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First phase of a content creator-designed moderation process will help the video sharing platform stay true to its mission as it continues to grow; changes will be incorporated into terms of use after feedback from creators and users.
LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. , June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the video streaming platform Rumble announced the first phase of an updated content moderation process designed by creators and anchored in transparency. The proposed moderation policies were designed by leading Rumble and Locals creators Robert Barnes and David Freiheit, both of whom are also accomplished attorneys. Under the proposed policies, content creators will be able to express themselves to interested audiences within the limits of the law and without harassment while ensuring a consistent and transparent process as the platform continues its rapid growth. Rumble welcomes feedback on the proposed policies from the platform's creators and users, which it will consider before implementing the new policies as part of the platform's terms of use later this year.
"Despite the mainstream pressure, we have stayed true to our original content moderation philosophy since Rumble was founded in 2013," said CEO Chris Pavlovski. "Our mission is to protect a free and open internet, and we will never 'move the goal posts' on our community unless required by law. We're putting creators and users first by asking their views on the policies before we implement them. It's a philosophy that we feel is incredibly important for our society and one that has progressively differentiated our company from big tech platforms that continue to embrace 'cancel culture'."
"Unlike other tech platforms, Rumble's proposal will provide a free space for open discourse without politicized discrimination in the digital public square, while simultaneously protecting users from harassing behavior," said Robert Barnes, founder of Barnes Law LLP and the creator of the "Barnes Law" video channel on Rumble.
"We seek clear, transparent rules and non-discriminatory enforcement without political or partisan bias." said David Freiheit, founder of Freiheit Legal and the creator of the "Viva Frei" video channel on Rumble. "By starting with input from creators, these new content policies will help Rumble hold true to its mission of neutrality and ensure transparency for creators and users alike."
Today, the first phase of the new content moderation process, Rumble released a new set of proposed content policies and removal and appeals process. [See the proposed "Rumble Rules" and removal and appeals process here and provide feedback to rumblerules@rumble.com].
In the next phase, Rumble will seek feedback from its creators and users on the policies and establish a new appeals process that will be adjudicated by a community of Rumble creators. To ensure transparency, Rumble will ensure that all appeal decisions are made readily available to the public. The full implementation of this process, including the incorporation of the new content policies and the appeals process in the platform's terms of use, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
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/2022/06/17/rumble-proposes-an-open-source-content-moderation-policy-amp-process-improve-transparency-amp-put-creators-first/ | 2022-06-17T11:36:06Z |
CUTE: Zoo welcomes litter of tiger cubs born on Mother’s Day
Published: Jun. 13, 2022 at 1:04 PM EDT|Updated: 27 minutes ago
(CNN) – The Minnesota Zoo is celebrating an exciting birth announcement.
A litter of three endangered Amur tiger cubs was born there, appropriately enough, on Mother’s Day.
Better known as Siberian tigers, when full-grown, they are amongst the largest cats in the world.
While it’s good news for the zoo, it’s great news for the conservation of the species, with only 500 Amur tigers left in the wild.
The three cubs, two males and a female, are bonding well with their mother, who is showing strong maternal instincts.
If all continues to go well, the rare baby tiger cubs will go on exhibit in July.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/06/13/cute-zoo-welcomes-litter-tiger-cubs-born-mothers-day/ | 2022-06-13T17:31:48Z |
NORWOOD, Mass., June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Showcase Cinemas, a world leader in the motion picture exhibition industry, announced today that it sent Buzz Lightyear's robot cat sidekick "Sox" beyond the Earth's atmosphere into space on a mission to celebrate today's release of the new Disney and Pixar film "Lightyear," the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero that inspired the toy. In the film, Sox acts as Buzz's dutiful robot companion, easing the Space Ranger's emotional transition after his time away on space missions.
In Sox's latest assignment from Showcase Cinemas, the talking toy version of the robo-cat was launched from Sheffield's Peak District in Derbyshire, UK, traveling at speeds of around 250mph and ascending beyond the Earth's atmosphere and into outer space, giving Buzz's iconic phrase "reach for the stars!" an all-new meaning.
Images and video taken during the space mission show the talking toy Sox floating around 130,000 feet above the Earth in 4k definition. Following the flight, Sox parachuted back down to Earth smoothly and landed in Spalding, Lincolnshire, U.K.
"Lightyear," which officially opens in theaters today, June 16, follows the legendary Space Ranger on an intergalactic adventure alongside a group of ambitious recruits, including his robot companion Sox.
"With currently an 82% Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the new 'Lightyear' film promises to be a family favorite in theaters this summer, featuring an iconic character that has become much-loved by families across the world," said Mark Malinowski, VP of Global Marketing for Showcase Cinemas. "To celebrate the film's opening, our Showcase Cinemas U.K. team came up with an 'out of this world' idea of actually sending Buzz Lightyear's new sidekick Sox to infinity and beyond!"
For more information and to purchase tickets for "Lightyear," please visit https://www.showcasecinemas.com/film-info/lightyear.
ABOUT SHOWCASE CINEMAS
Showcase Cinemas is a world leader in the motion picture exhibition industry, operating more than 810 movie screens in the U.S., U.K., Argentina and Brazil under the Showcase, Cinema de Lux, SuperLux and UCI brands. With 22 theater locations in the United States, Showcase Cinemas delivers the finest entertainment experience, offering the best in viewing, comfort and dining. For more information about Showcase Cinemas please visit our website at www.showcasecinemas.com.
ABOUT DISNEY AND PIXAR'S "LIGHTYEAR"
A sci-fi action adventure and the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy, "Lightyear" follows the legendary Space Ranger after he's marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander and their crew. As Buzz tries to find a way back home through space and time, he's joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox. Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda. The film features the voices of Chris Evans as accomplished Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear, Uzo Aduba as his commander and best friend Alisha Hawthorne and Peter Sohn as Sox. Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi and Dale Soules lend their voices to the Junior Zap Patrol's Izzy Hawthorne, Mo Morrison and Darby Steel, respectively, and James Brolin can be heard as the enigmatic Zurg. The voice cast also includes Mary McDonald-Lewis as onboard computer I.V.A.N., Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Commander Burnside, Efren Ramirez as Airman Diaz, and Keira Hairston as Young Izzy. Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director Finding Dory), produced by Galyn Susman (Toy Story That Time Forgot) and featuring a score by award-winning composer Michael Giacchino (The Batman, Up), Disney and Pixar's Lightyear opens only in theaters on June 16, 2022.
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SOURCE Showcase Cinemas | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/infinity-beyond-celebration-theatrical-release-disney-pixars-lightyear-showcase-cinemas-uk-sends-buzz-lightyears-new-sidekick-sox-into-space/ | 2022-06-16T15:47:21Z |
Temple Music Club
The Temple Music Club is once again meeting and is looking for new members.
The group will hold meetings and performances at 6 p.m. on Sundays at the Azalee Marshall Cultural Activities Center, 3011 N. Third St. in Temple.
The group’s next meeting will be on Sept. 11. The meeting will include a “Glee Club Night” performance honoring the heroes of 9/11. It will feature men’s women’s and children’s choruses under the direction of Larry Guess, Sara Harris Baker and Debra Johnson.
The group is a member of the CAC. Club dues are $75 per person or $50 for individuals who are already a member of the CAC. Dues may be paid to Beverly Kermode, 5312 Wildflower Lane, Temple, TX 76502. Or members may pay dues at the meeting on Sept. 11.
For information contact the club secretary, Laura Miller, at millbbydoc@earthlink.net.
Support groups at Young’s Daughters Funeral Home
Grief Share, a support group for people dealing with loss or grief, meets at 6 p.m. on Mondays at Young’s Daughters Funeral Home, 4235 E. Business 190 in Temple.
A support group for dementia/Alzheimer’s caregivers meets at 6 p.m. on Fridays at the funeral home. Caregivers will have the opportunity to learn tips and tricks for dealing with daily life.
Parkinson’s support group
The Bell County Parkinson’s support group will meet at 1 p.m. on Friday at Sammons Community Center, 2220 W. Ave. D in Temple.
The meeting is open to people with Parkinson’s disease and caregivers. Anyone with questions may contact Gayle at 254-718-4197 or email gayleinbelton@gmail.com.
Temple Belton Ladies Lions Club
The Temple Belton Ladies Lions Club meets at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Monday of the month at VFW Post 4008, 2311 S. Pearl St. in Belton.
Meetings are open to the public and newcomers are welcome.
Temple Breakfast Lions Club
The Temple Breakfast Lions Club meets the first and third Thursdays of each month in the Ava room at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1749 Scott Boulevard in Temple. The group gathers at 7 a.m. to order breakfast and the meeting starts at 7:30 a.m.
Meetings also are broadcast by the Zoom online meeting platform. For information email Lmeeker53@ gmail.com. Meetings are open to the public and the club is open to anyone with a heart for service.
Newcomers Club
The Newcomers Club, Inc. is looking for new members and extends a warm welcome to ladies that are new (within the past three years) to Bell County and surrounding counties. The group also welcomes ladies that have just retired, are recent empty nesters, or have experienced another life change within the past three years and would like to connect with other ladies. Join the fun and check out the Newcomers Club Inc. at www.bellcountynewcomers.com. For information about joining, contact Jan Fisher at 2txgrl@gmail.com or 951-751-4002.
Upcoming activities for September are: 9/5 Chat N’ Canasta, 9/7 Popcorn Bridge and Monthly Luncheon, 9/9 TGIF Lunch, 9/10 Couples Night Out, 9/12 Bookworms, 9/13 and 9/27 Singing Bluebonnets, 9/15 Meet & Greet, 9/16 Trail Blazers, 9/22 Heritage Seekers, 9/24 Sassy Singles, 9/26 Well-Read Women, Monday Canasta and Crochet &Knit, and 9/28 Fun Lunch.
Daughters of the Republic of Texas
The Sam Houston Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas will meet at Saturday at the Bell County AgriLife Extension office, 1605 N. Main St. in Belton. Refreshments will be served at 9:30 a.m. and the meeting will begin at 10 a.m.
The program will be about the Canary Islanders and the Republic of Texas.
Any lady interested in the DRT is welcome to attend the meeting. The DRT is a lineage organization formed to honor the citizens and veterans leading up to and including the Republic of Texas (1836-Feb. 19, 1946).
Bell Fine Arts
The Bell Fine Arts group meets from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays at 306 E. Fifth Ave. in Belton.
All skill levels from beginner to established artists are welcome. The group holds educational workshops from time to time and offers camaraderie for artists.
For information call Jeanne at 409-313-0611.
Tejas EE Club
The Tejas EE Club will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, in the meeting room at Plantation Square Apartments, 2411 S. 61st St. in Temple.
The meeting will include a report on information discussed at the BEEA meeting held on Aug. 29, including information on the recent American Legion fundraiser and plans for future fundraisers. BEEA Committee assignments also will be reviewed.
After the business meeting, members will participate in multiple projects: plarn, flower pens and fall centerpieces.
The meeting is open to the public.
Native Plant Society
The Tonkawa Chapter of the Native Plant Society will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at Barrow Brewing Company, 108 Royal St. in Salado.
Members will review last-minute plant sale details and seed saving. This year the fall sale will focus on education and the event will be held at Barrow Brewing Company on Sept. 17. The group will have plants separated in sections with plant monarchs, complete with adult-sized monarch wings for volunteers and pollinator plants.
Delta Kappa Gamma Society
The Lambda Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International will meet on Thursday in the library at Temple High School, 415 N. 31st St. in Temple.
Members will gather for social time at 4:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 4:45 p.m. The program, “Let the Journey Begin,” will be an overview of plans for the year.
Submission guidelines: Club news items may be submitted by emailing
living@tdtnews.com. All items are due by noon Monday. | https://www.tdtnews.com/life/article_2d4e23d6-2abc-11ed-b765-27fe136c89af.html | 2022-09-04T08:05:13Z |
80-year-old graduates six decades after dropping out
OMAHA, Neb. (KETV) - A lot of people take a semester off during college, even a year or longer.
But a Nebraska woman needed more time than that. A lot more.
It was about 60 years ago when University of Nebraska - Omaha student Madeline Adams had to pause her education to care for her family.
She graduated this month, proving it’s never too late to achieve one’s goals.
Adams, now 80 years old, started school at the university when the mascot was still “The Indians” back in 1960.
“Well, life happened,” she said. “Expecting, married, second child, third child, divorced, moved out of state.”
Adams moved to Missouri and worked real estate for 15 years before ending up in Hawaii and then Arizona before settling with her daughter, Robin Wright.
“My daughter, who lives in Texas, she’s here today. She begged me to come visit her,” Adams said.
While getting her mother moved in, Wright noticed something.
“I noticed that she had 40 credits from UNO, and I said, ‘Mom, why don’t you just finish?’” Wright said.
Adams enrolled and did online classes, crediting her daughter for pushing her across the finish line.
“She’s the wind beneath my wings, she really is, and she’s my biggest cheerleader,” Adams said.
Wright would say her mom did the flying on her own.
“She would always kind of jokingly say we were the smart ones, but I was like, ‘Mom you made us. You (are) the one who taught us,’” Wright said.
Wright calls her mother an inspiration.
“I didn’t realize the whole thing was that they were 19 when they had one and 22 when they had all three of us, and she really dropped out to work for us,” Wright said.
Adams said she’s finally putting a period on her education career.
“I always told my children, ‘Don’t start anything you can’t finish,’ so I had to be the example, right?” she said.
Adams said she plans to take her degree and use it for her volunteer work.
Copyright 2022 KETV via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/15/80-year-old-graduates-six-decades-after-dropping-out/ | 2022-05-15T18:48:14Z |
TORONTO, Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Wellness Natural USA Inc. announced its fan-favorite SimplyProtein® Crispy Bars are now available at Costco locations nationwide for a limited time, providing shoppers with even more options for simple, plant-powered snacks. The Crispy Bars are available in a Costco-exclusive 15 bar pack featuring the decadent and satisfying flavors of Peanut Butter Chocolate, Lemon Coconut and Dark Chocolate Sea Salt. SimplyProtein Crispy Bars first entered 50 regional Costco warehouses in January 2022 and this national expansion brings distribution to over 600 warehouses nationwide.
After re-entering the US market last year, the brand's multi-channel distribution approach continues to prove successful. Alongside the expansion from regional to national Costco distribution, SimplyProtein continues to add to its roster of retail with partners such as Kroger, Meijer and HyVee. eCommerce also continues to drive sales growth for the brand through partnerships with online retailers such as Amazon and through its own direct-to-consumer platform.
"This past year has been transformative for the SimplyProtein brand. Our expansion into the US market has exceeded our expectations and growing our partnership with Costco is a major milestone for our brand," said Michael Lines, chief executive officer. "We believe the future of food is plant-based and are proud to provide consumers with simple, delicious and approachable products that meet a variety of snacking needs. We are excited to continue our partnership with Costco as we expand nationally into the fall."
The Costco-exclusive Crispy Bars are gluten-free, plant-based and dairy-free. Each flavor features 15g of plant-based protein, with only 1g of sugar per serving. All SimplyProtein products also contain no artificial colors. Outside of Costco, SimplyProtein also offers a range of plant-based snacking options including their Energy Bites, Snack Bars, Cookie Bars and Kids Bars.
About SimplyProtein®
The SimplyProtein team believes the path to wellness is individual. Our passion is creating a wide range of snacks with plant-based energy, providing the fuel for individuals to live life on their own terms. The SimplyProtein brand got its start in 2002 in health food stores throughout Toronto, Canada and is now owned and operated by Wellness Natural Inc. and available throughout North America. All SimplyProtein products are gluten-free and Non-GMO Project Verified. To learn more, visit simplyprotein.com, @SimplyProtein on Instagram and @SimplyProteinUSA on Facebook.
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SOURCE Wellness Natural Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/simplyprotein-continues-expansion-into-us-with-national-distribution-costco/ | 2022-08-26T00:01:36Z |
VERO BEACH, Fla., May 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Watercrest Columbia Assisted Living and Memory Care in Columbia, South Carolina has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a 2022-23 Best Assisted Living Community.
Watercrest Columbia is one of the senior living communities recognized by U.S. News that earned "Best" status by achieving the highest possible rating for Assisted Living. U.S. News awards the designation of Best Senior Living only to those communities that satisfy U.S. News's objective statistical assessment of each senior living community's performance from consumer satisfaction surveys administered between March 2021 and February 2022, reflecting the viewpoints of more than 200,000 current residents and family members of residents living in thousands of senior living communities nationwide.
"It is a great honor and distinction for Watercrest Columbia to be awarded a Best Senior Living Community by an esteemed organization such as U.S. News & World Report," says Marc Vorkapich, principal and chief executive officer of Watercrest Senior Living Group. "This recognition is a first-hand testament from our residents as to the excellence in care and service they enjoy in our Watercrest communities."
Residents and family members ranked Watercrest Columbia with the standard of "excellent" in the categories of knowledgeable and skilled licensed nursing and caregiving staff, dining service, variety of life enrichment activities, and excellence in staff responsiveness.
The inaugural U.S. News Best Senior Living ratings and profiles offer comprehensive information and exclusive analysis of consumer satisfaction data evaluating such factors as community & activity, food & dining, caregiving, and management & staff for nearly 2,500 communities in the continental U.S. and Hawaii. For more than 30 years, U.S. News has served the American public as an unbiased arbiter of quality across a variety of important choices. Whether picking a college, selecting a hospital or moving to a nursing home, consumers go to U.S. News to research and make consequential life decisions.
"Until now, families have had limited information when comparing providers of independent living, assisted living, memory care or continuing care," said Ben Harder, managing editor and chief of health analysis at U.S. News. "The Best Senior Living ratings fill this informational gap with comprehensive and transparent data to help older consumers and their families identify high-quality senior living communities that meet their needs and preferences."
For more information behind the data analyzed in the U.S. News ratings for Senior Living, please refer to the methodology.
Watercrest Columbia offers 75 assisted living and 32 memory care apartments with premium accommodations, resort-style amenities and world-class care. Residents enjoy aquatic therapy in the resort-style pool, pampering in elegant Spa W, savoring private label Watercrest wines at the wine bistro, and relishing the flavors of locally grown, seasonal ingredients and organic fare whether dining outdoors, bistro-style, or in the chef's private dining room. Designed by LifeBUILT Architecture, Watercrest Columbia includes a stunning promenade, pool, fireplace, signature water wall, multiple dining venues, children's play space, grand balconies and Southern style outdoor living spaces.
Watercrest Columbia is ideally located at 1951 Clemson Road in Columbia, SC. For community information, or to schedule a tour call 803-882-3350
About Watercrest Senior Living Group
Watercrest Senior Living Group was founded to honor our mothers and fathers, aspiring to become a beacon for quality in senior living by surpassing standards of care, service and associate training. Watercrest senior living communities are recognized for their luxury aesthetic, exceptional amenities, world-class care, and innovative memory care programming offering unparalleled service to seniors living with Alzheimer's and dementia. A certified Great Place to Work, Watercrest specializes in the development and operations of assisted living and memory care communities and the growth of servant leaders. For information, visit www.watercrestseniorliving.com.
About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
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SOURCE Watercrest Senior Living Group | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/20/us-news-amp-world-report-names-watercrest-columbia-2022-23-best-assisted-living-community/ | 2022-05-20T20:38:07Z |
CAXIAS DO SUL, Brazil, Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fras-le S.A. (B3 - "FRAS3"), an auto-parts powerhouse, whose portfolio brings together iconic products and brands, the largest manufacturer of friction materials in Latin America and an international leader in the field, has announced its results for the second quarter and first semester of 2022. The Company's financial information is consolidated in accordance with the IFRS – International Financial Reporting Standards.
MAIN RESULTS – 2Q | 1H22
(Percentages show variations from the respective periods from 1Q21 and 1H21 – amounts in MM)
RESULTS VIDEOCONFERENCE
(In Portuguese with simultaneous interpretation into English)
08/11 – 11 am Brazil | 10 am New York | 3 pm London
To Register / Access Video-Conference: Click here
Contact RI
E-mail: ri@fras-le.com
Website: http://ri.fras-le.com.br
Hemerson Fernando de Souza
Phone: +55 54 3239.1519
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SOURCE Fras-le S.A. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/11/fras-le-announces-2q22-results/ | 2022-08-11T16:55:18Z |
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren talked Tuesday about the conference being bold and aggressive as college sports goes through a period of sweeping change and left the door open for more expansion after the league added Southern California and UCLA.
Warren’s opening remarks to begin Big Ten football media days went nearly 15 minutes before he directly mentioned the two Los Angeles schools that announced last month they will be joining the conference in 2024.
“Regarding expansion, I get asked every single day what’s next? It may include future expansion,” Warren said. “We will not expand just to expand. It will be strategic. It will add additional value to our conference.”
He added: “We are in a perpetual state of evaluating what’s next for college athletics.”
Warren also said the Big Ten is in the process of finalizing a new media rights deal that will go into effect next year, with an announcement expected “sooner rather than later.” He dodged questions about what it could be worth to the conference but some projections have the Big Ten in position to pay out about $100 million in revenue annually to its schools in the coming years.
He did say USC and UCLA will enter the conference as full members with regards to revenue sharing. In previous expansions with Nebraska, Rutgers and Maryland, the incoming members received partial shares of revenue at first.
The West Coast additions will make the Big Ten a coast-to-coast conference. For football coaches, the prospect of making long road trips was not much of a concern compared to the benefits USC and UCLA bring.
Just a year ago at the first in-person Big Ten media days hosted by Warren as commissioner, the SEC dominated headlines with news that Texas and Oklahoma would be leaving the Big 12 for the Southern superconference.
The Big Ten’s counterpunch came about 11 months later.
“I thought it was a very smart move for our league to get out in front of any changes that might be happening around the country,” Nebraska coach Scott Frost said.
Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck summed it up succinctly: “L.A.! Are you kidding me? That’s perfect.”
Warren reminisced about the days when his family would shop from a Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog and the company’s long history in and around Chicago. The third-year commissioner, who received plenty of criticism of the Big Ten’s handling of the 2020 pandemic season, said he would not let the conference become an outdated business like Sears.
“Where expansion goes, I don’t know,” he said. “It is important for all of us in business to recognize that were in a time of change. I’m embracing change. I’m going to be very aggressive.”
