ruled that no evidence of alien life has been found—but conveniently can’t be ruled out. Meanwhile, the U.S. military’s UFO database contains around 400 reports.
Keep reading to see which states have had the most UFO sightings.
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#51. Washington D.C.
– UFO sightings per 100K residents: 22
Throughout the month of July 1952, a series of sightings known as the “Big Flap” put Washington D.C. residents into a panic.
It began July 19: Repeated radar blips and sightings of lights moving at irregular speeds and trajectories (unusual enough to rule out shooting stars or aircraft) inspired the U.S. Air Force to send fighter jets into the sky to intercept what was assumed to be enemy aircraft and possibly a Soviet-led invasion. The radar signals disappeared each time jet fighters approached and reappeared when they moved away.
The signals returned the following week. Two more F-94 jets gave chase, and the blips vanished again. One jet pilot claimed to see a light in the distance, but couldn’t close in on it. The government ruled it a “temperature inversion” to explain the mystery away.
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#50. Texas
– UFO sightings per 100K: 23
Several of Texas’ most famous recordings of UFO activity had multiple witnesses, garnering more credibility than other, one-off documentation and raising additional, unanswered questions.
Such was the case in January 2008, when dozens of residents in the tiny town of Stephenville, Texas, reported white lights floating over Highway 67 in a single arc that then moved silently into vertical, parallel lines. Although the Air Force claimed F-16s had been flying in that proximity at the time, eyewitnesses disputed those claims, saying the lights were far too advanced for such a simple explanation.
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#49. Louisiana
– UFO sightings per 100K: 23
For visitors to Louisiana who have a hankering for supernatural encounters, the Abita Mystery House in Abita Springs is a must-stop, particularly for its UFO crash site. Shreveport’s proximity to the Barksdale Air Force Base translates to plenty of UFO sightings, as military exercises and tests are commonly misconstrued by the civilian population.
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#48. Mississippi
– UFO sightings per 100K: 25
Two fishermen on the Pascagoula River in 1975 claimed to have been abducted by aliens. While Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker’s story was met with cynicism at the time, three more witnesses came forward in 2019 to substantiate the claims.
Parker, who died in 2011, at the time assumed the blue light on the water meant cops had shown up to kick the men off the property. Then, he said, he noticed the lights were coming from above. Three aliens without legs injected the men with a sedative, according to the story, abducted them, and performed physical examinations aboard the spacecraft before releasing the men back along the river.
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#47. Georgia
– UFO sightings per 100K: 27
While serving as governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter in 1973 filed a report with Oklahoma’s UFO Bureau about a mysterious object he claimed to have seen in 1969. During that decade, Georgia’s version of Area 51—a nuclear aircraft and radiation testing facility just north of Atlanta—was an area rich in tales and conspiracy theories about abductions, UFOs, and animal mutilation.
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#46. Alabama
– UFO sightings per 100K: 27
A woman in 1989 reported an unusual light in the sky in Fyffe, Alabama; her report was followed up later by area police who claimed to see a large UFO flying in total silence overhead. The resulting excitement led more than 4,000 people to descend on the tiny town. No sightings were reported by the crowds, perhaps because of overcast skies and light rain.
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#45. New York
– UFO sightings per 100K: 28
When an electrical surge and explosion at a Con Ed substation in Queens lit up the sky in December of 2018, many were sure the blue haze was a sign of alien life. Less debunked than that, however, is New York’s Hudson Valley UFO, a Dec. 31, 1982, sighting by hundreds of onlookers of a V-shaped collection of multicolored lights connected by a triangular fuselage moving deliberately and without a sound across the night sky.
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#44. Maryland
– UFO sightings per 100K: 29
Maryland’s most famous UFO sighting is likely that of Alvin Cohen and Phillip Small, who around midnight on Oct. 26, 1958, claimed to see a giant, iridescent object floating over a bridge as they drove past the Loch Raven Reservoir in Towson, Maryland.
The car, including the electrical system, died as the men pulled forward. The oval-shaped craft continued to float briefly before letting out a flash of light, a burst of heat, and a noise before shooting further up into the sky and vanishing. The state keeps stories like this alive with the annual Gambrills, Maryland, event, “Mysteries of Space and Sky,” which focuses on a science-based approach to investigating extraterrestrial activity.
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#43. New Jersey
– UFO sightings per 100K: 30
Home to the Jersey Devil and dozens of other urban-myth celebrities, the Garden State is hardly one to shy away from stories of extraterrestrial encounters.
On July 14, 2001—50 years after lights in V formations were widely recorded in 1951 in Lubbock, Texas—UFOs in a giant flying V were detected traveling along the New Jersey Turnpike for roughly 15 minutes in plain sight of hundreds of motorists and other onlookers between Staten Island, New York, and Carteret, New Jersey. Witnesses included a Carteret police lieutenant, who described the sight as a collection of orange and yellow lights over the Arthur Kill Waterway.
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#42. Virginia
– UFO sightings per 100K: 32
Two UFO sightings were reported to the National UFO Reporting Center in Virginia on April 4, 2019. At 6:48 a.m., an eyewitness claimed to have seen a light blue circular craft darting across the sky in Virginia Beach headed east.
Seven minutes later, an eyewitness at the Norfolk Naval Station 23 miles northwest claimed to see what resembled a shooting star with a green glow that never faded and a short tail. The object moved without noise quickly across the sky and disappeared in 10 seconds. There were 2,348 UFO sightings reported throughout the state between 2001 and 2015, roughly 27.9 sightings per 100,000 people.
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#41. Illinois
– UFO sightings per 100K: 32
Just after 4 p.m. on Nov. 7, 2006, 12 United Airlines employees and multiple witnesses inside Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport saw a dark gray aircraft floating around above gate C17 as Flight 446 prepped for departure.
After roughly five minutes, the UFO darted into the sky, broke through clouds with enough pronouncement to reveal blue sky, and disappeared. No radar picked it up, leading the FAA to deem the sighting a “weather phenomenon.”
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#40. Tennessee
– UFO sightings per 100K: 34
Five separate witnesses from the Tennessee towns of Knoxville, Cleveland, Kingston, Coalfield, and Murfreesboro made a report on March 29, 2019, to the National UFO Reporting Center. Reports claimed a fireball and various lights passed over the sky over the course of about 10 seconds.
In 2018, Tennessee was ranked among the top six states for UFO sightings in “UFO Cases of Interest: 2018 Edition.”
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#39. Michigan
– UFO sightings per 100K: 34
U.S. Air Force Pilot and First Lt. Felix Eugene Moncla Jr. in 1953 was conducting an air defense intercept over Lake Superior near the Soo Locks in Michigan when he—and his plane—disappeared.
In what is today known as the Kinross Incident (Moncla was on temporary assignment at Kinross Air Force Base), Air Defense Command radar found a UFO traveling 500 miles per hour in the airspace. Moncla took off in an F-89C all-weather jet interceptor after the craft, but as his radar blip connected with the UFOs, communication went dark in what was assumed to be a crash.
Moncla and his plane have never been located; the U.S. Air Force claimed Moncla crashed into a Royal Canadian Air Force vessel. The pilot of that supposed craft claimed to have not seen nor been aware of an intercepting plane; the RCAF in multiple instances denied any incidents in the air on that day.
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#38. Nebraska
– UFO sightings per 100K: 36
One of Nebraska’s most well-known UFO stories was turned into a comic book in 2019, aptly titled “An Alien Encounter.” The book illustrates a 1967 eyewitness account from Nebraska State Patrolman Herbert Schirmer, who saw what he assumed to be a tractor-trailer but which turned out to be a UFO. Under hypnosis, Schirmer recalled being abducted and shown how the spacecraft worked.
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#37. Ohio
– UFO sightings per 100K: 36
The Center for UFO Studies was founded by Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a professor of astronomy at Ohio State University who went on to become chairman of the astronomy department at Northwestern University.
Hynek served during the 1950s and 1960s as the astronomical consultant to the United States Air Force’s Project Blue Book, a project tasked with investigating and explaining UFO phenomena. Hynek sought to determine wherever possible an astronomical explanation for UFOs.
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#36. North Carolina
– UFO sightings per 100K: 37
On. Jan. 25, 2019, Bret Jones was outside taking pictures of birds in Greensboro, North Carolina, when he saw a bright flash in the sky near a plane flying overhead. Wondering if the mysterious shape was a balloon, he began recording the object until it disappeared after about 10 seconds.
The odds of seeing a UFO in the state are quite low, although you wouldn’t know it from the stories that stretch back to at least 1940 and have touched off a number of conspiracy theories about government cover-ups and experiments.
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#35. Pennsylvania
– UFO sightings per 100K: 37
Pennsylvania’s own version of the Roswell incident came about in 1965 when a fireball witnessed by thousands of onlookers across six states that caused sonic booms around Pittsburgh crashed into Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, only to be recovered—or covered up—by the U.S. military.
NASA ultimately in 2007 handed over the Kecksburg files, but multiple files the organization sent to the National Archives two years after the incident were allegedly marked as lost in 1987.
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#34. Kentucky
– UFO sightings per 100K: 37
Each year, the Kelly Little Green Men Days Festival commemorates the Aug. 21, 1955, alien invasion of the farm of Elmer Sutton. That ambush allegedly involved a small group of alien creatures descending from their spacecraft outside of Sutton’s farmhouse to the horror of his family, including five adults and seven children.
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#33. Oklahoma
– UFO sightings per 100K: 37
A video of UFOs overhead at the Oklahoma State Fair in 2017 caused quite a stir, but turned out to be skydivers and not alien life. If you want to be sure of an encounter, stop in and see some alien yard art along Route 66 in Stroud.
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#32. Massachusetts
– UFO sightings per 100K: 37
Betty Andreasson was at home with her family in South Ashburnham, Massachusetts, in January 1967 when she claimed gray aliens with oval-shaped heads and enormous eyes slipped her into a trance and abducted her.
Aboard the craft, Andreasson said she was examined and then an alien disclosed to her the meaning of life and immediately erased her memory—all of which she recalled while under hypnosis. Her experiences were documented in Raymond Fowler’s book “The Andreasson Affair.” Two years later, on Sept. 1, 1969, 9-year-old Thom Reed claimed to have been abducted by aliens from the car he was driving in with his brother, mother, and grandmother over the Old Covered Bridge in Sheffield, Massachusetts. The Great Barrington Historical Society in 2015 officially recognized the account as a historic event.
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#31. North Dakota
– UFO sightings per 100K: 37
Veteran World War II B-25 fighter pilot George F. Gorman had a 27-minute sky encounter with a white ball of light over Fargo, North Dakota, on Oct. 1, 1948. Known as the “Gorman Dogfight,” Gorman saw what he described as a flying disk with clear edges and many bright lights that he pursued for the better part of half an hour.
Gorman attempted to make contact with the craft, which dodged Gorman’s advances at speeds in excess of 600 miles per hour. His story was verified by two air traffic controllers and another pilot flying in Fargo that night.
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#30. Minnesota
– UFO sightings per 100K: 37
Deputy sheriff Val Johnson awoke 40 minutes after his squad car had been swallowed in a ball of light sometime around midnight on Aug. 27, 1979. His wristwatch and car’s clock, both meticulously set, had stopped for a full 14 minutes and he was 1,000 feet from where the incident occurred.
One hundred feet of skid marks scarred the highway, and cracks throughout the vehicle’s windshield, according to an expert from Ford Motor Co., appeared to have been caused by simultaneous inward and outward forces. Johnson also suffered welder burns and had scorched retinas upon medical inspection.
A metal expert brought in to examine the car found bent antennas he could only explain as having been deformed by powerful bursts of air. The car can still be viewed at the Settler’s Square Historical Museum in Warren.
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#29. Iowa
– UFO sightings per 100K: 38
One of the most famous accounts of alien life in Iowa never actually happened. In the opening of Robert A. Heinlein’s 1951 novel “The Puppet Masters,” government agents investigate an alien ship outside Grinnell, Iowa.
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#28. Kansas
– UFO sightings per 100K: 39
The Boeing B-47 Stratojet was a highly advanced, long-range, six-engined bomber introduced in 1951 to fly at extremely high altitudes and subsonic speeds in order to completely evade enemy aircraft—which is why it was so odd when, in 1957, an Air Force RB-47 was followed for 700 miles by an unidentified craft over Kansas and on through Missouri and Texas.
Six years later, the radar of another RB-47 captured a radar blip followed by a bright blue light that was corroborated by the pilot and crew.
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#27. Indiana
– UFO sightings per 100K: 40
On Oct. 9, 1973, first-responder switchboards were overwhelmed by nearly 700 calls to report UFO sightings. These included blinking lights near the ground, a UFO spotted on a telescope by astronomy students, and even radar operators at a Fort Wayne airfield having irregular activity show up on a screen.
The most commonly reported traits of UFO sightings in the Hoosier State today are multicolored and white lights, orange fireballs or balls of light, disks spotted during daylight hours, and triangular shapes documented after dark, according to the Mutual UFO Network of Indiana.
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#26. Florida
– UFO sightings per 100K: 41
Floridians count many believers among them; and hundreds of folks have come forward with tales of holograms, abductions, odd spacecraft, lights in the sky, and everything in between over the years. Many UFO sightings have been debunked, including two 2018 incidents of a butterfly mistaken for alien craft over a Floridian swamp; and Tallahassee parachuters who got confused with UFOs.
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#25. Wisconsin
– UFO sightings per 100K: 41
The 2,400-person town of Belleville, Wisconsin, holds an annual UFO Day to memorialize multiple January 1987 sightings (including documented reports by the local police force) of strange lights in the sky just outside town. Three hours from that site in Poland, Wisconsin, one Bob Tohak in 1994 constructed a self-described “U.F.O. Landing Port” atop a 14-yard fuel tank standing vertically on the property of Tohak & Son Welding.
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#24. California
– UFO sightings per 100K: 41
It’s no surprise that the state with the most UFO sightings is also home to the annual Contact in the Desert, the world’s “largest UFO conference.” The event generally features speakers, panel discussions, lots of opportunities for stargazing, and a steady stream of believers ready to share their experiences—many of which have been captured on camera.
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#23. Arkansas
– UFO sightings per 100K: 42
Arkansas’ history with UFOs goes back at least to April 20, 1897. Railroad conductor James Hooton claimed to be hunting in Homan when he came upon an otherworldly airship and chatted with its bespectacled pilot and crew. Hooton described the craft as cylindrical, with wheels and a horizontal blade above it that moved by compressed air.
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#22. Delaware
– UFO sightings per 100K: 43
Delaware may rank low on how many UFO sightings it gets, but where it falls short on documentation it makes up for with imagination. The state is home to two prefab, UFO-shaped structures created in the ‘60s by a Finnish architect who thought the design could provide a solution to the housing shortage on Earth.
Many UFO sightings in Delaware center on odd light formations and shapes in the sky and, in February 2019, a possible spacecraft with multicolored lights being pushed out of the airspace by five (presumably terrestrial) planes.
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#21. South Dakota
– UFO sightings per 100K: 44
During the evenings of Aug. 5 and 6, 1953, nearly four dozen civilians in the Bismarck area and multiple Military Air Defense system personnel at the Ellsworth Air Force Base reported a red, glowing light making sweeping movements across the sky. The light was further detected on radar by the Air Defense System.
Similar sightings were reported earlier in western North and South Dakotas. The extensive documentation by the Air Force makes the Ellsworth Case among the most significant UFO sightings in American history.
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#20. Missouri
– UFO sightings per 100K: 45
A local sheriff called the Rev. William Huffman in April of 1941 to the site of a plane crash between Cape Girardeau and Chaffee, Missouri, to deliver last rites. When he arrived, Huffman discovered it was not a terrestrial plane crash at all, but rather a damaged flying saucer that had caused a fire in a neighbor’s field. He also found two alien bodies, one of which was already dead and the other dying.
Members of the local Army corps arrived, barricaded the area, and confiscated all film from snap-happy photographers on the scene. This well-publicized event came just six years before the famed incident involving a supposed alien crash in Roswell, New Mexico.
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#19. South Carolina
– UFO sightings per 100K: 46
Bowman, South Carolina, hasn’t been home to any credible UFO sightings—unless you count the homemade UFO constructed of garbage by Jody Pendarvis, which he lovingly calls the UFO Welcome Center. Prominently featured on Roadside America, Pendarvis claims to have come up with the concept for the structure in the ‘90s, and opened the spaceship’s doors to the public by Memorial Day of 1999.
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#18. West Virginia
– UFO sightings per 100K: 47
The Green Bank Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia, is a premier location for scientists who make it their work to study extraterrestrial life (OK, and star-mapping, supernovas, and other, more generalized scientific research) by documenting energy waves from hundreds of lightyears away into computers via giant radio telescope.
With many signals so faint they’re easily drowned out by any ambient noise, these scientists abide by the National Radio Quiet Zone, a code of science that bars normal everyday tech devices so they can conduct their work without interference.
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#17. Hawaii
– UFO sightings per 100K: 48
Two Harvard astronomers in 2017 released a draft paper about ’Oumuamua (Hawaiian for “scout” or “messenger”), a cigar-shaped UFO spotted with the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope at the Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii in October of that year. The paper suggests the spinning craft—roughly a quarter-mile long and with no detectable tail—may have been a sign of alien life from well outside our solar system.
You may also like: Must-drive roads in every state
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#16. Utah
– UFO sightings per 100K: 52
There are multiple first-person accounts of alien abductions throughout Utah in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Then there are the supposed 1967 images taken by the military of alien reproduction vehicles, reverse-engineered flying saucers. Cases like these—along with the much-whispered-about “New Area 51”—continue to be turned over by groups like The Utah UFO Hunters, a group of people based in Salt Lake City devoted to discovering evidence of alien life, UFO activities, and paranormal occurrences.
If you’re in the state and looking to see some evidence of alien life yourself, make a pit stop for some flying saucer folk art in Clawson, Utah, that includes a UFO landing site and UFO crash site.
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#15. Rhode Island
– UFO sightings per 100K: 53
Two of the most iconic flying saucer photos of the ‘60s were snapped in 1967 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The first, on June 10, was taken by Harold A. Trudel, who pulled his car over in East Woonsocket in order to wait for a UFO sighting (several of which he claimed to have already experienced in the area). The seven images he captured over the course of five minutes have long been disputed.
The other photo was captured on June 18 and bears striking similarities to the craft another man, George Adamski, claimed to have captured on film in 1952 (which one German scientist said was nothing more than a faked photo using a surgical lamp).
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#14. Connecticut
– UFO sightings per 100K: 54
A series of 2012 reports in Connecticut described a still-unsolved incident of a mysterious falling object that allegedly vanished into Bantam Lake, and the internet all but exploded when almost 13,000 UFO documents—which included dozens of eyewitness accounts based in Connecticut stretching back to the 1940s—were released on The Black Vault website.
These and other unexplained activities are covered each month at the Connecticut chapter of the Mutual UFO Network, an organization of alien enthusiasts striving to verify or debunk stories of strange sightings and otherworldly encounters.
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#13. Colorado
– UFO sightings per 100K: 60
A watchtower in Hooper, Colorado, has been the site of multiple claims of UFO sightings in the same area where two cattle were mysteriously mutilated in 2009. The attacks, reported by rancher Manuel Sanchez outside of San Luis, included precise removal of organs, no evidence of a struggle, and no pooling of blood. He found another calf in a similar state several weeks later, which led to Sanchez selling off the rest of his cattle before he lost any more.
News reports noted the striking similarities between Sanchez’s accounts and a similar string of mutilations in 1967 on the King ranch several miles away outside Alamosa.
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#12. Nevada
– UFO sightings per 100K: 62
Today, your odds of seeing a UFO in Nevada are 1 in 69,600. But with the Cold War and McCarthyism at their height (and a smaller population to boot), odds of spying unexplained crafts in the 1950s—particularly in the proximity of the Nevada Test and Training Range and Area 51—were significantly higher.
You may also like: States with the most registered hunters
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#11. Wyoming
– UFO sightings per 100K: 72
Two triangular UFOs with three blue lights were spotted over Cheyenne’s countryside on March 4, 2019, just a few weeks after almost a dozen multicolored lights were recorded traveling north over Riverton at various altitudes.
Local residents’ tendencies to look skyward is perhaps best illustrated in Green River: When a comet crashed into Jupiter in 1994, Wyoming’s Green River city council turned its local airstrip into a refuge for potentially fleeing Jovians. The “Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport” has to date only shown evidence of terrestrial life.
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#10. Arizona
– UFO sightings per 100K: 76
Some of the most notable UFO sightings in Arizona include a 1953 incident when three Prescott residents saw eight UFOs at Del Rio Springs Creek; and another on Nov. 5, 1975, when 22-year-old Arizona logger Travis Walton got zapped by a beam of light from a UFO in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests new Snowflake, Arizona, that threw him 20 feet in front of six of his terrified crew members.
The men thought Walton was dead and ran for help. Meanwhile, Walton claimed to have woken up in a room filled with aliens who kept him prisoner for five days while authorities conducted a search party for the missing man. Walton’s experience—which he has defended to this day—was made into the 1993 movie “Fire in the Sky.”
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#9. New Mexico
– UFO sightings per 100K: 79
Being home to Roswell and virtually thousands of statewide tales of alien contact and UFO sightings, New Mexico’s history is inextricably tied to our fascination with possible alien life. In 1947, numerous eyewitnesses in Roswell claimed to have seen (or helped to cover up) a UFO crash site.
Today, tourists can get their alien fixes at the International UFO Museum and Research Center, where you can learn about the most famous (and many obscure) claims of extraterrestrial activity and alien abduction in the U.S. and the world.
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#8. Idaho
– UFO sightings per 100K: 81
Many of Idaho’s most-documented accounts of UFO encounters in Idaho come from the state’s police officers and southeast residents. These include claims of alien crafts following on-duty officers, unusual sightings, and a particular stretch of Idaho State Highway 30-E so notorious for UFO sightings it’s been coined Idaho’s UFO Highway.
Should you stop there, or anywhere else in the state for that matter, your odds of seeing a UFO is roughly estimated at 1 in 133,600.
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#7. Maine
– UFO sightings per 100K: 85
One of Maine’s most famous alien encounters is the Allagash Abduction of 1976. Four men on a camping trip in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway on Aug. 20, 1976, claimed they were abducted by aliens. Years after the incident, all four men were put under hypnosis and interviewed about the abduction. All four stories matched identically.
You may also like: States with the most born-and-bred residents
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#6. New Hampshire
– UFO sightings per 100K: 85
Betty and Barney Hill’s 1961 alien abduction along Route 3 in Lancaster, New Hampshire, remains one of the most highly publicized stories of alien contact in the world. Under hypnosis, the couple independently recalled being kidnapped, medically examined, and released by bald-headed aliens with oblong eyes in a cigar-shaped, floating craft.
Today, believers can visit a 50th-anniversary plaque commemorating the abduction along the roadside near Lincoln.
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#5. Oregon
– UFO sightings per 100K: 87
McMinnville, Oregon, is home to the annual UFO Fest, a three-day affair inspired by the iconic 1950 photos of flying saucers shot by Evelyn and Paul Trent over their farm outside town. The pictures made it into Life magazine and caused a national stir the town still celebrates today.
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#4. Vermont
– UFO sightings per 100K: 90
Among Vermont’s most famous UFO stories is the Buff Ledge Abduction, in which, on Aug. 7, 1968, four UFOs appeared over Lake Champlain and allegedly abducted two camp counselors in Vermont. The lights from that encounter were reported by multiple witnesses.
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#3. Alaska
– UFO sightings per 100K: 90
Eighteen-year-old Adonus Baugh on March 19, 2019, videotaped an unidentified, glowing object apparently falling from the Anchorage, Alaska, sky. Another Anchorage resident captured photos of the same mysterious object, which a spokeswoman from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson said did not resemble any aircraft from the base.
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#2. Montana
– UFO sightings per 100K: 95
Minor league baseball team manager Nick Mariana in 1950 captured two silver crafts spinning in mid-air over Great Falls, Montana, on his 16-mm camera. A governmental panel was gathered in 1953 to review Mariana’s footage, other U.S. Air Force UFO data, and a second short film of a sighting in Utah.