___
Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/bold-aggressive-big-ten-leaves-door-open-for-more-expansion/ | 2022-07-26T18:03:55Z |
Biden, Xi to hold fifth talk of their presidencies Thursday
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is speaking Thursday morning with China’s Xi Jinping, the fifth conversation of their presidencies, as the two leaders chart the future of their complicated relationship at a time of simmering economic and geopolitical tensions.
The call, which began at 8:33 a.m. EDT, comes as Biden aims to find new ways to work with the rising global power as well as strategies to contain China’s influence around the world. Differing perspectives on global health, economic policy and human rights have long tested the relationship — with China’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine adding further strain.
The latest pressure point has been House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s potential visit to Taiwan, the island that governs itself democratically and receives informal defensive support from the U.S., but which China considers part of its territory. Beijing has said it would view such a trip as a provocation, a threat U.S. officials are taking with heightened seriousness in light of Russia’s incursion into Ukraine.
“If the U.S. insists on going its own way and challenging China’s bottom line, it will surely be met with forceful responses,” Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters earlier this week. “All ensuing consequences shall be borne by the U.S.”
Pelosi would be the highest-ranking U.S. elected official to travel to Taiwan since Republican Newt Gingrich visited the island in 1997 when he was House speaker. Biden last week told reporters that U.S. military officials believed it was “not a good idea” for the speaker to visit the island at the moment.
John Kirby, a U.S. national security spokesman, said Wednesday that it was important for Biden and Xi to regularly touch base.
“The president wants to make sure that the lines of communication with President Xi remain open because they need to,” Kirby told reporters at a White House briefing. “There are issues where we can cooperate with China on, and there are issues where obviously there are friction and tension.”
Biden and Xi last spoke in March, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“This is one of the most consequential bilateral relationships in the world today, with ramifications well beyond both individual countries,” Kirby said.
The conversation comes as Biden has moved to shift U.S. reliance off Chinese manufacturing, including Senate passage Wednesday of legislation to encourage semiconductor companies to build more high-tech plants in the U.S. Biden wants to marshal global democracies to support infrastructure investments in low- and middle-income nations as an alternative to China’s “Belt and Road Initiative,” which aims to boost China trade with other global markets.
Kirby listed a number of areas of U.S,-China friction that he said would be part of the conversation, including “tensions over Taiwan, tensions over ... China’s aggressive course of behavior in the Indo-Pacific outside of Taiwan, tensions in the economic relationship” and over China’s reaction to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Biden, who has kept in place Trump-era tariffs on many Chinese-manufactured goods in order to maintain leverage over Beijing, is weighing whether to ease at least some of them in a move to lessen the impact of soaring inflation on American households.
U.S. officials have also criticized China’s “zero-COVID” policy of mass testing and lockdowns in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 in its territory, labeling it misguided and fretting that it will further slow global economic growth.
Other points of strain include China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims, which the U.S. has declared a genocide, its militarization in the South China Sea, and global campaign of economic and political espionage.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/07/28/biden-xi-hold-fifth-talk-their-presidencies-thursday/ | 2022-07-28T12:57:16Z |
Petitioners in the KC metro push for marijuana legalization
GRANDVIEW, Mo. (KCTV) - Attitudes nationwide are changing toward marijuana legalization.
A CBS poll found that nearly two-thirds of Americans now support allowing recreational cannabis use. In Missouri, it is currently allowed for medical use. However, it’s still illegal in Kansas.
Doug Galant, the owner of the ReLeaf Dispensary in Grandview, has seen that shift in attitude. His business hosted the 420 Flower Festival today, which was an event featuring vendors and food trucks. There were also discounts on some products and services. A physician onsite was helping patients apply for or renew their medical cards.
The line outside the dispensary stayed at a steady 60-70 people throughout the day.
“We talk to people every day and try to educate them and change their view,” Galant said. “As you can see, it’s changed.”
Petitioners were onsite at the event, as well as other locations throughout the metro area, collecting signatures for a ballot initiative that would expand Missouri’s law to allow recreational use.
Justice Gatson led a team from Legal MO 2022, which is the group pushing for the petition. They set up in Mission Taco Joint in the Crossroads to distribute flyers and collect signatures.
The measure would also reform certain enforcement practices and allow for expungements of nonviolent drug offenses.
“This offers restoration for people who have been harmed,” Gatson said.
Copyright 2022 KCTV. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/04/20/petitioners-kc-metro-push-marijuana-legalization/ | 2022-04-21T17:14:34Z |
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria is heading to a new parliamentary election this fall after the three largest parties in parliament failed to find common ground for a coalition government.
Socialist Party floor leader, Georgi Svilenski, told reporters on Wednesday that efforts to form a viable coalition failed as a proposed governing strategy did not muster the needed approval in the National Assembly.
“In this situation, tomorrow we’ll return the mandate to the president unfulfilled,” said Svilenski.
Earlier, the two main groups in parliament — the reformist We Continue the Change party and the center right GERB party — failed to end the European Union and NATO member’s latest political crisis amid soaring tensions with Russia.
The ouster of the pro-Western Cabinet of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, who took office last December pledging zero tolerance for corruption, helped pave the way toward a new election, which analysts expect will bring a stronger presence of nationalist and pro-Russia groups into parliament.
Last month, Bulgaria ordered the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomatic staff from Bulgaria, exacerbating tensions between the two historically close nations.
Petkov, who took a strong stance against Russia after it invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, has claimed Moscow used “hybrid war” tactics to bring down his government.
In April, Russia cut off gas supplies to Bulgaria after officials refused a Moscow demand to pay gas bills in rubles, Russia’s currency.
Bulgaria’s defense minister was ousted in early March for referring to Russia’s war as a “special military operation,” the Kremlin-preferred description.
One of Petkov’s main goals was to halt Moscow’s almost total energy grip by diversifying sources of supplies.
In one of his last moves as prime minister, Petkov on Wednesday discussed with experts from U.S. company Westinghouse possibilities to receive nuclear fuel for one of its two Russian-designed reactors.
“I am concerned about what is happening in Europe and my forecast is that the war (in Ukraine) will continue for five more years, which is why I hope we will manage to continue (on) our path to diversification,” Petkov said.
Political analysts expect that the new vote, likely to be held in October, could again produce a fragmented parliament, and deepen the political impasse that has gripped the EU’s poorest member for months.
The country’s president must now dissolve parliament, appoint a caretaker government, and set a date for Bulgaria’s fourth parliamentary vote since April 2021. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/bulgaria-to-hold-early-election-after-coalition-talks-fail/ | 2022-07-28T08:05:51Z |
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nuvve (Nasdaq: NVVE), a leader in electrifying transportation, and Vistra (NYSE: VST), one of the largest competitive power generators and retail electricity providers in the country, have announced the first step in their partnership to help school districts modernize bus fleets.
The partnership between Nuvve and Vistra will help school districts access available grant funding, from both federal and state agencies. These grants will make the transition cost-effective while also helping districts save on long-term transportation costs. Thus far, Vistra and Nuvve have helped school districts served by Vistra to apply for more than $4.5M in grant funding to replace older, diesel school buses.
"We know transportation is the top source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., which is why electrifying school bus fleets makes a noticeable, positive impact," said Gregory Poilasne, chairman and CEO of Nuvve. "The transition to zero-emissions electric school buses (ESBs) does more than clean the air. With large batteries on-board and predictable operation times, ESBs are a perfect use-case for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, especially in those markets where energy costs have shown significant volatility."
Nuvve's V2G technology allows districts to manage charging of their buses to ensure they are ready for their designated route. This advanced charging solution also allows districts to put energy back on the grid, providing an additional revenue source. Nuvve also offers smart fleet-management tools, helping transportation teams monitor battery levels by intelligently scheduling bus operation times and ensuring the bus has enough energy to complete its daily routes.
Electric buses also include fewer parts, leading to lower maintenance costs. The benefits extend to drivers as well, with quiet rides and more responsive performance.
"In order for this country to achieve its climate goals, it is going to take creative ideas and partnerships, and a collective effort across sectors," said Scott Hudson, president of Vistra's retail division. "Our customers know we offer more than just reliable power. We're all about innovative solutions. We are proud to join Nuvve to help school districts provide safer, cleaner transportation."
Media
Nuvve:
(W)right On Communications
David Cumpston
dcumpston@wrightoncomm.com
415-902-4461
Vistra:
Meranda Cohn
Media.Relations@vistracorp.com
214-875-8004
Nuvve Investor Contact
ICR Inc.
Eduardo Royes
nuvve@icrinc.com
646-200-8872
About Nuvve
Nuvve Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: NVVE) is leading the electrification of the planet, beginning with transportation, through its intelligent energy platform. Combining the world's most advanced vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology and an ecosystem of electrification partners, Nuvve dynamically manages power among electric vehicle (EV) batteries and the grid to deliver new value to EV owners, accelerate the adoption of EVs, and support the world's transition to clean energy. By transforming EVs into mobile energy storage assets and networking battery capacity to support shifting energy needs, Nuvve is making the grid more resilient, enhancing sustainable transportation, and supporting energy equity in an electrified world. Since its founding in 2010, Nuvve has successfully deployed V2G on five continents and offers turnkey electrification solutions for fleets of all types. Nuvve is headquartered in San Diego, Calif. and can be found online at nuvve.com.
Nuvve and associated logos are among the trademarks of Nuvve and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
About Vistra
Vistra (NYSE: VST) is a leading Fortune 500 integrated retail electricity and power generation company based in Irving, Texas, providing essential resources for customers, commerce, and communities. Vistra combines an innovative, customer-centric approach to retail with safe, reliable, diverse, and efficient power generation. The company brings its products and services to market in 20 states and the District of Columbia, including six of the seven competitive wholesale markets in the U.S. Serving approximately 4 million residential, commercial, and industrial retail customers with electricity and natural gas, Vistra is one of the largest competitive electricity providers in the country and offers over 50 renewable energy plans. The company is also the largest competitive power generator in the U.S. with a capacity of approximately 39,000 megawatts powered by a diverse portfolio, including natural gas, nuclear, solar, and battery energy storage facilities. In addition, Vistra is a large purchaser of wind power. The company owns and operates the 400-MW/1,600-MWh battery energy storage system in Moss Landing, California, the largest of its kind in the world. Vistra is guided by four core principles: we do business the right way, we work as a team, we compete to win, and we care about our stakeholders, including our customers, our communities where we work and live, our employees, and our investors. Learn more about our environmental, social, and governance efforts and read the company's sustainability report at https://www.vistracorp.com/sustainability/.
Nuvve Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, regarding Nuvve and Nuvve's strategy, future operations, estimated and projected financial performance, prospects, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words "could," "should," "will," "may," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "project," the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, Nuvve disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. Nuvve cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of Nuvve. In addition, Nuvve cautions you that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to the following factors: (i) risks related to the rollout of Nuvve's business and the timing of expected business milestones; (ii) Nuvve's dependence on widespread acceptance and adoption of electric vehicles and increased installation of charging stations; (iii) Nuvve's ability to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting (iv) Nuvve's current dependence on sales of charging stations for most of its revenues; (v) overall demand for electric vehicle charging and the potential for reduced demand if governmental rebates, tax credits and other financial incentives are reduced, modified or eliminated or governmental mandates to increase the use of electric vehicles or decrease the use of vehicles powered by fossil fuels, either directly or indirectly through mandated limits on carbon emissions, are reduced, modified or eliminated; (vi) potential adverse effects on Nuvve's backlog, revenue and gross margins if customers increasingly claim clean energy credits and, as a result, they are no longer available to be claimed by Nuvve; (vii) the effects of competition on Nuvve's future business; (viii) risks related to Nuvve's dependence on its intellectual property and the risk that Nuvve's technology could have undetected defects or errors; (ix) the risk that we conduct a portion of our operations through a joint venture exposes us to risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of our control; (x) that our joint venture with Levo Mobility LLC may fail to generate the expected financial results, and the return may be insufficient to justify our investment of effort and/or funds; (xi) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (xii) the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect directly on Nuvve and the economy generally; (xiii) risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to our joint ventures; (xiv) risks relating to privacy and data protection laws, privacy or data breaches, or the loss of data; (xv) the possibility that Nuvve may be adversely affected by 3 other economic, business, and/or competitive factors, including increased inflation and interest rates, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine; and (xvi) risks related to the benefits expected from the $1.2 trillion dollar infrastructure bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 3684). Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this press release materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the operations and projections discussed herein can be found in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by Nuvve with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 31, 2022, and in the other reports that Nuvve has, and will file from time to time with the SEC. Nuvve's SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
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SOURCE Nuvve Corporation | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/nuvve-partners-with-vistra-help-school-districts-electrify-bus-fleets/ | 2022-08-09T20:39:47Z |
Founders, investors invited to Tennessee's premier entrepreneurial festival
NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This year's 3686 will feature some of the country's leading innovative and entrepreneurial voices and a partnership with Startup Showdown, Launch Tennessee announced Monday.
The Nashville-based nonprofit — which works to make Tennessee the most startup-friendly state in the nation — will host the festival from Sept. 27-29 at Marathon Music Works.
Thanks to a new partnership with venture capital firm Panoramic Ventures, the festival will feature Tennessee's first Startup Showdown, a pitch competition investing $120,000 into the winning startup.
This year's 3686 will also include an expanded 1-on-1 matchmaking event that pairs entrepreneurs with investors and corporations. This unique aspect is back by popular demand, after the last in-person session resulted in 400+ meetings.
The two-day festival will also feature top investors and entrepreneur fireside chats, panel discussions, networking opportunities and live music entertainment, and leading brands Amazon and The Roster Agency have signed on as sponsors.
Featured speakers scheduled for the festival, which is in its ninth year, include Blavity Inc. CEO Morgan DeBaun and Jules Martin, Partner at Mindset Ventures.
Featured speakers will include:
- Eric Bahn, Co-Founder and General Partner, Hustle Fund
- Olivia Capra, Principal, Frist Cressey Ventures
- Morgan DeBaun, Founder & CEO of Blavity Inc.
- Cam Doody, Co-Founder and General Partner at Brickyard
- Tara Fung, Co-Founder & CEO, Co:Create
- Samara Mejia Hernandez, Founding Partner, Chingona Ventures
- Marlon Nichols, Co-Founder, Managing General Partner, MaC Venture Capital
- Stuart McWhorter, Commissioner of Economic & Community Development, State of Tennessee
- Jules Miller, Partner, Mindset Ventures & Founder, VC3 DAO
- Maria Salamanca, Partner, Unshackled Ventures
"3686 brings together a special group of people. Our speakers and attendees represent some of the best entrepreneurs, investors, and executives not just in Tennessee but from across the U.S.," said LaunchTN CEO Lindsey Cox. "It's a unique opportunity to build relationships while having a blast in Nashville."
The festival, named after the geographic coordinates of Nashville, started in 2013 and has welcomed attendees from across the country. It has grown to attract national speakers, investors and entrepreneurs.
For more information and to attend 3686, visit attend3686.com to purchase tickets.
About Launch Tennessee
Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN) is a public-private partnership with a vision to make Tennessee the most startup-friendly state in the nation. Through our network of Entrepreneur Centers and partner organizations across the state, Launch Tennessee fosters collaboration among entrepreneurs, the private sector, capital sources, institutions and government to offer entrepreneurs what they need to scale their businesses.
About 3686
3686 is the Southeast's premier gathering of founders, investors and ecosystem builders. Named for the geographic coordinates of Nashville, the event hosted by LaunchTN is filled with opportunities for entrepreneurs and startups to connect with their next collaborators, catch live shows in Music City, and engage in meaningful speaker content. LaunchTN hosts 3686 to serve as a meeting ground for best-in-class entrepreneurs, innovators and investors from Tennessee and across the country to support business development and growth.
Media Contact:
Ashley Currie
Launch Tennessee
comms@launchtn.org
(615) 991-2809
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SOURCE Launch Tennessee | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/18/launch-tennessee-announces-speakers-pitch-competition-3686/ | 2022-07-18T22:13:58Z |
(The Hill) – Elmo is showing off his “super duper bandage” after getting his first COVID-19 vaccine shot.
The “Sesame Street” monster appeared in a public service announcement (PSA) released Tuesday to promote vaccinations for children ages 5 and younger.
“Now Daddy has super duper bandages just like Elmo,” the fire-engine red character — who’s 3-and-a-half-years-old — says to his father, Louie, in the video from Sesame Workshop, made in collaboration with the Ad Council and the COVID Collaborative’s COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative.
“You were super duper today, getting your COVID vaccine, Elmo,” Louie tells his son.
“There was a little pinch, but it was OK,” responds the famed children’s character.
Louis then tells viewers he “had a lot of questions about Elmo getting the COVID vaccine.”
“Was it safe? Was it the right decision? I talked to our pediatrician so I could make the right choice. I learned that Elmo getting vaccinated is the best way to keep himself, our friends, neighbors and everyone else healthy and enjoying the things they love.”
The PSA, created in both English and Spanish, was produced in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics, the nonprofit Sesame Workshop said.
The push to get the country’s youngest population vaccinated comes a little more than a week after the CDC signed off on Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine for kids ages 6 months to 4 years, as well as Moderna’s shots for kids up to age 5.
Children under 5 were the last group eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
According to Ad Council research cited by Sesame Workshop, 52 percent of parents have not “firmly made up their mind either way about getting their child under 5 vaccinated.”
It’s not the first time that “Sesame Street” has leaned on its colorful cast of Muppets to encourage vaccinations — it also created PSAs to urge adults to get the vaccines and videos targeted towards kids ages 5 and older.
“Many parents understandably have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines for young children, and we want to encourage them to ask questions and seek out information,” Jeanette Betancourt, Sesame Workshop’s senior vice president of U.S. social impact, said in a statement. “With help from Elmo and his dad Louie, we want to model real conversations, encourage parents’ questions, and help children know what to expect,” Betancourt said. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/can-you-tell-me-how-to-get-how-to-get-my-covid-vaccine-elmo-does-psa-encouraging-shots-for-younger-kids/ | 2022-06-28T21:48:32Z |
Police ID suspect in fatal New York City subway shooting
NEW YORK (AP) — Police on Tuesday identified a suspect in the fatal shooting of a passenger aboard a moving New York City subway train.
The NYPD says Andrew Abdullah is wanted in the death of 48-year-old Daniel Enriquez, who was shot and killed late Sunday morning aboard a Q train near the Canal Street station in Manhattan.
The police department tweeted a photo of the 25-year-old Abdullah and asked the public for help finding him.
Court records show Abdullah has two open criminal cases in New York City, one in Brooklyn stemming from an April 24 vehicle theft and the other for an alleged assault in Manhattan in 2020.
Messages seeking comment were left with lawyers representing him in those cases.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/24/police-id-suspect-fatal-new-york-city-subway-shooting/ | 2022-05-24T17:54:44Z |
New read-write capabilities will allow independent insurance agents to build & nurture relationships more seamlessly.
RALEIGH, N.C., June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Levitate and HawkSoft are proud to announce the second major milestone in their partnership – the launch of their two-way API integration for users of both platforms. This highly-anticipated update to the existing read-only integration allows Levitate to write back emails, texts, and notes to HawkSoft, creating a comprehensive and streamlined user experience.
"We're excited to take our integration with HawkSoft to the next level," says Jesse Lipson, CEO of Levitate. "Levitate and HawkSoft share hundreds of customers, and the ability to automatically write data back into HawkSoft's agency management system makes a great integration even more valuable to our joint customers."
"Levitate is one of HawkSoft's most popular API Partners," reports Paul Hawkins, CEO of HawkSoft. "It is very clear why – Levitate is a force multiplier to an agent's ability to maintain strong, personal relationships with their clients. Two-way API integration will further simplify the process and free more time for our mutual agency partners to focus on protecting their clients."
It's this shared philosophy of authentic and genuine relationship marketing that makes the partnership between Levitate and HawkSoft a natural fit – and the results they share speak for themselves. Since launching the initial integration in March 2020, nearly 300 small businesses using both platforms have seen outstanding results from the 2.2 million emails sent through Levitate, garnering an average email open rate of over 62% – a 210% higher average rate than the 20% average open rate normally seen with mass-blast providers. More importantly, Levitate emails have started over 176,000 conversations between agents and their customers, creating opportunities for new policies, additional coverage, and the chance to encourage happy clients to become vocal advocates for their business.
The time-saving two-way integration feature is now available to all users of HawkSoft and Levitate. Once enabled, data will sync in real-time, keeping client communication histories up to date and accurate in HawkSoft. Alleviating the need to enter data into both platforms will provide more accurate records for users, making this partnership more powerful than ever.
Levitate is a keep-in-touch marketing and client happiness tool designed to help independent insurance agents build & maintain authentic relationships with their clients. Levitate's platform allows users to send personal emails at scale, keep in touch with clients via text, send surveys, schedule meetings, automate communication, remember key facts about their contacts, and accomplish business goals with a personalized approach. For more information about Levitate, visit www.levitate.ai.
Since 1995, HawkSoft is a leader in management systems for independent insurance agencies that want effective workflows and a delightful experience for staff and policyholders. Created by independent agents, HawkSoft continues to evolve as a cutting-edge system that powers thousands of agencies. HawkSoft offers the following promise to insurance agents: your investment in HawkSoft will pay for itself in the first year. Learn more about HawkSoft's unique father-and-son story at www.hawksoft.com/story.
Media Contact: Meghan Hardy, meghan.hardy@levitateapp.com
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SOURCE Levitate | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/levitate-hawksoft-launch-two-way-api-integration-between-platforms/ | 2022-06-23T16:03:36Z |
Lanier Law Firm secures another victory for local governments
CLEVELAND, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a first-of-its-kind trial, a federal judge has ordered a $650.6 million judgment sought by two Ohio counties against retail giants CVS Health Corp., Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc and Walmart Inc. for their roles in failing to control the spread of deadly and addictive prescription opioids. The award will allow Lake and Trumbull counties to fund education and prevention programs and reimburse local agencies and organizations for costs incurred to manage the crisis.
"These governments simply wanted restitution for the burden of dealing with a drug epidemic supported by the corporate greed, negligence and lack of responsibility of these pharmaceutical chains," says Mark Lanier of The Lanier Law Firm, who represented the counties at trial. "We are pleased that the court recognized that there are cogent and workable plans in place to address the needs of their respective communities, which this award will turn into reality."
In addition to Mr. Lanier, the trial team was led by Peter Weinberger of Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP, and Frank Gallucci of Plevin & Gallucci Co. Other firms representing the plaintiffs include Napoli Shkolnik PLLC, Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC, Motley Rice LLC and Farrell & Fuller LLC.