The panel concluded in its report that Mariana’s images were the result of sunlight reflecting off off Air Force interceptors—and that the Utah footage showed light glinting off seagulls in flight.
You may also like: Most and least educated states in America
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#1. Washington
– UFO sightings per 100K: 100
Home to the first filmed evidence of a UFO, Washington is no stranger to close encounters of the third kind. On June 21, 1947, Harold A. Dahl reported to authorities that his son had been injured and his dog killed by flying debris from four to six circular objects in what became known as the Maury Island Incident.
A witness was also apparently threatened by characters wearing all black, which became the inspiration for the popular “Men in Black” movies decades later.
You may also like: Pets banned in every state | https://cw33.com/news/local/texas-has-the-second-least-ufo-sightings-in-the-u-s-study-says/ | 2022-08-13T16:57:12Z |
HONOLULU (AP) — Filipino journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa announced in a speech in Hawaii Tuesday that the Philippine government is affirming a previous order to shut down Rappler, the news website she co-founded, which has gained notoriety for its reporting of President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody crackdown on illegal drugs.
The Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission affirmed its earlier decision to revoke the certificates of incorporation of Rappler, Ressa said while speaking at the East-West Center in Honolulu.
“Part of the reason I didn’t have much sleep last night is because we essentially got a shutdown order,” Ressa told the audience.
Last year, Ressa became the first ever Filipino and first working journalist in more than 80 years to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
She was a featured speaker at this week’s East-West Center’s International Media Conference.
The order is dated June 28 and reaffirms the earlier decision to revoke the certificates of incorporation of Rappler Inc. and Rappler Holdings Corp., Rappler said in a statement. “We are entitled to appeal this decision and will do so, especially since the proceedings were highly irregular,” the statement said.
“We’re not shutting down,” Ressa said. “Well, I’m not supposed to say that.”
No announcements about the decision appeared on the Philippines Securities and Exchange website before business hours in the Philippines, where it was already Wednesday.
The AP was not able to immediately reach Ressa in Honolulu.
She co-founded Rappler in 2012. The website is one of several news agencies deemed critical of Duterte’s policies.
Since taking office in 2016, Duterte has openly lambasted journalists who write unfavorable stories about him. He has particularly bristled at critical coverage of his anti-drug campaign, which has left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead and drawn international condemnation.
President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Vice President-elect Sara Duterte — Duterte’s daughter — take office Thursday after winning landslide victories in last month’s elections.
Ressa was convicted of libel and has remained free on bail while the case is on appeal.
The Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission revoked Rappler’s license over what it ruled was a breach of the ban on foreign ownership and control of media outlets. | https://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-us-headlines/maria-ressa-philippines-affirms-news-site-shutdown-order/ | 2022-06-29T02:45:31Z |
HOLON, Israel, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sapiens International Corporation, (NASDAQ: SPNS) (TASE: SPNS), a leading global provider of software solutions for the insurance industry, today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.
(*) Attributable to Sapiens' shareholders
"Revenue in the second quarter of 2022 on a non-GAAP basis, amounted to $118.6 million, up 3.1% from the second quarter of 2021. On a constant currency basis, our organic growth rate compared to Q2 of 2021 was 8.9%. Sapiens unique business model is proven to be strong and especially now. Our strength is continuously growing while improving profit, with core offerings across the board as well as our direct and long-lasting relationships with our strong customer base," stated Roni Al-Dor, President and CEO of Sapiens.
"We see an increase in our pipeline in North America, and we have a very strong pipeline in Europe and rest of the world," continued Roni Al Dor. "Sapiens lowered today its revenue guidance range from $495 – $500 million to $480 - $485 million for 2022 along with an increase in profit margin from a range of 17.4% - 17.6%, to a range of 17.5% - 17.7%. This revenue change is primarily due to FX headwinds as well as the shift with a of a major European deal. Based on a constant currency basis of the year 2021, our revenue growth rate for the year 2022 would have been 9.5%."
"We announced today that the board of directors has approved the distribution of a cash dividend of $0.23 per share, or $12.7 million in total for the first six months of 2022." concluded Mr. Al-Dor.
The dividend is in line with the Company's revised policy of distributing on a semi annual basis up to 40% of its annual non-GAAP net income. The dividend will be paid on August 30, 2022 to Sapiens' shareholders of record as of August 17, 2022.
The dividend is subject to withholding of Israeli tax at source at the rate of 25% of the dividend amount payable to Israeli individual, and non-Israeli, shareholders of record.
Management will host a conference call and webcast today, August 3rd, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time (4:30 pm in Israel) to review and discuss Sapiens' results.
Please call the following numbers (at least 10 minutes before the scheduled time) to participate:
North America (toll-free): + 1-888-642-5032; International: +972-3-918-0609; UK: 0-800-917-5108
The live webcast of the call can be viewed on Sapiens' website at: https://veidan.activetrail.biz/sapiensq2-2022 . A replay of the call will be available one business day following the completion of the event, at the same link for 90 days.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release contains the following non-GAAP financial measures: non-GAAP revenue, non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income attributed to Sapiens shareholders, non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per share, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Free Cash-Flow.
Sapiens believes that these non-GAAP measures of financial results provide useful information to management and investors regarding certain financial and business trends relating to Sapiens' financial condition and results of operations. The Company's management uses these non-GAAP measures to compare the Company's performance to that of prior periods for trend analyses, for purposes of determining executive and senior management incentive compensation and for budgeting and planning purposes. These measures are used in financial reports prepared for management and in quarterly financial reports presented to the Company's board of directors. The Company believes that the use of these non-GAAP financial measures provides an additional tool for investors to use in evaluating ongoing operating results and trends, and in comparing the Company's financial measures with other software companies, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures to investors.
Non-GAAP financial measures consist of GAAP financial measures adjusted to exclude: Valuation adjustment on acquired deferred revenue, amortization of capitalized software development and other intangible assets, capitalization of software development, stock-based compensation, compensation related to acquisition and acquisition-related costs, restructuring and cost reduction costs, and tax adjustments related to non-GAAP adjustments.
Management of the Company does not consider these non-GAAP measures in isolation, or as an alternative to financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. The principal limitation of these non-GAAP financial measures is that they exclude significant expenses and income that are required by GAAP to be recorded in the Company's financial statements. In addition, they are subject to inherent limitations, as they reflect the exercise of judgment by management about which expenses and income are excluded or included in determining these non-GAAP financial measures.
To compensate for these limitations, management presents non-GAAP financial measures in connection with GAAP results. Sapiens urges investors to review the reconciliation of its non-GAAP financial measures to the comparable GAAP financial measures, which it includes in press releases announcing quarterly financial results, including this press release, and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate the Company's business.
Reconciliation tables of the most comparable GAAP financial measures to the non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release are included with the financial tables of this release.
The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as net profit, adjusted to eliminate valuation adjustment on acquired deferred revenue, stock-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization, capitalization of software development costs, compensation expenses related to acquisition and acquisition-related costs, restructuring and cost reduction costs, financial expense (income), provision for income taxes and other income (expenses). These amounts are often excluded by other companies as well, in order to help investors understand the operational performance of their business.
The Company uses Adjusted EBITDA as a measurement of its operating performance, because it assists in comparing the operating performance on a consistent basis by removing the impact of certain non-cash and non-operating items. Adjusted EBITDA reflects an additional way of viewing aspects of the operations that the Company believes, when viewed with the GAAP results and the accompanying reconciliations to corresponding GAAP financial measures, provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting its business. The Company uses Adjusted Free Cash-Flow as a measurement of its operating performance, and reconciles cash-flow from operating activities to Adjusted Free Cash-Flow, while reducing the amounts for capitalization of software development costs and capital expenditures. The Company adds back cash payments made for former acquisitions in respect of future performance targets and retention criteria as determined upon acquisition date of the respective acquired company, which were included in the cash-flow from operating activities. We believe that Adjusted Free Cash-Flow is useful in evaluating our business, because Adjusted Free Cash-Flow reflects the cash surplus available to fund the expansion of our business.
About Sapiens
Sapiens International Corporation (NASDAQ and TASE: SPNS) empowers the financial sector, with a focus on insurance, to transform and become digital, innovative and agile. Backed by more than 35 years of industry expertise, Sapiens offers a complete insurance platform, with pre-integrated, low-code solutions and a cloud-first approach that accelerates customers' digital transformation. Serving over 600 customers in 30 countries, Sapiens offers insurers across property and casualty, workers compensation and life markets the most comprehensive set of solutions, from core to complementary, including Reinsurance, Financial & Compliance, Data & Analytics, Digital, and Decision Management. For more information visit www.sapiens.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Forward Looking Statements
Certain matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, Section 21E of the Exchange Act and the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are based on our beliefs, assumptions and expectations, as well as information currently available to us. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "may," "will," "plan" and similar expressions. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: the degree of our success in our plans to leverage our global footprint to grow our sales; the degree of our success in integrating the companies that we have acquired through the implementation of our M&A growth strategy; the lengthy development cycles for our solutions, which may frustrate our ability to realize revenues and/or profits from our potential new solutions; our lengthy and complex sales cycles, which do not always result in the realization of revenues; the degree of our success in retaining our existing customers or competing effectively for greater market share; difficulties in successfully planning and managing changes in the size of our operations; the frequency of the long-term, large, complex projects that we perform that involve complex estimates of project costs and profit margins, which sometimes change mid-stream; the challenges and potential liability that heightened privacy laws and regulations pose to our business; occasional disputes with clients, which may adversely impact our results of operations and our reputation; various intellectual property issues related to our business; potential unanticipated product vulnerabilities or cybersecurity breaches of our or our customers' systems; risks related to the insurance industry in which our clients operate; risks associated with our global sales and operations, such as changes in regulatory requirements, wide-spread viruses and epidemics like the recent novel coronavirus pandemic, which adversely affected our results of operations, or fluctuations in currency exchange rates; and risks related to our principal location in Israel and our status as a Cayman Islands company. While we believe such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, should one or more of the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, or these risks or uncertainties materialize, our actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Please read the risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, which we filled with the SEC on March 31, 2022, in order to review conditions that we believe could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason, to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations.
(*) Acquisition-related costs pertain to charges on behalf of M&A agreements related to future performance targets and retention criteria, as well as third-party services, such as tax, accounting and legal rendered until the acquisition date.
(*) Included in cash-flow from operating activities
(**) Acquisition-related payments pertain to payments on behalf of M&A agreements related to future performance targets and retention criteria, as well as third-party services, such as, tax, accounting and legal rendered until the acquisition date.
Debentures Covenants
As of June 30, 2022, Sapiens was in compliance with all of its financial covenants under the indenture for the Series B Debentures, based on having achieved the following in its consolidated financial results:
Covenant 1
- Target shareholders' equity (excluding non-controlling interest): above $120 million.
- Actual shareholders' equity (excluding non-controlling interest) equal to $380.6 million.
Covenant 2
- Target ratio of net financial indebtedness to net capitalization (in each case, as defined under the indenture for the Company's Series B Debentures) below 65%.
- Actual ratio of net financial indebtedness to net capitalization equal to (32.67)%.
Covenant 3
- Target ratio of net financial indebtedness to EBITDA (accumulated calculation for the four last quarters) is below 5.5.
- Actual ratio of net financial indebtedness to EBITDA (accumulated calculation for the four last quarters) is equal to (1.05).
Contact:
Shay Assaraf
Chief Marketing Officer
Shay.assaraf@sapiens.com
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SOURCE Sapiens International Corporation | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/sapiens-reports-second-quarter-2022-financial-results/ | 2022-08-03T13:16:13Z |
The Temple College Adult Education and Literacy program is providing students scholarships for training to become a certified nursing aide, an electrocardiography technician, a phlebotomy technician, or a commercial driver’s license holder — opportunities made available in response to the urgent need for health care providers in the region.
“Select individuals who meet requirements will receive a scholarship that covers 100% of tuition and certification testing fees,” Temple College spokesman Eric Eckert said in a news release. “The courses will be offered through Temple College’s Business and Continuing Education Division. Those who are selected for the program receive additional training in adult basic education contextualized to fit their core field, soft skills and workforce preparation training.”
Following certification, graduates will participate in a job fair with prospective employers, according to Temple College.
“Certified nursing aides perform basic care functions such as bathing, grooming and feeding patients, assisting nurses with medical equipment and checking patients’ vital signs under the supervision of a licensed vocational nurse or a registered nurse,” Eckert said. “They work in many types of health care facilities, including hospitals, long‐term care facilities, home health agencies, community health clinics, hospices, and physicians’ offices.”
The Temple College spokesman highlighted how enhanced telemetry training — which provides the basic knowledge needed to assist and specialize in electrocardiography — is among the current needs identified by health care employers.
“Electrocardiography technicians work in hospitals, physician offices and other health facilities and are key members of the medical team,” Eckert said. “Duties of an EKG technician include conducting electrocardiogram testing, preparing patients for various cardiovascular tests, checking quality of recorded data, reporting findings to the attending physician and maintaining cardiography equipment in good working order.”
During a forum hosted by The Texas Tribune at Temple College last month, Lorenzo Serrano, the chief executive officer of Winkler County Memorial Hospital, noted how health care providers in rural Texas often face staffing challenges.
“It’s always been tough to challenge the staff of a hospital,” Serrano, whose hospital has fewer than 100 employees, said at the time. “But the standard of care in rural hospitals is the same as your urban markets. It has to be the same. We just have to figure out how to do that with less staff.”
Temple College asks applicants to contact Marcia Temple by phone at 254-298-8626 or by email at marcia.temple@templejc.edu, or Javier Ruiz by phone at 254-298-8578 or by email javier.ruiz@templejc.edu for information about how to register.
Registration will be open until slots are filled, according to Temple College. | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_9add53a6-e2c1-11ec-bf37-5f519bb612a2.html | 2022-06-02T23:48:44Z |
The JARS 420 Sweepstakes will be held at all 4 JARS Arizona Locations
PHOENIX, April 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JARS Cannabis, the chain of customer-favorite licensed cannabis dispensaries in Arizona, announced it will give away a brand new Sony Playstation PS5 every hour at each of its four locations on April 20, commonly referred to as 420. No purchase is necessary to enter to win.
The dispensaries will also be offering an exceptional array of specials throughout the day, such as BOGOs on some of the most popular brands including Baked Bros, Kiva, Wana, Stiiizy, and many more.
Plus, the first 400 people at each location will receive an abundance of free goodies, including a Juke Box cartridge and preroll, Stiiizy pod, Gron edible, and more.
Ronnie Kassab, President of JARS Arizona, said the company went all out to create a 420 that will go down in the record books.
"We wanted to offer something really special to our customers," Kassab said. "Our team was able to source NEW PS5s from multiple vendors months in advance in order to make this happen on 420 for our community," he added. "Along with our amazing deals, 420 is going to be a lot of fun for everyone."
Jars Cannabis Dispensaries are located throughout Arizona:
- Phoenix at 2424 S 24th Street
- Metrocenter at 10040 N Metro Pkwy W
- New River at 46639 N Black Canyon Hwy
- Payson at 200 N Tonto Street.
The JARS staff is the best trained in the industry and can answer any questions to make certain that each customer gets exactly the right products to meet their individual needs.
JARS is also proud to serve the local veteran community and is dedicated to ensuring that they have access to the products they require. The stores also always have a wide selection of items at all price points so that everyone can obtain the products that best fit their own unique lifestyle.
See store for details on sweepstakes rules and entry details.
For more information on JARS Dispensaries, visit: www.jarscannabis.com.
Connect:
Facebook: facebook.com/JarsLifeOfficial
Instagram: instagram.com/jars_life
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/jarscannabis
Media Contact
Innovation Agency
hello@inov8.us
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SOURCE JARS Arizona | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/04/19/jars-cannabis-giveaway-playstation-ps5-every-hour-420/ | 2022-04-19T16:52:45Z |
REDMOND, Wash., July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced that fiscal year 2022 fourth-quarter financial results are available on its Investor Relations website. The direct link to the earnings press release is https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Investor/earnings/FY-2022-Q4/press-release-webcast.
As previously announced, the company will host a conference call at 2:30 p.m. Pacific Time. A live webcast of the call can be accessed on Microsoft's Investor Relations website at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Investor/.
Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
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SOURCE Microsoft Corp. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/26/microsoft-earnings-press-release-available-investor-relations-website/ | 2022-07-26T21:24:46Z |
News summary
- Watch Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins and President and CEO of Ford Motor Company Jim Farley chat during the Cisco Live keynote.
- Keynote starts at 8:30 am Pacific June 14th.
- Cisco Live attendees will also see a Ford Mustang Mach-E equipped with Cisco technology on the show floor.
LAS VEGAS, June 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CISCO LIVE -- "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." Famously credited to auto pioneer Henry Ford, these words imply that in times of massive change, predicting what's next is close to impossible.
Now, the industry that retired the horse is itself on the verge of massive change. Ford is once again leading the way. And the change is fueled by technology and digital transformation. Tomorrow at Cisco Live, the premiere networking and security event, Cisco Chair and CEO Chuck Robbins and Ford Motor Company President and CEO Jim Farley will talk about these changes and the role technology, software and the connected vehicle will play in the future of the automotive industry.
Tune in to hear them discuss topics like:
- How the electrification revolution is shaping the future of the digital vehicle.
- How connecting vehicles to the network will change our experience of owning and driving a car.
- How Ford is using data to create unimaginable experiences for its customers to create value and drive new growth.
- Ford has been among Cisco's largest and most important customers for years. The company is the third largest Webex by Cisco customer on the planet and trusts Cisco to deliver network, security, collaboration and IoT solutions. Ford purchased the third Cisco router ever produced.
- The CEO-to-CEO conversation builds on the recent news that Webex can run on the entertainment center in Ford's new electric vehicles. Cisco Live attendees will be able to see this Cisco tech in a Ford Mustang Mach-E in the Webex Innovations booth, #CL10.
- Cisco has a broad portfolio of IoT products to secure and connect cars, roadways, and intersections.
- Sales of Ford's electric vehicles increased 222 percent last month– growing at almost four times the rate of the industry.
- Ford has committed to investing $50 billion by 2026 to build a new generation of electric and digitally connected vehicles to solve more problems for customers.
- Ford and Cisco are both working with the City of Detroit to unlock the potential and change how roads and cities are run.
Watch this video featuring Ford's VP of Electric Vehicles Darren Palmer and Detroit's chief of mobility innovation Tim Slusser.
Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO, Cisco:
"The automotive industry is undergoing a massive digital transformation. Cisco has the potential to help our customers embrace technology and fundamentally change the driving experience. Only Cisco can bring together manufacturers and cities to transform this part of our lives, and we're excited for what we can accomplish with customers like Ford."
Jim Farley, CEO, Ford:
"We're transforming Ford around the world for the electric and connected vehicle age. Combining our truly great products and industrial know-how with new capabilities, we can revolutionize the experience of driving and owning a vehicle and shape this industry's future once again."
Tim Slusser, Chief of Mobility Innovation for the City of Detroit, Michigan:
"Cities have a huge opportunity to work with the private sector to make massive lasting impact in our communities, and we're excited to work with Cisco and Ford. Having access to and sharing real-time data will let our citizens know when and where the dangerous spots are today and help us predict and prevent them tomorrow. This will not only change how roads and cities are run, but it will also help improve pollution and congestion. And ultimately, it will help save lives."
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet. Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your data, transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on Twitter at @Cisco.
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.
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SOURCE Cisco Systems, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/13/cisco-ford-ceos-discuss-role-technology-transforming-automotive-industry-how-people-use-their-vehicles/ | 2022-06-13T12:56:50Z |
CLEVELAND, Aug. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT), a leading global provider of sustainable and specialized material solutions, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Distribution business to an affiliate of H.I.G. Capital for $950 million in cash, subject to regulatory approval.
On April 20, 2022, the company announced it was exploring a sale of its Distribution business, in connection with announcing an agreement to acquire the Protective Materials business of DSM. The company recently completed that process, culminating in today's announcement.
"As expected, there were multiple buyers interested in acquiring the Distribution business, and it was a competitive process," said Robert M. Patterson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Avient Corporation. "Ultimately, we selected H.I.G. Capital based on the strength of their proposal, which values the business at approximately 10x LTM EBITDA and includes no financing contingencies. We are also confident that H.I.G. will make an excellent home for the Distribution business and a good partner for Avient as both a supplier and a customer."
The company noted that after-tax proceeds of approximately $750 million from the sale will be used to pay down near-term maturing debt. Pro forma for the sale of the Distribution business and the forthcoming acquisition of DSM's Protective Materials business, net debt to adjusted EBITDA leverage will be approximately 2.8x at the end of the year.
Mr. Patterson added, "The sale of the Distribution business and acquisition of DSM Protective Materials represent the next steps in our specialty transformation that began over a decade ago. We are excited about our future as a pure play specialty formulator of sustainable solutions."
In accordance with US GAAP, the company expects the Distribution business will be classified as "held for sale" and reported as a discontinued operation in future filings.
The company noted that Moelis & Company LLC and Goldman Sachs served as financial advisors to Avient. Jones Day served as outside legal counsel. The sale is subject to satisfaction of regulatory requirements and other customary closing conditions.
About Avient
Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT) provides specialized and sustainable material solutions that transform customer challenges into opportunities, bringing new products to life for a better world. Examples include:
- Unique technologies that improve the recyclability of products and enable recycled content to be incorporated, thus advancing a more circular economy
- Light-weighting solutions that replace heavier traditional materials like metal, glass and wood, which can improve fuel efficiency in all modes of transportation and reduce carbon footprint
- Sustainable infrastructure solutions that increase energy efficiency, renewable energy, natural resource conservation and fiber optic / 5G network accessibility
Avient employs approximately 8,800 associates and is certified ACC Responsible Care®, a founding member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and certified Great Place to Work®. For more information, visit www.avient.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
In this press release, statements that are not reported financial results or other historical information are "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements give current expectations or forecasts of future events and are not guarantees of future performance. They are based on management's expectations that involve a number of business risks and uncertainties, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. They use words such as "will," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial condition, performance and/or sales. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: disruptions, uncertainty or volatility in the credit markets that could adversely impact the availability of credit already arranged and the availability and cost of credit in the future; the effect on foreign operations of currency fluctuations, tariffs and other political, economic and regulatory risks, including recessionary conditions; the current and potential future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, results of operations, financial position or cash flows, including without limitation, any supply chain and logistics issues; changes in polymer consumption growth rates and laws and regulations regarding plastics in jurisdictions where we conduct business; fluctuations in raw material prices, quality and supply, and in energy prices and supply; production outages or material costs associated with scheduled or unscheduled maintenance programs; unanticipated developments that could occur with respect to contingencies such as litigation and environmental matters; our ability to pay regular quarterly cash dividends and the amounts and timing of any future dividends; information systems failures and cyberattacks; amounts for cash and non-cash charges related to restructuring plans that may differ from original estimates, including because of timing changes associated with the underlying actions; any material adverse changes in the business supporting the Distribution assets being sold; the ability to obtain required regulatory or other third-party approvals and consents and otherwise consummate the proposed sale of the Distribution business; any material adverse changes in the Protective Materials Business proposed to be acquired from Royal DSM ("DSM"); our ability to achieve the strategic and other objectives relating to the proposed acquisition of the DSM Protective Materials business and the proposed sale of the Distribution business; and other factors described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 under Item 1A, "Risk Factors." The above list of factors is not exhaustive.
We undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are advised to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our reports on Form 10-Q, 8-K and 10-K that we provide to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Non-GAAP Reconciliation
The Company does not provide reconciliations of forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures, such as outlook for net debt to adjusted EBITDA leverage, to the most comparable GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis because the Company is unable to provide a meaningful or accurate calculation or estimation of reconciling items and the information is not available without unreasonable effort. This is due to the inherent difficulty of forecasting the timing and amount of certain items, such as, but not limited to, restructuring costs, environmental remediation costs, acquisition-related costs, and other non-routine costs. Each of such adjustments has not yet occurred, are out of the Company's control and/or cannot be reasonably predicted. For the same reasons, the Company is unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information.