The 76-page order by U.S. District Judge Dan Polster requires the defendants to immediately pay $86.7 million into an abatement fund for the counties' use, with the remainder of the funds allocated over the next 15 years.
The order also establishes an injunction "directing that the Pharmacy Defendants undertake certain actions to ensure they are complying fully with the Controlled Substances Act and avoiding further improper dispensing conduct."
In November, a federal jury determined that the companies were liable for creating a public nuisance by recklessly dispensing opioids and enabling the epidemic in the two counties, located in the northeastern part of the state. The case was the first to go to trial involving the role of pharmacies in the epidemic. It is considered a bellwether, as much of the evidence and production of documents will affect scores of other lawsuits that are pending before Judge Polster from cities and counties across the nation.
Testimony during the trial revealed that about 5,400 people in Lake County and 7,500 people in Trumbull County suffered from opioid dependency as of 2019. In Lake County, 232 of 350 opioid overdose deaths from 2015-2019 could be directly or indirectly linked to prescription opioids; in Trumbull County, 289 of the 446 deaths during that span could be attributed to prescription painkillers.
Earlier this year, a Lanier Law Firm team helped gain a $1.85 billion settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors to settle claims brought by the state of Texas.
The U.S. opioid epidemic has caused more than 500,000 overdose deaths over two decades, according to government data. More than 3,300 opioid lawsuits have been filed nationally against drugmakers, distributors and pharmacy chains, leading to a recent wave of proposed settlements.
About the Lanier Law Firm
For more than 30 years, the women and men at the Lanier Law Firm have worked tirelessly, throughout the United States, to find unique and effective solutions for their clients. More than 60 skilled attorneys practice law in a broad array of areas, including business litigation, pharmaceutical litigation, asbestos exposure, oil and gas litigation, personal injury as well as defective and dangerous products, among others. Named an Elite Trial Law Firm by The National Law Journal, the Lanier Law Firm has offices in Houston, New York and Los Angeles. To learn more about Mark Lanier and the Lanier Law Firm, visit http://www.lanierlawfirm.com.
Media Contact:
J.D. Cargill
713-659-5200
jdc@lanierlawfirm.com
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SOURCE The Lanier Law Firm | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/ohio-federal-court-awards-more-than-650-million-against-pharmacies-driving-opioid-crisis/ | 2022-08-17T19:51:40Z |
MOGALAKWENA, South Africa and SEATTLE , May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's largest zero-emission haul truck made its debut today, powered by creative engineering firm First Mode's clean energy innovation. The ultra-class haul truck once burned thousands of gallons of diesel fuel per year, but now it's powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and lithium-ion battery powerplant designed and built by First Mode engineers in Seattle.
As tall as a three-story building and weighing 200 tons empty, this truck can carry up to 290 tons of ore. Deploying Anglo American and First Mode's zero-emission power source keeps 700 cars' worth of carbon dioxide emissions out of the atmosphere. Large trucks currently account for 70-80% of diesel fuel consumption at Anglo American's mine sites.
"At First Mode, we know we are at a 'fire-everything' moment. The urgency in front of us requires that we deploy every tool and every technology to battle climate change," said Chris Voorhees, president and CEO of First Mode. "I'm so proud of the team and our partnership with Anglo American, focused on decarbonization at the source to affect the meaningful, necessary change we all seek. We hope that this zero-emission clean energy breakthrough will inspire others to create significant action in the fight for our planet."
The mining industry accounts for approximately 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions, with diesel haul trucks representing as much as 50% of total energy use at mine sites. According to the World Economic Forum, the transition to clean energy needed to avoid the worst effects of climate change could require as much as 3 billion tons of metals, for batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and other devices.
First Mode continues to hire worldwide, targeting rapid growth at its headquarters and hardware development centers in Seattle, and its new 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Perth, Australia.
About First Mode
First Mode is a creative engineering company building the barely possible to enable a sustainable future for everyone. We design and deliver critically needed products and technologies focused on zero-emission mobility, decarbonization of heavy industry, and production and distribution of green hydrogen. Our engineers in Seattle and Perth empower our clients to leverage cutting-edge solutions to achieve their sustainability objectives and help our planet survive and thrive.
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SOURCE First Mode | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/06/first-mode-powers-worlds-largest-zero-emission-vehicle-mining-giant-anglo-american/ | 2022-05-06T14:33:00Z |
Suspect faces murder charge in 18-year-old’s kidnapping
FERNLEY, Nev. (KOLO) - The man accused of kidnapping 18-year-old Naomi Irion from a Walmart parking lot in Nevada has been booked on a murder charge, according to the sheriff’s office.
Troy Driver, 41, is charged with open murder, burglary and destruction of evidence, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office said Friday afternoon. Open murder means the crime could have been first-degree murder, done with premeditation, or manslaughter, KOLO reports.
The sheriff’s office did not elaborate on details of the murder, but it is alleged to have been done with a deadly weapon.
The Churchill County Sheriff’s Office said Naomi Irion’s body was found Tuesday in a shallow gravesite in the area of Coal Canyon Road, which is northeast of Fallon in Churchill County. Her death is being investigated as a homicide.
The sheriff’s office said her exact cause of death is known. However, they are not releasing it at this time because “if released [it] would compromise the ongoing investigation.”
Driver was arrested March 25 and initially charged with first-degree kidnapping. He is being held on $750,000 bail.
Authorities believe Naomi Irion was kidnapped March 12 while sitting in her car at a Walmart in Fernley, waiting for the shuttle to take her to Panasonic at the Reno Tahoe Industrial Center where she worked. A suspect is seen on surveillance video walking outside Walmart moments before getting into the 18-year-old’s car and driving off with her inside.
Deputies found the car March 15 in a Fernley industrial park. They say evidence found inside suggested her disappearance was criminal in nature.
The Irion family says they will appear in court to support the prosecution of Driver. The victim’s mother says she wants the focus to be on her daughter, not the man she says is behind her murder.
“I refuse to say his name,” said Diana Irion, Naomi’s mother. “I will say my daughter’s name, Naomi Christine Irion, 18 years old. Let’s make Naomi famous. Let’s not make an animal that murdered her famous.”
Driver’s next hearing is set for April 5.
Copyright 2022 KOLO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/04/03/suspect-faces-murder-charge-18-year-olds-kidnapping/ | 2022-04-03T13:52:24Z |
ASHEBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — Two Wendy’s employees stabbed each other after a dispute at a North Carolina restaurant Monday, according to the police.
Officers arrived at the Asheboro Wendy’s just before 10:30 a.m. and found a 22-year-old suffering from a stab wound, according to Asheboro Police Department officials. He was taken to an area hospital for treatment; the extent of his injuries wasn’t clear as of Monday afternoon.
Police said the stabbing happened after the 22-year-old and a second worker at the fast food restaurant got into a fight, but officials didn’t specify what led up to the brawl.
One witness told responding officers that the suspect ran away from the restaurant after the stabbing.
Another witness told police that the suspect was in a gold Toyota passenger car that drove away from the scene “in a careless and reckless manner,” police officials said in a news release.
The sheriff’s office found the suspect’s vehicle in Randleman, North Carolina, and arrested the suspect without incident. The suspect, who authorities did not immediately identify, was also taken to a hospital with a stab wound.
As a precaution, police informed nearby Asheboro High School and South Asheboro Middle School SROs, which temporarily issued a shelter-in-place order. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/2-wendys-workers-stab-each-other-in-north-carolina-police-say/ | 2022-05-18T18:19:02Z |
LOS ANGELES, July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara should reject Mercury Insurance Company's proposed $131 million auto insurance rate hike and its job- and education-based discriminatory rating system under which working-class Californians pay up to 20% higher premiums, wrote Consumer Watchdog in a petition filed with the California Department of Insurance (CDI) yesterday.
Under Mercury's proposed overall 6.9% rate increase, over 1.6 million vehicles it insures face an average annual premium increase of $80 per insured vehicle. Because the Insurance Commissioner has failed to act on a regulation to curb job- and education-based rate discrimination, the worst of that rate increase will fall on the majority of low-income drivers Mercury doesn't give a job-based discount, said Consumer Watchdog.
These grocery clerks, hotel workers, janitors, home healthcare aides and other drivers without white-collar jobs will be charged base rates that are more than $200/yr higher than drivers in one of Mercury's preferred groups.
A 2019 investigation by the Department of Insurance found Mercury and other companies' practice of charging some drivers more based on education and occupation results in low-income drivers and communities of color paying more. Three years later, Commissioner Lara has yet to adopt a regulation to stop the practice. The last draft of a potential regulation was issued by the Department of Insurance nearly a year and a half ago and no action has been taken since.
Consumer Watchdog called on Commissioner Lara to reject Mercury's use of job and education to overcharge working-class Californians in this rate filing, and move a regulation forward to make all insurance companies rate Californians fairly regardless of their job or education level.
Mercury's request comes as soaring gas and food prices have low-wage workers struggling now more than ever to make ends meet. Most policyholders—from waiters to cashiers, construction workers to call center operators—will see their auto insurance rates increase up to about 20% more than drivers with professional occupations and advanced degrees such as engineers with a Bachelor's degree or higher education level. Mercury's request also includes rate hikes on educators, paramedics, firefighters, and police officers.
"The last thing Californians should have to worry about when we're facing sky-high prices at the gas pump and grocery store is whether they're being gouged by their insurance company," said Consumer Watchdog staff attorney Daniel L. Sternberg. "Discriminatory discounts for engineers, pilots, and other high-paid professions favored by Mercury means that low-income drivers pay more for car insurance, simply because of their job title or education status."
"Commissioner Lara needs to help working families and adopt regulations to stop occupation-based premium surcharges; surcharges that his own 2019 investigation found create 'wide socioeconomic disparities.' Instead of rubber-stamping these discriminatory discounts, the Commissioner should use his voter-enacted authority under Proposition 103 to protect middle- and low-income families from being charged higher prices based on their jobs," said Sternberg.
The Commissioner last approved Mercury's discriminatory occupation-based rating system and a 6.9% overall rate increase for Mercury policyholders in May 2019. Under Mercury's 5-tierd rating system, Mercury customers in lower wage occupations, such as grocery clerks, hotel and hospitality workers, janitors, and home healthcare workers, pay as much as 20% more than engineers, scientists, doctors, accountants, pilots and educators for all coverages combined, all other characteristics being equal.
Occupation has never been approved by regulation as a lawful rating factor under voter-enacted Proposition 103. Mercury's unfairly discriminatory occupation-based rating system means lower income and less-educated drivers continue to pay the highest premiums based solely on their job titles.
Consumer Watchdog's petition also alleges that Mercury overcharged policyholders during the COVID-19 lockdowns when accident claims were down and may owe hundreds of millions in additional refunds.
Read Consumer Watchdog's Petition for Hearing and Petition to Intervene: https://consumerwatchdog.org/sites/default/files/2022-07/2022-07-18%20Mercury%20Auto%202022%20PFH%20w%20Exhs%20A%20and%20B.pdf
Consumer Watchdog and 10 community and civil rights organizations challenged auto insurers' illegal and discriminatory use of job and education to set rates in February 2019. In September 2019, a Department of Insurance investigation confirmed those concerns, finding "wide socioeconomic disparities" created by insurance companies surcharging California drivers based on nothing more than their occupation or educational status. In December 2019, the Department proposed regulations to address this unfair discrimination. However, almost three years later, those rules have not yet been implemented.
Read the community and civil rights groups' petition: https://consumerwatchdog.org/sites/default/files/2019-02/Job%26EducationPetition.pdf
The Department's analysis of industry data shows that drivers in the highest per capita income ZIP codes are more than twice as likely to receive occupational-based discounts than drivers in the lowest per capita income ZIP codes; and only 29% of drivers in predominately minority ZIP codes receive such discounts as compared with 47% of drivers living in ZIP codes with a predominately white population. In addition, 75% of drivers in Underserved Communities as defined by Department of Insurance regulation do not receive these discounts.
Voter-approved Proposition 103 requires auto insurance premiums be based primarily on three mandatory factors – driving safety record, annual mileage, and years driving experience – and prohibits unfairly discriminatory rates. Proposition 103 prohibits this kind of unfair rate discrimination based on income or race.
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SOURCE Consumer Watchdog | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/consumer-watchdog-calls-insurance-commissioner-lara-reject-mercurys-job-based-insurance-rate-discrimination-challenges-131-million-mercury-auto-insurance-rate-increase/ | 2022-07-19T21:15:49Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for FUBO, AERI, WTRH, TLRY, and AMC.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- FUBO: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=FUBO&prnumber=082320222
- AERI: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=AERI&prnumber=082320222
- WTRH: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=WTRH&prnumber=082320222
- TLRY: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=TLRY&prnumber=082320222
- AMC: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=AMC&prnumber=082320222
(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)
InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alerts are based on our proprietary scoring methodology. Each stock is evaluated based on short-term technical, long-term technical and fundamental factors. Each of those scores is then combined into an overall score that determines a stock's overall suitability for investment.
InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
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SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/thinking-about-buying-stock-fubotv-aerie-pharmaceuticals-waitr-tilray-or-amc-entertainment/ | 2022-08-23T15:19:06Z |
Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities
The Associated Press
Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities, and foreign exchange levels.
The Associated Press
Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities, and foreign exchange levels. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/04/05/closing-prices-for-crude-oil-gold-and-other-commodities-161/ | 2022-04-05T20:34:38Z |
BEIJING, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As Hong Kong celebrates the 25th anniversary of its return to China, the "One Country, Two Systems" policy is hailed as a fundamental guarantee for the city's prosperity and stability.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday for the anniversary celebration, said facts have proven the great vitality of "One Country, Two Systems," which guarantees Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability and ensures the well-being of the Hong Kong compatriots.
Delivering a short speech at the West Kowloon high-speed rail station, Xi called on Hong Kong to uphold "One Country, Two Systems" unswervingly and strive for a brighter future.
Xi: Hong Kong has emerged stronger after tests
"It has been five years since my last visit to Hong Kong," said Xi, who visited Hong Kong in 2017 as the city celebrated the 20th anniversary of its return to China.
Xi said he has been concerned about and caring for Hong Kong all along. "My heart and the central government's heart are always with the Hong Kong compatriots," he said.
He said Hong Kong had withstood a series of grave tests and overcome a series of risks and challenges over a period of time, adding that the city has since emerged stronger and shown great vigor.
Hailing the strong vitality of "One Country, Two Systems," he said as long as the principle is upheld unswervingly, Hong Kong will surely have an even brighter future and make new, greater contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Xi will attend a meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Friday.
During a meeting with HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Thursday, Xi spoke highly of her efforts to firmly implement the "One Country, Two Systems" principle and the Basic Law and her role in facilitating a major transition from chaos to order in Hong Kong.
'Resounding success'
"One Country, Two Systems" is a basic policy that the Chinese government has been implementing in Hong Kong since resuming the exercise of sovereignty over it on July 1, 1997.
Despite the many challenges over the past 25 years, the practice of "One Country, Two Systems" in Hong Kong has been a "resounding success," Xi said when meeting with newly elected and appointed sixth-term Chief Executive of the HKSAR John Lee on May 30.
The central government's resolve to fully and faithfully implement the principle of "One Country, Two Systems" has never wavered, still less will it change, he told Lee.
Xi has repeatedly stressed the need to fully and faithfully implement the principle – stay committed to the basis of "One Country" and leverage the benefits of "Two Systems" well.
Hong Kong has achieved remarkable development under "One Country, Two Systems" since its return to China.
In 2021, Hong Kong's economy grew to 2.86 trillion Hong Kong dollars (about $364 billion), up from 1.37 trillion Hong Kong dollars in 1997. During the period, its total foreign trade in goods more than tripled to 10.27 trillion Hong Kong dollars.
Hong Kong has emerged stronger as an international financial, shipping and trade center. It has been consistently rated by global institutions as one of the freest and the most competitive economies with a world-class business environment.
The average life expectancy in Hong Kong in 2021 stood at 83 years for males and 87.7 years for females, compared to 76.8 years and 82.2 years, respectively, in 1997.
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SOURCE CGTN | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/cgtn-one-country-two-systems-ensures-hong-kongs-prosperity-stability/ | 2022-06-30T18:36:23Z |
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities kept up their crackdown against citizens who speak out about the fighting in Ukraine, extending a critic’s detention on Wednesday, confirming charges against two others and prompting Moscow’s chief rabbi to flee the country.
Russia adopted a law criminalizing spreading allegedly false information about its military shortly after its troops rolled into Ukraine in late February. The offense is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Human rights advocates have counted dozens of cases. Russians must use the term “military operation” when speaking of the fighting in Ukraine.
In the latest development, a Moscow court on Wednesday extended the detention of Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., a journalist and former associate of assassinated Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. The court extended Kara-Murza’s detention from June 12 to Aug. 12 on accusations that he spread “false information” about the country’s armed forces. The activist rejects the charges.
Kara-Murza in 2015 and 2017 survived poisonings that he blamed on the authorities. Russian officials have denied responsibility.
Russian investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov, who spent years exposing the activities of Russian security agencies and is now living in London, reported this week that a criminal case had been opened against him. Soldatov is accused of spreading false information about the Russian military. Soldatov reported that his bank accounts in Russia have been frozen.
Russian authorities confirmed they have filed similar charges against popular Russian fiction writer Dmitry Glukhovsky, who also now lives outside of Russia. Glukhovsky had posted a video showing a tank shelling a residential building in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, along with commentary criticizing Russia’s military operation. He is a former journalist and author of the best-selling novel “Metro-2033.”
Aside from criminal prosecutions, public figures in Russia have reportedly faced pressure from the authorities to publicly announce their support of the country’s military operations in Ukraine. The latest example is Pinchas Goldschmidt, Moscow’s chief rabbi.
The Times of Israel reports that Goldschmidt refused to make such statements and has now decided to stay in Israel. The newspaper quoted his daughter-in-law Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt.
___
Follow all developments about the fighting in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/russia-cracks-down-on-critics-of-military-actions-in-ukraine/ | 2022-06-08T23:37:38Z |
Houston jury finds energy company liable in electrical pole climbing accident
HOUSTON, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A jury in Houston awarded IBEW Local 66 member and Provost Umphrey client Garett Wilder $15.4 million for life-altering injuries he suffered after falling 50 feet from a CenterPoint electrical pole.
Monday afternoon, jurors found CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC, joint and severally liable, for the injuries sustained by Baytown resident, Garett Wilder. The jury deliberated four hours before returning its verdict in the 269th Judicial District, Harris County Civil Court.
On March 15, 2019, Wilder was safely ascending a CenterPoint electrical pole near the David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport in Tomball, Texas, when the step bolt he was attached to suddenly came out of the pole. The then 27-year-old was unresponsive after falling while a fellow L.E. Myers worker performed lifesaving measures.
"The last thing I remember was the step bolt coming out," recalls Wilder during the plaintiff's testimony. "Then I woke up in the hospital."
Wilder suffered a mild traumatic brain injury, a fracture and fused spine, the shattering of the bones in his feet and ankles as well as other injuries. He has undergone eight complex surgeries and remains at risk for the amputation of one or both of his legs.
"The reality is that Garret's injuries are so severe, that he will likely never work again, stand or walk normally, enjoy a pain free day or participate in activities of daily living that most of us take for granted," says Provost Umphrey partner, Bryan O. Blevins, Jr.
At the time of the accident, CenterPoint knew that some step bolts could not be inserted into the pole and that other step bolts were loose but failed to warn Mr. Wilder or his employer, L.E. Myers Co.
"Because of CenterPoint's negligence, our client will never live a normal life," says Matthew C. Matheny, Provost Umphrey partner. "I am grateful that the jury righted this wrong and that we were able to recover some relief for Mr. Wilder and his young daughter that will benefit them for years to come."
Assisting Matheny and Blevins in the case was attorney Daniel D. Horowitz of the Law Office of Daniel D. Horowitz, III.
The case is Garett Wilder v. CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC, Cause No. 2019-31428 in the District Court of Harris County, Texas 269th Judicial District, Judge Cory Don Sepolio presiding.
For more than 50 years, our firm's mission has remained to seek justice for those most in need – those who have suffered harm or loss due to the wrongful conduct of others. Our attorneys fight for our clients nationwide with offices in Beaumont and Houston, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee. We continue to be one of the most successful trial law firms in the nation by remaining Hard-Working Lawyers for Hard-Working People. To learn more, visit http://www.provostumphrey.com.
Media Contact:
Courtney Simmons
csimmons@pulf.com
(409)749-0884
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SOURCE Provost Umphrey Law Firm | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/16/provost-umphrey-obtains-154m-award-severely-injured-ibew-member/ | 2022-08-16T22:25:16Z |
ALBANY, N.Y., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York StateWide Senior Action Council (StateWide) today announced the results of its 2021 Elderly Economic Security Index (EESI) conducted in partnership with the National Coalition on Aging and the Gerontology Institute of the University of Massachusetts.
The results were released in conjunction with StateWide's 50th Anniversary celebration and convention in Saratoga Springs, September 12-14.
The EESI calculates the average cost of living for New York Seniors to remain living independently in their chosen communities. The Index is specific to household size, location, housing type and health status.
- Housing
- Healthcare
- Food and miscellaneous expenses
- Singles vs. couples
- Homeowners vs. renters and,
- Three levels of health; fair/poor, good, very good/excellent
"The EESI is a powerful tool when we advocate for programs that preserve or enhance the quality of life for New York's seniors," stated Maria Alvarez, StateWide's Executive Director in announcing the EESI's results.
- Of New York's 3,221,702 seniors, 11.5% or 370,495 fall below the poverty line
- 57.1% or 389,391 are rent burdened* and
- 31% of homeowners are ownership burdened*
*30 percent of income or more is spent on housing
The 2021 EESI Index also revealed that most older Americans, especially Blacks and Hispanics, were mostly likely to be more financially burdened by the COVID-19 Pandemic and inflation. Fully 19% of senior Americans were forced to use all or most of their savings or lost a source of income during that year.
Nationally, the 2021 Index found that Social Security Benefits cover only 68% of senior's basic living costs for a single renter and 81% for a senior couple. And approximately 25% of seniors rely on Social Security benefits for 90% of their total income.