To access Avient's news library online, please visit www.avient.com/news
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SOURCE Avient Corporation | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/12/avient-signs-agreement-divest-distribution-business-hig-capital-950-million/ | 2022-08-12T11:35:45Z |
US tourist falls into crater of Mount Vesuvius, is rescued
ROME (AP) — An American tourist had to be rescued on Mount Vesuvius near Naples after he apparently slipped into the Italian volcano’s crater while trying to recover his fallen cellphone, news reports and the association of Vesuvius park guides said.
The tourist and family members were cited by Carabinieri police because they went off the authorized path to get closer to the crater on Saturday afternoon, apparently to take a selfie, the LaPresse news agency said.
The head of the Confesercenti tourism association for Vesuvius, Paolo Cappelli, said four volcano guides responded immediately after one noticed the tourist had fallen into the crater and was in “serious difficulty.”
In a statement, Cappelli said the guides lowered a rope 15 meters (50 feet) into the crater, pulled the tourist out and provided initial first aid, after he suffered abrasions on his legs, arm and back. Carabinieri park police then arrived and brought the American to the police station to file the complaint, Cappelli said.
Mount Vesuvius, which erupted in AD 79 and devastated the nearby town of Pompeii, is a popular spot for hiking.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/07/13/us-tourist-falls-into-crater-mount-vesuvius-is-rescued/ | 2022-07-13T19:31:45Z |
YARDLEY, Pa., July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) announced today that its Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of 22 cents per share payable August 25, 2022, to shareholders of record as of August 11, 2022.
Crown Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a leading global supplier of rigid packaging products to consumer marketing companies, as well as transit and protective packaging products, equipment and services to a broad range of end markets. World headquarters are located in Yardley, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.crowncork.com.
For more information, contact:
Kevin C. Clothier, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, (215) 698-5281, or
Thomas T. Fischer, Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs, (215) 552-3720
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SOURCE Crown Holdings, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/28/crown-holdings-inc-declares-quarterly-dividend/ | 2022-07-28T20:37:16Z |
MACON — A third individual who pleaded guilty to a federal charge resulting from Operation United Front, an ongoing ATF-led investigation into illegal gun possession and drug distribution in middle Georgia utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, has been sentenced to prison.
Jasper Blackshear, 57, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 130 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell after Blackshear pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base.
Co-defendant Chadrick Purnell, 43, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Additionally, co-defendant Jermaine White, 33, of Warner Robins, was sentenced to serve 37 months imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to two counts use of a communication facility. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Addressing violent crime in middle Georgia means utilizing every asset at our disposal, including high-level ballistics technology like ATF’s NIBIN,” U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said. “Nothing is more important than our collective work with our law enforcement and community partners to reduce violent crime and hold those responsible accountable for their crimes.”
“Utilizing technology is a key part of ATF’s strategy to identify and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes,” ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka said. “The combination of NIBIN and good police work has resulted in the arrest and conviction of these defendants.”
According to court documents, law enforcement used data compiled from NIBIN in order to identify locations where shell casings were collected from shooting events in Macon. These shooting events were then overlaid on a map, and teams of confidential informants and undercover agents investigated criminal activity in the areas with high density shootings.
From May to July 2021, Purnell, Blackshear and White were under investigation. During this time, undercover agents and confidential informants purchased nine firearms and crack cocaine from Purnell, who is a convicted felon. The firearms included two semi-automatic rifles and a shotgun with an obliterated serial number. In May 2021, undercover agents and confidential informants purchased cocaine from Blackshear four times.
One transaction included co-defendant Purnell, and a separate transaction included co-defendant White. Blackshear and White have prior felony convictions. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision and the Bibb County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Keyes is prosecuting the cases. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/macon-man-sentenced-as-part-of-atf-operation/article_5b204748-eb4d-11ec-bd36-d731a348b2e9.html | 2022-06-13T21:15:03Z |
BEIJING, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- China Daily, the largest national English-language news group in the country, is opening a submission contest for study-in-China stories, seeking fresh voices from international students.
Its in-house Study China platform, which provides a full range of information for international students, has launched a story-telling contest, offering the top prize of 10,000 yuan (approximately $1,563) and other prizes ranging from 100 to 3000 yuan.
From April 11 through May 31, the contest is open to current students and those who have finished their studies and gone back to their own countries.
Works can be submitted in three categories, including articles, photos, and videos. Languages in either English or Chinese will be accepted.
Apart from the above prizes, students will get a chance to see their stories featured in the China Daily app, one of the most popular English-language news apps in China.
Interested? You may submit your works by clicking the link below.
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SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/17/prize-win-your-study-in-china-story/ | 2022-05-17T14:42:25Z |
A 25th Anniversary Commemorative CD
OMAHA, Neb., Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Karen Sokolof Javitch has composed songs about Princess Diana for more than 20 years. A few years after her death, Karen produced the very first musical detailing the life and times of the late princess.
Now, in recognition of the 25th Anniversary of the passing of the beloved royal, Ms. Javitch is releasing a brand new album called, "Princess Diana - Her Life Story in Song."
"This August 31, the world will pay tribute to the Princess of Wales and I thought it would be an appropriate time to release this new CD," added Ms. Javitch.
This wonderful CD contains 42 songs that provide a revealing look into the storied life of an extraordinary woman whose tragic death shocked millions around the world.
The songs are for the young and the old, anyone who's been touched by Diana's compassion and love, just as Karen has been.
Questions from young people like "Why was Princess Diana so well-loved?" for example, are what inspired Karen to release the new CD, which is both entertaining and informative.
"Diana used her royalty to better humankind," remarked Ms. Javitch. "Her compassion and work for the downtrodden was endless." Throughout her life, the Princess of Wales supported important causes that ranged from those enduring hardships due to war, famine, and homelessness, to those struggling with AIDS, leprosy and cancer.
Diana's famous quote, "I am not a political figure, I am a humanitarian figure, always was, always will be," motivated many.
This unique CD provides a musical biography that reveals her private and public life, her achievements and failures," Ms. Javitch noted. Over the years, the songs have been performed before adoring audiences across the country. All of the songs were arranged by the late Chuck Penington, musical director for the Grammy Award winning group, Mannheim Steamroller.
"Princess Diana – Her Life Story in Song" can be purchased at PrincessDianaTheMusical.com or at JMRProductions.com, as well as on CD Baby, Spotify and other music websites and platforms.
About Karen Sokolof Javitch
Karen is an award-winning singer/songwriter whose works include 16 CD's, and four musicals. Her favorite remains "Princess Diana the Musical", which she co-wrote with author Elaine Jabenis, a critically-acclaimed community theater actress in Omaha.
Over the years, Karen's musicals have raised over $350,000 for national and local charities. Her shows have been performed across the country in cities ranging from Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City to Cleveland and St. Louis, to name just a few.
Her songs have been featured in movies and television shows. She has won the prestigious TAG (Theater Arts Guild) Award two times. In addition, she was recently honored in a 'Song of the Year' contest for "Hope in My Heart," a selection from the 'Diana' musical and also featured on the new CD.
Karen was also the creator and co-host of a popular Omaha radio show, called "It's the Beat." Her songs, including her wonderful melodies for children, are for anyone between the ages of 1 to 101!
Contact: Christopher Ewing
818-925-4343
media@metromediaworldwide.com
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SOURCE JMR Productions | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/princess-diana-her-life-story-song/ | 2022-08-31T06:37:03Z |
California Gov. Gavin Newsom tests positive for COVID-19
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, a day after a high-profile meeting with the visiting prime minister of New Zealand.
Newsom has mild symptoms and will remain in isolation at least through Thursday and until he tests negative, his office said in a statement. The Democratic governor plans to work remotely during that time.
His office said Newsom, 54, will begin a five-day regimen of the Paxlovid antiviral.
The governor’s office said it has notified the delegation of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The two leaders met in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on Friday to announce a climate change partnership. Ardern tested positive for the virus earlier in May.
The governor’s office said it does not know how Newsom contracted the virus. He is vaccinated and received his second booster shot this month.
Other public officials have recently announced testing positive for the virus, including Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday and Vice President Kamala Harris last month.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/28/california-gov-gavin-newsom-tests-positive-covid-19/ | 2022-05-29T00:35:30Z |
Agreement will give TAU significant ownership, board representation
NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New York- and Hong Kong-based TAU Investment Management, LLC, today announced agreements for two simultaneous investments in highly sustainable, waterless textile dyeing. A special purpose vehicle formed and managed by TAU will acquire significant interests in both DyeCoo Textile Systems, B.V., and CleanDye Holding, B.V., as part of TAU's strategy to invest in the sustainable, transparent and responsible supply chains of the future.
TAU joins other investors such as Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group, together with Nike and Otto Group, along with customers including Decathlon, bonprix, Adidas and others.
Today, the dyeing and treatment of textiles is responsible for fully 20 percent of industrial water pollution globally. DyeCoo's patented DyeOx technology allows for waterless and chemical-free textile dyeing, making it a valued partner to some of the world's largest retailers and leading global manufacturers who are also committed to DyeCoo's sustainable technology.
Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, CleanDye operates the world's first textile dyeing facility purpose built in Vietnam exclusively to use DyeCoo's waterless and chemical-free DyeOx technology. CleanDye's dedicated use of DyeOx technology allows it to offer its customers fabrics dyed with no water, no process chemicals and no wastewater discharge produced in a hazard-free environment — all while realizing 50 percent energy savings and unmatched geographical freedom from water sources.
"This is a unique opportunity to support two organizations bringing a new facet of sustainability to the garment industry," said TAU CEO Oliver Niedermaier. "We look forward to further application opportunities for the technology in other sectors, such as automotive and beverages."
Ken Katz, TAU head of Asia investment, said, "In addition to the geographic flexibility and cost savings this technology provides, we're significantly reducing the environmental footprint through this proprietary dyeing technology." He also noted that the DyeOx technology is faster and results in better color density than traditional water dyeing methods.
"This technology saves money, reduces environmental impacts, allows for more geographical flexibility and results in better quality products," Katz said. "That is a tremendous advantage."
"We look forward to having Tau join as an investor, given the industry expertise, broad network and deep understanding of sustainable supply chains it brings," said Christian Ehrenborg, Senior Investment Manager, Ingka Investments. "Tau's unique industry insights will provide a valuable perspective."
Rien Jansen, bonprix Group Managing Director, said, "With Tau's vision and commitment to sustainability, this new partnership demonstrates bonprix/Otto Group's own commitment to help facilitate the transformation of the apparel industry to be more environmentally responsible and sustainable. We see scaling this type of sustainable manufacturing technology as critical to our organization's mission and for the industry as a whole."
As part of the agreement, TAU will join the boards of directors of both DyeCoo and CleanDye and will play an active role in contributing its responsible supply chain technology expertise and industry network. Terms of the investments were not disclosed.
TAU is a New York- and Hong Kong-based investment and advisory firm that enables leaders to make critical decisions at every connection point in the global apparel supply chain. In investment management, TAU originates, executes and manages proprietary private equity investments. The firm is a fund manager, participates in single deal vehicles and co-investments, and offers separately managed accounts. In advisory services, TAU provides actionable advice so that businesses can seize opportunities and stay ahead in a rapidly changing environment. Areas of expertise include organic growth strategy, M&A advisory, responsible technology for textile and garment manufacturing, joint ventures, sustainability strategy and implementation, market entry and expansion, and worker safety protocols.
With IKEA retail operations in over 32 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents about 90% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on Ingka.com
As an internationally successful fashion retailer, bonprix reaches customers in 30 countries. The company, which is part of the Otto Group and based in Hamburg, was established in 1986 and now employs around 3,700 people worldwide. In fiscal year 2021/22 (February 28, 2022), the bonprix Group generated sales of EUR 1.94 billion, making it one of the best-performing businesses within the Otto Group. At bonprix, customers can enjoy fashion and shopping on all channels – online, via catalogue or in the bonprix store in Hamburg. E-commerce accounts for the lion's share of sales with around 90 percent. In Germany, www.bonprix.de is one of the twelve highest-grossing online shops and the number three in the fashion sector.* Selling its own brands bpc, bpc selection, BODYFLIRT, RAINBOW and John Baner, bonprix offers customers fashion with an excellent price-performance ratio. The range includes fashion for women, men and children, accessories as well as home and living products.
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SOURCE TAU | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/24/tau-announces-two-investments-innovative-eco-friendly-textile-dyeing-technology/ | 2022-08-24T20:12:24Z |
BEIJING, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Themed "Uncertainty Navigating," the New Champion Dialogue, a virtue panel held during the World Economic Forum (WEF) started off on July 18 with the participation of some 1,100 leaders and experts from over 90 countries.
At the session of "Championing the Entrepreneurial Agenda", Perfect World CEO Dr. Robert H. Xiao shared his insights on enhancing future readiness of SMEs together with three other corporate executives.
Dr. Xiao said that Perfect World is by nature a technology company. "So the technology itself is the center of our development, and the second is content, as contents of films, games, e-sports or Metaverse all have a storyline, and telling a story well is very much to do with creativity, not exclusively in technology," as he added
What measures and changes to take to survive the recession caused by the pandemic have become a hot topic for enterprises, especially SMEs. As far as the solution is concerned, Dr. Xiao suggested that digitalization and cross-disciplinary cooperation could be a way out. "In the case of Perfect World, we put cultural symbols such as Nanjing Confucius Temple, the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang, hanfu, and traditional Chinese music in our products, said Dr. Xiao. "It would enrich the contents by bringing in different scenarios and cultural symbols into the contents of our products", he added.
As Metaverse becoming a popular buzzword, Dr. Xiao shared some of his view on Metaverse. He believes that Metaverse is still in a preliminary stage and has not yet formed a market consensus. "A complete Metaverse would involve various fundamental technology platforms and a uniformed standard, so that everyone can build their own Metaverse contents on the platforms," he said.
In answering the question of how SMEs achieve sustainable development despite the potential recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Xiao stressed that the recession is also a test for a company to see whether it has determination and can focus in its core competences.
"Additionally to resilience and a heart for mission, SMEs must find the correct direction and focus all the resources in this direction. Furthermore, we must keep faith for the future, and stay agile to respond to changes in the market and the industry to better embrace the challenges and opportunities," said Dr. Xiao.
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SOURCE Perfect World | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/perfect-world-ceo-improve-future-readiness-with-tech-content-cross-disciplinary-mind/ | 2022-07-21T09:48:53Z |
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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa hired Lorenda Holston as assistant athletic director for diversity, equity and inclusion and Anthony Embry for the newly created position of athletics academic and diversity coordinator, the university announced Friday.
The moves come as the university faces a lawsuit by former football players who allege they faced discrimination and harassment from coaches and staff because they are Black.
“These additions to our staff enhance our overall campus and athletics department commitment to DEI, while working with our student-athletes and staff as we continue to move forward with increased staffing and resources in this critical area,” said Liz Tovar, senior associate athletic director and the university’s executive officer and associate vice president of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Holston previously worked in athletic department support positions at Purdue and Georgia Tech. Embry had worked in academic support in athletic departments at Coastal Carolina and the University of Portland.
The former players’ lawsuit was filed in November 2020, naming head coach Kirk Ferentz and offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, his son. They allege they were demeaned with racial slurs, forced to abandon Black hairstyles, fashion and culture to fit the “Iowa Way” promoted by Kirk Ferentz, held to different standards than white players and retaliated against for speaking out. Iowa linebackers coach Seth Wallace was added as a defendant in the lawsuit in April.
A trial is set for March 2023, with the former players seeking monetary damages and cultural changes inside the athletic department. Aaron Mends, Brandon Simon, Javon Foy, Akrum Wadley, Marcel Joly, Jonathan Parker and Darian Cooper are plaintiffs.
The university agreed to pay strength coach Chris Doyle $1.1 million as part of a resignation agreement in June 2020, after dozens of former players said on social media he had bullied and discriminated against them. Doyle has denied the allegations.
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25 | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/iowa-facing-race-litigation-hires-2-new-diversity-staffers/ | 2022-07-22T21:26:54Z |
Shuttle Pharma's platform of sensitizers are designed to address the urgent clinical need to improve the outcomes of cancer patients treated with radiation therapy while reducing side effects
ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SHPH), a discovery and development stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on improving the outcomes of cancer patients treated with radiation therapy (RT) while reducing its side effects, is pleased to announce the Company's shares of common stock has commenced trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol "SHPH".
"With the commencement of our shares listing on Nasdaq, we are excited to advance our lead product candidate aimed at improving the outcomes of cancer treatment through radiation therapy while reducing its side effects," commented Shuttle Pharma's Chairman and CEO, Anatoly Dritschilo, M.D. "Our platform of sensitizers are designed to address an urgent clinical need in patients with brain tumors, sarcomas and pancreatic cancers, all diseases that offer potential for orphan designations. We look forward to progressing our pipeline as we look to deliver innovative new treatments to thousands of patients who currently lack effective therapies."
About Radiation Sensitizers
Historically, the major advances in radiation oncology have focused on improving technology to increase the amount of radiation that can be administered to a tumor without damaging adjacent, normal tissues. Examples of other such technologies include intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and proton therapy – the backbones of state-of-the-art RT. All offer improvements in physical radiation dose shaping. The basic principle underlying the effectiveness of RT for curing cancers lies in the differential cancer cell kill achieved in tumors, as compared to the effects of RT on the normal surrounding tissues, which is achieved by delivery of highly conformal RT doses – in other words, delivery of high-dose to volumes that are shaped to conform to the target cancers while minimizing the dose to surrounding normal tissues. The treated volumes frequently include sensitive normal tissues, thereby limiting the magnitudes of the prescribed RT doses. We suggest that technological innovations to define tumor volumes and shape radiation delivery have reached an effectiveness plateau and that further improvements in RT outcomes will require pharmacological and immunological approaches to sensitize cancers, protect normal tissues and engage the immune system.
At present, the drugs being used for sensitizing cancers to RT are chemotherapeutic agents possessing radiation sensitizing properties as secondary effects. With the exception of Cetuximab, a growth factor targeting monoclonal antibody biologic, all other drugs used as radiation sensitizers are used "off-label" to address the clinical need for radiation sensitizers. For example, certain chemotherapeutic agents, such as 5-fluorouracil, capecitabine and cis-platinum, are approved as single agents for cancer treatment, but are used "off-label" as radiation sensitizers in combination with RT. Treatments with such agents are associated with inherent toxicities associated with the drug's primary, single-agent mechanisms of action.
Shuttle Pharma's platform of sensitizers offers a pipeline of product candidates designed to address the urgent clinical need and the current limitations of using "off-label" drugs with potential new sensitizer agents. Our pipeline includes Ropidoxuridine, our lead clinical sensitizer drug candidate, to sensitize rapidly growing cancer cells and selective histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors to sensitize cancer cells and stimulate the immune system. Our novel technologies will be tested in combinations with radiation therapies (conventional X-ray and proton radiation therapies) and in combinations with immune-therapies. To date, Ropidoxuridine has completed a Phase I clinical trial. Our HDAC inhibitor platform drug candidates have been tested in preclinical models of solid tumor cancers.
Boustead Securities, LLC acted as lead underwriter and Valuable Capital Ltd. acted as co-underwriter for the Company's initial public offering on Nasdaq.
About Shuttle Pharmaceuticals
Founded in 2012 by faculty members of the Georgetown University Medical Center, Shuttle Pharmaceuticals is a discovery and development stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on improving the outcomes of cancer patients treated with radiation therapy (RT). Our mission is to improve the lives of cancer patients by developing therapies that are designed to maximize the effectiveness of RT while limiting the late effects of radiation in cancer treatment. Although RT is a proven modality for treating cancers, by developing radiation sensitizers, we aim to increase cancer cure rates, prolong patient survival and improve quality of life when used as a primary treatment, or in combination with surgery, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. For more information, please visit www.shuttlepharma.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute "forward-looking statements." These statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the expected trading commencement and closing dates. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: the uncertainties related to our business, being an early stage development company, as well as market conditions and the completion of the public offering on the anticipated terms, and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's prospectus filed with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by federal securities law, Shuttle Pharmaceuticalsspecifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
For more information, please contact:
For Underwriter Inquiries Please Contact:
Boustead Securities, LLC
Keith Moore, CEO
949-502-4408
keith@boustead1828.com
Shuttle Pharmaceuticals
Anatoly Dritschilo, M.D., CEO
240-403-4212
info@shuttlepharma.com
Investors
Lytham Partners, LLC
Robert Blum, Managing Partner
602-889-9700
SHPH@lythampartners.com
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SOURCE Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/shuttle-pharmaceuticals-commences-trading-nasdaq-under-ticker-symbol-shph/ | 2022-08-31T18:00:35Z |
Prominent brand activations throughout Red Sox home games and charitable events, and a new technology partnership, deepen Wasabi's ties in sports, media, and entertainment
BOSTON, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wasabi Technologies, the hot cloud storage company, today announced a multi-year partnership with Fenway Sports Group that harnesses the power of sports and entertainment to take the Wasabi brand to new heights. Wasabi is designated a Proud Partner of the Boston Red Sox, generating unprecedented brand awareness, community relations initiatives, and client and employee engagement across Fenway Sports Group properties through 2026.
With headquarters in the heart of Boston, Wasabi was founded in 2017 by Carbonite founders David Friend and Jeff Flowers to remove the complexity of cloud storage for businesses all over the world. The company has grown exponentially in recent years with $275M in funding, making it a force in Boston's pacesetting technology landscape. The company previously teamed up with Fenway Sports Group on the Wasabi Fenway Bowl, and is also the Official Cloud Storage Partner of Liverpool Football Club and the Boston Bruins.
"Sports, media, and entertainment is quickly becoming one of Wasabi's biggest areas of business due to the sheer amount of data impacting everything from the fan experience and player performance, to franchise operations. Storing that data must be simple and affordable so these organizations can effectively harness its power in the digital age," said Michael Welts, chief marketing officer, Wasabi Technologies. "Becoming the Proud Partner of the Boston Red Sox, one of the most beloved sports franchises, not just in our own backyard, but in the world, is an incredible step, and the work we will do together will change the trajectory of our company."
As a partner of the Boston Red Sox, Wasabi will creatively leverage the global reach of one of the preeminent sports brands in the world. The Wasabi brand will be prominently displayed throughout historic Fenway Park, and Wasabi will support a number of Red Sox Foundation initiatives including STEM education and career programming, and the Run to Home Base, dedicated to healing the invisible wounds for Veterans of all eras, Service Members, Military Families and Families of the Fallen through world-class clinical care, wellness, education, and research. Additional Wasabi brand activations will be present across Fenway Sports Group's entertainment properties in the coming years, including as Presenting Partner of the Plainridge Park Casino Fenway Concert Series.
"As our data needs continue to evolve, from player analytics, IoT, digital assets and even security, this presents an enormous learning opportunity for the organization," said Red Sox SVP and CTO Brian Shield. "Wasabi provides a cost-effective cloud-based solution that enables us to retrieve content quickly and improve the level of video analysis and production we do here at the Red Sox. We could not be more excited to welcome Wasabi onboard."
About Wasabi Technologies
Wasabi provides simple, predictable and affordable hot cloud storage for businesses all over the world. It enables organizations to store and instantly access an unlimited amount of data at 1/5th the price of the competition with no complex tiers or unpredictable egress fees. Trusted by tens of thousands of customers worldwide, Wasabi has been recognized as one of technology's fastest-growing and most visionary companies. Created by Carbonite co-founders and cloud storage pioneers David Friend and Jeff Flowers, Wasabi has secured nearly $275 million in funding to date and is a privately held company based in Boston and is a Proud Partner of the Boston Red Sox.
Follow and connect with Wasabi on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and our blog.
Wasabi PR contact
Kaley Carpenter
Inkhouse for Wasabi
wasabi@inkhouse.com
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SOURCE Wasabi Technologies | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/07/wasabi-technologies-partners-with-boston-red-sox-through-multi-year-sponsorship-deal-with-fenway-sports-group/ | 2022-04-07T13:32:08Z |
Presentation and Q&A session scheduled for post-market on Monday, August 15, 2022
BOSTON, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), the leading horizontal platform for cell programming, announced today that it plans to host a presentation and Q&A session reviewing business performance for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022, on Monday, August 15, 2022, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.
The presentation details and webcast link will be available on Ginkgo's investor relations website at https://investors.ginkgobioworks.com, and a replay will be made available.
To ask a question ahead of the presentation, please submit them to @Ginkgo on Twitter (hashtag #GinkgoResults) or by sending an e-mail to investors@ginkgobioworks.com.
About Ginkgo Bioworks
Ginkgo is building a platform to enable customers to program cells as easily as we can program computers. The company's platform is enabling biotechnology applications across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Ginkgo has also actively supported a number of COVID-19 response efforts, including K-12 pooled testing, vaccine manufacturing optimization and therapeutics discovery. For more information, visit https://www.ginkgobioworks.com/.
Ginkgo Bioworks Contacts:
INVESTOR CONTACT:
MEDIA CONTACT:
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SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/08/ginkgo-bioworks-announces-date-second-quarter-2022-results-presentation/ | 2022-08-08T14:09:28Z |
- Q2 2022 Adjusted EBITDA1 of $450 million
- Q2 2022 Net Earnings of $81 million, or $0.52 per share
- Q2 2022 Adjusted Earnings1 of $166 million, or $1.07 per share
- Increases 2022 Adjusted EBITDA Guidance1 to between $1.6 and $1.7 billion
- Announced agreement to issue 20 million Parkland common shares to consolidate our 100 percent ownership of Sol, our International Segment
CALGARY, AB, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Parkland Corporation ("Parkland", "we", the "Company", or "our") (TSX: PKI), today announced its financial and operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022.
Q2 2022 Highlights
- Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Parkland ("Adjusted EBITDA")1 of $450 million, up approximately 40 percent from Q2 2021, underpinned by acquisitions, consistent operating performance and organic growth.
- Net earnings attributable to Parkland of $81 million, ($0.52 per share, basic), up approximately $145 million ($0.94 per share, basic) from Q2 2021, and Adjusted earnings attributable to Parkland1 of $166 million, ($1.07 per share, basic), up $70 million ($0.43 per share) from Q2 2021.
- Trailing twelve months ("TTM") distributable cash flow1 of $748 million ($4.86 per share) and Q2 2022 cash generated from operating activities of $341 million, both broadly in line with Q2 2021.
- Reduced leverage ratio1 by 0.3x from 3.5x in Q1 2022 to 3.2x.
- Fuel volumes of approximately 6.4 billion litres, up over 12 percent from Q2 2021, reflecting the strength of our marketing business and the impact of acquisitions.
- Completed the previously disclosed acquisition of four Eastern Canadian product terminals, extending our supply advantage and positioning us to accelerate our decarbonization strategy.
- Continued to expand our JOURNIE™ Rewards loyalty program, attracting approximately 300,000 new members for a total of 3.5 million members.
"Our record results demonstrate the resilience of our integrated business model and our ability to grow throughout economic cycles," said Bob Espey, President and Chief Executive Officer. "The Parkland team continues to serve the needs of our customers, while simultaneously mitigating inflation, driving organic growth and strengthening our financial flexibility."
"Consistent with our strategy, we continue to thoughtfully integrate acquisitions, capture synergies and reduce our leverage ratio," added Espey. "Our operational performance year-to-date gives us confidence to increase our 2022 Adjusted EBITDA guidance. We are firmly on track with our ambition for $2 billion run-rate of Adjusted EBITDA by mid-decade."
Q2 2022 Segment Highlights
- Canada delivered Adjusted EBITDA1 of $174 million, up 38 percent, from Q2 2021 ($126 million). Performance was underpinned by robust margins and increased fuel volumes as a result of ongoing COVID recovery, the M&M and Crevier acquisitions, and organic growth. Our previously announced acquisition of select Husky branded retail locations is expected to close later this year.
- International delivered Adjusted EBITDA of $87 million, up 32 percent, from Q2 2021 ($66 million). Performance was underpinned by increased fuel volumes driven by continued recovery in tourism, aviation, and wholesale, acquisitions and synergy capture. Subsequent to the quarter, we completed our previously disclosed acquisition of the Jamaican business of GB Group and announced a share exchange for the remaining 25 percent of Sol Investments SEZC ("Sol"), to consolidate our 100 percent ownership of our International Segment.
- USA delivered Adjusted EBITDA of $51 million, up 70 percent, from Q2 2021 ($30 million). Performance was underpinned by the impact of prior year acquisitions, synergy capture, organic growth in our commercial and wholesale business and robust margins.
- Refining delivered Adjusted EBITDA1 of $164 million, up 33 percent, from Q2 2021 ($123 million). Performance was underpinned by strong refining margins, partially offset by a power outage caused by a third party. Composite utilization2 was 88.4 percent (97.4 percent in Q2 2021).
Updated 2022 Guidance
- Adjusted EBITDA (attributable to Parkland) increased to $1.6 – $1.7 billion (up from previous guidance of $1.5 billion +/- 5 percent).
- Capital expenditures (attributable to Parkland) are on track for the low-end of our previously guided range of between $425 million and $525 million.
The factors and assumptions which contribute to Parkland's assessment of the increased 2022 Adjusted EBITDA Guidance are consistent with existing Parkland disclosures and such guidance is subject to risks and uncertainties inherent in Parkland's business. Readers are directed to the "Risk Factors" section in the Q2 2022 MD&A and Parkland's Revised Annual Information Form dated March 17, 2022 for a description of such factors, assumptions, risks and uncertainties. All other elements of Parkland's previous guidance remain unchanged.
Sustainability Leadership
Sustainability is deeply embedded across our business. Notable accomplishments from the second quarter, and year-to-date, include:
- Reflecting our focus on safety, we more than halved our TTM lost time injury frequency rate2 to 0.12 (Q2 2021: 0.26) and lowered our TTM total recordable injury frequency rate2 to 1.06 (Q2 2021: 1.19).
- Co-processed over 30 million litres of bio-feedstocks during Q2 2022, and 50 million litres year-to-date. This has the equivalent environmental impact of taking over 24,000 and 40,000 cars off the road, respectively.
- Announced we are advancing our renewable fuel project, to be over 40 percent funded by the Government of British Columbia ("BC"), to expand our co-processing activity and build BC's largest renewable diesel complex at our Burnaby Refinery. A Final Investment Decision is expected in the second half of 2023. Should this project advance, the renewable fuels produced will equate to the permanent removal of 700,000, or 25 percent of the passenger vehicles on BC's roads.
- Generated $18 million of Total Renewable Adjusted EBITDA1 in Q2 2022.
- Subsequent to the quarter (July 12, 2022), we published our 2021 Sustainability Report. In addition to highlighting our accomplishments, the timing of this report sets a new annual cadence for publishing future sustainability reports which more closely aligns with our annual reporting calendar. To read the 2021 Sustainability Report, please visit: https://www.parkland.ca/en/sustainability/overview
Consolidated Financial Overview
Q2 2022 Conference Call and Webcast Details
Parkland will host a webcast and conference call on Friday, August 5, at 6:30 am MDT (8:30 am EDT) to discuss the results. To listen to the live webcast and watch the presentation, please use the following link:
https://app.webinar.net/8OZXrAXJQa5
Analysts and investors interested in participating in the question and answer session of the conference call may do so by calling 1-888-390-0546 (toll-free) (Conference ID: 77903406). International participants may call 1-800-389-0704 (toll free) (Conference ID: 77903406).
Please connect and log in approximately 10 minutes before the beginning of the call. The webcast will be available for replay two hours after the conference call ends at the link above. It will remain available for one year and will also be posted to www.parkland.ca.
MD&A and Consolidated Financial Statements
The management's discussion and analysis for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 (the "Q2 2022 MD&A") and consolidated financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 (the "Q2 2022 Consolidated Financial Statements") provide a detailed explanation of Parkland's operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022. An English version of these documents will be available online at www.parkland.ca and SEDAR after the results are released by newswire under Parkland's profile at www.sedar.com. The French versions of the Q2 2022 MD&A and Consolidated Financial Statements will be posted to www.parkland.ca and SEDAR as soon as they become available.
About Parkland Corporation
Parkland's purpose is to Power Journeys and Energize Communities. We serve essential needs in our communities, providing our customers with the essential fuels they depend on to get around, quality foods and convenience items, while helping them achieve their goals of lowering their environmental impact. Through our portfolio of trusted and locally relevant brands, we serve well over one million customers per day across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean region and Central and South America.
In addition to leveraging our supply and storage capabilities to provide the essential fuels our diverse customers depend on; we are leading our customers through the energy transition. From electric vehicle charging, renewable fuels, solar energy and compliance and carbon offset trading, we are leaders in helping our customers lower their environmental impact.
Parkland's proven strategy is centered around organic growth, our supply advantage, acquiring prudently, and integrating successfully. We are focused on developing our existing business in resilient markets, growing, and diversifying our retail business into food, convenience, and renewable energy solutions and helping our commercial customers decarbonize their operations. Our strategy is underpinned by our people, as well as our values of safety, integrity, community, and respect, which are deeply embedded across our organization.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information and statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). When used in this news release the words "expect", "will", "could", "would", "believe", "continue", "pursue" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements with respect to, among other things: business objectives and strategies, the 2022 Adjusted EBITDA Guidance and the 2022 capital expenditure guidance and expectations relating thereto; consolidating 100 percent ownership of Sol and the completion thereof; being on track to achieve its ambition for $2 billion of Adjusted EBITDA by mid-decade; completing the acquisition of select Husky branded retail locations; integrating acquisitions, capturing synergies and reducing leverage ratio; continuing to meet customers' needs; its 'Drive to Zero' strategy and goals with respect thereto; supporting the governments' goals of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050; expanding its co-processing activity and building BC's largest renewable diesel complex at the Burnaby Refinery, the completion, funding and timing thereof and the expected benefits relating thereto; future sustainability reports and the timing thereof; and its energy transition strategy and its goals and projects relating thereto.
These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Parkland does not undertake any obligations to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by securities law. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of numerous risks, assumptions and uncertainties including, but not limited to: general economic, market and business conditions, including the duration and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict; Parkland's ability to execute its business strategies, including without limitation; Parkland's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions, capture synergies, reduce its leverage ratio, successfully implement organic growth initiatives and to finance such acquisitions and initiatives on reasonable terms; Parkland's ability to achieve its goals and targets relating to its "Drive to Zero" strategy; Parkland's ability to complete transactions and projects, including consolidating 100 percent ownership of Sol, the acquisition of select Husky brand retail locations and expanding its co-processing activity and building BC's largest renewable diesel complex at the Burnaby Refinery; competitive action by other companies; refining and marketing margins; the ability of suppliers to meet commitments; actions by governmental authorities and other regulators including but not limited to increases in taxes or restricted access to markets; changes and developments in environmental and other regulations; and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Parkland. See also the risks and uncertainties described in "Forward-Looking Information" and "Risk Factors" included in Parkland's Revised Annual Information Form dated March 17, 2022, and "Forward-Looking Information" and "Risk Factors" included in the Q2 2022 MD&A dated August 4, 2022, each filed on SEDAR and available on the Parkland website at www.parkland.ca. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
Non-Financial Measures
Parkland uses a number of non-financial measures, including composite utilization, TTM lost time injury frequency rate and TTM total recordable injury frequency rate, in measuring the success of our strategic objectives and to set variable compensation targets for employees. These non-financial measures are not accounting measures, do not have comparable International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") measures, and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers, as other issuers may calculate these metrics differently. See Section 14 of the Q2 2022 MD&A, which is incorporated by reference into this news release, for further details on the non-financial measures used by Parkland.
Specified Financial Measures
This news release contains total of segments measures, non-GAAP financial measures and ratios and supplementary financial measures and capital management measures (collectively, "specified financial measures"). Parkland's management uses certain specified financial measures to analyze the operating and financial performance, leverage and liquidity of the business. These specified financial measures do not have any standardized meaning and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The specified financial measures should not be considered in isolation or used in substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. See Section 14 of the Q2 2022 MD&A, which is incorporated by reference into this news release, for further details regarding specified financial measures used by Parkland.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Ratios
Adjusted earnings is a non-GAAP financial measure and Adjusted earnings per share is a non-GAAP financial ratio included in this news release to assist management, investors and analysts with the analysis of the core operating performance of business activities of Parkland on a consolidated level. This non-GAAP financial measure and ratio do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The non-GAAP financial measures and ratios should not be considered in isolation or used in substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. Except as otherwise indicated, these non-GAAP measures and ratios are calculated and disclosed on a consistent basis from period to period. See section 14 of the Q2 2022 MD&A, which is incorporated by reference into this news release, for further details regarding Parkland's non-GAAP financial measures and ratios. See below for the reconciliation of Adjusted earnings (loss) to net earnings (loss) and calculation of Adjusted earnings (loss) per share for the three months ended June 30, 2022 and June 30, 2021.
TTM distributable cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure and TTM distributable cash flow per share is a non-GAAP ratio. TTM distributable cash flow is a cash metric that adjusts for the impact of seasonality in Parkland's business by removing non-cash working capital items and excludes the effect of items that are not considered representative of Parkland's ability to generate cash flows. Such items include: (i) acquisition, integration, and other costs; (ii) turnaround maintenance capital expenditures, and; (iii) interest on leases and long-term debt, and principal payments on leases attributable to non-controlling interests. Distributable cash flow does not have any standardized meaning under IFRS and is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Parkland uses this non-GAAP financial measure to monitor normalized cash flows of the business by eliminating the impact of Parkland's working capital fluctuations and expenditures used in acquisition, integration and other activities, which can vary significantly from quarter-to-quarter.
Supplementary Financial Measures
Parkland uses a number of supplementary financial measures, including dividends per share, TTM dividends and TTM cash generated from (used in) operating activities, to evaluate the success of our strategic objectives and to set variable compensation targets for employees. These measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers, as other issuers may calculate these metrics differently. See Section 14 of the Q2 2022 MD&A, which is incorporated by reference into this news release, for further details regarding supplementary financial measures used by Parkland.
Capital Management Measures
Parkland's primary capital management measure is the Leverage Ratio, which is used internally by key management personnel to monitor Parkland's overall financial strength, capital structure flexibility, and ability to service debt and meet current and future commitments. The Leverage Ratio is calculated as a ratio of Leverage Debt to Leverage EBITDA and does not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS. It is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. See Section 14 of the Q2 2022 MD&A, which is incorporated by reference into this news release, for further details regarding capital management measures used by Parkland.
Total of Segments Measures
Adjusted EBITDA is a total of segments measure used by the chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resource allocation to the segment and to assess its performance. Adjusted EBITDA for the Canada and Refining segments and Total Renewable Adjusted EBITDA (being a summation of Canada and Refining segment renewable subsegments) are also total of segments measures. In accordance with IFRS, adjustments and eliminations made in preparing an entity's financial statements and allocations of revenue, expenses, and gains or losses shall be included in determining reported segment profit or loss only if they are included in the measure of the segment's profit or loss that is used by the chief operating decision maker. As such, Parkland's Adjusted EBITDA is unlikely to be comparable to similarly named measures presented by other issuers, who may calculate these measures differently. Parkland views Adjusted EBITDA as the key measure for the underlying core operating performance of business segment activities at an operational level. Adjusted EBITDA is used by management to set targets for Parkland (including annual guidance and variable compensation targets) and is used to determine Parkland's ability to service debt, finance capital expenditures and provide for dividend payments to shareholders. See Section 14 of the Q2 2022 MD&A, which is incorporated by reference into this news release, for further details regarding total of segments measures used by Parkland. Refer to the table below for the reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net earnings (loss) for the three months ended June 30, 2022 and June 30, 2021.
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SOURCE Parkland Corporation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/04/parkland-delivers-record-quarterly-results-increases-2022-guidance-announced-share-exchange-remaining-25-percent-sol/ | 2022-08-04T22:26:03Z |
Jackson area high school spring sports scoreboard for Week 5
Here is a look at the scores across the Jackson area from Week 5 of the high school spring sports season.
Tuesday
Baseball
Adamsville 7, Scotts Hill 5
Bradford 18, Gleason 0 (doubleheader)
Bradford 11, Gleason 0 (doubleheader)
Dyer County 12, Dyersburg 2
Fayette Academy 2, USJ 1 (doubleheader)
Halls 11, Middleton 1 (doubleheader)
Hardin County 12, Lexington 1
Huntingdon 5, Union City 4 (doubleheader)
Huntingdon 13, Union City 6 (doubleheader)
Middleton 1, Halls 0 (doubleheader)
Milan 5, Peabody 3
South Side 16, North Side 1
TCA 2, Jackson Christian 0 (doubleheader)
TCA 9, Jackson Christian 2 (doubleheader)
USJ 13, Fayette Academy 5 (doubleheader)
Soccer
Gibson County 3, Huntingdon 2
Madison 9, Milan 0
South Gibson 1, Crockett County 0
USJ 8, Jackson Christian 3
Softball
Haywood 16, Macon Road 1
Jackson Christian 10, USJ 0
Lexington 11, Hardin County 1
McNairy Central 11, Chester County 0
Obion County 6, Crockett County 3
Riverside 6, Bruceton 1
Monday
Baseball
Adamsville 6, Scotts Hill 4
Chester County 4, McNairy Central 3
Hardin County 6, Lexington 1
West Carroll 8, Frank Hughes 5
Soccer
Milan 5, Augustine 1
Millington 8, Haywood 0
Softball
TCA 11, Sacred Heart 2 | https://www.jacksonsun.com/story/sports/high-school/2022/04/13/jackson-area-high-school-spring-sports-scoreboard-week-5/7284433001/ | 2022-04-13T12:13:01Z |
CHICAGO, Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 4S Bay Partners LLC (4S Bay) announced today that Chief Investment Officer (CIO) Jim Casselberry is resigning his position effective August 31, 2022. In his place, Rashid Malik has been designated as Acting Chief Investment Officer. Malik has been Director of Investments at 4SBay since 2020 and leads several major initiatives. He has already begun transitioning to his elevated leadership role within the group.
Since joining 4S Bay in 2017. Casselberry has utilized the Sarowitz family investment assets to work towards bringing capital to BIPOC and Women led leaders to benefit their communities with sustainable wealth building impacts. He also led 4S Bay Partners in over 20 private equity investments, numerous direct entrepreneurial investments, and innovative real estate transactions.
"Since joining 4S Bay, I have been honored to build and work with an exceptional team of investment professionals during an incredibly trying period. Our achievements were a result of hard work, skill, and commitment from every single one of our 4S Bay team members. I look forward to watching 4S Bay's continued growth and success in coming years. " said Casselberry while reflecting on his time at 4S Bay.
"We are grateful to Jim Casselberry for his commitment to the mission and success of 4S Bay and its many investments that create economic opportunities for marginalized communities. We sincerely wish him well as he pursues his next endeavor," said Managing Partner Jessica Sarowitz.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Wolf Kasteler Public Relations
Omar Gonzales | omarg@wk-pr.com
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SOURCE 4S Bay Partners LLC | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/4s-bay-cio-departure-announcement/ | 2022-08-25T11:40:56Z |
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (WCIA) – A bloodhound from Illinois took home the top prize at the prestigious Westminster Dog Show Wednesday night, becoming the first-ever dog of his breed to win Best in Show.
His show name is Toot My Own Horn, but he’s also goes by Trumpet.
The four-year-old bloodhound won the competition’s top honor after being chosen as the best of his breed and group the previous day. He is the 146th champion of the national event, and the seventh hound to ever win the honor.
Trumpet is owned by Chris and Bryan Flessner, Heather Buehner and Tina Kocar.
Buehner has been Trumpet’s handler ever since he started competing at 10 months of age.
“He was kind of born a show dog; his father won the Hound group at Westminster in 2014,” Buehner said. “So, we had high hopes for Trumpet.”
Almost 3,500 dogs took part in the 2022 competition, representing around 200 breeds in total. Runners-up included a French bulldog, a German shepherd, a Maltese, an English setter, a Samoyed and a Lakeland terrier. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/bloodhound-named-trumpet-makes-history-at-westminster-dog-show/ | 2022-06-23T19:00:37Z |
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Dogs are often sensitive to loud sounds and noises, but on the Fourth of July, the level of fear and commotion within a dog can be turned up to a ten as fireworks blast off.
According to information on the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (ASPCA) website, here are a few ways to keep your dog calm and safe when those fireworks start to spark off in your area:
- Provide a safe environment for your pet: The ASPCA said that turning on some soft music and moving your dog into an interior room with no windows can help your pet feel more comfortable in their environment during fireworks shows.
- Try calming medication: Anti-anxiety medication may aid your dog, however, the ASPCA suggested that you speak to your vet first and begin with a “practice” dose of the medication before the Fourth of July night to see how your dog responds to the medication. The ASCPA advised that you never share the medication with another pet or give more than the recommended amount.
- Try calming products: Special wraps and shirts that are sold specifically for dogs can provide a calming pressure for dogs with noise phobia.
- Keep firework chemicals away: The ASPCA stated that if you set fireworks off at home, make sure you clean up the area before letting your dog outside as fireworks contain several types of chemicals and heavy metals.
Additionally, The Humane Society provided ways to keep your pet safe on the Fourth of July:
- Protect your pet from heat stroke: High temps can put your pet at risk of heat stroke so The Humane Society advises that you keep an eye on your pets and act immediately if you see any signs of heat stroke. Hot pavement can also be dangerous, so if it’s too hot to hold your hand to the ground for five seconds, it’s not safe for your dog to walk on.
- Safeguard your pet with a collar or ID tag: Indoor-only pets can be scared during fireworks displays and may break through windows or door screens to escape the loud noises. You should ensure that your pet is microchipped and that the chip is properly registered with your current contact information. The Humane Society provided advice for finding a lost pet.
These helpful tips can create a fun-filled Fourth of July for both you and your dog and check out all the Fourth of July celebrations on the High Plains. | https://cw33.com/news/ways-to-calm-your-dog-on-the-fourth-of-july/ | 2022-06-29T17:41:53Z |
Fauci: US moving to endemic phase of COVID
(AP) – Dr. Anthony Fauci has given an upbeat assessment of the current state of the coronavirus in the United States, saying the country is “out of the pandemic phase” when it comes to new infections, hospitalizations and deaths, but that it appears to be making a transition to COVID-19 becoming an endemic disease — occurring regularly in certain areas.
Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said on the PBS “NewsHour” on Tuesday that the coronavirus remains a pandemic for much of the world, but the threat is not over for the United States, adding that he was speaking about the worst phase of the pandemic.
“Namely, we don’t have 900,000 new infections a day and tens and tens and tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths. We are at a low level right now,” he said.
In comments Wednesday to The Washington Post, however, Fauci seemed to clarify his earlier remarks, saying that unlike the “full-blown explosive pandemic phase” during the brutal winter omicron surge, he was describing what appears to be a period of transition toward the coronavirus becoming an endemic disease.
“The world is still in a pandemic. There’s no doubt about that. Don’t anybody get any misinterpretation of that. We are still experiencing a pandemic,” Fauci told the Post.
His comments come as health authorities wrestle with how to keep COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations manageable and learn to live with what’s still a mutating and unpredictable virus. The Biden administration has stressed that the nation has more tools — vaccinations, booster shots and medications — to better handle infections than earlier in the pandemic.
U.S. cases are far lower than they were in recent months. But health officials are keeping a close eye as highly contagious variants continue to spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cases have risen about 25% in the past week.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/04/27/fauci-us-moving-endemic-phase-covid/ | 2022-04-27T17:46:13Z |
Abreu, White Sox top Red Sox 3-1 in 10 for 5th win in row
By KEN POWTAK
Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — José Abreu hit a go-ahead double in the 10th after the White Sox tied it an inning earlier, helping Chicago beat the Boston Red Sox 3-1 at windy Fenway Park for its fifth straight win. Leury García had two singles and a game-tying sacrifice fly in the ninth for the White Sox, who reached .500 for the first time since April 21. Rafael Devers had an RBI double for Boston, which has lost 13 of 17. The Red Sox have lost six straight series. Boston manager Alex Cora was ejected by home plate umpire Carlos Torres for arguing after Trevor Story was called out on strikes. Abreu drove in automatic runner AJ Pollock and Luis Robert followed with an RBI single off Matt Barnes. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/05/07/abreu-white-sox-top-red-sox-3-1-in-10-for-5th-win-in-row/ | 2022-05-08T01:50:35Z |
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EpicQuest Education Group International Limited ("EpicQuest Education" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: EEIQ), a provider of comprehensive education solutions for domestic and international students interested in college and university programs in the US, Canada and the UK, today announced that Zhenyu Wu, Chief Financial Officer, and Craig Wilson, an independent member of the Company's Board of Directors, will present virtually at the H.C. Wainwright 24th Annual Global Investment Conference being held from September 12 – 14, 2022.