"This reality goes against the intended purpose of Social Security as a supplemental form of income. These seniors who almost solely rely on SS benefits cannot afford today's rising costs let alone their basic living expenses," stated Alvarez.
In New York, 15 counties fall below the national average of 68%. The counties with the least coverage, the Bronx, Queens, and Kings fall below 50%. By contrast, the top New York County is Onondaga, where 82.3% of basic expenses are covered by Social Security.
"Today's economic crisis creates a renewed opportunity to raise awareness of the plight of seniors not only in New York but nationally," stated Alvarez.
"We made this framework and data available to support work already underway to inspire new and innovative ways to give our seniors the quality of life and dignity they deserve," she added.
StateWide is advocating 200 per cent of the Federal Poverty Level for a senior to qualify for life saving benefits and programs. Currently the rates are $13,590 for individuals and $18,310 for couples in 48 states and the District of Columbia, excluding Hawaii and Alaska.
"With a 9 per cent inflation rate in 2021, the figures in this index are a conversation starter in our efforts to attain economic security for the elderly population in New York State, "Alvarez stated.
Go to the main menu - Senior Issues. Under the Senior Issues dropdown menu, can click on Elder Economic Security Issues.
www.elderindex.org contains state, county, and metropolitan area data for the 2021 Elder Index, last updated on November 5, 2021
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SOURCE New York StateWide Senior Action Council, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/2021-new-york-state-elder-economic-security-index-issued-report-shows-more-seniors-65-falling-into-economic-insecurity-index-is-available-every-countymunicipality-state/ | 2022-09-08T12:10:25Z |
ATLANTA, June 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Court TV has renewed the original true-crime series "Someone They Knew With Tamron Hall" for a second season and has added it to its primetime schedule weeknights at 7 p.m. ET. The show now serves as lead-in for the network's flagship program "Closing Arguments with Vinnie Politan" (8-10 p.m. ET).
Hosted by Daytime Emmy Award-winning TV host, journalist, and author Tamron Hall, "Someone They Knew" stories are told from the points of view of the people impacted by the case, including lawyers, jurors, members of law enforcement and the victim's family and friends. Using new interviews, archival footage and re-creations of the crime, the goal of each episode is a balanced story from victim to verdict. Hall is not only a seasoned crime reporter and true crime author, she is also committed to sharing stories consistent with the Court TV lineup.
Court TV has had a strong start to the year with the success of "Someone They Knew" and live coverage of the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard case. The network's coverage of Depp vs. Heard nearly quadrupled the audience for the networks' live trial coverage as compared to the pre-trial period (+278%). Daily streaming hours more than quintupled during this same period (+415%). More than 500,000 viewers – the most since the network relaunched in 2019 – tuned into Court TV to watch the verdict in the trial on Wednesday, June 1.
"Court TV is on pace for its most-watched year yet," said Ethan Nelson, acting head of Court TV. "Viewers tuned in for every second of our insightful coverage and expert analysis of the Depp-Heard trial and they have also embraced 'Someone They Knew with Tamron Hall.' We are looking forward to having Tamron in primetime as well as the compelling cases we're planning to air in the months ahead."
Source for Depp vs. Heard trial viewing data (4/11/22-5/27/22) vs. prior four weeks: Linear TV - Nielsen, live + same-day viewing. Reflects total viewers 2+ M-F 9a-7p. Streaming - Google Analytics, O&O CTV, FAST and O&O Web data. Includes data for Court TV.com, Android TV, Roku, Vizio & Fire TV. Does not include FAST data from Pluto TV.
Media contact: Jim Weiss, 770-672-6504, jim.weiss@scripps.com
Court TV (@CourtTV) is devoted to live gavel-to-gavel coverage, in-depth legal reporting, and expert analysis of the nation's most important and compelling trials. The network is available to 97% of U.S. television homes free and over the air via digital antenna, on cable, on mobile with the Court TV app and online at CourtTV.com. It is also carried on connected TVs, including Samsung TV Plus and Vizio, and an expanding array of streaming services and apps, including YouTube TV, SiriusXM, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Pluto TV, Apple TV, Sling and Uma. Court TV is part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).
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SOURCE Court TV | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/14/court-tv-renews-someone-they-knew-with-tamron-hall-adds-true-crime-series-primetime/ | 2022-06-14T15:50:29Z |
Strong Demand for Luxury Cruise Experiences Results in Third Record-Breaking
Launch Day of 2022
Enjoys 8 Record-Breaking Launches Since 2019
MIAMI, Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the world's leading luxury cruise line, has once again topped its own single-day booking record with the launch of its 2024-2025 Voyage Collection as sales commenced on August 24, 2022.
Demonstrating the continued and growing appetite of luxury travelers for the Unrivaled Experience that Regent offers, the cruise line beat its previous largest booking day of August 18, 2021, when it launched its 2023-2024 Voyage Collection.
"This is an incredible achievement and is testament to the hard-working Regent teams across both our ships and shore-side offices around the globe. We thank our valued Travel Advisors we partner with and our loyal guests for their passion for luxury travel," said Jason Montague, president, and chief executive officer of Regent Seven Seas Cruises. "This year's voyage collection was highly appealing with more variety featuring over 160 new port-intensive itineraries that discover every part of the globe, including on board our newest ship Seven Seas Grandeur® once she joins The World's Most Luxurious Fleet in 2023."
Travel trends identified that guests are, like the previous year's launch day, most keen to book exotic destinations with the desire to travel longer with sailings including destinations in Africa, Asia, and South America making up approximately 70% of the top 10 itineraries reserved.
There was also a strong demand for the line's distinctive suites, as well as the palatial, 4,443 square feet Regent Suite. These trends illustrate that travelers are putting more value on their time and experiences and are willing to spend more to explore the world in luxury, enjoying the highest possible standards of service in lavishly designed restaurants, lounges, and suites.
Booking data also revealed that there was an increase of reservations made by Travel Partners compared to the previous year's 2023-2024 Voyage Collection launch. Additionally, the cruise line saw a large upsurge of sales made on the day by guests who were already sailing the five-ship fleet.
The feat is the company's eighth record-breaking launch since 2019 where it achieved its then largest World Cruise launch day. Regent has subsequently attained three more World Cruise launch day records through May 2022 when Regent's 2025 World Cruise was unveiled in June 2022, fully reserved before officially opening for bookings. The second launch day record of 2022 occurred when Regent launched its 2024-2025 Grand Voyage Collection in July. In addition, the cruise line has broken its own single biggest booking days each year since 2020 with successive Voyage Collection launches.
With 7 of the 10 most popular itineraries booked on the 2024-2025 Voyage Collection launch day including ports in Africa, Asia, and South America, it is clear that luxury travelers are keen to enjoy new experiences in unfamiliar and exotic locales, for extended periods of time.
No better was this illustrated than by Seven Seas Splendor's® 2024 Lisbon to Cape Town 24-night sailing. Hugging Africa's West Coast with visits to Dakar, Senegal; Banjul, Gambia; and Abidjan, Ivory Coast; the itinerary attracted more reservations than any other. A similar Barcelona to Cape Town 25-night sailing on board Seven Seas Voyager® also made the top 10 voyages.
Seven Seas Grandeur the most highly anticipated ship to be launched in 2023, had a strong launch day with 3 sailings in the top 10, which includes a 2024 Barcelona to New York 16-night transatlantic as the third most booked sailing. Sister ship to hugely successful Seven Seas Splendor and Seven Seas Explorer®, Seven Seas Grandeur will be the next pinnacle in luxury cruising exemplifying Regent's heritage of perfection with unrivaled space, unparalleled service, exceptional cuisine, and transformative experiences.
Of the top ten voyages booked on the day, no single voyage had a duration lower than 16 nights, with the longest being 25 nights and entry-level prices for the line's spacious veranda and deluxe veranda suites ranged from $9,999 per guest and $21,199 per guest.
Other notable destinations featured in the top 10 sailings booked on the record launch day were the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South America sailings featuring the Amazon River.
The most spent on a single reservation overall (inside or outside of the top 10 voyages) was close to $275,000 for a Grand Suite on board Seven Seas Mariner®.
Regent's new 2024-2025 Voyage Collection, introduces alluring itineraries and new ports of call in the world's most beautiful destinations, showcasing 160 sailings with 130 overnight stays, 18 maiden ports of call, 4 Grand Voyages, and a 150-night World Cruise.
Voyages encompass every continent of the world, from Africa & Arabia to Asia, Australia & New Zealand, Canada & New England, Alaska, and Bermuda, plus favorites such as the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Mediterranean, and Northern Europe.
Sailing with The World's Most Luxurious Fleet™, guests will experience exquisite comfort onboard with every luxury included, offering a truly unrivaled experience. With the 2024-2025 Voyage Collection, Regent invites guests to revel in unparalleled opportunities for immersion in local culture as it offers new ways to experience the world's finest destinations with FREE Unlimited Shore Excursions in every port of call, and all-new Eco-connect and Behind the Design Tours. Voyage fares also include round-trip business-class air on intercontinental flights from the U.S. and Canada, gourmet cuisine in a range of specialty restaurants and al-fresco dining venues, fine wine and spirits, entertainment, unlimited internet access, free valet laundry service, pre-paid gratuities, ground transfers, and one-night, pre-cruise hotel package for guests staying in Concierge-level suites and higher.
All the while, Regent's Unrivaled Space at Sea™ makes for the perfect place for rest and relaxation. The abundance of space aboard each elegant and perfectly sized ship, and one of the highest crew-to-guest ratios in the industry, ensures discerning guests receive the best in service and care.
A brochure showcasing Regent's new 2024-2025 Voyage Collection is available. For more information, please visit RSSC.com, call 1-844-4REGENT (1-844-873-2381), or contact your preferred travel advisor.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises is the leading luxury cruise line, delivering An Unrivaled Experience™, with every luxury included, for 30 years. Carrying no more than 732 guests, the line's spacious and stylish ships - Seven Seas Explorer®, Seven Seas Mariner®, Seven Seas Navigator®, Seven Seas Splendor®, Seven Seas Voyager® and from 2023 Seven Seas Grandeur™ - form The World's Most Luxurious Fleet™ and explore more than 450 immersive destinations globally. Offering Unrivalled Space at Sea™, guests enjoy sumptuous all-suite accommodations, nearly all with private balconies, which are among the largest at sea, as well as highly personalized service throughout lavish public areas and expansive outdoor spaces. Unique to Regent Seven Seas Cruises, unlimited complimentary shore excursions are available in every port, making it the only truly all-inclusive cruise line. Voyage fares also include round-trip business-class air on intercontinental flights from the U.S. and Canada, gourmet cuisine in a range of specialty restaurants and al-fresco dining venues, fine wines and spirits, entertainment, unlimited internet access, free valet laundry service, pre-paid gratuities onboard, transfers between airport and ship, and one-night pre-cruise hotel package for guests staying in Concierge-level suites and higher. For more information, please visit RSSC.com, call 1.844.873.2381 or contact a professional travel advisor.
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SOURCE Regent Seven Seas Cruises | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/regent-seven-seas-cruises-celebrates-largest-booking-day-companys-history-third-year-row/ | 2022-08-30T17:26:08Z |
OneTrust gains momentum in market leadership with its trust intelligence platform ranking among the world's top private cloud companies for the fourth year
ATLANTA, Aug. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OneTrust, the market-defining leader for trust intelligence, has been named to the 2022 Forbes Cloud 100, the definitive ranking of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world. The list is published by Forbes in partnership with Bessemer Venture Partners and Salesforce Ventures. This year, OneTrust moved up the prestigious list landing at #24 in 2022, up from a placement of #26 in 2021.
"We are thrilled that OneTrust has been once again honored for the fourth consecutive year on the Forbes Cloud 100," said OneTrust CEO Kabir Barday. "This recognition underscores the market opportunity created by trust intelligence and demonstrates the critical role OneTrust plays in giving businesses the only trust intelligence platform to build, understand, and measure trust."
Barday continued, "We also applaud our peers who have been honored this year – cloud companies who are making waves in their industries with a bold approach to innovation. The Forbes Cloud 100 is a powerful recognition since honorees are ranked by the visionary CEOs of today's public cloud companies."
OneTrust recently launched the first Trust Intelligence Platform and ushered in a new category of technology dedicated to solving today's critical business challenges around trust and transparency. The Trust Intelligence Platform from OneTrust introduces software to help businesses to start and scale trust initiatives. Trust intelligence delivers visibility across trust domain areas, action based on AI and regulatory intelligence, and automation to build trust by design as a reflex in organizations. The platform unifies Privacy & Data Governance, GRC & Security Assurance, Ethics & Compliance, and ESG & Sustainability programs where teams, data, and processes can integrate, giving businesses a centralized understanding of business trust.
"The companies of the Cloud 100 list represent the best and brightest private companies in this fast-growing sector," said Alex Konrad, senior editor at Forbes. "Every year, it gets more difficult to make this list — meaning even more elite company for those who do. Congratulations to each of the 2022 Cloud 100 honorees."
"The public markets may be in turmoil, but the private valuations of the Cloud 100 continue to rise. All of the 2022 Cloud 100 honorees, again, have reached the $1 billion valuation milestone, and the average Cloud 100 valuation has skyrocketed to $7.4 billion," said Mary D'Onofrio, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. "Despite the market correction in 2022, our confidence in the cloud economy continues to grow—today over 70% of the 2022 Cloud 100 Honorees have reached or exceeded $100 million in annual recurring revenue making them cloud Centaurs. An additional 10% of the list is expected to hit this milestone by the end of the year, furthering our conviction that this years' honorees truly represent the best cloud companies globally."
"Great companies are born out of all environments, and it's exciting to see the continued momentum in the cloud sector," said Alex Kayyal, Managing Partner, Salesforce Ventures. "The companies on this list have gone through a rigorous selection process, and join an esteemed alumni list of Cloud 100 companies. As the need for digital transformation continues to drive innovation and efficiencies across industries, we can look to these companies as the absolute best in cloud computing."
Today, OneTrust serves more than 12,000 customers, including half of the Fortune Global 500, to help them build trust and demonstrate impact. The OneTrust Trust Intelligence Platform is currently backed by more than 200 patents.
The Forbes 2022 Cloud 100 list is published at www.forbes.com/cloud100.
About OneTrust
As society redefines risk and opportunity, OneTrust empowers tomorrow's leaders to succeed through trust and impact with the Trust Intelligence Platform. The market-defining Trust Intelligence Platform from OneTrust connects privacy, GRC, ethics, and ESG teams, data, and processes, so all companies can collaborate seamlessly and put trust at the center of their operations and culture by unlocking their value and potential to thrive by doing what's good for people and the planet.
Learn more at OneTrust.com.
Media Contact
Ainslee Shea
+1 (404) 855-0803
media@onetrust.com
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SOURCE OneTrust | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/12/onetrust-named-2022-forbes-cloud-100/ | 2022-08-12T13:11:02Z |
Star brite Inc. Parent Company Reports First Quarter Net Sales of $12.7 Million and Net Income of $1.3 Million
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ocean Bio-Chem, Inc. (NASDAQ: OBCI), the parent company of Star brite Inc. and Kinpak Inc. — vertical manufacturer and distributor of performance, appearance, maintenance, and disinfectant chemicals for the marine, RV, and outdoor industries is pleased to announce its first-quarter 2022 financial results.
- First quarter net sales of $12.7 million
- First quarter net income of $1.3 million,
- First quarter net income as a percent of sales – 10.2%
- Cash on hand $10.2 million at March 31st, 2022, with a ratio of 7.4:1 of current assets to current liabilities.
- Earnings per share in the first quarter of 2022 of $0.14.
Company President and Chief Executive Officer, Peter Dornau, commented, "We are coming off the second best first quarter sales and net profits in the Company's history. The business growth as COVID is going away has continued to increase at higher levels compared to both COVID and pre-COVID periods.
The first quarter income, like many companies was significantly impacted by supply chain issues coupled with the continued effect of inflation on both raw materials and operating costs. Many of the Company's raw material and packaging are petroleum based and had cost increase significantly. Transportation costs also increased for both inbound raw materials and out bound freight to customers.
The Company as previously announced implemented price increases which were effective in the first quarter of 2022. As these price increases take effect, we should see margin improvements. These factors and a change in sales mix of products impacted our gross profit percent by 3.8%. Despite these challenges, the Company has continued to meet our customers' orders on time."
"Our cash flow remains strong. The Board of Directors voted in the first quarter 2022, to increase annual dividends for our shareholders from $0.12 to $0.16 per share. Our newest $5.0 million warehouse addition in Montgomery AL. is operational, and we are progressing with new blow molding bottling equipment that will increase our production of bottles by 50%. We anticipate this project to be operational later in 2022. We have also increased our investment in inventories in support of winter selling season, starting early to insure continued product supply to our customers. Additionally, we strategically increased inventories on many key raw materials to avoid near term price increases."
Mr. Dornau concluded "We are optimistic that 2022 will be another successful year as the influx of new boaters and RVs' continue.
We have continued to increase our brand presence and product offerings in all categories we do business in. The outdoor category continues to grow, and we are taking advantage with new products and strong deliveries of existing products.
These are just a sample of sales growth strategies should translate into increases in sales in profits in the balance of 2022 and beyond."
Ocean Bio-Chem, Inc. manufactures, markets and distributes a broad line of appearance and maintenance products for the marine, automotive, power sports, recreational vehicle, and outdoor power equipment markets under the Star brite®, Star Tron® names along with other brand names within the United States of America and Canada. The Company manufactures, markets and distributes a line of disinfectant, sanitizing and deodorizing products under the Performacide® and Star brite® brand names. In addition, the Company produces private label formulations of many of its products for various customers and provides custom blending and packaging services for these and other products.
The Company's web sites are: www.oceanbiochem.com, www.starbrite.com; www.startron.com; www.performacide.com; www.nosguard.com.
Forward-looking Statements:
Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to our continued and anticipated growth, continued strength of the recreational boating market and margin improvements as a result of price increases , also sales growth strategies should translate into increases in sales in profits in the balance of 2022 and beyond". . For this purpose, any statements contained in this release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "believe," "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," or "could," including the negative or other variations thereof or comparable terminology, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that may affect these results include, but are not limited to, the highly competitive nature of our industry; reliance on certain key customers; changes in consumer demand for Performacide, marine, recreational vehicle and automotive products; expenditures on, and the effectiveness of, our advertising and promotional efforts; unanticipated litigation developments; exposure to market risks relating to changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and prices for raw materials that are petroleum or chemical based; adverse changes to unemployment rates, fuel prices and the economy in general; and other factors addressed in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.
Contact:
Peter Dornau
CEO and President
pdornau@starbrite.com
954-587-6280
Jeff Barocas
Vice President & CFO
Jbarocas@starbrite.com
954-587-6280
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SOURCE Ocean Bio-Chem, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/16/ocean-bio-chem-inc-announces-first-quarter-2022-financial-results/ | 2022-05-16T14:52:26Z |
BOSTON (AP) — The New York Yankees still have a double-digit lead in the AL East and a chance to coast into the postseason.
What they do once they get there could depend on whether closer Clay Holmes can straighten things out in time.
Staked with a lead from Aaron Judge’s 46th homer, the All-Star reliever walked back-to-back batters in the ninth and then gave up a tying single to J.D. Martinez on Friday night. Tommy Pham delivered the walk-off hit in the 10th to lead the last-place Red Sox to a 3-2 victory over the first-place Yankees and send New York to its eighth loss in nine games.
“He struggled with strikes there obviously. That’s a situation we’ve got to get the strike thrown,” Yankees manger Aaron Boone said. “It’s just a matter of getting him locked in mechanically and letting it rip.”
New York pitchers retired 12 straight Boston batters before Holmes walked two with one out in the ninth and then gave up Martinez’s single up the middle. Holmes was 4-0 with an 0.47 ERA and 16 saves in 17 tries on July 7; since then, he is 1-3 with four blown saves while giving up 11 earned runs in 11 innings.
Asked if Holmes would remain as closer, Boone said, “We’ll see.”
“I’ll try to put in him in the best positions to be successful. Some nights that will be the ninth,” Boone said. “But we’ll keep working with him. Got to get him consistent.”
Judge, who had his major league-leading 46th homer and 100th RBI in the third inning, reached base for the fourth time when he was walked to lead off the 10th. But Garrett Whitlock fanned Josh Donaldson and Gleyber Torres to end the threat.
In the bottom half, automatic runner Christian Arroyo took third on a groundout and then stayed there on pinch-hitter Reese McGuire’s bunt single. Pham, a trade deadline acquisition, punched one down the third-base line to spark a celebration in the sold-out crowd — or at least the portion trying to outshout the visiting Yankee fans.
“When they come into town, we expect this. We expect games like that,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, whose team has won its last three games against the Yankees in Boston. “They have an outstanding team, but we’ve played well against them the last three times.”
Cora insisted that he Red Sox, who are in seventh place and four games out in the race for three wild-card spots, still have a chance to make the playoffs.
“I’ve been saying that for a while,” he said. “Not too many people believe me. But I think the people that really matter, they believe it. That’s the people in here.”
Whitlock (3-2) struck out three and walked one in two innings.
Lou Trivino (1-7) allowed two hits and recorded one out for the Yankees, who lost their third straight game.
Judge hit the first pitch of the third inning 429 feet, over the Monster Seats and onto Lansdowne Street; he is on a pace to hit 66 home runs. He also walked twice and was hit by a pitch, reaching base at least three times for the fifth game in a row.
Jose Trevino had two hits, and Anthony Rizzo had a first-inning double to drive in Judge.
FOR STARTERS
Yankees starter Domingo Germán was charged with one run on five hits and two walks, striking out four in six innings.
Nathan Eovaldi dodged the loss when the Red Sox rallied in the ninth. He allowed two runs on eight hits and two walks, striking out three in six innings.
INFIELD SPRY
With Andrew Benintendi on first and Trevino at the plate, Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts let a popup drop, then flipped it to second base for the force out. The decision left Trevino at first instead of Benintendi, a faster runner.
SHORT HOPS
Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson threw out a ceremonial first pitch. … The Red Sox played a highlight video for Benintendi, a member of the 2018 World Series championship team. He had not played in Fenway Park since the Red Sox traded him to Kansas City before the 2021 season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Yankees: Donaldson shook it off after going over the dugout railing in pursuit of a foul popup. He remained in the game.