The EpicQuest Education presentation will be available on-demand through the H.C. Wainwright conference portal beginning at 7:00 AM ET on Monday, September 12, 2022. The current EpicQuest Education investor presentation is available for download at the Company's website at https://ireei-global.net/events-and-presentations/.
The EpicQuest Education management team will be available for one-on-one meetings during the conference. Registered investors will be able to request a meeting with management via the conference portal. The H.C. Wainwright Global Investment Conference is a hybrid conference and can be attended in-person or virtually. To register for the conference, please visit https://hcwevents.com/annualconference/.
About EpicQuest Education Group International Limited
EpicQuest Education Group International Limited ("EpicQuest Education" or the "Company"), through its subsidiaries Quest Holding International LLC and Highrim Holding International Limited, provides comprehensive education solutions for domestic and international students interested in university and college degree programs in the US, Canada and the UK. The Company has acquired 80% of the equity of EduGlobal College, based in British Columbia, Canada, which focuses on English proficiency educational programming for students pursuing academic degrees. The Company has also acquired the right to a controlling equity ownership position in Davis College, a career training college located in Toledo, Ohio. In addition, the Company has a recruiting relationship with the regional campuses of Miami University of Ohio ("the MU Regional Campuses"), where it maintains residential facilities, a full-service cafeteria, recreational facilities, shuttle buses and an office for the regional campuses that provides study abroad and post-study services for its students; these facilities are not owned, maintained, operated or are a part of Miami University. The Company also acts as a recruiting agent for the University of the West of Scotland (through The Education Group (London) Ltd) and Coventry University, both of which are located in the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.epicquesteducation.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain of the statements made in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning and protections of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, assumptions, estimates, intentions, and future performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control, and which may cause the actual results, performance, capital, ownership or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements through our use of words such as "may," "will," "anticipate," "assume," "should," "indicate," "would," "believe," "contemplate," "expect," "estimate," "continue," "plan," "point to," "project," "could," "intend," "target" and other similar words and expressions of the future.
All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties described in our most recent Form 20-F and otherwise in our SEC reports and filings. Such reports are available upon request from the Company, or from the Securities and Exchange Commission, including through the SEC's Internet website at http://www.sec.gov. We have no obligation and do not undertake to update, revise or correct any of the forward-looking statements after the date hereof, or after the respective dates on which any such statements otherwise are made.
Contacts:
EpicQuest Education Group International Limited
+1 513-649-8350
ir@epicquesteducation.com
Investor Relations:
Precept Investor Relations LLC
David Rudnick
+1 646-694-8538
david.rudnick@preceptir.com
Source: EpicQuest Education Group International Limited
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SOURCE EpicQuest Education Group International Limited | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/07/epicquest-education-present-hc-wainwright-24th-annual-global-investment-conference/ | 2022-09-07T13:22:10Z |
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tacony Corporation has introduced a new Baby Lock product lineup from its Tacony Sewing Division. The new product line is now available at Baby Lock retailers and showcases new products for expert to beginner-level sewists. Customers who purchase a Baby Lock product will join the Baby Lock community, where they'll receive hands-on retailer support and customer service, as well as hundreds of free projects, invitations to exclusive Baby Lock online communities, access to more than 1,000 sewing videos, and more.
"Our new lineup of sewing, embroidery, and quilting machines and accessories are packed with features that allow sewists to unlock their creativity," said Susanne Voss, director of brand marketing at Tacony Sewing Division. "Plus, each new machine comes with a Get Started Kit to provide Baby Lock owners with everything they need to begin creating and keep creating."
Solaris Vision Sewing, Embroidery, and Quilting Machine
- The IQ Visionary™ Projector vividly displays stitches and embroidery designs on the fabric for perfect placement.
- The included 10-5/8" x 16" hoop is Baby Lock's largest hoop. It makes it possible to stitch out large embroidery designs with fewer rehoopings. Also included is a 10-5/8" x 10-5/8" hoop size which is perfect for quilt blocks.
- With IQ™ Designer and IQ Intuition™ Positioning quilters can create designs and quilt motifs with ease. Draw directly on the screen, scan in favorite artwork, upload an existing file using a USB drive, or wirelessly send artwork to the machine from a smartphone using the IQ Intuition Positioning App. The art will be instantly converted for embroidery.
- Achieve perfect stitches using the built-in camera and endpoint sewing stickers. Simply place the sticker where you want your stitch to end, activate the endpoint sewing feature and sew with confidence.
- Create beautiful edge-to-edge quilting projects using the 10 built-in patterns. Enter a few measurements, select a hoop, specify flip options, and the Solaris Vision sets up the entire quilt. The on-screen instructions and design projections guide you every step of the way for quilts measuring up to 118" x 118."
Bloom Embroidery and Sewing Machine
- 251 built-in stitches and 342 built-in embroidery designs
- Embroider large designs with the included 5"x7" and 5"x12" embroidery hoops.
- By using Design Database Transfer, sewists can easily send designs from their computer to the machine. Also, when a WLAN connection is enabled, sewists will receive notifications when new updates are available for the machine.
- Easily and automatically cut threads before moving to another segment of the design. Thread no longer travels across the hoop or the design, making embroidery cleaner than ever.
Aurora Embroidery and Sewing Machine
- 191 built-in stitches and 303 built-in embroidery designs
- The included 4"x 4" hoop is perfect for personalizing projects with any of the Aurora's built-in embroidery designs and fonts.
- By using Design Database Transfer, sewists can easily send designs from their computer to the machine. Also, when a WLAN connection is enabled, sewists will receive notifications when new updates are available for the machine.
Allegro Quilting and Sewing Machine
- The Allegro has an expanded throat space of 12" to the right of the needle that provides plenty of room to work comfortably on large quilts and projects.
- 200 built-in stitches, including 56 utility stitches with 11 one-step buttonhole styles, 144 decorative stitch patterns, and 2 built-in alphabets.
- The needle up/down feature allows sewists to choose to have the needle start in the up or down position, eliminating interruptions and making it easier to complete projects faster. It's the perfect option for chain piecing and appliqué.
- Choose stitches, adjust stitch length and width, mirror image, and more using the LCD screen.
Solaris Embroidery and Sewing Upgrade 3
- Enhancements include edge-to-edge quilting features, fine-tipped stylus pen, long-stitch embroidery designs, advanced multi-function foot control, advanced monogramming foot N+, and more.
In addition to the new machines, several new Baby Lock accessories are available exclusively at Baby Lock retailers, including easy-to-use magnetic embroidery hoops, foot kits, and more.
To learn more about the new Baby Lock products, visit www.babylock.com.
Founded in 1946, Tacony Corporation is a privately held manufacturing and distribution company that provides your world with better solutions for sewing, cleaning and home. With more than 350 associates in eight offices around the world, under the leadership of CEO Kristi Tacony Humes, Tacony's mission is to create long-lasting relationships that are based on trust and feel like family. For more information, visit www.tacony.com.
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SOURCE Tacony Corporation | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/tacony-corporation-launches-new-baby-lock-sewing-products-baby-lock-tech-2022/ | 2022-08-25T15:58:01Z |
Scorpion Survey Reveals Unique Perspectives Across Generations; Differing Opinions on Personalized Marketing, Resources for Purchasing Decisions, and Advertising Receptivity
SALT LAKE CITY, June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Scorpion, the leading provider of technology and services that help local businesses thrive, today announced the results of a survey that explores the traditional and digital media channels consumers prefer when researching and purchasing new products or services, as well as their data privacy/online personalization preferences. The survey was conducted with Qualtrics in Q2 of 2022, and had a sample size of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers. Key findings include:
- Most people want Web personalization: 71% of respondents indicated they like having their Website browsing experience personalized. In fact, only 9% of Gen Z said they would not want a personalized web browsing experience while 19% of Millennials and 28% of Gen X said no. A whopping 46% of Baby Boomers said no to a personalized web browsing experience, meaning they were 5x more likely than Gen Z to not want personalized ads, often tied to data privacy concerns.
- However, many are not satisfied with that Web personalization: In fact, 72% of respondents indicated dissatisfaction with the digital ads they receive. A quarter of the survey respondents indicated that personalized Web ads were usually not relevant to them; 22% said the ads 'seem to know too much' about them; and 22% indicated ads reached them after they had already made their purchases.
- Neighborhood apps are a hit with Gen Z and Millennials: Gen Z and Millennials were nearly 2x as likely as Baby Boomers (29% vs 16%) to use neighborhood apps and pages (e.g., NextDoor and Facebook Groups) for learning about new products and services.
- Smart Devices Unlock Next Phase of Shopping: Older Millennials and younger members of Gen X lead the way in smart device shopping at 56%, followed by Gen Z at 46% and younger Millennials at 44%. Despite traditionally lagging behind in technology adoption, a surprising 33% of Baby Boomers use smart devices for shopping.
- YouTube is the great unifier: The most helpful social network turned out to be YouTube, with 17% of respondents giving it the top spot, though Gen Z and Millennials were nearly 3x as likely as Baby Boomers (22% vs 8%) to say YouTube was the most helpful.
"The future of digital marketing is centered around personalization, as businesses of all sizes now have access to technology that can provide a 1:1 experience for their customers," said Joe Martin, VP of Marketing at Scorpion. "It's essential that small businesses understand their customers so they can produce tailor-made marketing that results in each customer truly understanding the value of the goods or services delivered. When this occurs, customer satisfaction peaks, and that in turn results in customer retention, and even additional customers via 'word of mouth'."
When it comes to learning about new products and services, younger and older generations share some similarities, but also have distinct preferences when it comes to certain channels.
- Across all age groups, 53% of respondents said online and email ads were where they learned about new products and services while 43% said websites were where they turned. These were the only two channels where variance among the generational groups was relatively small.
- Gen Z (18-24) and younger Millennials (25-34) are 4.5x and 4X more likely than Baby Boomers to turn to influencers when learning about new products and services, with 43% of Gen Z and 35% of younger Millennials saying they were influenced by influencers compared to 9% of Baby Boomers.
- The rising prevalence of messaging platforms like Discord and Reddit with younger generations was apparent as Gen Z was 4.5x and Millennials + Gen X 5x as likely as Baby Boomers to use them for new product and service discovery. Only 3% of Baby Boomers turned to messaging platforms while Gen Z clocked in at 14% and Millennials + Gen X 16%.
- The tables were flipped when it came to direct mail, flyers, and print ads. This more traditional channel resonated with Baby Boomers much more than younger generations, with Baby Boomers (38%) 3.5x more likely to turn to print than Gen Z (10%) and younger Millennials (11%).
With regards to online reviews, younger generations tend to place more emphasis on star ratings while older generations are more willing to let companies slide if they have poorer reviews.
- 23% of Gen Z and 20% of Millennials said they would never consider a company that had less than five-stars on review sites. This is in contrast to Baby Boomers, of whom only 7% said as such.
- On the other side of the coin, 16% of Baby Boomers said they would not exclude a company based on their star ratings. This is 4x more likely than Gen Z (4%).
For more information on the survey, please visit: scorpion.co/consumermarketing2022
Scorpion is the leading provider of technology and services helping local businesses thrive. It helps local service providers understand their unique market dynamics, maximize their marketing efforts, and deliver experiences their customers will love. Scorpion puts SEO, Reviews, Advertising, Email Marketing, Chat and Messaging, Social Media, Websites, Lead Management, Appointment Scheduling, and more to work for local businesses. The company brings everything together in a way that's easy to understand and manage, blending AI and teams of real people with vertical expertise committed to customers' success and ready to do whatever it takes to help them reach their goals.
Scorpion is headquartered in the Salt Lake City area, with offices in California, Texas, and New York. For more information, please visit https://www.scorpion.co/about-us/
Media contact:
Hayley Lavin
hayley.lavin@sparkpr.com
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SOURCE Scorpion | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/09/consumer-survey-unearths-new-insights-around-online-privacy-personalization-digital-marketing-media-preferences/ | 2022-06-09T13:43:51Z |
Introducing the fastest, easiest, and most cost-effective way to formalize, centralize, and simplify your risk management program. New users can try it free for 45 days.
BOSTON, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WolfPAC Integrated Risk Management announces the launch of WolfPAC Essentials, a new, streamlined risk management platform with a straightforward approach to assessing and mitigating the most significant risks to your organization.
Wolf & Company, P.C. CEO Mark O'Connell commented, "Over the past two decades, hundreds of financial institutions have used WolfPAC to take their risk management programs to the next level. We're proud to bring the same intellectual horsepower and product expertise that fuels the WolfPAC engine to a much larger audience that needs it now more than ever."
Today is the riskiest time in human history to operate a business. As a result, organizations of every kind face an unprecedented onslaught of threats and uncertainty. Cybercrime, employee turnover and burnout, natural disasters, and economic turbulence are only a few of the threats weighing heavily on the minds of executives.
There's also a lack of viable risk management solutions for lean organizations pushed to do more with less. What's been available to date is either far too expensive and complex or not robust enough to meet their needs. This dynamic leaves time and resourced-strapped companies exposed to unnecessary risks, many of which can have a severe and sometimes irreversible impact on their businesses.
WolfPAC's latest product roll-out ensures that companies of all sizes now have an easy, cost-effective, and automated way to build a modern, scalable enterprise risk management program that protects them from threats of today and tomorrow. Companies can stop worrying that the departure of a single individual will derail their entire program.
WolfPAC Essentials gives lean organizations everything they need to build a sophisticated risk management program in three critical areas: Information Technology, Third-Party Relationship Management, and Business Continuity Planning.
"We created this platform with one goal in mind: making modern risk management easier and more affordable for all companies, regardless of industry, size, location, or level of risk management maturity," said Ron Taché, WolfPAC General Manager. "WolfPAC Essentials does just that. It is affordable and easy to set up, learn, and use. In fact, customers can register and conduct their first risk assessment within 30 minutes. Also, there are no implementation, installation, or training fees. We believe this offering is a game-changer for lean organizations and strongly encourage all interested parties to take it for a free 45-day test drive."
To learn more and sign up for a 45-day free trial with no commitment, please visit:
https://www.wolfpacsolutions.com/wolfpac-essentials/
WolfPAC Integrated Risk Management® is a secure, web-based enterprise risk management solution used to automate the identification of risks, threats, and control gaps. Developed by financial professionals in 2004, WolfPAC® provides tools to review and assess information technology, privacy, vendor, compliance, and other enterprise-wide risk assessments. Learn more at: www.wolfpacsolutions.com.
Media Contact:
Keith Reinhardt, Marketing Manager – WolfPAC Integrated Risk Management
Wolf & Company, P.C.
Phone: 508-641-0762
Email: Kreinhardt@wolfandcco.com
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SOURCE Wolf & Company | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/wolfpac-launches-wolfpac-essentials-new-risk-management-platform-built-lean-organizations/ | 2022-08-18T15:48:55Z |
Season 5 Viewership on CBS up by 12% Year over Year Averaging 516,000 Viewers Across 23 Hours of Live Games
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the BIG3 announced the ratings from their 2022 championship weekend in front of a sold-out crowd at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA. The inaugural 2022 All-Star Game and 2022 Championship Game marked the highest-rated BIG3 event since 2019, with the entire 2-hour telecast averaging 638,000 total viewers on CBS, up 56 percent from last year. The 2022 Championship Game averaged 681,000 total viewers, up 32 percent from last season's Championship Game and peaking at 1,019,000 viewers. The Inaugural All-Star Game averaged 587,000 viewers, up 100 percent from last year's consolation game in the same time window.
More than 1 million viewers tuned in Sunday evening to see the incredible finish as Trilogy's Isaiah Briscoe hit the game-winning layup to defeat Nancy Lieberman's Power, making the Stephen Jackson-led team the first-ever three-time BIG3 champions and the first team in league history to win back-to-back titles.
"These numbers and growth are further evidence of the kind of league we are building," said Ice Cube, BIG3 co-founder. "Every week, we have continued to deliver an exciting product and bring in more viewers than leagues twice, three times our age in a period of downturn in viewership. Even in the most competitive season yet, Trilogy was able to do what no team has done before and that is a testament to Stephen Jackson's leadership and every single player's commitment to the league. Players want to play for us, coaches want to coach with us, businesses want to work with us, and millions of people want to watch us. The BIG3 is here to stay and it will only go up from here."
These numbers come even after a packed weekend of programming as the BIG3 went head-to-head with preseason NFL, the final round of the BMW Championship, and the WNBA playoffs. In the sought-after 18-49 age range, the BIG3 averaged more viewers than the round 1 WNBA playoff games and rated higher than Sunday's MLB games. In total, the BIG3's fifth season averaged 516,000 total viewers on CBS, a 12 percent increase from last season's average of 458,000 total viewers on CBS.
This season saw some of the most competitive FIREBALL3 in the league's history. On top of the Dr. J Trophy, Trilogy picked up two end of year awards, Fireman of The Year for Isaiah Briscoe and Defensive Player of the Year for Earl Clark. Scoring champion Kevin Murphy from the 3-Headed Monsters took home this year's Most Valuable Player and Too Hard To Guard Awards. His coach, Reggie Theus, was the BIG3's 2022 Coach of the Year, coaching his team to the league's playoffs and narrowly losing out to Power. The Rookie Of The Year was awarded to number one overall pick Glen Rice Jr. from Power, who hit the game-winning shot to send Power to the 2022 Championship Game. Dajuan Summers of Tri-State won the 4th Man of The Year award and Mike Taylor from the Ghost Ballers won for the league's Best Trash Talker.
The Monster Energy BIG3 Celebrity Game played ahead of the All-Star and 2022 Championship games will air on CBS on Sunday, September 4. For more information on the Celebrity Game or to see the results and highlights from the All-Star game and Championship Game, go to BIG3.com and follow @thebig3 on twitter and instagram.
ABOUT BIG3:
BIG3 (BIG3.com) is where FIREBALL3 superstars play. The premier global BIG3 league features many of the greatest, most popular, and skilled professional athletes of all time. Founded by producer, actor, and music legend Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, the BIG3 combines highly competitive, physical, fast game experiences and incredible fan experiences.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Hannah Palacios, hpalacios@hstrategies.com
Gaby Moran, gmoran@hstrategies.com
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SOURCE BIG3 Basketball LLC | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/24/2022-big3-championship-game-highest-rated-event-since-2019-peaking-more-than-one-million-total-us-viewers-cbs/ | 2022-08-24T18:37:55Z |
School bus driver accused of taking upskirt photos of female students arrested
By WPVI Staff
Click here for updates on this story
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania (WPVI) — A Delaware County school bus driver accused of taking upskirt photos of several young female students with his cellphone has been identified and arrested.
The Upper Providence Township Police Department announced 70-year-old Bruce Stanley Garner of Lansdowne, a former Marple Newtown School District driver, was taken into custody Friday morning at his home.
Marple Newtown School District said Garner is “no longer employed by the district” and “will not be permitted on school grounds.”
A student at St. Mary Magdalen School in Media alerted police of the improper conduct on May 17.
Police said a search warrant was obtained for the bus driver’s phone.
“A forensic analysis of the bus driver’s phone was completed. Based on the content and evidence contained on the phone an arrest warrant was prepared and approved by the District Attorney’s Office,” police said.
Garner is being charged with 139 counts of invasion of privacy, 139 counts of unlawful contact with a minor, 139 counts of criminal use of communication facility, 139 counts of sexual abuse of children, endangering the welfare of children and possessing instruments of crime.
Each count represents a video found on his phone, officials said. The victims include both teen and pre-teen girls.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said Garner befriended the girls and would have conversations with them.
It was only when a few of the girls noticed he was holding his phone at his side as they got on and off the bus that they told their parents, Stollsteimer said. The parents immediately told the school district and the investigation began.
Stollsteimer said Garner was “grooming” his victims.
At this time, police said there is no evidence that suggest the driver had physical contact with any of the victims.
The Marple Newtown School District released the following statement on the investigation earlier this week:
“This communication is to inform you that this morning, the District learned that an individual who was assigned to drive bus #302 is under criminal investigation by the Upper Providence Police Department regarding allegations of improper conduct while acting as a District bus driver. Although these allegations do not currently involve physical contact, they do include ‘upskirt’ style photographs taken on this driver’s personal cell phone.
The welfare and safety of all children entrusted to the District’s care are its paramount concern. At this time, the District can assure that this individual is no longer employed by the District, and will not be permitted on school grounds. The District is fully cooperating with law enforcement’s ongoing criminal investigation.
If you learn of any information that you believe may be relevant to this criminal investigation, please contact Detective Sergeant George Moore of the Upper Providence Police Department at 610-566-8445. If you believe that your child would benefit from speaking with one of our school counselors, please contact your school principal to make arrangements. If you have any questions of the District whatsoever, please contact me at 610-359-4256.”
Stollsteimer said Garner has retained an attorney.
The investigation is ongoing.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://localnews8.com/news/2022/05/20/school-bus-driver-accused-of-taking-upskirt-photos-of-female-students-arrested/ | 2022-05-20T19:24:29Z |
5 things to know for May 19: Ukraine, Buffalo shooting, Stocks, Baby formula, Soccer
By Alexandra Meeks, CNN
Many Americans say life has at least partially returned to a pre-pandemic normal, but experts warn that when it comes to Covid-19, the US is not out of the woods yet. A third of people in the US currently live in areas with high or medium community levels and should consider masking indoors based on their own Covid-19 risk, the director of the CDC said yesterday.
Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
(You can get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)
1. Ukraine
In a show of support for the Ukrainian government, the US has reopened its embassy in Kyiv after it closed three months ago ahead of Russia’s invasion. “We underscored our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, pledged to continue our assistance, and started working toward the day we could return to Kyiv. Now, that day has come,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday. Blinken also said the US will give Ukraine an additional $215 million in emergency food assistance to help the country fight its ongoing humanitarian crisis. On the battlefield, NATO doesn’t expect significant gains for either Russia or Ukraine in the coming weeks. “I think we’ll be in a standstill for a while,” a NATO military official with knowledge of the intelligence told CNN. Separately, President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with the leaders of Finland and Sweden today after the two nations submitted their formal applications to become NATO members.
2. Buffalo shooting
The House of Representatives voted 222-203 yesterday to pass a bill aimed at preventing domestic terrorism and combating the threat of violent extremism by White supremacists. The vote comes in the wake of a racially motivated mass shooting over the weekend at a supermarket in a predominately Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, that killed 10 people and wounded three others. The bill now heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain because most Republicans in Congress remain steadfastly opposed to any kind of gun control bills. The suspected shooter, Payton Gendron, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder, officials said, adding that other charges are forthcoming. He is scheduled to appear in court today for a felony hearing.
3. Stocks
The stock market had a rough day yesterday, with the Dow tumbling 1,164 points, or 3.6% — its worst trading day since June 2020. Markets have plummeted over the past month as the Federal Reserve telegraphed that it would regularly hike interest rates by half a percentage point for the foreseeable future to combat persistent inflation. Now, investors are calling for a three-quarter-point rate hike at the conclusion of the Fed’s June meeting, despite Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s assurances that an increase that high isn’t on the table. Meanwhile, Asian markets opened sharply lower today, continuing Wall Street’s downward spiral hours earlier.
4. Baby formula
The Biden administration announced it is taking new actions to attempt to alleviate the nationwide baby formula shortage, including invoking the Defense Production Act. The act allows the government more control over industrial production during emergencies and will direct suppliers of formula ingredients to prioritize delivery to various manufacturers. In addition, President Biden announced that the Defense Department’s commercial planes will be used to import formula from abroad. The House yesterday also passed a pair of bills aimed at addressing the nationwide formula shortage. One of the bills would provide $28 million in emergency funding to increase the number of FDA inspection staff and bolster additional resources for personnel working on formula issues. The other bill is aimed at ensuring that families in need can continue to buy baby formula with WIC benefits during a public health emergency or supply chain issues such as a product recall.