Red Sox: Kiké Hernández went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in a rehab appearance for the Double-A Portland SeaDogs. He batted second and played center field. He could rejoin the Red Sox as soon as Tuesday. … RHP Tyler Danish also appeared for Portland, allowing one run on one hit and two walks in one inning, striking out two.
UP NEXT
Yankees: RHP Frankie Montas (4-9) pitches for New York against Boston’s Kutter Crawford (3-4) in Game 2 of the three-game series.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/judge-hits-homer-no-46-but-red-sox-rally-to-beat-yanks-3-2/ | 2022-08-13T18:34:58Z |
CHINO HILLS, Calif., Sept. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Styldod, a virtual staging and image editing product, is being introduced to the CRMLS Marketplace. Through cutting-edge AI software, Styldod is redesigning the way traditional staging is accomplished. Styldod uses AI technology to add virtual furniture and other staging items to an interior property photo, saving the time and cost of setting up an interior space. Versatility with furniture layout and configuration grants agents with a broad range of interior design options to present to their clients.
Styldod is the first virtual staging product introduced to the CRMLS Marketplace. This exclusive product marketplace hosts a wide variety of real estate tech products available at discounted rates negotiated by CRMLS.
"The innovation we've seen from Styldod is phenomenal, and their products are certainly a catalyst for those of its kind. In a world where AI services are becoming more common, it is definitely something we want to offer to our users." – Art Carter, CEO – CRMLS
"Styldod makes it mindlessly simple to prepare and market listings for agents. Our AI technology and services will help CRMLS users to improve their productivity while ensuring quality. Over the coming years, we will be developing automated tools which will help real estate professionals to focus on what they do best – helping people find their dream homes." – Akhilesh Majumdar, CEO – Styldod
California Regional MLS is the nation's largest and most recognized subscriber-based MLS, dedicated to servicing more than 110,000 real estate professionals from 41 Associations, Boards, and MLS organizations. CRMLS is the industry powerhouse and thrives on providing the most relevant products and services to its subscribers. For more information on CRMLS, visit www.crmls.org. For more information on the CRMLS Marketplace, visit https://go.crmls.org/marketplace/
Styldod is a design-technology company poised to challenge every marketing productivity benchmark in the real estate industry. Through its groundbreaking AI product suite, Styldod enables the automatic virtual staging of homes in multiple lifestyle designs, complete with automated property descriptions and enhanced interactivity across a variety of media! At the enterprise scale, these tools create a marriage between retail furniture sales and residential home ownership, that keeps the real estate agent at the center of each transaction. Learn more at www.styldod.com
Media Contact: Art Carter, Art@CRMLS.org
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SOURCE California Regional MLS | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/06/crmls-adds-ai-powered-virtual-staging-product-styldod-their-marketplace/ | 2022-09-06T17:36:21Z |
Factor4 is Ovvi's Preferred Gift Card Provider
BROOMALL, Pa., July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Factor4, LLC, a leading provider of gift card and loyalty solutions, is pleased to announce their gift card integration with Ovvi, a leading developer of innovative technology for the restaurant, hospitality and retail industries.
The integration allows Ovvi to offer a best-in-class omnichannel gift card solution that enables merchants to seamlessly process gift card transactions in-store, online and via mobile devices completely compatible with Ovvi's POS software and hardware solutions.
"We are thrilled to roll out our integration with Ovvi," said Dan Battista, Factor4 CEO. "The restaurant and retail verticals are two of our strongest and this integration enables us to extend another top POS option to our customers in these verticals. It also enables us to provide Ovvi customers with a complete gift card solution."
"Ovvi's direct integration to Factor4 will streamline and enhance our gift card product offering by selling physical cards & online gifting. The multi-store management platform gives Ovvi the tools to serve chain stores better," said Manan Mehta, Ovvi's CEO.
To learn more about Factor4's integration with Ovvi or their omnichannel gift card and loyalty programs, contact: 484-471-3963 or sales@factor4gift.com.
About Factor4
Factor4, LLC was formed by four payment service experts to provide the premier gift card and loyalty solution. The founders' strength comes from their combined industry expertise and extensive network. Factor4's strength is from its best-in-class proprietary platform, technology, integrations and team. The RewardOS API provides effortless, feature-rich integration to a wide range of point-of-sale devices. Factor4 boasts the most integrations of all gift and loyalty providers. Factor4 serves over 16,000 customers and growing. For more information, visit www.factor4gift.com.
About Ovvi
Headquartered in Stafford, Texas, Ovvi is a leading developer of innovative technology for the restaurant, hospitality and retail industries. Ovvi is the go-to-market trademark brand of Ovvi, LLC. that specializes in complete all-in-one POS (Point-of-Sale) software and hardware systems with comprehensive services to meet the needs of businesses. That includes Fine Dining Restaurants, Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), Pizza Shops, Frozen Yogurt, Convenience Stores, Grocery Stores & Liquor Stores to name a few. Ovvi's open architecture and secure proprietary Restaurant/ Retail software makes it possible for business owners to perform business-enhancing functions that provide operational efficiencies, customer-loyalty programs and flexible business reporting, allowing their business to run more effectively. With Ovvi's POS solution, business owners gain relevant insights to make effective decisions that impact their bottom line. Learn more at: www.ovvihq.com
For media inquiries, contact Aimee DuCasse, Director of Marketing, Factor4 at 610-662-7926 or aimee@factor4gift.com.
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SOURCE Factor4 | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/26/factor4-announces-integration-with-global-pos-solution-provider-ovvi/ | 2022-07-26T13:35:18Z |
NFT Launch Continues Orange Comet's Expansion Into International Markets; First Drop Scheduled for October 2022
LOS ANGELES, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Orange Comet, Inc., a premium NFT (Non-Fungible Token) creative media and Web3 experience company today announced its continued global expansion with a worldwide, multi-year partnership with Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, a leading professional wrestling organization based in Mexico City, Mexico, with fans around the world. The initial drop will take place in October 2022.
The NFT partnership coincides with the 30th anniversary of Lucha Libre AAA in 2022, with special Triplemanía XXX pay-per-view events taking place throughout the year. The first NFT drop will coincide with the final Triplemanía XXX deathmatch event of 2022 on October 15 in Mexico City where a mask will fall.
"We're honored that Orange Comet's next advancement in the global NFT marketplace is with such a deep-rooted phenomenon as Lucha Libre AAA," said Dave Broome, CEO, Orange Comet. "Luchadores are important cultural symbols with diverse, rich histories, incredible stories, and most of all passion for their sport and their fans. Our NFT collection will hold this passion and dedication as the top priority."
"Orange Comet is one of the most trusted names in sports NFTs and we're thrilled to be partnering with them on creative, vibrant new ideas for Lucha Libre AAA and our incredible fanbase," said Dorian Roldan, General Manager of Lucha Libre AAA. "Bringing luchadores to the metaverse has never been done before and we're looking forward to seeing the reaction from our audiences around the globe."
Sign up to stay informed around upcoming Lucha Libre AAA drops at http://www.OrangeComet.com/collection/lucha-libre-aaa.
ABOUT ORANGE COMET
Orange Comet is a premium content creation company focused on producing high quality and disruptive NFT digital collectibles and Web3 experiences. The Company's team brings together some of the world's leading and award-winning media creators, producers, and artists to partner with the biggest brands, IP and talent across music, sports, arts and entertainment. By blending super-creative content and game-changing technology, our mission is to create groundbreaking NFT experiences for the passionate fan bases of our clients, simultaneously unlocking new levels of interest, engagement and revenue. Co-founded by Hollywood veteran producer, Dave Broome, NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and Grammy award-winning music icons Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Orange Comet is powered by a passionate group of people that believe the future of all entertainment and media is on the verge of major disruptive change through a variety of blockchain experiences. Dedicated to blockchain sustainability, Orange Comet runs on green servers and builds a carbon-negative solution in the NFT space, including partnering with eco-conscious blockchains. Our collective diversity in background, expertise and industries, works to help our clients shape their businesses for the emerging Metaverse of opportunities that awaits. For more information, visit us at OrangeComet.com, as well as on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
ABOUT LUCHA LIBRE AAA WORLDWIDE
Considered as the top leading Mexican company in Lucha Libre production and promotion, with a presence of 30 years in the entertainment industry, AAA was founded in 1992 by Antonio Peña Herrada. AAA produce international events in several countries including México, United States, Canada, Colombia and Japan. Among the innovative milestones of the franchise are the animated movie "Sin Límite de Tiempo"; and the videogame known as "La Lucha Libre Héroes del Ring" or its most recent partnership with Garena´s Battle Royale game "Free Fire" and Amazon´s Alexa Division for a Lucha Libre AAA Skill. AAA as a Live Touring company has more than 450 events a year, generating more than 260 hours of content for a captive and recurrent audience, with more than 400M viewers and enthusiasts tuning AAA shows on FITE, Pro Wrestling TV, TBS´s SPACE Channel, TV Azteca, MultimediosTV, Facebook Watch, Meta Quest, Oculus TV, YouTube and PLUTO TV. Bardhal, USG, Charlie Group, are blue chip sponsor brands present in Lucha Libre AAA. For more info please visit www.luchalibreaaa.com.
PR Contacts:
Orange Comet
OrangeComet@id-pr.com
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SOURCE Orange Comet | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/orange-comet-signs-multi-year-nft-partnership-with-leading-professional-wrestling-league-lucha-libre-aaa-worldwide/ | 2022-06-22T17:23:02Z |
CHARLESTON, W.Va., Aug. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WesBanco, Inc. (Nasdaq: WSBC), a diversified, multi-state bank holding company, announces that its affiliate, WesBanco Bank, Inc., is supporting the revitalization of downtown Charleston, WV with the opening of a new financial center, along with eye-catching skyline signage that will welcome residents and visitors alike. The new WesBanco Center, located at 900 Lee Street, is a perfect combination of the historic elements of the half-century old building and a warm and inviting branch of the future design. This high-tech, high-touch financial center concept meets a wide-range of financial service needs while providing the latest in digital banking solutions with personalized customer service.
"WesBanco is excited to expand our 25-year relationship serving the Charleston area with the opening of the new WesBanco Center on Lee Street," said Toby Taylor, WesBanco Market President for Charleston, Huntington, and Southeast Ohio. "In addition to our existing financial centers in the South Hills area and West Side Charleston, our presence in the historic former Commerce Square Building, now called the WesBanco Center, will enable us to better serve the Charleston community. The increased visibility, including skyline signage in the state's capital, will be the catalyst to allow WesBanco to partner with the local community to obtain a new level of mutual success."
Mr. Taylor continued, "For more than 150 years, our customer-centric service culture has been focused on building long-term customer relationships by pledging to serve our customers' personal financial needs and help grow their businesses. For the fourth year in a row, WesBanco Bank was named one of the World's Best Banks based on customer satisfaction, as well as being named the Best Big Bank in the state of West Virginia, for the second consecutive year by Newsweek. In addition, WesBanco Bank was the only midsize bank in the top ten for both financial performance and employer of choice, being named one of America's Best Midsize Employers, based on employee feedback, and one of the Best Banks in America, based on financial strength and credit quality."
The new WesBanco Center will occupy the first two floors of 900 on Lee in downtown Charleston, WV, as the opportunity to partner with 900 on Lee LLC, the building's owner and developer, was very appealing as their vision to remodel the historic building with modern finishes and conveniences seemed a perfect fit. WesBanco prides itself on delivering large bank capabilities with a community bank feel. In addition to traditional business and personal transaction account options, WesBanco Center will offer residential mortgage lending, a full suite of commercial banking products and services, and trust, wealth management, securities brokerage, and private banking services through our century-old Trust and Investment Services department.
About WesBanco, Inc.
Founded in 1870, WesBanco, Inc. (www.wesbanco.com) is a diversified and balanced financial services company that delivers large bank capabilities with a community bank feel. Our distinct long-term growth strategies are built upon unique sustainable advantages permitting us to span six states with meaningful market share. Built upon our 'Better Banking Pledge', our customer-centric service culture is focused on growing long-term relationships by pledging to serve all personal and business customer needs efficiently and effectively. Furthermore, our strong financial performance and employee focus has earned us recognition by Forbes as both one of America's Best Banks and Best Midsize Employers – the only midsize bank making the top ten of both rankings. In addition to a full range of online and mobile banking options and a full-suite of commercial products and services, WesBanco provides trust, wealth management, securities brokerage, and private banking services through our century-old Trust and Investment Services department, with approximately $4.8 billion of assets under management (as of June 30, 2022). WesBanco's banking subsidiary, WesBanco Bank, Inc., operates 194 financial centers in the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Additionally, WesBanco operates an insurance agency, WesBanco Insurance Services, Inc., and a full-service broker/dealer, WesBanco Securities, Inc.
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SOURCE WesBanco, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/29/wesbanco-bank-joins-downtown-charleston-wv-skyline/ | 2022-08-29T22:06:19Z |
Heroes of Boston Marathon bombing recognized in DC
Three of the first responders answered questions before an audience on the police response to the attack.
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Three heroes of the Boston Marathon bombing spoke at the National Law Enforcement Museum as they were recognized in Washington, D.C. Tuesday.
Former Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, retired Watertown Police Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese, and former FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers attended the event titled ‘Patriots Day: Cinematic Reflections on a Post-9/11 World.’
“People lost their lives, people were injured and have to live with those injuries for the rest of their lives,” said Davis. “It was a terrible terrible tragedy. But, some good came out of it. And, the good was about the way the community responded, the way that people pulled together, the way the police and the law enforcement community at the federal, state, and local level all worked together to pursue these guys. The way the community came out to help us catch them. But also, to support the victims.”
The Boston Marathon bombing is featured in an exhibit called ‘Post 9/11- The Evolution of American Law Enforcement.’ The exhibit details the lessons learned in the fight against terror. It displays items from the marathon tragedy including the handcuffs that restrained one of the Boston Marathon bombers.
“It just became a big team and a brotherhood to get these bad people off the street,” said Pugliese of the multiple law enforcement agencies that assisted in the manhunt.
Pugliese was one of the police officers involved in a shootout with the then-suspects in the days after the Boston Marathon Bombings.
He advised police officers and other first responders to take their training seriously so they can rely on that training during critical incidents.
“If you don’t train like it’s real, you’re not going to act the right way in this critical situation,” he said.
DesLauriers highlighted how well law enforcement agencies worked together during the Boston Marathon Bombings. He noted, that collaboration was key in the case. He credits that teamwork with allowing law enforcement to quickly close in on the perpetrators.
“I think the investigation the week of the Boston Marathon Bombings showed what law enforcement can do under immense pressure,” he said as he called the investigation ‘complex.’
At the event, the men took questions from the audience about the marathon attack and the movie ‘Patriot’s Day.’ That movie is based on the Boston bombing.
The heroes called the Boston Marathon bombings one of the most traumatic events and intense manhunts in US history.
The Boston Marathon Bombings occurred on April 15, 2013. Three bystanders were killed and more than 250 others were hospitalized.
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) -
Copyright 2022 Gray DC. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/04/27/heroes-boston-marathon-bombing-recognized-dc/ | 2022-04-27T23:16:34Z |
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s inflation rate rose to a new 40-year high of 10.1% in July, a faster pace than in the U.S. and Europe as climbing food prices in the United Kingdom tightened a cost-of-living squeeze fueled by the soaring cost of energy.
The double-digit surge in consumer prices over a year earlier was higher than analysts’ central forecast of 9.8% and a jump from the annual rate of 9.4% in June, the Office for National Statistics said Wednesday. The increase was largely due to rising prices for food and staples, including toilet paper and toothbrushes, it said.
Most economists believe worse is to come. The Bank of England says soaring natural gas prices are likely to drive consumer price inflation to 13.3% in October. It says that will push Britain into a recession that is expected to last through 2023.
Those pressures persuaded the bank to boost its key interest rate by half a percentage point this month, the biggest of six consecutive increases since December. The rate now stands at 1.75%, the highest since the depths of the global financial crisis in late 2008.
“We expect another 50bp (basis points) rate hike in September,” said James Smith, developed markets economist and ING Economics. “We wouldn’t rule out another hike in November.”
Inflation is surging in many countries as Russia’s war in Ukraine has triggered unprecedented increases in energy prices worldwide. Russia has reduced natural gas shipments to Europe in retaliation for the West’s support of Ukraine, creating a crisis for the fossil fuel that powers factories and heats homes in the winter.
The gas woes are threatening a recession in the 19 countries sharing the euro currency, where inflation hit a record 8.9% in July. The United States has already seen two quarters of economic contraction, intensifying fears of a recession. U.S. inflation eased somewhat to 8.5% in July but is still near a four-decade high.
“I understand that times are tough, and people are worried about increases in prices that countries around the world are facing,” U.K. Treasury chief Nadhim Zahawi said.
“Although there are no easy solutions, we are helping where we can,” he said, including with a 400-pound ($483) payment to households facing rocketing energy bills.
Britain’s Conservative government is under pressure to do even more to help people cope with the cost-of-living crisis. The average U.K. household fuel bill has risen more than 50% this year, and another increase is due in October, when the average bill is forecast to hit 3,500 pounds ($4,300) a year.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to leave office next month and says any new measures must be left to his successor. The favorite to replace him, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, is opposed to major intervention, saying she favors tax cuts over “handouts.”
The other contender, former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, introduced a 25% windfall tax on oil and gas companies’ profits in May that is expected to raise several billion pounds to help fund payments for people with rising utility costs. Opposition politicians want the tax expanded to electricity firms — a move Truss firmly opposes, saying, “I don’t think profit is a dirty word.” | https://cw33.com/business/ap-business/soaring-food-and-energy-costs-drive-uk-inflation-to-10-1/ | 2022-08-17T23:35:53Z |
LOS ANGELES, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, reminds investors of a class action lawsuit against Natera, Inc. ("Natera" or "the Company") (NASDAQ: NTRA) for violations of §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Investors who purchased the Company's securities between February 26, 2020 and April 19, 2022, inclusive (the ''Class Period''), are encouraged to contact the firm before June 27, 2022.
If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.
We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at bschall@schallfirm.com.
The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.
According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. Natera's Panorama tests lacked reliability and suffered from a high rate of false positives. The Company's Prospera test did not achieve a greater degree of precision than competing products. The Company employed false and deceptive billing to enable revenue growth. Based on these facts, the Company's public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the class period. When the market learned the truth about Natera, investors suffered damages.
Join the case to recover your losses.
The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.
CONTACT:
The Schall Law Firm
Brian Schall, Esq.,
www.schallfirm.com
Office: 310-301-3335
info@schallfirm.com
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SOURCE The Schall Law Firm | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/27/final-deadline-alert-schall-law-firm-encourages-investors-natera-inc-with-losses-100000-contact-firm/ | 2022-06-27T13:06:34Z |
TOKYO (AP) — Kazuki Takahashi, the creator of the “Yu-Gi-Oh!” manga comic and trading card game, has died, apparently while snorkeling in southwestern Japan, the coast guard said Friday.
The body of Takahashi, 60, was found Wednesday floating about 300 meters (330 yards) off the coast of Okinawa, by a person running a marine leisure business, according to an official at the Naha Coast Guard Nago station.
The coast guard and the fire department went by boat and watercraft and found the body, face down and wearing a snorkeling mask. He may have been dead for a day or two, according to the coast guard official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because their job did not allow them to be quoted by name.
The body showed signs of being attacked by a marine creature, possibly sharks, but the cause of death was still under investigation, the official said.
Takahashi was identified after police in another part of Okinawa contacted the coast guard Thursday, saying a rented car had been found abandoned on a beach. The car had a driver’s license, confirming the identity. Takahashi’s real first name was Kazuo. His family was contacted and identified him, the coast guard official said.
“Yu-Gi-Oh!” debuting in Shonen Jump magazine in 1996, became a hit, selling more than 40 million copies as manga, although the number of cards out in the world is far greater, in the billions.
The official card game went on sale in 1999. A TV show and video games, as well as figures and toys, were also part of the franchise.
There was an outpouring of mourning on social media.
Eric Stuart, the American actor who did the animation voiceover, said he was saddened by the news.
“An amazingly talented man. Sensei created a role that would help define my voice acting career,” Stuart said on Twitter, using the Japanese word for “teacher.”
Fans around the world posted their cards and manga images online. Some noted that was how they had become interested in Japan. People recalled how the cards had helped them make their first friends.
“We are deeply grateful for the wonderful ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ universe that he has created, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time,” the London-based YuGiOhNews account said on Twitter and on its official site.
The ambassador to Japan from Georgia, Teimuraz Lezhava, said “Yu-Gi-Oh!” evoked a distinct world.
“I will never forget the excitement of playing the game,” he said on his official Japanese Twitter.
Takahashi’s work had children, and the young at heart, collecting the cards, decorated with mechanical monsters and wizard-like creatures, with a frenzy. The prices of some shot up during the height of the fad.
When a “Yu-Gi-Oh!” event was held at a Tokyo baseball stadium in 1999, so many children and parents came to buy the cards, game-maker Konami, the organizer, had to call in riot police.
“Yu-Gi-Oh!” is played by having two people facing off and placing cards from their deck with different powers to try defeat the other. Each player starts out with 8,000 “life points,” which get chiseled away as your cards lose.
The main character is a doe-eyed boy with spiky blond hair called Yugi Muto, an expert at card games. “Yu-Gi-Oh” means “king of games.”
The more expensive cards, the ones literally with glitter, are powerful in the game, called “super rare” and “secret rare.” But they weren’t that easily found, so people bought more packs, or cartons, of the cards.
The success of “Yu-Gi-Oh!” in the West was similar to that of other Japanese animation and game works like Pokemon. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/yu-gi-oh-manga-creator-kazuki-takahashi-found-dead-at-sea/ | 2022-07-08T04:15:04Z |
TORONTO, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Specialists from around the world will gather at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery's (SNIS) 19th Annual Meeting from July 25–29, 2022, in Toronto to discuss groundbreaking research and developments in the field of neurointerventional surgery.
The 2022 conference, held during SNIS' 30th anniversary year, will be a hybrid event with in-person and livestreamed content. Meeting session topics will include the role of artificial intelligence and robotics in neurointervention, new techniques for diagnosing, triaging and treating stroke and brain aneurysms, and the effect of COVID-19 on stroke patients.