5. US Soccer
After a long fight, US Soccer has agreed to a landmark equal pay deal for women. Under the new agreement, US Soccer will become “the first Federation in the world to equalize FIFA World Cup prize money” awarded to the teams for participating in World Cups. “This is a truly historic moment,” US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said yesterday. US Soccer will share a portion of its broadcast, partner and sponsorship revenue with a 50/50 split of that share divided equally between the US women’s and men’s national teams, according to the agreement. The deal also encompasses other areas such child care, parental leave, short-term disability, mental health impairment, travel and equal quality of venues and field playing surfaces. Earlier this year, US Soccer and the US Women’s National Team reached a $24 million agreement to end a dispute over equal pay dating back to 2019.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
A 16-year-old is on a quest to become the youngest person to fly around the world solo
He’s following in the footsteps of his older sister, the youngest woman to fly around the world at age 19. What a cool family!
This unusual new superyacht concept has a giant glass eye
Introducing the extravagant 110-meter vessel, Zion. (But it would have been clever to name it Cyclops. Just saying!)
Italian mom shares tips for the perfect Italian sauce
Say goodbye to bland spaghetti. Check out this quick video to learn how to elevate your pasta sauce to the next level. Deliziosa!
Wingstop could soon raise its own chickens
When there are supply chain issues, become your own supplier. That’s the company’s potential solution to reduce food supply costs amid high demand.
The Ringling Bros. circus is returning next year — without elephants
The iconic traveling circus is being revived less than a decade after it shuttered, but with a few big changes under the big top.
TODAY’S NUMBER
3
That’s how many North Korean cargo planes flew to China and back on Monday as the country battles a fast-spreading outbreak of Covid-19. While it is unknown what the planes were carrying, the rare trip came after China pledged to help North Korea with its outbreak, which experts have warned could cause a major humanitarian crisis in the isolated and impoverished nation. North Korea officially confirmed its first Covid cases last week. The country had not previously acknowledged any cases, and has kept its borders tightly shut since January 2020.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“As long as we are fortunate enough to be breathing, we will breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out. And I’m a doctor now, so I know how breathing works.”
— Pop superstar Taylor Swift, delivering a commencement speech at New York University’s 2022 graduation ceremony. Swift received an honorary “Doctor of Fine Arts” degree from the university. She was first announced as the commencement speaker for NYU back in March to mass excitement from fans of the 11-time Grammy winner. Some people even tried to buy tickets to the ceremony from graduating students.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY
A Virtual Vacation to Paris
Sip your coffee and enjoy this time lapse of one of the most stunning cities in the world. Let’s call it a virtual vacation! Bon voyage! (Click here to view)
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/cnn-national/2022/05/19/5-things-to-know-for-may-19-ukraine-buffalo-shooting-stocks-baby-formula-soccer-2/ | 2022-05-19T11:16:43Z |
FRISCO, Texas, May 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- STF Management LP, the Frisco, Texas-based SEC registered investment advisor and provider of exchange-traded Funds (ETFs), announces the launch of the STF Tactical Growth ETF (TUG) and STF Tactical Growth & Income ETF (TUGN).
TUG and TUGN are launched at a strategic time to meet investors' needs as they continue to seek income-producing investments. With rising interest rates, there is now more stress and volatility on traditional fixed income investments—increasing demand for alternative means of income generation that can also provide a dynamic and tactical approach to asset allocation.
"Both TUG and TUGN are a strategic part of STF Management's mission to solve the two biggest challenges investors face in today's economy: how to remain fully invested in the appropriate asset allocation throughout market cycles and how to also generate income that lasts now and through retirement," says Jonathan Molchan, Co-CEO of STF Management.
These two ETFs are built on the Tactical Unconstrained Growth (TUG Model). The TUG strategy employs a rules-based approach to asset allocation that toggles between equity exposure in the Nasdaq-100 and fixed income providing the potential to play offense and defense over time. The STF Tactical Growth & Income (TUGN) is also powered by the rules-based asset allocation strategy of TUG combined with a rules-based, actively managed options overlay that seeks to generate potential monthly income.
"The first Tactical Unconstrained Growth (TUG Model) signals were used in 2014, and for the first time it is available to investors within an ETF, which is why I'm so excited about this launch," explains Thomas Campbell, Co-CEO of STF Management and the creator of the Tactical Unconstrained Growth (TUG Model) signals.
About STF Management LP
STF Management LP is an SEC registered investment advisor headquartered in Frisco, TX. Our team is comprised of a variety of industry professionals who have specific expertise in financial services including hedge Funds, investment banks, insurance companies and asset management firms. The STF team has a dedicated focus bringing investment solutions to clients, leveraging their experience in product development, management and distribution.
To learn more about TUG and TUGN, or to inquire about how to invest, go to: stfm.com.
Media Contact:
Jay Gragnani
Head of Client Engagement
Jay.Gragnani@stfm.com
Important Information
Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other information about the Funds, visit our website at stfm.com. Read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.
Investing in ETFs involves risk and there is no guarantee of principal.
Because the Funds are ETFs (rather than a mutual Funds), shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV), may trade at a discount or premium to NAV and are not individually redeemable. Owners of shares may acquire those shares from the Funds and tender those shares for redemption to the Funds in Creation Unit aggregations only. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns.
Cash Redemption Risk. The Funds' investment strategy may, at times, require it to redeem shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. In that case, the Funds may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed, which may cause the Funds to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in kind. Derivatives (Options) Risk. The Funds (for TUGN only) invests in options that derive their performance from that of the Nasdaq-100 Index. Derivatives may be more sensitive to changes in market conditions and may amplify risks. Selling and buying options are speculative activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. Fixed income Risk. Fixed income investments are subject to changes in governmental policy and market conditions, which may cause such investments to be subject to significant volatility and reduced liquidity, depending on the environment. Fixed Income – Call Risk. During periods of falling interest rates, an issue of a callable bond held by the Funds may call or repay the security before maturity, causing the Funds to reinvest proceeds at a lower interest rate. Fixed Income – Credit Risk. Debt issuers and other counterparties may not honor their obligations or have their debt downgraded by ratings agencies. Fixed Income – Extension Risk. During periods of rising interest rates, certain debt obligations will be paid off more slowly than anticipated, causing the value of those securities to fall. This may result in a decline in the Funds' income and potential the value of the Funds' investments. Fixed Income – Interest Rate Risk. Rising interest rates may cause the value of fixed-income securities held by the Funds to decline. Large-Capitalization Investing Risk. The securities or large capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefor subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Management Risk. The Funds is actively managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser's success or failure in implementing the Funds' strategy. Models and Data Risk. When models and data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, decisions made based on them can expose the Funds to potential risks. New Funds Risk. The Funds is recently organized with no operating history and managed by an Adviser that has not previously managed a registered Funds. As such, the Funds has no track record on which to base investment decisions. Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Funds is "non-diversified," it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in securities of a single issuer or fewer issuers than a diversified Funds, which may expose the Funds to the risks associated with the developments affecting the issuers in which the Funds invests. Other Investment Company Risk. By investing in another investment company, including ETFs, the Funds becomes a shareholder of that investment company and bears its proportionate share of the fees and expenses of that investment company. In addition, the Funds is also subject to the principal risks of the investment companies in which it invests U.S. Treasury Obligations Risk. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. government may cause the value of the Funds' U.S. Treasury obligations to decline.
The Nasdaq 100 Index is a basket of the 100 largest, most actively traded U.S companies listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. The index includes companies from various industries except for the financial industry, like commercial and investment banks. These non-financial sectors include retail, biotechnology, industrial, technology, health care, and others. Indexes cannot be invested in directly.
STF Management, LP serves as the Funds' investment adviser.
The Funds are distributed by Foreside Funds Services, LLC.
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SOURCE STF Management LP | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/24/new-etf-issuer-stf-management-launches-first-two-etfs-nasdaq-exchange/ | 2022-05-24T12:51:52Z |
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Taliban security forces in northern Afghanistan have unlawfully detained and tortured residents accused of association with an opposition armed group, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said Friday.
Fighting has escalated in Panjshir province since mid-May as anti-Taliban forces there attacked Taliban units and checkpoints, HRW said in a statement. The Taliban have responded by deploying thousands of fighters on search operations targeting communities they allege are supporting the opposition forces, the group added.
“Taliban forces have committed summary executions and enforced disappearances of captured fighters and other detainees, which are war crimes,” both in Panjshir and elsewhere in Afghanistan, it said.
The force fighting in the mountainous Panjshir Valley north of Kabul — a remote region that has defied conquerors before — rose out of the last remnants of Afghanistan’s shattered security forces. It has vowed to resist the Taliban after they overrun the country and seized power in Afghanistan in mid-August.
Nestled in the towering Hindu Kush range, the Panjshir Valley has a single narrow entrance. Local fighters held off the Soviets there in the 1980s, and the Taliban a decade later under the leadership of Ahmad Shah Massoud, a guerrilla fighter who attained near-mythic status before he was killed in a suicide bombing.
His 33-year-old foreign-educated son, Ahmad Massoud, and several top officials from the ousted Western-backed government have vowed to resist the Taliban.
“Taliban forces in Panjshir province have quickly resorted to beating civilians in their response to fighting against the opposition National Resistance Front,” said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
“The Taliban’s longstanding failure to punish those responsible for serious abuses in their ranks puts more civilians at risk,” Gossman was quoted in the statement.
Taliban officials have not commented on the HRW statement. Their troops in Panjshir are under the command of the Taliban-appointed defense minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob. HRW said that Yaqoob stated in May that Afghanistan’s new rulers will not allow anyone to “disrupt security” in the province.
Former detainees reported in early June that Taliban security forces detained about 80 residents in the province’s Khenj district and beat them to compel them to provide information about the opposition forces, HRW said, citing an unnamed human rights advocate who has interviewed several former detainees and a person with direct information about Taliban detentions.
After several days, the Taliban released 70 of the captives but continue to hold 10 whose relatives they accuse of being members of the opposition force, according to the HRW statement.
“Taliban forces in Panjshir have imposed collective punishment and disregarded protections to which detainees are entitled,” Gossman said. “This is just the latest example of Taliban abuses during fighting in the region.” | https://cw33.com/news/ap-top-headlines/watchdog-says-afghan-taliban-detaining-torturing-civilians/ | 2022-06-10T20:40:56Z |
Making 3D printed toys
3D printing is the process of making three-dimensional objects by laying thin layers of material on top of one another. Each layer is so thin that the height is barely detectable by the human eye.
In the late ’70s, the early days of the technology, 3D printing was crude, suitable only for developing prototypes quickly and cheaply. Today, 3D printing is used to create jewelry, furniture, tools, prosthetics, hearing aids, foods and even toys.
What you need to know
How does 3D printing work?
Plastic threads are fed into the printer, melted and then squirted through tiny nozzles. A mechanical assembly uses motors and belts to move the nozzles from side to side, in and out and up and down to create contours. The resolution of a 3D printer is the height of the layers, measured in thousandths of a millimeter, also called microns.
Where can you find scannable 3D models of toys?
There are many sites that let you download free 3D models. Type “Free 3D toy models” into your search bar, and you will find sites with hundreds of scannable toy models. Among the best:
- Turbosquid has free models of toy cars, airplanes, trains, toy soldiers, cats and dogs.
- CG Trader has teddy bears, Ninja turtles, fingerboards, alphabet blocks and more.
- 3D Export has “Star Wars” stormtroopers, Skywalker ships and the Millennium Falcon, plus Formula 1 race cars and creepy articulated centipedes.
What you need to have in addition to a 3D printer
3D software
If you can draw an object in two dimensions, you can print it in three with special conversion software. The process by which the software turns your 3D model into hundreds or thousands of thin layers is called slicing. The thinner the layer, the greater the detail of the finished model or toy.
Raw materials
- Filaments: In the world of 3D printing, filaments are thermoplastics that melt when heated so they can be shaped and molded, solidifying only when they are cooled.
- Resins: Used in stereolithography printing, resins employ lasers and photochemical processes to make products in high resolution with lots of detail and smooth surfaces.
3D printing processes
FDM
FDM stands for fused deposition modeling. It is the most common type of desktop 3D printer because it is easy to use and the thermoplastic filaments it uses as raw materials are the least expensive. The downsides are it has the lowest accuracy and resolution and is prone to clogging.
SLS
SLS is the term for selective laser sintering. This process uses a laser to fuse powdered nylon polymers. SLS printers are preferred by engineers and manufacturers because they produce precise, strong products. SLS printers are ideal for making products with complex geometries.
SLA
SLA is shorthand for stereolithography, the world’s first 3D printing technology. SLA printers use lasers to cure liquid photopolymer resins. SLA printers deliver high resolution and fine details.
What you need to buy to make 3D printed toys
3D printer
Dremel Digilab 3D45 3D Printer
This PCMag award-winning PLA printer prints detailed models and toys. When you follow the intuitive instructions on the 5-inch full-color touch screen, you can make your first print within 15 minutes of unboxing.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Elegoo Saturn MSLA 3D Resin Printer
This fast, durable printer excels at creating resin prints that are large, smooth and accurate. The 54 ultraviolet LED lights ensure accurate sizing and superior print results.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Makerbot Replicator+ 3D PLA Printer with Swappable Smart Extruder
Beginners love its wireless connectivity, easy setup and user-friendly software. The built-in 640 x 480 camera of this PCMag Editors’ Choice lets you monitor the progress as your toy is being printed.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
3D printer filaments
Mika3D Shiny Silk PLA Filament Bundle
These three spools of gold, silver and copper each contain 500 grams of 1.75-millimeter filament. They are universally compatible with FDM 3D printers. Made of eco-friendly materials, they print in the range of 400 to 445 degrees with low odor and no bubbles.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Amazon Basics PLA 3D Printer Filament
These inexpensive filaments are designed to fit most common 3D printers. You get 1 kilogram of 1.75-millimeter filament on a spool. This commonly used thermoplastic is known for its ease of use, relatively low melting temperature and glossy finish.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
This spool of 1.75 millimeter filaments weighs 1 kilogram. PLA+ filaments are extracted from corn and are eco-friendly, odorless and harmless to humans. Much sturdier than typical PLA materials, they will not crack, warp, tangle or clog your printer head.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
3D printer liquids
Phrozen 3D Printer Rapid Resin
This resin prints in 4K with high color rendering that showcases all of your toy’s details. Unlike many other resins, it doesn’t curl, bend or discolor. Your toy will be resilient and won’t easily break.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Elegoo ABS-like 3D Printer Resin
This SLA photopolymer resin cures quickly with minimal shrinkage to ensure precisely made toys with smooth finishes and amazing detail. It is suitable for use with most printers labeled DLP and LCD.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Anycubic 3D Printer Plant-Based UV Resin
Made from soybean oil, this biodegradable resin has no harmful chemicals and only a minimal odor. It cures quickly, is compatible with most LCD 3D printers and is great for printing models, toys and prototypes.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
3D modeling software
Corel CAD 3D Design and Printing Software
Turn imagination into creation with this affordable Windows and Mac software. It is a collection of purpose-built modeling and editing tools that transform your 2D sketches into 3D models with just a few clicks.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
This software lets you turn your ideas into reality by toggling between 2D and 3D view. It turns architectural and mechanical designs into files for all popular 3D printers.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Mynt 3D Professional Printing 3D Pen with OLED Display
Skip the computer and the printer, and get started drawing your own toys immediately. Doodle, sketch and paint with this special extruding pen that puts the magic of 3D printing in your hand.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://cw33.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/printers-office-electronics-br/how-to-make-3d-printed-toys/ | 2022-07-12T14:24:44Z |
SAN FRANCISCO, July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ILUMA raised $2.5M in pre-seed funding led by Acrew Capital to build the 'Superhuman of web3' with its AI-powered inbox and platform for DAO builders to power the future decacorns of web3. It is currently powering Orange DAO - 1,200+ Y Combinator founders with a $50M web3 investment fund.
ILUMA raised a $2.5 million pre-seed round led by Acrew Capital, with participation from HiveHatch and Orange DAO, among other leading web3 investors. It is currently powering Orange DAO - one of the leading communities building the future of web3 - with 1,200+ Y Combinator founders and a $50M web3 investment fund.
The company is founded by Y Combinator alum and AI leader, Ricardo Garcia-Amaya. With 20+ years of experience building powerful networks and communities, Ricardo is also the founder of the YCombinator Alumni group (4,000+ top tech founders and $600B in valuations), and the group of the Top American Latinx Tech Leaders ($16B in founder exits and $120B to invest). He raised $7M for his previous company, backed by Y Combinator, that focused on conversational AI software. He is currently serving his second term as a Governance committee member of the Orange DAO.
"As a founding Governance member of Orange DAO, it has become very clear that due to the decentralized nature of DAOs, the single biggest determinant of success is effectively capturing and synthesizing the myriad of conversations, discussions and activity happening at any point in time in the DAO, and sharing it with members as easily digestible, valuable insights to ensure informed decision-making." explains ILUMA's founder and CEO Ricardo Garcia-Amaya.
ILUMA is solving one of the biggest pain points of web3 communities and DAOs: members and leaders spend valuable time sifting through information that's buried in a sea of chatter and documentation spread across different communication platforms, documentation sites and databases. New projects and proposals are created every day, information moves fast, leaders change periodically and new members join daily.
Using powerful AI, ILUMA, provides DAO and web3 community leaders and members with the 'superhuman' ability to stay up-to-date and get through hundreds of conversations in minutes, and contribute back to relevant discussions as they occur. Its self-learning core captures and sorts the most critical DAO data, building the institutional knowledge center of the DAO. With it, leaders can create a well-rounded onboarding experience, easily understand where members best fit in the DAO and create opportunities for members to get involved and contribute effectively.
ILUMA is currently offering invite-only access and will be raising a seed round later this year.
To learn more or sign up to their waitlist, visit www.iluma.xyz
DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations), which are internet based and operated organizations that are collectively owned and managed by their members, are the structure of choice when it comes to building collectives in web3. The number of DAOs is continuing to grow rapidly with over 1M DAOs expected to be created in the next 12 months, even despite current bearish markets.
ILUMA is building the autonomous solution to onboard, manage, engage and support the next 1M DAO communities in web3. Its 'superhuman' inbox allows DAO and web3 community leaders and members to get through community conversations in minutes and respond to important discussions faster. ILUMA is also your portal into your DAO. Easily find critical DAO and member data to better understand what's happening in the DAO on a daily basis, make informed decisions, and create opportunities for members to contribute.
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SOURCE Iluma | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/26/y-combinator-alumni-raises-25m-pre-seed-build-iluma-superhuman-web3/ | 2022-07-26T16:53:12Z |
Strategic Acquisition Strengthens American Regent's Pipeline and Expansion in the U.S.
SHIRLEY, N.Y. , Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American Regent, Inc., a U.S. manufacturer of pharmaceuticals for human and veterinary use with manufacturing sites in New York and Ohio, today announced it acquired HBT Labs, Inc. based in California. HBT Labs has a pipeline of generic and 505(b)(2) pharmaceutical products that target various treatment indications including cancer and Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders.
"Our acquisition of HBT Labs supports our growing product portfolio, efforts to expand into the oncology market, and dedication to better meeting the needs of providers and patients," said Paul Diolosa, President and CEO of American Regent. "HBT's proprietary processes and technologies to produce complex drugs will enable us to achieve our business objectives of applying innovative thinking to respond to customer needs. We look forward to working with the management team and respected staff of HBT, who are leaders in highly specialized drugs and delivery systems."
With the acquisition, American Regent will support the existing commercialization of HBT's authorized generic that is managed through a partner, in addition to supporting the launch of HBT's FDA approved 505(b)(2) New Drug Application (NDA) providing for the use of Paclitaxel Protein-Bound Particles for Injectable Suspension (Albumin-Bound), lyophilized powder for reconstitution, 100 mg/vial.
HBT Labs, Inc. will function as a wholly owned subsidiary of American Regent, Inc., and will continue research and development and commercial operations in Brea, California.
American Regent financed the transaction with existing cash on hand.
American Regent, Inc., a Daiichi Sankyo Group company, is a leading injectable manufacturer. For over 50 years, American Regent has been developing, manufacturing, and supplying quality generic and branded injectables for healthcare providers. For nearly 20 years, we have been a leader in IV iron therapy.
American Regent is committed to U.S.-based manufacturing. To that end, over the last several years, we have made significant investments in expanding and modernizing our manufacturing facilities in Ohio and New York. This expansion will nearly double our capacity and allow us to better serve our customers now and in the future.
Speed counts. Flexibility matters. Reliability and quality are paramount. Because patients should never have to wait for the medications they need.
For more information, please visit www.americanregent.com.
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SOURCE American Regent, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/hbt-labs-inc-join-american-regent-inc/ | 2022-08-17T18:13:55Z |
ATLANTA -- A trio of Georgia education laws that took effect a few weeks ago have set the stage for a possibly contentious opening to Georgia’s school year next month.
The laws address how teachers talk about potentially divisive topics in the classroom and parental control over education. The source of heated controversy during the legislative session, the laws are now in the hands of schools, school districts, and the state Department of Education to implement.
One law -- often called the “divisive concepts” law -- prohibits teaching about U.S. history in a way that might make any student feel guilty or that they are superior or inferior to anyone else because of their race. Georgia’s Board of Education adopted a model complaint policy for complaints under the law in June.
Now it is up to local school boards to adopt their own policies by Aug. 1. Whether they adopt the state’s model or craft their own policy is up to them.
Conflicts over implementation of the law will play out differently in different parts of the state, education observers, including Lisa Morgan, president of the Georgia Association of Educators, have said.
Morgan said she expected complaints stemming from language-arts and literature classes along with social studies classes.
A kindergarten teacher for most of her career, Morgan said elementary grades would not be immune to complaints.
“The laws are a clear attempt to divide parents and educators and make that relationship adversarial rather than the partnership it must be to guarantee the success of all students,” Morgan said.
Eddie Bennett, executive director of the Georgia Council for Social Studies, said he does not believe members of his organization are changing their start-of-school plans in response to the laws.
But Bennett is concerned about how teachers will fare with the laws as the year moves forward. He said he is doubling down on his standard advice to his social studies-teachers: “Whatever you teach, make sure it is in the standards.”
The Georgia Youth Justice Coalition will focus its efforts on making sure students, teachers and parents know their rights under the law, Alex Ames, organizing director for the organization of high school and college students, said.
The group wants to make sure educators are not retaliated against, she said.
The new law also reaches beyond the school day to high school athletics. It revamped the governance structure of the Georgia High School Association and provided it with the opportunity to ban transgender high school sports.
In May, the GHSA voted to do just that.
The GHSA has had no issues with the new policy so far, said Robin Hines, the organization’s executive director. But transgender youth advocates say it has further stigmatized the community.
“Transgender students have become targets of bigotry and persecution,” student organizer Abigail Mathew said last month at a Georgia Youth Justice Coalition press conference held in response to the GHSA’s vote.
Two other education laws addressed parents’ rights to review instructional and library materials, introducing new procedures for complaints.
The Parent’s Bill of Rights gives parents the right to review curriculum and other instructional material for their children’s classes during the first two weeks of every nine-week grading period. Parents who disagree with a local school’s decision on a complaint can appeal to the school district and, beyond that, to the state Board of Education.
Senate Bill 226 requires a school principal (or designee) to deal with complaints about potentially harmful materials or books at a school within seven days.
School districts had their own policies -- usually involving committees -- for dealing with such concerns before the law, said Nan Brown, advocacy coordinator for the Georgia Media Library Association.
School librarians or administrators might choose not to order certain materials because of concerns about complaints from a vocal minority, she said.
“The big concern is self-censorship,” she said. “Some students won’t have what they need to cater to the fears of others. There are kids who want and need these books.”
Under the law, the state Department of Education board will have to adopt a model complaint policy under by Sept. 1. Local school boards must adopt their own policies by Jan. 1, 2023.