Philip Meyers, MD, FSNIS, a renowned neurointerventionalist who has helped create or characterize many of the devices currently used daily during neurointerventional surgery, will deliver the meeting's Grant Hieshima Luminary Lecture. Dr. Meyers will reflect on the wide-ranging improvements in stroke and aneurysm treatment over the course of his career and on the life and legacy of illustrious neurointerventionalist Grant Hieshima, MD, who died in 2019. In addition, Toronto native and stroke patient Monica Missrie will talk about her path back to her career as an interpreter and conservationist in this year's Amy Walters Lecture.
"The pace of innovation in neurointerventional surgery over the past 15 years has not relented even with the pandemic-related challenges. Conferences such as the SNIS Annual Meeting allow for healthy debate, education and collaboration among members which helps to clarify so much of what has occurred in our field this past year," said SNIS President Michael Chen, MD. "I am grateful that our talented colleagues can once again gather online or in person to teach, learn and inspire one another."
The 19th Annual Meeting will highlight promising new neurointerventional research, with press releases available on the following abstracts:
- AI Based Gaze Deviation to Aid LVO Diagnosis in NCCT
- Towards Self-Steering Microcatheters for Neurointervention
- Characteristics of a COVID-19 Cohort with Large Vessel Occlusion: A Multicenter International Study
- Technical and Clinical Outcomes in Distal Occlusion Thrombectomy by Frontline Technique—A Multicenter Study
- Real-world Outcomes of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Treatment of Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion in the United States
- Long-Term Effect of Field Triage on Times to Endovascular Treatment for Emergent Large Vessel Occlusion
Prior to the meeting, the society will host the SNIS Women in Neurointervention Leadership Program, led by returning speaker Sara Laschever, an author and expert on women in the workplace, and Leanne Meyer, director of the Carnegie Mellon Women's Executive Leadership Academy. The program will help guide attendees to build their personal leadership brand and strategize to reach their professional goals.
When: July 25–29, 2022
Where: To register for the conference (in person and virtual), please email cjewell@vancomm.com.
Interview: To schedule an interview with SNIS President Dr. Chen or other SNIS physicians, please contact Camille Jewell at cjewell@vancomm.com or 202-248-5460.
The Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) is a scientific and educational association dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurointerventional surgery through research, standard-setting, and education and advocacy to provide the highest quality of patient care in diagnosing and treating diseases of the brain, spine, head and neck. Visit www.snisonline.org and follow us on Twitter (@SNISinfo) and Facebook (@SNISOnline).
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SOURCE Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/covid-19s-effect-stroke-artificial-intelligence-robotics-other-innovations-stroke-aneurysm-care-be-showcased-society-neurointerventional-surgerys-19th-annual-meeting/ | 2022-07-21T17:10:01Z |
Man dies swimming in ocean while on vacation; family says rip currents to blame
OAK ISLAND, N.C. (WECT/Gray News) - A family is trying to recover after losing a loved one while vacationing in North Carolina over Memorial Day weekend.
WECT reports Jacob Martin, 36, was visiting Oak Island with his family when suddenly their weekend trip took a tragic turn.
Oak Island Water Rescue reports rescuers got a call on May 28 about a man struggling in the water. When crews arrived at the scene, rescuers said nurses, who happened to be on the beach, had already started CPR on Martin, and a witness had pulled him out of the water.
However, even with the help of the good Samaritans, Martin did not survive.
Martin’s mother, Katrina Thornburg, said she spent weeks planning the family trip, and Martin drove from West Virginia with his kids to take part in it.
“We got here Friday night, and I took videos. The family was cooking and singing,” she said. “I’m still in shock; I don’t know how to process it.”
Yellow flags were flying at the beach at Oak Island on Saturday due to the moderate risk for rip currents, and Martin’s mother said she believes that’s what took his life.
“He could swim, and no one even really thought about it,” she said. “So, it is very dangerous, and it is a real threat. You need to take it seriously.”
Ocean Rescue Chief Pete Grendze couldn’t confirm if a rip current caused Martin’s death but said an autopsy had been scheduled.
Copyright 2022 WECT via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/06/02/man-dies-swimming-ocean-while-vacation-family-says-rip-currents-blame/ | 2022-06-02T23:59:06Z |
James Rado, who co-created pioneering ‘Hair,’ dies at 90
NEW YORK (AP) — James Rado, co-creator of the groundbreaking hippie musical “Hair,” which celebrated protest, pot and free love and paved the way for the sound of rock on Broadway, has died. He was 90.
Rado died Tuesday night in New York City of cardio respiratory arrest, according to friend and publicist Merle Frimark.
“Hair,” which has a story and lyrics by Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot, was the first rock musical on Broadway, the first Broadway show to feature full nudity and the first to feature a same-sex kiss.
“Hair” made possible other rock musicals like “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Rent.” Like “Hamilton,” it was one of only a handful of Broadway shows in the past few decades to find its songs on the pop charts.
The so-called “American tribal love-rock musical,” had its world premiere at the Public Theater in New York City’s East Village in 1967 and transferred the following year to Broadway, where the musical ran more than 1,800 performances. Rado played Claude, a young man about to be drafted and sent to the war in Vietnam.
Clive Barnes, theater critic for The New York Times, called the show “the first Broadway musical in some time to have the authentic voice of today rather than the day before yesterday.” The New York Post said it had “unintentional charm,” contagious high spirits and a “young zestfulness” that “make it difficult to resist.” Variety, however, called it “loony.”
It lost the Tony in 1969 to the more traditional “1776″ but won a Grammy Award. The 2009 revival won the best revival Tony. The show was revived on Broadway in 1977 and again in 2009. It was made into a movie directed by Milos Forman in 1979 starring Treat Williams and Beverly D’Angelo.
“Hair” spawned four top four singles on the American pop charts, including the No. 1 hit “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” by the Fifth Dimension, which won the Grammy Award for record of the year and best pop vocal performance by a group in 1970. Others included “Hair” by the Cowsills, “Good Morning, Starshine” by the singer Oliver and “Easy to Be Hard” by Three Dog Night. The cast album itself stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks
“Hair” tells the story of Claude and Berger, best buddies who find freedom in the late 1960s. Between draft-card burnings, love-ins, bad LSD trips and a parade of protest marches, the two wander through a New York filled with flower children, drugged-out hippies and outraged tourists who don’t approve of the wild goings-on. In one song, Claude poignantly sings, “Why do I live, why do I die, tell me where do I go, tell me why.”
The show is playful and chaotic, but there’s also a sense of outrage in its protests against war, racism, sexism, pollution and the general hypocrisy of an era dominated by the American involvement in Vietnam.
“I’d still like ‘Hair’ to be about what it was about then,” Rado told The Associated Press in 1993. “‘Hair’ had a spiritual message, and it has a mystical message I hope is coming through — there’s more to life than the way it’s been devised for us, explained to us, taught to us.”
The songs of “Hair” have been used in everything from the films “Forrest Gump,” “Minions” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” to TV shows like “Glee,” “So You Think You Can Dance” and “My Name Is Earl.” Billboard magazine lists “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” at No. 66 of all-time top 100 songs.
In 2019, the original 1968 Broadway cast recording was inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden deemed “these aural treasures worthy of preservation because of their cultural, historic and aesthetic importance to the nation’s recorded sound heritage.”
Rado was born in Venice, California, and raised in Rochester, New York, and Washington, D.C. After serving two years in the U.S. Navy, he moved to New York and studied acting with Paula and Lee Strasberg.
Rado was part of the ensemble of the Broadway play “Marathon ‘33″ in 1963 and played Richard Lionheart in “The Lion in Winter” in 1966 opposite Christopher Walken. He met Ragni when he was cast in the off-Broadway musical “Hang Down Your Head and Die.”
The two were interested in birthing a new kind of show and focused on the hippie scene. They wrote the script while sharing an apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey. Rado originated the “Hair” role of the draftee Claude on Broadway.
“Hair” met resistance across the country. In addition to the use of four-letter words, the flouting of authority, sexual references and gross-out humor, the end of Act 1 had the entire cast strip naked to “Where Do I Go” and there was what many believed was desecration of the American flag.
There were church pickets in Evansville, Indiana. Municipal officials in Chattanooga, Tennessee, denied a request to stage the show, determining that it would not be “in the best interest of the community.” In Denver, police threatened to arrest anyone who appeared nude onstage. A Boston visit was challenged in court on the basis of flag desecration.
The original Public Theater production had cut the nude scene, but the creators wanted it back for the Broadway debut. Under the law at that time, New York City allowed nudity onstage onstage as long as the actors weren’t moving, which is why the whole cast of “Hair” stood together in a row, nude and perfectly still.
After “Hair,” Rado wrote the music and lyrics of the off-Broadway show “Rainbow,” co-authoring the book with his brother, Ted Rado. He later teamed up with Ragni to create the book and lyrics for the show “Sun.” Ragni died in 1991. Rado wrote a new show called “American Soldier” with his brother.
In 2009, Rado, MacDermot and Ragni were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., of the group The Fifth Dimension, were joined onstage by the Broadway cast at the time for a finale that brought the ceremony’s approximately 1,000 guests to their feet. MacDermot died in 2018.
Rado told the Hudson Reporter in 2009 that none of the show’s creators anticipated that it would have such an enormous impact. “We thought we’d stumbled on a great idea, and something that potentially could be a hit on Broadway, never thinking of the distant future.”
He is survived by his brother Ted Rado, sister-in-law Kay Rado, nieces Melanie Khoury, Emily DiBona and Melissa Stuart, great-nieces and a great-nephew.
___
Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/06/22/james-rado-who-co-created-pioneering-hair-dies-90/ | 2022-06-22T14:13:56Z |
NEW YORK, June 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of IonQ, Inc. (NYSE: IONQ).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/ionq-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=29053&from=4
The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased IonQ between March 30, 2021 and May 2, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until August 1, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, IonQ, Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) IonQ had not yet developed a 32-qubit quantum computer; (2) the Company's 11-qubit quantum computer suffered from significant error rates, rendering it useless; (3) IonQ's quantum the computer is not sufficiently reliable, so it is not accessible despite being available through major cloud providers; (4) a significant portion of IonQ's revenue was derived from improper roundtripping transactions with related parties; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were the materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/24/ionq-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-ionq-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-august-1-2022/ | 2022-06-24T10:15:29Z |
Providing users with an interactive and personalised search experience for the past 2 years
SHENZHEN, China, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HUAWEI's Petal Search celebrates its 2nd year anniversary, looking back at how much the search engine has grown in the pursuit of the vision to be an All-In-One Search Engine.
Since Petal Search's inception back in May 2020, the search engine has grown from strength to strength. Even as Petal Search serves on a global level, it continues to provide personalised local search results to its users. Within the past two years, the search engine has improved tremendously in all regards. Petal Search now supports more than 70 languages in over 170 countries and regions and has become a popular search engine.
Within the past two years, the search engine has improved tremendously in all regards. In addition to that, Huawei's Petal Search continues to forge numerous partnerships with over 3,000 partners to date, working hand in hand to enrich its vast ecosystem.
2020: Building basic search capabilities for global users
With the vital importance of online search engines in our daily lives and the simplicity of the Search bar, users are connected seamless to content on the internet. Simply by typing keywords, users can gain access to every relevant and available content online.
With that in mind, Huawei set out to create its own mobile service and search engine. After a period of gruelling tests, Huawei launch Petal Search which is pre-installed on all Huawei smartphones. And Search servers as Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) native search engine.
Building on Huawei's 1+8+N Seamless AI Life strategy, Petal Search built on its own search capabilities in the global market to provide users with search and query capabilities based on specific technical functions and all-scenario capabilities. In November, Petal Search once again brought a variety of new features to its users. Introducing three new search verticals such as Nearby, Shopping and Travel, Petal Search provides a close loop search service for its users, directing them straight to the results without having to leave the page. Other unique tools such as weather updates, calculator and real time currency exchange rates are also provided to allow user quick access these needed services.
User trends are a crucial point in the development of Petal Search. With the growing use of other search methods on search engines, Petal Search provides users with Multimodal search capabilities allowing users with more ways to search for content.
Even with an overly saturated search engine landscape, Petal Search's unique services and the elevated search experience that is offered draws more users towards selecting it as their search engine of choice.
2021: Rapid development providing users with an All-In-One search platform
Together with more than 3,000 partners, Petal Search provides users with a variety of services on one single platform further working to its goal of being an All-In-One Search Engine.
Furthermore, Petal Search upgraded its user interface for a more seamless interaction and introduced Petal GO which allows users to subscribe to a variety of Cards ranging from daily news, entertainment and many more.
To create a personalised experience, Petal Search provides localised Box services based on the different service requirements of countries and regions. For example, users who in Singapore can access the "Shared Umbrella" Box by typing those keywords into the search bar. Users will be provided with locations with umbrella sharing services. With over 300 localised Boxes such as "Property Rental" in Madrid and "Job" in United Kingdom, users are provided with unique information based on the location they are in.
Through the introduction of its unique features and experiences, Petal Search has distinguished itself amongst the other search engines in the market.
Huawei recognises the concerns of users when it comes to Privacy and security. With all these personal information, Petal Search unites the hardware-based security and safety technologies to ensure the standards of data privacy and security for Huawei users with certified ePrivacyseal data protection and GDPR compliances. Using Privacy Center, users are allowed to choose between search modes, standard or smart, to better help in their search process.
With great growth within its first year, Petal Search continues in its journey to improving the search experience for its users.
2022: Developing the Next-Generation Search Engine
This year, Petal Search continues to be committed to become the search engine of choice for users globally. According to Statcounter's metrics, Petal Search ranks as the top 3 Mobile Search Engines in more than 18 countries.
Petal Search continues to expand on current services, providing more than 500 new localised Box services and over 20 vertical search categories. Petal Search also continues to better under its users with improvements in its multi-modal search capabilities.
As Petal Search works on its features and functions, it continues in its commitment to helping users across the world to find what they are looking for and curate high quality content, all while keeping users' data safe, private, and secure. In addition to the security certifications, Petal Search provides a Safe Search function to allow users to safety display search results and notify users regarding the source of information to ensure authentic results are displayed.
With the current search engines matching users with the results, they are looking for, Petal Search aims to provide users with more by connecting people to the services they need.
The team behind Petal Search continues to upgrade the search tool and offer users with an enhanced search experience. With key aspects such as all-scenario collaboration, service ecosystem, user scenarios, human connections and conversational interaction capabilities, Petal Search continues to grow and evolve to better serve users with next generation of search engines capabilities.
To download and experience Petal Search, please visit: https://bit.ly/3rpGYGY
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SOURCE Petal Search, Huawei | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/petal-search-celebrates-incredible-growth-its-2nd-anniversary/ | 2022-06-30T17:35:42Z |
NEW YORK, July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AXSM).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/axsome-therapeutics-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=29409&from=4
The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased Axsome between December 30, 2019 and April 22, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until July 12, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Axsome Therapeutics, Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Axsome's chemistry, manufacturing, and control ("CMC") practices were deficient with respect to AXS-07, the Company's medicine for the acute treatment of migraine, and its manufacturing process; (ii) as a result, Axsome was unlikely to submit the AXS-07 New Drug Application ("NDA") on its initially represented timeline; (iii) the foregoing CMC issues remained unresolved at the time that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") reviewed the AXS-07 NDA; (iv) accordingly, the FDA was unlikely to approve the AXS-07 NDA; (v) as a result of all the foregoing, Axsome had overstated AXS-07's regulatory and commercial prospects; and (vi) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/01/axsm-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-axsome-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-july-12-2022/ | 2022-07-01T10:16:02Z |
TUPELO, Miss. and HOUSTON, April 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At its regular quarterly meeting today, the Board of Directors of Cadence Bank (NYSE: CADE) (Cadence) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.22 per share of common stock. The common stock dividend is payable on July 1, 2022, to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 15, 2022.
The board of directors also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.34375 per share of Series A Preferred Stock. The preferred stock dividend is payable on May 20, 2022, to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 5, 2022.
Cadence earlier reported financial results for the first quarter of 2022. Net income available to common shareholders was $112.6 million, or $0.60 per diluted share, and adjusted income available to common shareholders was $121.6 million, or $0.65 per diluted share.
About Cadence Bank
Cadence Bank (NYSE: CADE) is a leading regional banking franchise with approximately $47 billion in assets and more than 400 branch locations across the South, Midwest and Texas. Cadence provides consumers, businesses and corporations with a full range of innovative banking and financial solutions. Services and products include consumer banking, consumer loans, mortgages, home equity lines and loans, credit cards, commercial and business banking, treasury management, specialized lending, asset-based lending, commercial real estate, equipment financing, correspondent banking, SBA lending, foreign exchange, wealth management, investment and trust services, financial planning, retirement plan management, and personal and business insurance. Cadence is committed to a culture of respect, diversity and inclusion in both its workplace and communities. Cadence Bank, Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
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SOURCE Cadence Bank | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/27/cadence-bank-declares-quarterly-common-preferred-dividends/ | 2022-04-27T23:18:48Z |
STOCKHOLM, Sept. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandvik has completed the previously announced acquisition of the Portugal-based company Frezite. Frezite's offering primarily consists of made-to-order polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tools for metal and wood applications, with exposure to the automotive, general engineering and aerospace segments. The company will be reported within Walter, a division within Sandvik Manufacturing and Machining Solutions.
In 2021, the company had revenues of approximately SEK 450 million and an EBITA margin that is slightly dilutive to Sandvik Manufacturing and Machining Solutions. Impact on Sandvik's earnings per share will be limited, yet positive.
Stockholm, September 2, 2022
Sandvik AB
For further information, contact Louise Tjeder, Vice President Investor Relations, phone: +46 70 782 6374 or Johannes Hellström, Press and Media Relations Manager, phone: +46 70 721 1008.
This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com
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SOURCE Sandvik | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/02/sandvik-completes-acquisition-pcd-tools-manufacturer/ | 2022-09-02T08:22:05Z |
BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- REDCON1 has partnered with STORD, the leading omnichannel fulfillment company with a valuation of 1.3B, powering growth brands such as TULA, NATIVE, IT COSMETICS, DYPER, and more.
The rapid and continued exponential growth of REDCON1, the fastest-growing sports nutrition brand, has created the demand for faster and more effective logistics solutions.
Amazon's exceptionally fast delivery standards have influenced macro changes in all consumer delivery expectations. Logistics is crucial to ensuring the best consumer experience – from order to expeditious delivery.
"This transition has been bittersweet for our entire organization. Since founding the company, our in-house logistics team has been the backbone of our operation. This team has fueled growth – one package at a time." Taylor Schnaars, VP Operations REDCON1.
Listening to our consumers, we identified a challenge that could not be scaled while shipping from our Headquarters in South Florida. Our physical proximity was simply too far to meet national 1-2 day shipping expectations.
"REDCON1's ethos is clear – the consumer experience always comes first. This partnership ensures that no matter where in the United States you live, your orders will be delivered quickly – every time." Eric Hart, President REDCON1.
REDCON1 and STORD have strategically selected and activated multiple key facilities throughout the United States to ensure 1-2 day delivery to all US-based consumers.
STORD is the fastest growing omnichannel fulfillment company with a valuation of 1.3B, powering fulfillment of brands such as TULA, NATIVE, IT COSMETICS, DYPER, and more.
REDCON1 is a mission-based company founded on a simple principle - create the highest quality supplements for people that need to get the most out of their workout and workday. REDCON1 offers nutritional supplements and apparel that appeal to everyone, from beginners to professional athletes. Our strong military branding is highlighted by more than 30,000+ TIER OPERATOR brand ambassadors around the world, many of which are currently serving with or are retired from the United States Armed Forces. Our products feature efficacious formulas while building a brand that stands for transparency, hard-work, honesty, and integrity. For additional information, visit redcon1.com
Contact
Ryan Monahan
REDCON1, Chief Marketing Officer
ryan@redcon1.com
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SOURCE REDCON1 | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/13/redcon1-partners-with-stord-provide-99-delivery-coverage-1-2-days-all-united-states-based-consumers/ | 2022-09-13T17:16:12Z |
At the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society conference, CollPlant will deliver a presentation 'rhCollagen - The Ideal Building Block For 3D Printed and Injectable Scaffolds for Regenerative Medicine' and a poster 'Recombinant Human Collagen-Based Bioinks for Biofabrication Applications'
REHOVOT, Israel, July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CollPlant (NASDAQ: CLGN), a regenerative and aesthetics medicine company developing innovative technologies and products for tissue regeneration and organ manufacturing, today announced that the company will deliver two presentations, and will have an exhibition booth at the annual conference and exhibition of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS), in Toronto, Canada, on July 10-13, 2022.
"We look forward to participating at the TERMIS conference, a leading organization in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine," said Yehiel Tal, CollPlant's Chief Executive Officer. "We will deliver two presentations demonstrating the unique biological and physical properties of rhCollagen-based compositions, which provide the flexibility to formulate a wide variety of biomaterials that are designed for different regenerative medicine applications including bioprinting of organs and tissues, soft and hard tissue reconstruction, and skin rejuvenation. We will also have an exhibition booth where our marketing and R&D team will interact with researchers, scientists, and clinicians from both academia and industry to showcase our products."
- Exhibition booth #25
- Presentation title: RhCollagen - The Ideal Building Block For 3D Printed and Injectable Scaffolds for Regenerative Medicine
- Poster title: Recombinant Human Collagen-Based Bioinks For Biofabrication Applications
About CollPlant
CollPlant is a regenerative and aesthetic medicine company focused on 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs, and medical aesthetics. The Company's products are based on its rhCollagen (recombinant human collagen) produced with CollPlant's proprietary plant based genetic engineering technology. These products address indications for the diverse fields of tissue repair, aesthetics, and organ manufacturing, and are ushering in a new era in regenerative and aesthetic medicine.
At the beginning of 2021, CollPlant entered into a development and global commercialization agreement for dermal and soft tissue fillers with Allergan, an AbbVie company, the global leader in the dermal filler market. Later in 2021, CollPlant entered a strategic co-development agreement with 3D Systems for a 3D bioprinted regenerative soft tissue matrix for use in breast reconstruction procedures in combination with an implant.
For more information about CollPlant, visit http://www.collplant.com
Safe Harbor Statements
This press release may include forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements relating to CollPlant's objectives plans and strategies, as well as statements, other than historical facts, that address activities, events or developments that CollPlant intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future. These statements are often characterized by terminology such as "believes," "hopes," "may," "anticipates," "should," "intends," "plans," "will," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "positioned," "strategy" and similar expressions and are based on assumptions and assessments made in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors believed to be appropriate. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Many factors could cause CollPlant's actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: the Company's history of significant losses, its ability to continue as a going concern, and its need to raise additional capital and its inability to obtain additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the Company's expectations regarding the timing and cost of commencing clinical trials with respect to tissues and organs which are based on its rhCollagen based BioInk and products for medical aesthetics; the Company's ability to obtain favorable pre-clinical and clinical trial results; regulatory action with respect to rhCollagen based BioInk and medical aesthetics products including but not limited to acceptance of an application for marketing authorization review and approval of such application, and, if approved, the scope of the approved indication and labeling; commercial success and market acceptance of the Company's rhCollagen based products in 3D Bioprinting and medical aesthetics; the Company's ability to establish sales and marketing capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties and its reliance on third party distributors and resellers; the Company's ability to establish and maintain strategic partnerships and other corporate collaborations; the Company's reliance on third parties to conduct some or all aspects of its product manufacturing; the scope of protection the Company is able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights and the Company's ability to operate its business without infringing the intellectual property rights of others; the overall global economic environment; the impact of competition and new technologies; general market, political, and economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates; projected capital expenditures and liquidity; changes in the Company's strategy; and litigation and regulatory proceedings. More detailed information about the risks and uncertainties affecting CollPlant is contained under the heading "Risk Factors" included in CollPlant's most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC, and in other filings that CollPlant has made and may make with the SEC in the future. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and reflect CollPlant's current views with respect to future events, and CollPlant does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contact at CollPlant:
Eran Rotem
Deputy CEO & CFO
Tel: + 972-73-2325600
Email: Eran@CollPlant.com
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1853282/CollPlant_TERMIS.jpg
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SOURCE CollPlant | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/05/collplant-present-exhibit-termis-annual-conference-toronto-canada/ | 2022-07-05T11:34:32Z |
Ticket prices for Springsteen’s shows angering some fans
Paying for some Bruce Springsteen tickets these days may be “Tougher Than The Rest.”
Paying for some Bruce Springsteen tickets these days may be “Tougher Than The Rest.”
That’s because Ticketmaster’s “dynamic pricing” has some seats reaching $4000 to $5000 a seat.
The high prices are not going over well.
“I’m sure you won’t see this @springsteen but you or your management need to have a word with the abhorrent criminals running @Ticketmaster who are charging exorbitant amounts to see you in concert,” one person tweeted. “Please listen to your fans, nobody can afford these ridiculous ticket prices.”
Writer John Semley tweeted that Springsteen should “write a song about a working man refinancing his car and home to purchase bruce springsteen tickets.”
“i got a sixty-nine chevy /with a three-ninety-six fuelie heads /and a hurst on the floor/i had to sell it to go see the Boss at the Wells-Fargo Center,” he suggested as lyrics.
The premiere of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” is still a year away, and yet Ryan Gosling has found a way to turn every press appearance into an excuse to wax poetic about his upcoming role as the plastic boy-toy Ken.
In an appearance this week on “The Tonight Show,” Gosling was eager (“Ken-ergetic,” maybe) to discuss the never-before-heard tale of how his casting as Ken was fated.
As Gosling tells it, some time ago, director Gerwig offered Gosling the part of Ken. The script was the “best ... [he’d] ever read,” he told host Jimmy Fallon, but he wanted to take a moment and consider the decision in the fresh air.
When he walked into his backyard, he discovered an otherwise-pristine, shirtless Ken doll, facedown in the mud next to a “squished lemon,” Gosling said.
The future Ken snapped a photo of the affecting scene, perhaps a sign from the universe, and texted it to Gerwig.
“I said, ‘I shall be your Ken. For his story must be told,’” Gosling told Fallon.
And though the film recently wrapped, Gosling is continuing to name-drop his beloved Mattel character wherever he goes, even when he’s promoting his other projects, and he defends Ken fiercely against detractors.
Kourtney Kardashian is clearing up claims about her son on social media.
Kardashian, who shares Mason, 12, with her ex, Scott Disick, says their son has nothing to do with accounts claiming to belong to the preteen.
“Hello everyone, hope it is a beautiful Thursday,” Kardashian tweeted. “After months and months of thinking you would all know that is NOT Mason on these fake accounts, some of you don’t. So, I will spell it out clearly: that is NOT Mason on these fake social media accounts talking about our family.”
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A receipt was sent to your email. | https://www.albanyherald.com/people-072422/article_ee82f576-0ac4-11ed-9190-eb0c1add7cec.html | 2022-07-23T20:55:44Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bit Digital, Inc. (Nasdaq: BTBT) ("Bit Digital" or the "Company"), a digital asset mining company headquartered in New York, announced its unaudited bitcoin and Ethereum production and corporate updates for the month of August 2022.
Corporate Highlights for August 2022
- In August 2022, the Company earned 145.3 bitcoins, a 2% increase compared to the prior month. The Company earned 0 ETH during August 2022 compared to 0.5 in the month ending July 31, 2022.
- Treasury holdings of BTC and ETH were 919.2 and 3,684.0 with a fair market value of approximately $18.4 million and $5.7 million, respectively, on August 31, 2022.
- The Company owned 38,594 bitcoin miners and 731 Ethereum miners as of August 31, 2022, with an estimated maximum total hash rate of 2.7 Exahash ("EH/s") and 0.3 Terahash ("TH/s), respectively.
- During the month, the Company purchased 561 M30s miners and sold 103 M21 miners.
Miner Deployments
During the month of August, the Company continued to work with hosting partners to deploy miners. 29% of its currently-owned fleet, or 11,545 bitcoin miners and 0 ETH miners representing 1.04 EH/s and 0 TH/s, respectively, was deployed in North America as of August 31, 2022. The Company's ETH miners remain offline due to previously announced interruptions to certain hosting partners' operations.
About Bit Digital
Bit Digital, Inc. is a bitcoin mining company headquartered in New York City. Our mining operations are located in North America. For additional information, please contact ir@bit-digital.com or visit our website at www.bit-digital.com.
Investor Notice
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks, uncertainties and forward-looking statements described under "Risk Factors" in Item 3.D of our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. If any material risk was to occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations would likely suffer. In that event, the value of our securities could decline and you could lose part or all of your investment. The risks and uncertainties we describe are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. In addition, our past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results in the future. Future changes in the network-wide mining difficulty rate or bitcoin hash rate may also materially affect the future performance of Bit Digital's production of bitcoin. Actual operating results will vary depending on many factors including network difficulty rate, total hash rate of the network, the operations of our facilities, the status of our miners, and other factors. Additionally, all discussions of financial metrics assume mining difficulty rates as of September 2022. See "Safe Harbor Statement" below.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" relating to the business of Bit Digital, Inc., and its subsidiary companies. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," or similar expressions, involving known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website at http://www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.
For more information, please contact: ir@bit-digital.com, +1 (212) 463-5121
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SOURCE Bit Digital, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/07/bit-digital-inc-announces-monthly-production-update-august-2022/ | 2022-09-07T22:26:47Z |
Brings Together Ganse Apothecary and Terrapin Pharmacy
NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WindRose Health Investors, LLC, the New York-based healthcare private equity firm, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Ganse Apothecary. Through a merger with Terrapin Pharmacy, an existing WindRose portfolio company, the company expands its footprint in Pennsylvania, creating a leading behavioral health pharmacy platform in the Mid-Atlantic. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Terrapin Pharmacy is a closed-door specialized pharmacy based in Annapolis, Maryland, that serves patients through value-added distribution relationships with community-based behavioral health and long-term care facilities across Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. WindRose recapitalized Terrapin Pharmacy in December 2021.
Ganse is a Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based closed-door long-term care and specialty pharmacy that provides value-added distribution services to patients suffering from severe and persistent mental illness and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
The merger significantly expands the footprint of both businesses and positions the combined organization for growth in existing and new markets, as well as additional lines of businesses and services. Currently, Terrapin and Ganse serve approximately 7,500 patients across four states.
"We are thrilled for the future of the combined business and are excited to partner with such a well-respected provider as Ganse," said Mark Peterson, Executive Chairman of Terrapin's Board of Directors. "Ganse's long history of providing high quality, value-added pharmacy services to this population aligns perfectly with Terrapin and our core mission."
Greg Ganse, CEO and President of Ganse, will assume a leadership role at Terrapin and help drive the growth strategy of integrating the complementary offerings of Ganse and Terrapin.
"We are incredibly excited to partner with Terrapin Pharmacy," said Mr. Ganse. "It was important for us to find a partner that shared the values and principles on which Ganse was founded over 50 years ago. I'm confident we have found that in Terrapin and that the combined company's patients will continue to receive the high-quality care they deserve."
"With the combination of Terrapin and Ganse, and the deep domain expertise, relationships and resources of WindRose, we are well-positioned to reach more people with pharmacy services that can make a huge difference in their lives," Mr. Peterson said.
Provident Healthcare Partners acted as financial advisor to Ganse. Latham & Watkins LLP acted as legal advisor to WindRose, and Troutman Pepper acted as legal advisor to Ganse.
About Ganse Apothecary
Ganse Apothecary is a URAC accredited specialty, long-term care, and retail pharmacy located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The organization provides pharmacy services to individuals with serious and persistent mental illness, substance use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities, the organizations that support them, and to the general public as well.
For more information, please visit www.ganseapothecary.com.
About Terrapin Pharmacy
Terrapin Pharmacy is a closed-door specialized pharmacy that primarily serves individuals diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illnesses in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Company serves this population through high-touch distribution relationships with community-based behavioral health agencies and long-term care facilities, enabling improved medication adherence and care management for complex and costly patient populations.
For more information, please visit www.terrapinpharmacy.com.
About WindRose
WindRose Health Investors, LLC ("WindRose") makes equity investments in companies that operate within the services sectors of the healthcare industry. The firm focuses on companies with profitable business models and a demonstrated ability to deliver cost-effective solutions. WindRose is based in New York City and invests in companies throughout the United States.
For more information, please email WindRose at info@windrose.com
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SOURCE WindRose Health Investors, LLC | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/14/windrose-health-investors-adds-behavioral-focused-pharmacy-platform/ | 2022-07-14T20:46:19Z |
Amazon Labor Union’s Chris Smalls faces off against Sen. Graham on workers
By Brian Fung, CNN
The president of the Amazon Labor Union warned Sen. Lindsey Graham on Thursday that he risks ignoring the concerns of workers at his own political peril.
At the opening of a Senate Banking Committee hearing focused on Amazon (AMZN), in which Graham used his initial remarks to blast the “demonization of individual companies,” Christian Smalls — the Amazon Labor Union head who helped lead a successful union vote in Staten Island last month — told the panel’s ranking Republican that it’s in his “best interest” to listen to workers.
Citing the legal process for challenging illegal anti-union activity, Graham had criticized the committee’s chair, Sen. Bernie Sanders, for holding a “dangerous” hearing that relied on the presumption that “you’ve determined Amazon is a piece of crap company.”
“Every time I turn around, you’re having a hearing about ‘anybody who makes money is bad,'” Graham said, addressing Sanders.
Smalls, who appeared before the Senate wearing a New York Yankees ballcap and a red-and-black letterman jacket with the phrase “Eat the Rich” stitched on it, paused to address Graham directly before launching into his own prepared remarks.
“You forgot that the people are the ones who make these companies operate, and when we’re not protected, the process for when we hold these companies accountable is not working for us, then that’s the reason why we’re here today,” Smalls said.
“I think it’s in your best interest to realize that it’s not a left or right thing,” Smalls continued. “It’s not a Democrat or Republican thing. It’s a workers’ issue, and we’re the ones that are suffering …. you should listen, because we do represent your constituents as well.”
In addition to testifying before the Senate Thursday, Smalls was also in Washington to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh at the White House, along with other labor union organizers.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/money/cnn-social-media-technology/2022/05/05/amazon-labor-unions-chris-smalls-faces-off-against-sen-graham-on-workers/ | 2022-05-05T21:17:26Z |
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RimRock Oil & Gas, LP ("RimRock"), today announced the sale of its leasehold interest and related assets in the Williston Basin to Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN), for a total cash consideration of $865 million. RimRock is a portfolio company of funds managed by Warburg Pincus LLC, a leading global growth investor.
RimRock is an independent oil and gas company focused on the acquisition and development of North American oil and gas assets. Since its founding in 2016, RimRock operates nearly 200 wells, including 64 drilled wells and over 130 acquired operating wells. The company has over 38,000 net acres of total land holdings in the Williston Basin.
"RimRock was founded with the mission to apply modern technologies to optimize asset performance as a low-cost operator. The current commodity environment, combined with our high-performing assets and the support of our strong team, resulted in an incredible business that I am proud to have led," said James Fraser, CEO, RimRock. "I would also like to thank Warburg Pincus for their partnership over the past 5 years and believe Devon Energy will benefit greatly from ownership of these assets moving forward."
"RimRock successfully acquired and developed large-scale assets with meaningful production in the Williston Basin, leveraging the deep experience and expertise of its management team," said Peter Kagan, Managing Director, Head of Energy, Warburg Pincus. "Over the course of our partnership, RimRock built a strategic acreage position with a sizable inventory of core drilling locations, developing a clearly differentiated asset in the Basin. We would like to thank Jim and the RimRock team for their hard work and dedication to create a strong business of scale and value," added John Rowan, Managing Director, Warburg Pincus.
Wells Fargo served as financial advisor to RimRock in connection with the transaction, and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal advisor.
The transaction is subject to customary terms and conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022, with an effective date of April 1, 2022.
RimRock Oil & Gas, LP is an independent oil and gas company focused on the acquisition and development of North American oil and gas assets. RimRock focuses on the acquisition and development of unconventional oil and gas assets in the Rocky Mountains region of the United States. The Company is led by President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Fraser, who brings decades of significant upstream oil and gas experience in the United States. For more information, please visit www.rimrockoil.com.
Warburg Pincus LLC is a leading global growth investor. The firm has more than $80 billion in assets under management. The firm's active portfolio of more than 245 companies is highly diversified by stage, sector, and geography. Warburg Pincus is an experienced partner to management teams seeking to build durable companies with sustainable value. Founded in 1966, Warburg Pincus has raised 21 private equity and 2 real estate funds, which have invested more than $100 billion in over 1,000 companies in more than 40 countries. The firm is headquartered in New York with offices in Amsterdam, Beijing, Berlin, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Mauritius, San Francisco, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Singapore. For more information please visit www.warburgpincus.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.
CONTACT
Sarah Bloom, Warburg Pincus
Sarah.bloom@warburgpincus.com
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SOURCE RimRock Oil & Gas | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/rimrock-announces-sale-devon-energy/ | 2022-06-08T21:16:39Z |
Maryland medical device company with advanced surgical non-thrombin hemostat platform receives $1M SSBCI funding from TEDCO
COLUMBIA, Md. and RIVERDALE, Md., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TEDCO, Maryland's economic engine for technology companies, announced today it invested $1 million in Medcura, Inc. through the new State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). Based in Riverdale, MD, Medcura is a life science and medical device company that has commercialized its first product derived from its advanced wound treatment platform for rapid bleeding management and is in the final stages of development of the next standard of care for the management of intraoperative surgical bleeding.
"TEDCO and our home state of Maryland has been an invaluable supporter of Medcura's pioneering work to support surgeons, patients and the military with our product to quickly stop patient bleeding. Whether it was financial support from TEDCO's Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII) and Seed Funds, or connections with other institutional investors, the TEDCO team has been here for us," said Medcura's CEO Jim Buck. "This SSBCI funding helped to galvanize a larger round that will support the expansion of our commercial footprint and support further clinical evaluation of our product line—taking Medcura to the next level."
Medcura,Inc. developed an advanced wound treatment platform to provide rapid and reliable bleeding management while creating an antibacterial healing environment. This technology has been developed into a versatile hemostatic product line targeting surgical, military/trauma, and even consumer applications. Medcura combines the use of safe, inert, naturally abundant, low-cost ingredients with proprietary chemistry that can be delivered in easy-to-use formats that require no preparation or special handling. The Company's Life Foam™ product was designated as a "Breakthrough Device" by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), leading the expansion into internal military and surgical applications.
"So much of what TEDCO does is focused on social impact and social innovation, and Medcura is a great example for such social innovation with its focus on patients," said Jack Miner, chief investment officer, TEDCO. "It is especially fulfilling to have a portfolio company that has been part of the full TEDCO funding spectrum since the very beginning. We are thrilled to be able to offer Medcura the inaugural SSBCI funding as the company moves into its next phase of rapid growth focused around its surgical, high-value implantable products and global commercialization."
Created by Congress in 2010, SSBCI received a $10 billion allocation as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. Maryland was the first state in the nation to submit its SSBCI deployment plan to the United States Treasury Department and was one of the first five states to be approved. The nine programs funded by SSBCI will support businesses with limited opportunities for growth whether due to the pandemic or historic disinvestment. Maryland's statewide SSBCI initiatives will target communities and areas with a high concentration of small, micro, and Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Individual (SEDI) businesses to support ongoing state investments in underserved communities.
"Earlier I announced that SSBCI funding was open and available to qualifying Maryland companies; today I'm pleased to celebrate an investment of $1 million in Riverdale-based Medcura, Inc.," said Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. "I congratulate Medcura for their ground-breaking wound treatment platform, and TEDCO for their work to identify and elevate outstanding Maryland companies like this one. This is exactly the kind of investment we envisioned when we advocated for more SSBCI funding for the state."
TEDCO will deploy up to $50 million and will allocate the funds into four existing programs targeting technology-based Maryland businesses and entrepreneurs. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will deploy up to $103 million and disburse the funds through three Neighborhood BusinessWorks program initiatives. The Maryland Department of Commerce will deploy up to $45 million through two Maryland Small Business Development Financing Authority (MSBDFA) programs.
"It's exciting to see a Maryland-born portfolio company with such high potential touch multiple TEDCO funds and programs; Medcura embodies our model of closely working with a company through its many stages of development," said TEDCO CEO, Troy LeMaile-Stovall. "With this latest infusion of SSBCI funds, TEDCO can continue to scale unique and socially-responsible Maryland companies like Medcura, bringing innovation to market and generating a more equitable future and potential for new job creation in the surrounding community."
To learn more about SSBCI, visit https://www.tedcomd.com/funding/state-small-business-credit-initiative-ssbci.
TEDCO provides funding, resources and connections that early-stage technology and life sciences companies need to thrive in Maryland. For entrepreneurs interested in applying for TEDCO funding opportunities, visit https://www.tedcomd.com/funding.
About TEDCO
TEDCO, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, enhances economic empowerment growth through the fostering of an inclusive entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. TEDCO identifies, invests in, and helps grow technology and life science-based companies in Maryland. Learn more at www.tedcomd.com.
About Medcura, Inc.
Medcura is a commercial-stage life science and medical device company developing versatile hemostatic products for surgical, military, and consumer applications. The company combines the use of safe, inert ingredients with proprietary chemistry to address large and unmet market needs. Medcura's mission is to continue the development and commercialization of a broad range of game-changing hemostatic and wound treatment products, including its breakthrough military device, LifeFoam™ which is leading the expansion of Medcura's technology platform into internal use. For more information about Medcura, visit medcurainc.com.
Media Contacts
Tammi Thomas, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, TEDCO, tthomas@tedco.md
Nisha Patel, Inspire Agency on Behalf of Medcura, Inc., npatel@inspire-agency.com, 864-384-2403
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SOURCE TEDCO | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/tedco-invests-first-marylands-ssbci-funds-medcura-inc/ | 2022-09-08T15:22:37Z |
EVAV Provides 200% Exposure to Electric and Autonomous Vehicles Industry
NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Direxion, a leading provider of tradeable and thematic ETFs, today announced the launch of the Direxion Daily Electric and Autonomous Vehicles Bull 2X Shares (Ticker: EVAV). The Fund seeks to achieve 200% of the daily performance of the Indxx US Electric and Autonomous Vehicles Index.
The Indxx US Electric and Autonomous Vehicles Index provides exposure to 25 U.S.-listed companies poised to disrupt the existing transportation market by bringing new and cleaner modes of transportation, such as electric and autonomous vehicles. It includes companies beyond vehicle manufacturers to paint a more holistic picture of the rapidly expanding industry. Charging station manufacturers, such as ChargePoint and Blink; companies involved in software development and the manufacturing of various electrical components; as well as electric vehicle manufacturers such as Tesla, Lucid, and NIO are all included.
"The path to long-term acceptance and widespread adoption of electric and autonomous vehicles is brighter than ever before," said Direxion Managing Director and Head of Product, Dave Mazza. "EVAV allows traders to take an amplified bullish position on electric and autonomous vehicles, along with the infrastructure to support them."
The global market share of electric and autonomous vehicles is expanding rapidly, with more than 10 million electric vehicles on the road today1 and an expected 66 million in the next 20 years2. The number of autonomous vehicles is also expected to grow, with a projected 33 million autonomous cars on the road by 20403.
Those growth projections came before Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced a $369 billion climate and tax proposal in the Senate in late July, 2022. The Senate bill, called the Inflation Reduction Act, is expected to significantly affect the number of Americans driving next generation automobiles by improving U.S. energy production and storage, supply chain, and manufacturing capabilities.
"With the Senate passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the market is looking at the electric and autonomous vehicle sector with fresh eyes given the prospect of long-term government support," said Direxion Managing Director and Head of Sales and Alternatives, Edward Egilinsky. "These stocks can be volatile in nature, and thus EVAV may be a utilized as a trading tool for those active traders looking to take advantage of short-term price swings."
All Direxion leveraged and inverse ETFs are intended only for investors with an in-depth understanding of the risks associated with seeking leveraged investment results, and who plan to actively monitor and manage their positions. There is no guarantee these ETFs will meet their objective. Please visit the Direxion Leveraged and Inverse ETF Education Center, where you will find educational brochures, videos, and a self-paced online course to help you understand if leveraged ETFs are right for you.
About Direxion:
Direxion equips investors who are driven by conviction with ETF solutions built for purpose and fine-tuned for precision. These solutions are available for a broad spectrum of investors, whether executing short-term tactical trades, or investing in thematic strategies. Direxion's reputation is founded on developing products that precisely express market perspectives and allow investors to manage their risk exposure. Founded in 1997, the company has approximately $20.7 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2022. For more information, please visit www.direxion.com.
There is no guarantee that the Funds will achieve their investment objectives.
For more information on all Direxion Shares daily leveraged ETFs, go to www.direxion.com, or call us at 866.301.9214.