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The Sherwood Christian Academy middle school girl's basketball team performed an act of service by giving away watermelons. Click for more. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/new-education-laws-set-stage-for-contentious-start-to-school-year/article_bdb01dcc-0a86-11ed-aeb0-7ff9d51377ce.html | 2022-07-23T14:52:17Z |
Utility-based Slick City NFT is cutting-edge fashion on a social mission.
SAN FRANCISCO , July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Slick City (SC), an innovative NFT project on the Ethereum blockchain, is set to release its first set of utility-based non-fungible tokens – a collection of 4,444 unique, next-generation, high-fashion, half-human/half-alien collectibles – with the aim of bringing a fresh, compelling, and inclusive air to the NFT realm.
Led by fashion and media influencer Lea Lorraine, the project is built around a sci-fi-themed futuristic setting, founded on elevated principles of equality, identity and governance. Slick City prioritizes these crucial pillars in creating an egalitarian metaverse where citizens can be themselves regardless of their color, gender identity, clothing style or way of thinking.
Lea's tremendous flair for fashion have enabled Slick City to produce the most innovative pieces of clothing and accessories for its citizens. SC fashion innovations will be released on NFT marketplaces like OpenSea and offered in both digital and physical forms – NFT holders get to enjoy limited-supply drops of upgradable, top-tier NFT fashion pieces. Slick City also plans to showcase and sell digital accessories in metaverse fashion shows via platforms such as Victoria VR. The holder of the digital NFT will be the sole registered owner of the associated physical collectible, in a unique and value-adding twinship of the digital and physical.
This project isn't just offering NFTs; it's kickstarting a community. Slick City NFT holders will be able to interact with like-minded individuals in a safe space where they can freely network and participate in discussions on gender and racial equality, LGBTQIA rights, mental health, environmental consciousness and other issues affecting the community, with active moderators to ensure discussions run smoothly. Members can also access real-life and virtual SC events where they can meet and connect with others in the same sphere. Holding a Slick City NFT makes you a member of the SC community. You'll be able to collaborate with others and vote on businesses proposed by SC citizens through a hybrid-DAO governance model known as Slick City Democracy. You will also be able to provide input and resources to help Slick City evolve.
But the vision of Slick City founders goes beyond releasing groundbreaking NFTs or building a strong, supportive community. The project is intended to enact social change by supporting charities that align with its core values of inclusivity, diversity, equality, and environmental consciousness. When SC has amassed its first 4,444 citizens, a portion of the proceeds (10% of initial mint and 0.5% of secondary sales) will be donated to charities like Clean Air Task Force, Girls Not Brides, Planned Parenthood and National Center For Transgender Equality. And this is just the beginning. Slick City pledges to include a charity component in its future releases to support even more causes.
To learn more and join the movement, visit the Slick City Discord or the Slick City website.
Kayko Tamaki
Slick City LLC
info@slickcitynft.com
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SOURCE Slick City NFT | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/slick-city-launch-inclusive-fashion-forward-nfts/ | 2022-07-19T13:46:51Z |
Sapiens' solution powers Hollard Insure's digital strategy to create a one-stop-shop for brokers
HOLON, Israel, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sapiens International Corporation, (NASDAQ: SPNS) (TASE: SPNS), a leading global provider of software solutions for the insurance industry, announced today that it has expanded its relationship with the Hollard Insurance Company (Hollard), to empower Hollard's strategic digital drive with Sapiens cloud-native, low-code DigitalSuite.
When Hollard Insure, the short-term division of the Hollard Insurance Company, was looking to modernize their technology stack, but keep the legacy back-end, they turned to Sapiens. The large-scale modernization is aimed at digitizing products and journeys through a low-code, digital front-end with strong integration capabilities. Hollard, already a long-term partner of Sapiens, with Sapiens CoreSuite for Life & Pension and Sapiens ReinsuranceMaster, chose to further leverage Sapiens' digital expertise, superior UI/UX experience and international insurance-specific best practices.
Sapiens' solutions, facilitated by Microsoft Azure's cloud technology, played a key role in Hollard's successful transformation. Sapiens DigitalSuite provided the path to low-code digital freedom they were seeking, including Sapiens Journey & Form Composer and Sapiens API Conductor (ACE).
Collaborating as one united team with Sapiens, Hollard Insure provided an Accident & Health Product solution as part of a pilot to a specific market segment, which was previously not possible. This will enable growth in the market segment, but more importantly it laid the foundational building blocks to scale the solution to other products.
"This inclusive design process working as one combined team with Sapiens will have a profound effect on Hollard Insure, not only by renewing the technology and decommissioning legacy systems, but presenting an opportunity for significant growth and sustainability," said Claus Massmann, Head of Personal Lines at Hollard Insure. "The project enables cost savings and reduces complexity and enables us to achieve our end-state architecture – with revolutionised broker engagement."
"We are excited to extend our long-term relationship with Hollard and power them forward in their journey to create a competitive edge in the digital age of insurance," said Roni Al-Dor, Sapiens President and CEO. "Our low-code solutions and business process design tools provide Hollard Insure the ability to offer a superior customer experience to their customers."
Designed exclusively for the insurance market by the industry's leading digital experts, Sapiens Journey & Form Composer are integral components of Sapiens enriched DigitalSuite, empowering business users to introduce and manage journeys without having to write code. Sapiens API Conductor (ACE) integrates with third-party systems as well as legacy, core and backend systems to extend the services insurers can digitally provide their customers and agents, enabling them to leverage the data on their systems and make API orchestration and customization simple for business users.
About Hollard
Established in 1980, the Hollard Insurance Group ("Hollard") provides Non-Life and Life insurance as well as investment products to a diverse customer base including individual consumers, commercial entities, and corporate clients. It ranks among a growing number of companies advocating an inclusive growth model, measuring its social dividends as well as its contribution to shareholders. Hollard's organisational purpose is to enable more people to create and secure a better future.
Today, with almost 4,000 passionate Hollard staff in Africa and Asia, more than four million policyholders and assets close to R50 billion, Hollard is South Africa's largest independent and privately-owned insurance group and has become an Afroglobal insurance brand, operating in eight countries across Africa and Asia. Since inception, partnership has been at the heart of its business model, with the group today boasting over 100 ventures across the insurance value chain. Each one demonstrates the Hollard belief that there is always a better way and the idea of "win-win-win", whereby Hollard, the partner and the consumer all win through this spirit of collaboration and co-creation.
The Hollard Insurance Company has offices in eight countries around the world and represented in another 21 countries, through partnerships.
About Sapiens
Sapiens International Corporation (NASDAQ and TASE: SPNS) empowers the financial sector, with a focus on insurance, to transform and become digital, innovative and agile. Backed by more than 40 years of industry expertise, Sapiens offers a complete insurance platform, with pre-integrated, low-code solutions and a cloud-first approach that accelerates customers' digital transformation. Serving more than 600 customers in 30 countries, Sapiens offers insurers across property and casualty, workers compensation and life markets the most comprehensive set of solutions, from core to complementary, including Reinsurance, Financial & Compliance, Data & Analytics, Digital and Decision Management. For more information visit www.sapiens.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Media Contact
Shay Assaraf
Chief of Marketing, Sapiens
Shay.assaraf@sapiens.com
Investor's Contact
Kimberly Rogers
Managing Director, Hayden IR
+1 541-904-5075
kim@HaydenIR.com
Forward Looking Statements
Certain matters discussed in this press release that are incorporated herein by reference are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, Section 21E of the Exchange Act and the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that are based on our beliefs, assumptions, and expectations, as well as information currently available to us. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "may," "will," "plan" and similar expressions. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to pandemic risks and uncertainties. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: the degree of our success in our plans to leverage our global footprint to grow our sales; the degree of our success in integrating the companies that we have acquired through the implementation of our M&A growth strategy; the lengthy development cycles for our solutions, which may frustrate our ability to realize revenues and/or profits from our potential new solutions; our lengthy and complex sales cycles, which do not always result in the realization of revenues; the degree of our success in retaining our existing customers or competing effectively for greater market share; difficulties in successfully planning and managing changes in the size of our operations; the frequency of the long-term, large, complex projects that we perform that involve complex estimates of project costs and profit margins, which sometimes change mid-stream; the challenges and potential liability that heightened privacy laws and regulations pose to our business; occasional disputes with clients, which may adversely impact our results of operations and our reputation; various intellectual property issues related to our business; potential unanticipated product vulnerabilities or cybersecurity breaches of our or our customers' systems; risks related to the insurance industry in which our clients operate; risks associated with our global sales and operations, such as changes in regulatory requirements, wide-spread viruses and epidemics like the recent novel coronavirus pandemic, which adversely affected our results of operations, or fluctuations in currency exchange rates; and risks related to our principal location in Israel and our status as a Cayman Islands company.
While we believe such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, should one or more of the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, or these risks or uncertainties materialize, our actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Please read the risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, in order to review conditions that we believe could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason, to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations.
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SOURCE Sapiens International Corporation | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/hollard-insure-selects-sapiens-large-scale-digitalization-program/ | 2022-04-13T12:30:17Z |
Company Emerges from Stealth Mode with More Than $20 Million in Seed Financing and Fully Funded Development Alliances with Bayer and Lantheus
BOSTON, June 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ratio Therapeutics Inc. today announced its launch with a mission to develop best-in-class targeted radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancers. Founded by entrepreneurial scientists Jack Hoppin, Ph.D., and John Babich, Ph.D., Ratio emerges from stealth mode with more than $20 million in seed funding, fully funded development alliances with Bayer AG and Lantheus Holdings Inc., a robust portfolio of assets developed with two proprietary technologies, and a growing team of world-class experts in radiopharmaceuticals discovery and development. The company's near-term plans call for the submission of its first investigational new drug (IND) applications, which are expected this quarter, and the initiation of clinical trials later this year. Based in Boston, Ratio is set to move to a new 19,000-square-foot headquarters and research facility in the Seaport District in January.
Ratio's radiopharmaceuticals strategy is focused on optimizing tumor localization while minimizing uptake by normal tissues. To achieve this, the company uses its proprietary technology platform called Trillium™ that is based on Dr. Babich's prior research at Weill-Cornell Medical College and first developed and validated by the founders in a previous venture. Trillium is a trifunctional small molecule scaffold that can be fine-tuned to alter its plasma clearance, target affinity and therapeutic payload. Each component of the scaffolding can be independently optimized to boost tumor uptake over normal tissue uptake, thereby maximizing therapeutic index. Ratio has successfully applied this framework to several tumor targets and multiple therapeutic payloads.
In addition, Ratio is developing a technology platform to take advantage of the tumor killing power of the alpha emitter, Actinium-225. This proprietary technology is called the Macropa™ chelate platform. Ratio's scientists have already successfully incorporated Macropa into the Trillium platform as well as several peptides and antibodies. Macropa's unique chemistry enables ease of manufacture and robust in vitro and in vivo stability of the resulting radiotherapeutic compound.
"The ability to fine-tune our targeted radiotherapeutics using Trillium and Macropa enables us to address head-on the trifecta of typical challenges we see with most radiopharmaceuticals: delivery, safety and efficacy," said Dr. Babich, Ratio's President and Chief Scientific Officer. "Over the past year, we have generated significant preclinical data that demonstrate our ability to create excellent performing drug candidates that now are advancing into the clinic. Our goal is to become the partner of choice for pharmaceutical companies committed to this area of cancer therapy by enabling the optimization of a broad array of targeting compounds. We will shepherd these therapies through early clinical studies on our own or in collaboration."
Dr. Hoppin, Ratio's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, added, "Targeted radiotherapy is an exciting and emerging field where chemistry meets physics meets medicine. We have assembled and will continue to build a world-class interdisciplinary team of researchers and developers with a singular focus on delivering these treatments to cancer patients. It isn't often that a start-up company has in place the early financial backing and industry support to advance entirely new drug discoveries to clinical development at this pace. It is with great pride that we announce our formal launch and exit from stealth mode."
In collaboration with Bayer, Ratio has leveraged its Trillium platform for the identification of lead prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted therapeutic compounds for prostate cancer. At the same time, Ratio is working with Lantheus to develop a lead fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-targeted PET diagnostic compound for a broad array of epithelial-derived cancers, such as breast, pancreatic, lung and stomach cancer. Both collaborations are fully funded and reflect the types of partnerships that Ratio is currently pursuing with other companies.
About Ratio Therapeutics
Ratio Therapeutics Inc. is a Boston-based pharmaceutical company with the mission to accelerate the development of next-generation precision radiopharmaceuticals for solid tumors and transform oncology treatment paradigms. Founded by John Babich, Ph.D., and Jack Hoppin, Ph.D., the company currently employs a growing team of radiopharmaceuticals discovery and development experts with backgrounds in the life science industry. Ratio's fully integrated proprietary R&D platforms, Trillium™ and Macropa™, enable the imaging, discovery and advancement of novel radiopharmaceuticals that have first/best-in-class delivery, safety and efficacy properties. The tunable nature of the company's platforms enables the efficient and timely generation of numerous novel radiopharmaceuticals for a broad range of high unmet need in solid tumors. Built to be the radiopharmaceuticals discovery and development partner of choice, Ratio currently collaborates with Bayer and Lantheus.
Please visit www.ratiotx.com for more information and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Media Contacts:
Russo Partners, LLC
Erica Fiorini, Ph.D.
Erica.fiorini@russopartnersllc.com
Kathleen Silverman, Ph.D.
Kathleen.silverman@russopartnersllc.com
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SOURCE Ratio Therapeutics Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/10/ratio-therapeutics-launches-discover-drive-early-clinical-development-best-in-class-targeted-radiopharmaceuticals-treatment-cancers/ | 2022-06-10T17:25:20Z |
New Posey® Solutions for Premier Members
NEENAH, Wis., May 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TIDI Products, LLC has been awarded a group purchasing agreement for falls prevention products and restraints with Premier, Inc. Effective July 1, 2022, the new agreement allows Premier members, at their discretion, to take advantage of special pricing and terms pre-negotiated by Premier for Posey patient safety solutions.
Posey, a TIDI Products brand, covers a full continuum of falls prevention products, restraints and restraint alternatives, and patient safety solutions, including alarms and sensors, limb holders, mitts, and gait belts.
"We're excited to be able to provide a comprehensive portfolio of innovative and reliable solutions through this new agreement, especially during a time when more patients are entering facilities," says Bob Glover, Health Systems Senior Director at TIDI Products.
TIDI® will also offer Premier members unique value-added initiatives to ensure proper use of Posey products and partner together in preventing patient falls and monitoring results.
"At TIDI, our mission is simple. 'Support caregivers. Protect patients,'" states Dave Testa, TIDI's Senior Vice President of Sales. "Under this new Premier contract, we'll be able to continue our commitment to that mission."
Premier is a leading healthcare improvement company, uniting an alliance of more than 4,400 U.S. hospitals and health systems and approximately 225,000 other providers and organizations to transform healthcare. With integrated data and analytics, collaboratives, supply chain solutions, and consulting and other services, Premier enables better care and outcomes at a lower cost.
TIDI Products provides forward-looking solutions to healthcare professionals – solutions that help reduce the risk of contamination and deliver the highest-quality patient care. The TIDI Products portfolio of brands includes Posey®, C-Armor®, Sterile-Z®, PenBlade®, TIDIShield®, Grip-Lok®, AquaGuard®, and Zero-Gravity®. To learn more, visit www.tidiproducts.com.
CONTACT:
Jenny Jansen
jjansen@tidiproducts.com
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SOURCE TIDI Products, LLC | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/16/tidi-products-llc-awarded-patient-safety-solutions-agreement-with-premier-inc/ | 2022-05-16T13:03:36Z |
The Latest on U.S. President Joe Biden’s trip to the Mideast:
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat on Saturday downplayed talk of normalization with Israel after the kingdom opened its airspace to Israeli commercial flights and hammered out a complex deal over islands in the Red Sea that required Israeli assent.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Farhan bin Faisal spoke to reporters after a four-day visit by President Joe Biden to the region, including two days that the U.S. leader spent in Saudi Arabia, where he held talks with the Saudi king and the crown prince, the de facto ruler of the kingdom, and took part in a summit of regional leaders.
Prince Farhan stressed there was no discussion at the summit of any military cooperation with Israel or talk of a so-called “Arab NATO.”
“There is no discussion about a defensive alliance with Israel,” he repeated.
Ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia have been inching closer amid shared concerns over Iran. The kingdom’s public stance is that it has long welcomed normalization with Israel so long as Palestinian rights and demands for statehood are guaranteed.
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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
Biden meets with Arab Gulf countries to counter Iran threat
In West Bank, Biden embraces ‘two states for two peoples’
As Biden visits, a look at those targeted in Saudi Arabia
Israeli politics a backdrop to Biden’s visit to the Mideast
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TEHRAN, Iran — Dozens of Iranian hard-liners rallied on Saturday at a square in downtown Tehran, burning U.S. and Israeli flags and denouncing President Joe Biden’s visit to the Middle East.
The small crowd also erupted in chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” typical at anti-American rallies in Iran. The demonstrators also protested against the normalization of ties between Israel and several Arab nations that started under the previous U.S. administration.
Biden said at a wider regional summit in Saudi Arabia on Saturday that the United States would not walk away from Middle East’s security and leave a vacuum that Russia, China or Iran could try and fill.
Separately, Iran announced on Saturday that it was imposing sanctions on 61 Americans, including Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state, and John Bolton, the former national security advisor, over their support for foreign-based dissident Iranian groups.
Iran has in recent years imposed several times such symbolic measures on Americans who Tehran says are acting against Iran. In June, an Iranian court also ordered the U.S. government to pay over $4 billion to the families of Iranian nuclear scientists who have been killed in targeted attacks in recent years.
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JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — President Joe Biden and Jordan’s King Abullah met on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, with the White House announcing that the United States has committed to a new assistance package for Jordan of no less than $1.45 billion a year.
The announcement was made after the two leaders met on the sidelines of a wider regional summit in which Biden vowed that the U.S. will not walk away from Middle East’s security and is not going to leave a vacuum for Russia, China or Iran to try and fill.
Jordan, which hosts Palestinian and Syrian refugees, shares borders with Israel and the West Bank. Its stability is seen as crucial to the region, but its economy has struggled under the weight of inflation and from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government has faced public protests, and the king’s brother, Prince Hamza, is under house arrest following a public rebuke of the country’s leadership.
In 2017, the U.S. committed to no less than $1.27 billion per year in bilateral foreign assistance to Jordan, beginning in 2018 and ending in 2022. The new annual package to Jordan is an adjustment of that annual U.S. support for the country.
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JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — President Joe Biden says he’s clear-eyed about challenges in the Middle East and the United States intends to stay engaged in the region.
Speaking Saturday in Saudi Arabia at a summit of Gulf leaders, as well as leaders from Iraq, Egypt and Jordan, Biden said: “We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran.” He added that “the United States is going to remain an active engaged partner in the Middle East.”
Biden is outlining the principles of his strategy for the region, focusing on regional cooperation to stand up to threats.
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JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — President Joe Biden has invited the Abu Dhabi ruler who steers policy in the United Arab Emirates to visit the White House before the end of the year.
The two met on Saturday ahead of a wider summit in Saudi Arabia.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed was unanimously appointed as the autocratic nation’s president in May following the death of his brother.
Even as crown prince of Abu Dhabi, he had long been seen as the force behind the UAE’s “Little Sparta” reputation for its outsized influence in policies that stretch from the Horn of Africa, through North Africa and beyond. Under his influence, the UAE became the first Arab state in more than two decades to normalize relations with Israel.
Much like Saudi Arabia, though, relations between the Biden administration and Abu Dhabi have been strained. The UAE has called on Biden to reverse a decision he made early in his presidency to de-list Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a terror group. The UAE has been a party to the war in Yemen, which has killed thousands of civilians and spawned a humanitarian disaster.
Abu Dhabi was targeted by rebel Yemeni missile and drone strikes earlier this year. The attacks, which killed three migrant workers and targeted an area near a base that hosts U.S. forces, rattled the small country’s image as a bastion of stability and economic prosperity in the region.
Emirati officials were reportedly disappointed by the Biden administration’s response to the attacks. They are also wary of U.S. efforts to revive Iran’s nuclear accord and frustrated by some conditions on U.S. weapons sales. While the UAE is the first foreign customer of the Lockheed Martin THAAD anti-missile system, it has long sought U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets.
Meanwhile, the U.S.-based DAWN rights group said one of its board members, who was also a close friend and lawyer to slain Saudi critic Jamal Khahshoggi, was detained while in transit in Dubai and taken to Abu Dhabi. The group says Asim Ghafoor, a U.S. citizen, has been detained since Thursday on murky charges of “money laundering.”
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JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi citizens will soon be able to obtain 10-year visitor visas, double the current validity, in an agreement during U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia announced Saturday the agreement extends the validity of visitor visas for Saudi citizens from five years to a decade as of August 1.
The announcement said travel contributes significantly to both of countries’ economies and strengthens ties between citizens.
Biden is on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia that began on Friday with a meeting with King Salman. That was followed by a highly-watched face-to-face meeting with the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The two fist-bumped one another as they met for the first time during Biden’s presidency.
Biden said he raised the issue of human rights in his meeting with the prince, but stressed that the visit’s aim is to reassert U.S influence in the region.
The Saudis say 18 cooperation agreements and memorandums were signed by the two delegations late Friday, including an accord with NASA allowing Saudi Arabia to undertake the joint exploration of the moon and Mars in cooperation with the American space agency.
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JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — U.S. President Joe Biden met with Egypt’s president in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since Biden took office in 2021.
Biden was heard thanking President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi for Egypt’s role in a ceasefire to Israel’s war with Hamas last year in the Gaza Strip, an acknowledgement of Cairo’s role in the region.
Egypt’s president, who came to power following mass protests and a military takeover that ousted the divisive Muslim Brotherhood government in 2013, is facing an economic crisis as inflation from rising fuel and food prices hits the Arab world’s most populous nation particularly hard. Around a third of Egypt’s 103 million people live in poverty.
Although the former military strongman has been credited with stabilizing Egypt’s economy following several years of political turmoil, the country is among the world’s largest importers of wheat, with much of that from now-blocked Ukrainian ports.
Meanwhile, el-Sissi’s government has not hesitated to deploy brute force while jailing thousands of people, mainly Islamists, but also secular activists in an effort to quash dissent.
In recent months, his government released hundreds of detainees and embarked on a so-called national dialogue with various groups, but the government continues to hold many high profile detainees, including pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah. Egyptian security forces have been accused of torturing detainees, including concerns economist Ayman Hadhoud was among those beaten to death while in police detention this year.
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JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — President Joe Biden began his final day in Saudi Arabia by meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who survived an assassination attempt with explosive drones last year.
Some in the country have blamed the attack Iranian-backed factions. It came amid soaring tensions and a stand-off between Iraqi security forces and pro-Iran Shiite militias over election results.
Biden said he wanted to support Iraq’s democracy.
“I want the press and you to know we want to be (as) helpful as we can in doing that,” he said.
Al-Kadhimi spoke about the “strategic, friendly relationship” between the U.S. and Iraq, and he thanked the U.S. for providing support to combat terrorist groups.
An estimated 2,500 U.S. troops remain in Iraq to support the country’s fight against the Islamic State.
Biden is in Jeddah attending a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The leaders of Egypt, Iraq and Jordan are also attending. | https://cw33.com/news/politics/ap-politics/the-latest-biden-meets-with-iraqi-pm-in-saudi-arabia/ | 2022-07-17T03:21:16Z |
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A few months after Zion Williamson was left entirely out of Pelicans promotional material regarding ticket renewals, the injury-riddled star forward was back to being celebrated Wednesday as a supremely influential figure in New Orleans’ future.
“The last few months were a roller-coaster of emotions,” Williamson said. “The world just ran with narratives, and so when my family was going out in public, they’re getting harassed by people about why we don’t like New Orleans or why we don’t want to be here, when that’s not the case at all.
“I wasn’t able to play because my foot was broke,” Williamson continued. “Every time I checked my phone it’s always something negative. Even when you’re trying to make positive of the situation, it was very tough.”
So the Pelicans used the occasion of Williamson signing a $193 million, five-year contract extension — which could be worth up to $231 million if the explosive, 6-foot-6, 280-pounder lives up to the potential he’s displayed when healthy — to try to dispel past notions of distrust and start a new narrative.
“This is a really momentous occasion for all of us,” said David Griffin, the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations. “This is an opportunity for us as an organization to really put to bed a lot of things that were said.
“So many things that are talked about are just words,” Griffin continued as Williamson nodded in agreement beside him. “What Zion Williamson did today is express his commitment to this team and to this city and to this community. … So the noise that’s on the periphery of all of that is completely irrelevant.”
Williamson appears healthy now, cleared by the club to engage in basketball activities without restrictions. Recently, he and his stepfather, Lee Anderson, have been running basketball camps for kids at a New Orleans YMCA, where Williamson formally signed his contract while campers stood behind him and applauded.
It also was Williamson’s 22nd birthday, and he commented, while grabbing Griffin’s shoulder and smiling, that it was his best birthday yet.
“Thank y’all for really sticking with me the past year,” Williamson said to the Pelicans’ brass. “It was a tough year, and then for the Pelicans to come give this birthday gift, I’m not going to let ‘em down. I’m not going to let the city down, I’m not going to let my family down, and most of all, I’m not going to let myself down.”
Now the 2019 No. 1 overall draft choice out of Duke, who has played in just 85 games in his first three seasons, is primed to see how much his return could help a squad that improved dramatically late last season and made a surprisingly competitive playoff showing without him.
Griffin, meanwhile, sees his vision for building a young team set up for sustained success coming together under Willie Green, who in his first season as an NBA head coach shepherded the team from a 1-12 start to postseason qualification, two play-in victories and two more victories in a first-round series against top-seeded Phoenix.
“We feel like with the team we have assembled, with Zion as an enormous part of that, coach Green and his staff are going to be able to put together an incredible run,” Griffin said. “We’re young, we’re talented and most importantly we are very hungry.”
Williamson played in just 24 games as a rookie because of a preseason right knee injury (lateral meniscus). In his second season, he played in 61 of 72 games, averaging a team-high 27 points and becoming a first-time All-Star during what was his lone NBA campaign not mostly or entirely wiped out by injuries.
“Zion is a huge part of what we want to accomplish,” Green said, noting that Williamson will periodically initiate the offense handling the ball as he did successfully in is second season. “It’s not necessarily him fitting in. He can do that with any team in the league. It’s about maximizing the group that we have when we had him to it. And, frankly, I think it’s going to be scary for the rest of the NBA.”
Williamson said he is focused on adopting strategies meant to preserve his health and promote career longevity — but cutting down on vigorous, high-flying dunks in favor of lower-impact layups probably won’t be one of them.
“I’m a competitor, so when I’m on the court, I’m not thinking about, ”Let me lay this ball in; hopefully my career will last longer,'” Williamson asserted with a playful grin. “No, I’m thinking about putting that person through the rim. So, as far as me dunking, that’s going to always happen. That’s going to stay happening, no matter what (team trainers and management) are talking about. I’m always dunking. Come on, man!”
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More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/zion-williamson-pelicans-aim-to-end-negative-narratives/ | 2022-07-07T17:36:52Z |
- WorkRamp acquires The Enablement Squad, one of the largest online communities for enablement professionals.
- We're on a mission to continue building a robust community by educating, empowering, and engaging enablement leaders.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WorkRamp, the All-in-One Learning Platform helping businesses and their employees unlock their true growth potential – today has announced it has acquired The Enablement Squad, one of the largest online open communities of enablement professionals whose mission is to engage, educate, and empower enablement leaders across the globe.
"This is one of the most electrifying moments for The Enablement Squad. Our goal has been to always provide enablement leaders and practitioners a space where they're able to share best practices, ask questions, and ultimately support one another," says Matt Scheitle, Co-Founder of The Enablement Squad. "This partnership will allow us to further our mission to connect enablement professionals everywhere."
"Over the past year, we've been able to double our membership organically. With this partnership, we're going to be able to reach more people and build a more robust, vibrant community," shares Stephanie Middaugh, Co-Founder of The Enablement Squad. "The sky is the limit with what we're going to be able to do with The Squad and I'm really excited to see it."
Unlocking community growth
One of WorkRamp's key strategic goals is to invest in community building for their own customers and the greater enablement and training community.
The enablement function has exploded over the past several years. For example, sales enablement has seen a 343% increase in adoption, according to G2. As the need for enablement continues to grow, so does the need for education surrounding the craft. Both WorkRamp and The Enablement Squad are aligned on a common objective: to help enablement professionals thrive in their careers.
"The Enablement Squad is the premier online space for enablement and training professionals" says Ted Blosser, CEO of WorkRamp. "We're thrilled about the partnership, and the ability to offer additional resources to help grow the community, get more events and programs up and running, and bring enablement leaders together."
Take the next step. Join The Enablement Squad for free. Sign up here. Follow WorkRamp on LinkedIn to stay up to day on all things learning and enablement.
About The Enablement Squad
The Enablement Squad was founded in 2019 by Matt Scheitle and Stephanie Middaugh, two Enablement leaders who are passionate about connecting people and creating a space where enablement professionals can network, brainstorm, and share best practices and struggles. Since its inception, The Enablement Squad has experienced massive growth, more than doubling membership organically over the last year.
About WorkRamp
WorkRamp is the All-in-One Learning Platform that your executives, employees, and customers will love. WorkRamp advances learning as a growth engine for your business with a flexible platform that empowers teams to develop top talent, exceed revenue targets, and inspire customers to become advocates. With a flexible, All-in-One Learning Platform, WorkRamp redefines the LMS for the modern workplace to help executives recognize learning as a growth engine and one of the most strategic investments an organization can make. See why top learning teams at Box, Outreach, and Reddit trust WorkRamp to drive business outcomes and organizational scale.
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SOURCE WorkRamp | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/workramp-acquires-enablement-squad-double-down-community/ | 2022-05-18T13:51:28Z |
Walter Anderson, 74, of Temple died Monday, Aug. 15, at his residence.
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To submit a paid obituary, please email advertiz@tdtnews.com with verbiage, along with an optional photograph. | https://www.tdtnews.com/obituaries/article_18f19008-1d15-11ed-acdc-b3ceff13c676.html | 2022-08-16T04:58:26Z |
NEW YORK, June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of Teladoc Health, Inc..
Shareholders who purchased shares of TDOC during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointment. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.
CONTACT US HERE:
CLASS PERIOD: October 28, 2021 to April 27, 2022
ALLEGATIONS: The complaint alleges that during the class period, Defendants issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) increased competition, among other factors, was negatively impacting Teladoc's BetterHelp and chronic care businesses; (ii) accordingly, the growth of those businesses was less sustainable than Defendants had led investors to believe; (iii) as a result, Teladoc's revenue and adjusted EBITDA projections for FY 2022 were unrealistic; (iv) as a result of all the foregoing, Teladoc would be forced to recognize a significant non-cash goodwill impairment charge; and (v) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
DEADLINE: August 5, 2022 Shareholders should not delay in registering for this class action. Register your information here: https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/teladoc-health-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=28553&from=4
NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of TDOC during the timeframe listed above, you will be enrolled in a portfolio monitoring software to provide you with status updates throughout the lifecycle of the case. The deadline to seek to be a lead plaintiff is August 5, 2022. There is no cost or obligation to you to participate in this case.
WHY GROSS LAW FIRM? The Gross Law Firm is nationally recognized class action law firm, and our mission is to protect the rights of all investors who have suffered as a result of deceit, fraud, and illegal business practices. The Gross Law Firm is committed to ensuring that companies adhere to responsible business practices and engage in good corporate citizenship. The firm seeks recovery on behalf of investors who incurred losses when false and/or misleading statements or the omission of material information by a company lead to artificial inflation of the company's stock. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
The Gross Law Firm
15 West 38th Street, 12th floor
New York, NY, 10018
Email: dg@securitiesclasslaw.com
Phone: (646) 453-8903
View original content:
SOURCE The Gross Law Firm | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/15/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-teladoc-health-inc-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-august-5-2022-nyse-tdoc/ | 2022-06-15T10:48:52Z |
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hagerty (HGTY) announced today that Patrick McClymont has been named Hagerty's next Chief Financial Officer, effective September 6, 2022. He will succeed current CFO Fred Turcotte, who will retire but will remain with the company in a senior advisor role through 2023 to help ensure a seamless transition.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors and leadership team, we are grateful for Fred's many contributions and the impact he has made on Hagerty, including the critical role he played in delivering consistent growth over the last decade, helping us complete our initial public offering and building experienced finance and IR functions," said McKeel Hagerty, Chief Executive Officer of Hagerty. "Fred has been an exceptional CFO, a trusted advisor and a friend for many years, and while this announcement comes with mixed emotions, he leaves Hagerty in a strong position for future growth."
"It has been an honor to work with our outstanding team every day to help drive growth and great financial results for Hagerty," said Turcotte. "I'm very proud of the work we've accomplished together and I'm confident Patrick will continue to build on our momentum as Hagerty enters the next phase of its journey as a growth company."
Hagerty continued, "Patrick brings an incredible wealth of talent from the entertainment and marketplace sectors needed to help execute our long-term global growth ambitions. His financial and business acumen combined with his deep technology experience will help us deliver value to our members and shareholders as we continue Hagerty's transformation into a leading automotive lifestyle brand. In addition to being a skilled CFO, Patrick is a strong leader who has developed high-performing teams across several publicly traded organizations."
McClymont is a trusted business leader with a proven track record of modernizing and aligning financial strategy and operations to build business value, enhancing competitive positioning and maximizing shareholder value. He brings a strategic approach to financial leadership by leveraging data and analytics to optimize performance.
Most recently, McClymont was the CFO of Orchard Technologies, a residential real estate services company. He has held various senior leadership roles beyond finance where he developed and executed global strategies for corporate growth across multiple sectors including entertainment, business services and industrials. This is in addition to his experience as CFO for two publicly-listed companies including IMAX Corporation, an entertainment technology company, and Sotheby's, a leader in auctions, private art sales and lending.
Prior to Sotheby's, McClymont served as Head of the Global Transportation & Infrastructure Group at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he was a partner. In addition to his executive role, McClymont currently serves as a director on the board of Standard Motor Products, a leading manufacturer and distributor of replacement parts for motor vehicles in the automotive aftermarket industry.
"I'm excited to work with a dynamic leadership team that is focused on delivering quality products and services to its members, partners and the vast community of automotive enthusiasts," said McClymont. "Building on the company's success, I look forward to helping Hagerty develop and execute a global strategy that will drive strong, sustained financial growth and value for stakeholders long into the future. I'm delighted to be part of the road ahead."
Based in Traverse City, Michigan, Hagerty's purpose is to save driving and car culture for future generations and its mission is to build a global business to fund that purpose. Hagerty is an automotive enthusiast brand offering integrated membership products and programs as well as a specialty insurance provider focused on the global automotive enthusiast market. Hagerty is home to Hagerty Drivers Club, DriveShare, Hagerty Valuation Tools, Hagerty Media, Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, MotorsportReg, Hagerty Garage + Social, The Amelia, the Concours d'Elegance of America, the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, the California Mille, Motorlux, Broad Arrow Group, the Hagerty Drivers Foundation and more. For more information on Hagerty, please visit www.hagerty.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
For more information, visit newsroom.hagerty.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements reflect our current intentions, expectations, or beliefs regarding the business. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and may be outside of our control. Some of the factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by our forward-looking statements include: (i) our ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the subject of this press release; (ii) our ability to compete effectively within our industry and attract and retain members; and (iii) the other risks and uncertainties listed in our Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on March 24, 2022. This press release should be read in conjunction with the information included in our other press releases, reports and other filings with the SEC. Understanding the information contained in those filings is important in order to fully understand our reported financial results and our business outlook for future periods. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise, except as required by law.
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SOURCE Hagerty | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/hagerty-appoints-patrick-mcclymont-new-chief-financial-officer-announces-planned-retirement-transition-longtime-cfo-fred-turcotte/ | 2022-08-23T13:45:42Z |
NEW YORK, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gross Law Firm issues the following notice to shareholders of Unilever PLC.
Shareholders who purchased shares of UL during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointment. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.
CONTACT US HERE:
https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/unilever-plc-loss-submission-form/?id=28887&from=4
CLASS PERIOD: 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.
ALLEGATIONS: The complaint alleges that during the class period, Defendants 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.
DEADLINE: August 15, 2022 Shareholders should not delay in registering for this class action. Register your information here: https://securitiesclasslaw.com/securities/unilever-plc-loss-submission-form/?id=28887&from=4
NEXT STEPS FOR SHAREHOLDERS: Once you register as a shareholder who purchased shares of UL during the timeframe listed above, you will be enrolled in a portfolio monitoring software to provide you with status updates throughout the lifecycle of the case. The deadline to seek to be a lead plaintiff is August 15, 2022. There is no cost or obligation to you to participate in this case.
WHY GROSS LAW FIRM? The Gross Law Firm is nationally recognized class action law firm, and our mission is to protect the rights of all investors who have suffered as a result of deceit, fraud, and illegal business practices. The Gross Law Firm is committed to ensuring that companies adhere to responsible business practices and engage in good corporate citizenship. The firm seeks recovery on behalf of investors who incurred losses when false and/or misleading statements or the omission of material information by a company lead to artificial inflation of the company's stock. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
The Gross Law Firm
15 West 38th Street, 12th floor
New York, NY, 10018
Email:dg@securitiesclasslaw.com
Phone: (646) 453-8903
View original content:
SOURCE The Gross Law Firm | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/shareholder-alert-gross-law-firm-notifies-shareholders-unilever-plc-class-action-lawsuit-lead-plaintiff-deadline-august-15-2022-nyse-ul/ | 2022-06-22T10:51:11Z |
Franchisees Nationwide Take Purple Pledge, Participate As Walk To End Alzheimer's National Team
PHOENIX, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Assisted Living Locators, a nationwide senior placement and referral service, annually "goes purple" to support Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month. The company 140 franchisees across the U.S. join the movement by taking the Purple Pledge and participate as a Walk To End Alzheimer's National Team to raise funds to fight Alzheimer's.
The color purple has been chosen to help raise Alzheimer's awareness as The Alzheimer's Association encourages people to "Go Purple with a Purpose" throughout June. Fundraising efforts take place on the longest day of the year, June 21. The event shines light on the 5.7 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease and the more than 16 million family members and friends providing care and support.
"In support of the Alzheimer's care and research, Assisted Living Locators franchisees are recruiting community members to participate in their upcoming local Walk days and expect to raise thousands of dollars in their fundraising events," said Angela Olea, RN Assisted Living Locators CEO. "Our senior care advisors are on the front lines, providing much-needed support services to individuals living with Alzheimer's and educating their caregivers. We see the impact this disease has on families and are dedicated to Alzheimer's care, support and research."
Olea noted that her company is the first nationwide senior placement service to achieve system-wide dementia care-certification to help families affected by Alzheimer's find at no cost, assisted living, and memory care options. "We are making a positive difference every day by finding facilities that are best suited for these individuals," she added.
During Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, Assisted Living Locators will also show the power of purple by changing its company logo to purple on its corporate website and franchisee social media channels to show solidarity for those with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. The company's senior care advisors wear purple and share photos on social media, as well as participate in Longest Day fund-raising and dementia care education events.
To join Assisted Living Locators' Walk to End Alzheimer's team, visit www.alz.org/assistedlivinglocators. If have questions about dementia care, speak to an Assisted Living Locators Senior Care Advisor at 877-266-7788 or visit www.assistedlivinglocators.com.
Media Contact:
Rhonda Grundemann
The Grundemann Group
602-739-8810; rhonda@grundemanngroup.com
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SOURCE Assisted Living Locators | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/assisted-living-locators-goes-purple-support-alzheimers-amp-brain-awareness-month/ | 2022-06-01T13:58:35Z |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Juneteenth, June 19, is this weekend and the DFW metroplex is hosting tons of events to celebrate the now federally recognized holiday that was first established in Texas.
Juneteenth (a mashup of the words ‘June’ and ‘nineteenth’) celebrates the ending of slavery in America.
If you want to get in on the celebrations, here are some events taking place in North Texas:
Dallas Southern Pride Juneteenth Unity Weekend: June 16-20
The organization will be hosting an entire weekend of Juneteenth events to celebrate the freeing of African American slaves. Events include a festival, a pool party, an Emancipation ball, concerts and more.
Music artists performing include:
- Yo Gotti
- Moneybagg Yo
- The City Girls
- Saucy Santana
- Yella Beezy
- Erica Banks
For more information, visit dallassouthernpride.com.
City of Garland’s inaugural Juneteenth Celebration Event: June 19
In celebration of the holiday, the City of Garland has announced its inaugural Juneteenth Celebration. Located at Audubon Park on W. Oates Rd, city officials urge residents to come on out for ‘a day of festivities’.
There will be dancers, speakers, vendors, contests and live music from the Buster Brown Band. The event will be from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, click here.
Dallas Cowboys event at The Star in Frisco: June 18
The Dallas Cowboys will be hosting a lineup of food vendors for its Juneteenth Celebration at The Star in Frisco Saturday, June 18. View the image below for a list of the vendors.
City of Dallas Juneteenth Celebration: June 18
The City of Dallas is hosting its official Juneteenth Celebration at Nash Davis Park on Saturday, June 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Officials say the free event will feature giveaways, community resources, BBQ and more.
Juneteenth Fashion Show at Legacy Hall: June 19
Legacy West is hosting a Juneteenth fashion show and experience, celebrating the ‘historical, influential, and current contributions of the African-American community.’
This free-to-attend event is open to all and will be at Legacy Hall in Plano (7800 Windrose Avenue).
For more information, click here.
North Texas Juneteenth Celebration: June 18
The third annual North Texas Juneteenth Celebration is coming back to Dallas’ Fair Park. Featuring events for people of all ages, there is plenty of family-friendly fun to be had while also offering fun for the 21-and-older crow.
This free event will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Click here for more information. | https://cw33.com/news/local/juneteenth-celebration-events-in-dfw-this-weekend/ | 2022-06-16T19:01:11Z |
ATLANTA -- A record number of Georgians cast ballots in Tuesday’s primary elections, breaking 2018’s midterm primary record that sets up a repeat gubernatorial race between Republican Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams.
Election day ended with nine of the state’s 2,500 voting precincts extending their voting hours after delays that were caused by a wide range of speed bumps ranging from a power outage to tech problems with getting voting equipment that included poll pads used to check voters in.
In Bibb, Gilmer, Chatham, DeKalb, Fulton, Cobb and Gwinnett counties the delays kept polls open for less than an hour to give voters more opportunities to cast ballots.
After a record number of 860,000 in-person and absentee votes were cast during early voting, Republican officials claimed that the results disproved the charges of voter suppression lodged by the Democratic Party and progressive groups after the 2021 election overhaul. But Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee for governor, dismissed the GOP’s argument as “correlation without causation.”
“We know that voter turnout is not proof that there isn’t suppression. It is the antidote to suppression,” Abrams told reporters Tuesday.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger credited county election superintendents, staff, and poll workers with helping run a successful election in the wake of a pandemic and 2018 election that predicted what to expect over the next two cycles.
The so-called Election Integrity Act, Raffensperger said, also played a factor in the strong numbers, referencing the new law mandating an extra day of early voting while also adding a new ID requirement to vote via absentee ballots.
“It’s easier to vote in the state of Georgia as we’ve been saying for years now, we just made sure that we have the proper guardrails so it’s tough to cheat,” he said.
The voting period still sent a few voters scurrying. A condensed process of completing the U.S. Census combined with quick turnarounds and new redistricting maps leading into the primary led to scores of voters not getting updated district information in time before going to the polls
That led to some voters showing up at polling places based on what’s on the state’s My Voter Page before finding out they were not at the correct polling place, said Harold Franklin, chair of Georgia Election Protection for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
In order to measure the lasting impact of the new voting law, it will be necessary to determine how many voters ended up not voting because they were barred from using provisional ballots before 5 p.m. on Election Day.
Voting rights groups charged that their strong organization efforts limited the detrimental effects of rules imposed in response to concerns about a stolen 2020 presidential election, including restrictions on absentee ballots and provincial ballots.
While a couple of Fulton County precincts stayed open later on Tuesday, Fulton County, which has been under scrutiny for a possible state takeover of its elections board, had relatively few problems on Tuesday and throughout early voting.
In spite of those hiccups, Fulton interim director of elections Naomi Williams said the election went smoothly on Election Day. More than 91,000 people voted during the early voting period.
Williams said the number of absentee ballot rejections related to the new absentee ID law was minimal and that those voters are being notified to try to get it resolved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/few-hiccups-reported-in-georgia-s-first-big-election-since-2021-overhaul/article_283d0e0e-dc4f-11ec-9233-031b69f3b06e.html | 2022-05-25T18:35:44Z |
TROY, Mich., June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TruOI has launched the first and only real-time Operational Intelligence Platform for franchises and chains to address labor cost control and the operational complexity that multilocation business leaders must manage.
With loosely integrated staff, systems, processes, and data, it can be challenging for franchise and chain leaders to gain the efficiency needed to control labor costs and increase profitability. The TruOI Operational Intelligence (OI) Platform overcomes these challenges through data integration and by combining the elements of real-time analytics with real-time business task automation.
For labor costs control, the combination of integrated systems data and automation on the TruOI platform allows a company to detect issues like time card violations or unauthorized overtime, and automatically resolve them in real time based on predefined parameters and outcomes. The platform not only identifies issues, it automatically takes steps to resolve them before they become problems.
To accomplish this, TruOI integrates all of a company's existing software and data, facility systems, and forms & documents from all company locations under one umbrella platform. The power of TruOI also gives companies the ability to automate many of their day-to-day operating activities with triggers driven by key performance indicators or scheduled timing. In addition, TruOI connects both corporate and location team members with real-time coaching, performance management alerts, and detailed measurements based on organizational goals and operational needs.
TruOI founder and CEO Shadan Malik states, "This one-of-a-kind OI Platform is the single greatest asset leaders of multilocation businesses can bring to their organizations to increase team member performance, control costs, and accelerate growth."
For franchises and chains with 5 locations or 10,000, TruOI is accessible on any computer or mobile device and makes real-time management of all aspects of a business – from any location – a reality for CEOs and their teams.
Visit www.TruOI.com to see how TruOI helps franchises and Chain business leaders take their next big step.
About TruOI: TruOI offers a real-time Operational Intelligence platform that integrates all of a company's software, measurement, coaching, and training systems under one umbrella application and automates business activity to increase profitability and growth. More than 5,000 organizations have leveraged TruOI technology to drive success and innovation.
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SOURCE TruOI | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/15/reduce-labor-costs-with-first-real-time-operational-intelligence-platform-franchises-chains/ | 2022-06-15T15:31:27Z |
The crew from Cork's Charcuterie picked up a leading 10 awards at last year's Albany Herald People's Choice Awards. Hundreds of nominees, business owners and people looking for a good time came to last year's event at the Pretoria Fields Brewery. More of the same is expected Sunday starting at 3 p.m.
ALBANY -- Last year's Albany Herald Readers Choice Awards ceremony was a coming-out party of sorts for a community that had been virtually shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hundreds came to Pretoria Fields Brewery for the awards ceremony, high-energy music by southwest Georgia favorites Unbreakable Bloodline, delicious food prepared by Cork's Charcuterie and just the opportunity to get out of homes to which they'd been all but imprisoned in for more than a year.
With COVID having even less of an impact on the community a year later, even more fun-seekers are expected to descend on the downtown Pretoria Fields Brewery Sunday for the 2022 Readers Choice awards.
The Readers Choice numbers this year are staggering: more than 10,000 nominations and just short of 76,000 votes.
But even non-nominees will be lining up to be part of Sunday's get-together, which kicks off at 3 p.m. With live music, a silent auction featuring valuable gifts, prizes, giveaways and more amazing food by Cork's, the Readers Choice Awards will be the hot event of the season.
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/features/2022-albany-herald-readers-choice-awards-the-encore/article_d47f2216-c317-11ec-8b54-c3ed739802a0.html | 2022-04-23T21:04:54Z |
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