Leveraged ETFs are not suitable for all investors and should be utilized only by investors who understand the risks associated with seeking daily leveraged and inverse investment results, and intend to actively monitor and manage their investments. Due to the daily nature of the leveraged and inverse investment strategies employed, there is no guarantee of long-term inverse returns. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
An investor should carefully consider a Fund's investment objective, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. A Fund's prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other information about the Direxion Shares. To obtain a Fund's prospectus and summary prospectus call 866-716-0735 or visit our website at direxion.com. A Fund's prospectus and summary prospectus should be read carefully before investing.
Direxion Shares ETF Risks – Investing involves risk including possible loss of principal. There is no guarantee the investment strategy will be successful. The Fund is non-diversified and include risks associated with the Fund concentrating its investments in a particular industry, sector, or geography which can increase volatility. The use of derivatives such as futures contracts and swaps are subject to market risks that may cause their price to fluctuate over time. Risks of the Fund include Effects of Compounding and Market Volatility Risk, Leverage Risk, Derivatives Risk, Market Risk, Counterparty Risk, Rebalancing Risk, Intra-Day Investment Risk, Daily Index Correlation Risk, Other Investment Companies (including ETFs) Risk, and risks specific to investing in electric and autonomous vehicles companies, as well as the information technology, industrial, and consumer discretionary sectors.
General risks of electric and autonomous companies include intense competition and rapid product obsolescence, intellectual property loss or impairment, supply chain disruption, regulatory changes, as well as cybersecurity attack risks. Please see the summary and full prospectuses for a more complete description of these and other risks of the Fund.
Distributor: Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
1 iea.org/reports/electric-vehicles
3 statista.com/study/49240/emobility---market-insights-and-data-analysis/
CONTACT: Douglas Hesney, SVP
Ditto Public Relations
doug@dittopr.co
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SOURCE Direxion | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/11/direxion-launches-daily-2x-leveraged-electric-autonomous-vehicle-etf-evav/ | 2022-08-11T14:23:26Z |
Tony Dow, ‘Leave It to Beaver’ star, dies
(Gray News) - Tony Dow, the actor who played Wally Cleaver in the hit 1950s television show “Leave It to Beaver,” has died, according to a statement from his management team.
On his official Facebook page, Tony Dow’s team reported his son, Christopher Dow, confirmed his death on Wednesday. He said the actor died early Wednesday morning with his family by his side.
“Although this is a very sad day, I have comfort and peace that he is in a better place. He was the best Dad anyone could ask for,” Christopher Dow said in the statement.
On Tuesday, Christopher Dow told Fox News his father was in hospice care and in “his last hours.”
The actor appeared in several TV shows spanning decades and genres, including “Adam-12,” “Mod Squad,” “Emergency,” “The Love Boat,” and “Murder, She Wrote.”
Dow also worked behind the camera, directing episodes of some TV shows, including “Coach,” “Babylon 5″ and “Harry and the Hendersons.”
But he is best known as the older brother of The Beaver, played by Jerry Mathers, in the quintessential TV sitcom, which ran for six seasons, from 1957 to 1963.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/07/27/tony-dow-leave-it-beaver-star-dies/ | 2022-07-27T20:31:39Z |
DALLAS (KDAF) — The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many things, one of them being a new emphasis on introspection and self-actualization.
With the tragic amount of lost life, people are realizing how sacred, and sometimes short, life truly is. So they quit the jobs they hated, most out of the city that made them unhappy and began pursuing their own interests.
But what else can we do to transform our lives? Cue Judy Wilkins. She is a world-renowned systemic work and constellations expert, author and motivational speaker.
Her method of pursuing your inner desires and transforming your life is by decoding your emotional DNA. So what is that?
Emotional DNA is the way we react, act, succeed and fail in response to events. Makes sense! But how do we decode that to better succeed?
When we understand the way we react to events, it’s easier to break the patterns that have been dictating our life. Sometimes all it takes is a simple change to make the biggest difference.
If you would like to learn more from Wilkins, you can visit her website by clicking here. | https://cw33.com/news/local/how-to-transform-your-life-by-pursuing-your-emotional-dna/ | 2022-05-10T15:32:22Z |
By trying to limit how much schools can help college athletes cashing in on their fame, the NCAA seems to have inadvertently opened the door for boosters to get a foothold in a burgeoning market.
Now, as the NCAA and its highest-profile Division I member schools try to rein in booster-fueled organizations known as collectives, part of the solution could be taking down the firewalls between athletic departments and athletes when it comes to name, image and likeness compensation.
“The school is who helps the athlete when they have an injury″ said Jim Cavale, the CEO of INFLCR, a company that works with more than 200 Division I schools on NIL programming and compliance. ”The school is who helps the athlete when they struggle in school. The school is who helps the athlete with everything. And yet they’re not able to help here and it left a gap where the school can’t be involved and a booster and donor can.”
Earlier this week, the NCAA handed down guidance that made clear collectives should be treated as boosters, which means they should not be contacting recruits — high school or transferring college athletes — and influencing where they go to school.
Boosters can, however, be involved in NIL deals with athletes after they have enrolled.
The latest guidance was developed by a group of college sports administrators that included Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith.
“The primary concern was exactly what has emerged. It is the recruiting space,” Smith said. “We’ve got to focus on the front door.”
Smith earlier helped craft a plan to regulate NIL compensation that was never implemented by the NCAA.
That 31-page report released in April 2020 was dominated by the idea that schools should not be involved in NIL transactions amid pay-for-play concerns and fears it would eventually lead to student-athletes looking more like employees. The report included this line: “Outside the context of providing financial aid up to cost of attendance as allowed by prevailing law, schools, conferences and the NCAA should play no role in arranging NIL activities or payments for student-athletes.”
That hands-off tone was reflected in many of the more than two dozen state NIL laws, including the one in Florida where schools are barred from any involvement in outside compensation for athletes.
“It’s ironic that the NCAA drafting rules but not setting them actually indirectly created a rule that opened the door for collectives to walk in and be a solution where the school could not,” Cavale said.
What has emerged is collectives filling the role of deal maker and boosters operating with little or no accountability and oversight beyond the honor system.
“Any kind of outsourcing of benefits to athletes is not ideal. It’s sub-optimal,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said.
Stricklin said he and his staff communicate with the collectives working on behalf of Florida and are confident they are working within the rules. However, highlighting the line between what is and is not allowed with boosters and NIL is far easier than policing it.
“I don’t know what legal guardrails could be put in place where you could prevent donors being involved, boosters being involved on some level (with recruiting), even though none of us want that,” Stricklin said.
Louisiana and Missouri are currently trying to rework their state NIL laws to allow schools, and even coaches, to be more involved in how athletes are compensated.
If that happens, they will be talking with collectives that do not all operate the same way. Some are being set up to engage a university’s supporters and alumni more broadly, but others are funded and operated by smaller groups of wealthy boosters.
“So the majority of collectives currently existing are being run by alumni … boosters, people that were previous donors to the university,” said attorney Jason Belzer, whose company, Student-Athlete NIL, is managing collectives at Penn State and Rutgers. “And I think the best way to describe it is like a money laundering machine: ‘How do we get as much dollars into the pockets of student-athletes as we can without actually having them deliver any real value in return?’”
Belzer said he and his clients are not concerned about the NCAA’s warning “because we were never engaging in that type of conduct (in recruiting) anyway.” Garnet Trust, a collective that supports Florida State athletics, also released a statementsaying it was already operating in compliance with the new guidance.
Smith, the Ohio State athletic director, said more involvement by athletic departments with NIL would help. Schools would be better off playing the role of matchmaker between athletes and brands while still staying out of the negotiation of any deals.
“To me,” Smith said, “that’s the line in the sand.”
___
Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/keeping-schools-out-of-nil-dealings-opened-door-for-boosters/ | 2022-05-14T17:43:30Z |
TOKYO, July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nippon Express U.S.A., Inc., a group company of Nippon Express Holdings, Inc., launched its new "Huntsville Logistics Center 2" in Huntsville, Alabama, on Friday, July 1.
Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202207123734-O1-Aa9kDa15
Photo1: Facility exterior
https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M103866/202207123734/_prw_PI2fl_chPQicGd.jpg
Photo2: Warehouse interior
https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M103866/202207123734/_prw_PI3fl_P29Ms6oO.jpg
Most automobile production in North America is concentrated in the U.S. Midwest, but, with assembly manufacturers moving into Mexico and expanding their factories and the number of vehicles produced rising notably as large-scale production increases kick in, vehicle production is also expanding in the geographically nearby Southeast, which includes the state of Alabama in recent years.
Located about 5 km south of the Huntsville Logistics Center that opened for business in February 2021, the new warehouse primarily sorts automobile parts delivered from Japan and Mexico, and provides them to more than 30 suppliers. It also plans to store the products of component manufacturers, trading companies and other customers for subsequent provision to automobile manufacturers and suppliers.
With the establishment of this new warehouse, the Nippon Express Group will be further expanding its logistics services in the United States and stepping up its efforts on behalf of the automobile industry, positioned as a priority industry in its Business Plan.
Profile of new facility
Name: Huntsville Logistics Center 2, Nippon Express U.S.A., Inc.
Location: 25179 One Aviation Way SW, Madison, Alabama, U.S.A.
Warehouse area: 13,415 m2 (warehouse: 13,112 m2/office: 303 m2)
Business start date: July 1, 2022
Principal items handled: Automotive-related parts
Business description: Storage, delivery, inspection/sorting, packaging and import/export arrangements
Nippon Express website: https://www.nipponexpress.com/
NX Group's official LinkedIn account: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nippon-express-group/
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SOURCE Nippon Express Holdings, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/nippon-express-usa-launches-operations-new-huntsville-alabama-warehouse/ | 2022-07-19T07:20:13Z |
LAKEWOOD, Colo., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Good Morning America recently came to Colorado to showcase how businesses and nonprofits are using technology to sustainably grow food near the consumer, year-round. The segment focused on FarmBox Foods and two of their customers: Natural Grocers® and Centura Health.
On June 20th at its headquarters in Sedalia, Colorado, ABC News Chief Meteorologist, Ginger Zee spoke to FarmBox Foods CEO, Rusty Walker about the company's mission to build high-tech indoor farms that provide food security for those without reliable access to nutrient-dense food.
Zee also interviewed representatives from two FarmBox Foods customers, Natural Grocers and Centura Health about their use of Vertical Hydroponic Farms. These systems provide a hyperlocal source of fresh produce while reducing environmental impacts and unpredictability associated with traditional farming. The farms are housed inside upcycled, insulated shipping containers that are outfitted with plumbing, electrical and sensors to control conditions inside.
By growing food on site, the companies that use FarmBoxes seek to reduce food sourcing costs, improve access, and eliminate food waste because the veggies get to the plate much quicker.
The controlled-climate container farms provide an ideal growing environment for the plants and shield them from weather and climate impacts, including drought, heat waves and flooding.
Natural Grocers is growing organic lettuce behind its Green Mountain store in Lakewood, Colo., mere steps from the display case, and plans to expand the program elsewhere.
"Natural Grocers' GardenBox™ offering has been a great addition to our Green Mountain store, providing our customers with the freshest, organic greens possible. The folks at FarmBox have been a great team for Natural Grocers to partner with as they share the same goal of empowering local communities with access to wholesome, affordable foods. We look forward to growing this program to additional stores in the future," says Michael Boardman, GardenBox Manager for Natural Grocers.
- Visit www.farmboxfoods.com for more information on Vertical Hydroponic Farming.
- To learn more about Natural Grocers visit www.naturalgrocers.com.
- For press inquiries email media@naturalgrocers.com.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE: NGVC) is an expanding specialty retailer of natural and organic groceries, body care products, and dietary supplements. The products sold by Natural Grocers must meet strict quality guidelines and may not contain artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners, or partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils. The Company sells only USDA-certified organic produce and exclusively pasture-raised, non-confinement dairy products, and free-range eggs. Natural Grocers' flexible smaller-store format allows it to offer affordable prices in a shopper-friendly, clean, and convenient retail environment. The Company also provides extensive free science-based Nutrition Education programs to help customers make informed health and nutrition choices. The Company, founded in 1955, has 162 stores in 20 states. Visit www.naturalgrocers.com for more information and store locations.
FarmBox Foods strives to change the way the world farms by connecting communities to sustainably sourced, locally grown food, year-round. They bring food security, safety, and sustainability to communities through their Vertical Hydroponic Farm (VHF) and Gourmet Mushroom Farm (GMF) and have been doing so since 2017. At FarmBox Foods, they are crafting alternatives to centralized food systems with their high-yield, low carbon footprint container farms. Their cutting-edge farm designs promote easy operation and maintenance while reducing the risk of food-borne illnesses. Not only can their farms be equipped with solar technology allowing for off-grid operation, but their innovative hydroponic watering system does not contribute to groundwater pollution.
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SOURCE Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/natural-grocers-makes-appearance-good-morning-america-showcase-farmbox-foods-vertical-hydroponic-farming-action/ | 2022-06-22T20:31:21Z |
(The Hill) – Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced on Thursday that the state government is working with police to investigate a possible illegal selling of a voter assist terminal.
“We are actively working with law enforcement to investigate allegations of an illegal attempt to sell a voter assist terminal acquired in Michigan,” Benson wrote in a statement.
Benson explained that a voter assist terminal is normally used to assist voters, often those with disabilities, who require help in marking their ballots.
“While our elections remain secure and safe, we take seriously all violations of election law and will be working with relevant authorities to ensure there are consequences for those who break the law.”
The Hill has reached out to Benson for further comment on the situation.
Michigan election law prevents citizens from withholding, breaking or destroying voting equipment, as well as obtaining “undue possession” of a voting machine.
Benson cited an article written by Michigan’s Cadillac News explaining that the voting machine was sold through Goodwill’s online auction site as well as listed on the popular auction site, eBay.
The machine disappeared from the Colfax Township in Wexford County, Mich.
“It was a touchscreen VAT machine,” Wexford County Clerk Alaina Nyman told Cadillac News of the sold voting equipment, referring to a Voter Assist Terminal.
“No election data was on it and you can’t get into the machine without the program cards and those were all accounted for.”
Nyman added that the investigation is attempting to discover how the voting machine was acquired by its seller and when it went missing.
“We are going to do things differently and will sign things in and out,” Colfax Township Clerk Becky Stoddard told Cadillac News, discussing future responses to the disappearance of the VAT machine. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/michigan-police-investigating-voting-machine-sold-on-ebay/ | 2022-09-02T17:56:46Z |
NEW YORK, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LianLian Global, a leading global cross-border payment service provider, announced the launch of its multi-currency Cross-Border Wallet after securing licenses to operate in all 50 states. The cross-border digital wallet is designed to make payments faster, more accessible and cheaper than the traditional cash and bank transfers for U.S.-based retailers and merchants that sell their products internationally on marketplaces such as Allegro, Amazon, Cdiscount, Fruugo and Kaufland.de.
Data Catalyst found that almost 70 percent of U.S. SMEs use third-party online marketplaces or their web store, with most firms opting to use multiple online markets. However, despite having such a significant digital presence and many selling to multiple countries, cross-border payments remain a significant challenge for U.S. businesses, especially small and medium-sized organizations looking to make payments in less familiar, emerging market currencies in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
For instance, the evolving international regulatory requirements and capital control policies concerning the transfer and movement of funds in local currencies adds a considerable compliance burden for many U.S. ecommerce businesses. This is particularly true in relation to China, Vietnam and other vital Asian supply chain hubs. Such supplier payment challenges can significantly impact the supply of goods and services from those regions. LianLian Global's Cross-Border Wallet is designed to address these concerns by enabling U.S. businesses to make and receive payments or convert U.S. Dollars to certain regional currencies quickly and compliantly.
The introduction of LianLian Global's Cross-Border Wallet virtually eliminates the bureaucratic burden of facilitating payments between Western businesses, customers and suppliers in China and other emerging markets worldwide. LianLian Global allows ecommerce customers of all sizes to make payments up to U.S.$1.5 million at a time. Additionally, the wallet can hold multiple currencies, including U.S. Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Hong Kong Dollar, British Pound Sterling, European Euro, Chinese Yuan and Polish Złoty.
"We are delighted to have launched our fully-licensed Cross-Border Wallet in the United States, and see the positive response from US businesses. This is an evolution of our globally trusted platform that our customers around the world have come to rely on," said David Messenger, Executive Chairman, LianLian Global. "Our new cross-border wallet helps businesses of all sizes grow, by making it easy to manage multiple currencies on a single platform and do foreign exchange (FX) conversion at fair and transparent rates. Our aim is to help our U.S. customers better navigate the complexity of cross-border payments and the volatility of FX."
Unlike other prominent providers in the market, customers can use LianLian Global's Cross-Border Wallet without committing to an annual fee or (in certain countries including the U.S., U.K. and China) paying to open an account or receive payments. Instead, LianLian Global charges a fixed 0.5% rate for FX conversion, with even more competitive rates available to high-volume customers.
"LianLian Global's Cross-Border Wallet is an ideal growth partner for our business," said Jeremy Cai, Founder of Italic, a U.S.-based online retailer. "With the new platform, we can secure our supply chain networks in China and other parts of the world because the digital wallet ensures we can make and receive payments quickly, efficiently and safely. The extra time allows us to focus on growing and diversifying our business into hundreds of high-quality goods across a range of home, fashion, and lifestyle categories."
LianLian Global is a global cross-border payments provider with offices in 12 different countries that helps more than 1.2 million ecommerce stores grow their cross-border businesses. LianLian Global owns over 60 licenses worldwide, with full coverage in all 50 U.S. states. The company has also partnered with leading financial institutions such as Citi, Deutsche Bank, and J.P. Morgan to power their solutions.
Note to editors
About LianLian Global
LianLian Global is a leading cross-border payments company that connects local sellers to global opportunities. We make it easy for ecommerce merchants to do more international business. So when sellers need to receive international payouts, get financing, solve shipping logistics, manage foreign exchange, or pay tax obligations abroad, we simplify the complexity of operating in other countries, giving merchants and sellers the freedom to do business seamlessly. Part of LianLian Digitech, and with licenses and offices in the Americas, Europe and throughout Asia, LianLian Global is integrated into mainstream ecommerce platforms worldwide, with services covering more than 100 countries and regions. www.lianlianglobal.com
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SOURCE LianLian Global | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/27/global-payments-company-launches-us-cross-border-wallet-ecommerce-retailers-entrepreneurs/ | 2022-06-27T05:17:05Z |
Pharmacy leaders face a difficult road ahead as they navigate manufacturer shortages and staffing challenges
AMARILLO, Texas, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Managing hospital 340B programs and on-site pharmacies has never been more challenging, as program leaders are forced to navigate growing manufacturer restrictions and ongoing clinical staffing shortages.
This is the feedback from a newly released industry survey report from Maxor 340B, an industry leader in pharmacy management and comprehensive 340B solutions. The survey of hospital pharmacy leaders and decision makers was conducted earlier this year by national health care consultancy Sage Growth Partners.
In every community, 340B qualified entities meet a critical need within the overall healthcare infrastructure. Without them, the communities they serve will experience a massive healthcare crisis. The new report, Addressing the Multi-Pronged Challenges of Managing Hospital 340B Pharmacies, brings to light many of the current pressures facing hospital 340B programs.
Not surprisingly, one of the top challenges facing pharmacy leaders today is managing the impact of staffing issues and vacancies. Of those surveyed, 81% said that workforce issues are among their top three challenges and 53% indicated staffing challenges remain the number one priority.
"Our research shows that in addition to high-level challenges such as staying on top of drug manufacturer restrictions and addressing staffing difficulties, many other significant pain points exist," said Mike Ellis, CEO of Maxor National Pharmacy Services. "Whether it is navigating fee structures and compliance issues or managing specialty drug referrals and adhering to federal regulations, pharmacy management is becoming increasingly difficult, so a partner with comprehensive solutions has significant value."
The survey also found that on-site pharmacies are becoming more common and continue to grow. Most hospitals (71%) indicated they have an on-site outpatient or specialty pharmacy. While more than half of those that currently lack a pharmacy today plan to open one in the future.
Other key findings of the report include:
- 59% indicated that managing specialty drug referrals and prior authorization requirements are among top challenges.
- 91% of those surveyed said that offering a comprehensive suite of pharmacy solutions has value, and three-quarters stated managing multiple vendors is moderately to extremely challenging.
- More than half (53%) of respondents indicated they work in acute care hospitals, while 33% work in critical access hospitals and 14% indicated they were employed in other facilities
The full market report and survey can be found here. Additional information about Maxor's 340B services can be found at maxor340B.com.
About Maxor 340B
Maxor 340B leverages its deep pharmacy expertise to consistently deliver transparency, simplicity and value to healthcare organizations, patients, and communities alike. As a comprehensive 340B and pharmacy management partner, we tailor our solutions to meet the needs of each covered entity, so they can save time, reduce costs, and realize the full potential of their pharmacy programs. For more information, visit maxor340B.com.
About Sage Growth Partners
Sage Growth Partners is a healthcare advisory firm with deep expertise in market research, strategy, and communications. Founded in 2005, the company's extensive domain experience ensures that healthcare organizations thrive amid the complexities of a rapidly changing marketplace. Sage Growth Partners serves clients across the full healthcare spectrum, including GE Healthcare, ProgenyHealth, the National Minority Health Association, Philips Healthcare, U.S. Renal Care, Quest Diagnostics, Livongo, and Syft. For more information, visit sage-growth.com.
For More Information
John Gonda
616-309-4888
jgonda@sage-growth.com
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SOURCE Maxor 340B | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/new-report-addresses-multi-pronged-challenges-managing-hospital-340b-pharmacies/ | 2022-07-21T14:31:15Z |
Topeka man behind bars after chasing residents with machete
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - A Topeka man is behind bars after chasing residents with a machete at the Travelers Inn on Wednesday afternoon.
The Topeka Police Department tells 13 NEWS that officials were called to the Travelers Inn, 3846 SW Topeka Blvd. on Wednesday afternoon with reports of a man chasing people with a machete.
When officers arrived, they said they found Russell Thomas Long II, 35, of Topeka, in the parking lot. He refused to obey orders and was eventually taken into custody.
TPD said Long was booked into the Shawnee Co. Dept. of Corrections on robbery, aggravated assault and interference with law enforcement. He was issued a bond of $50,000 for these crimes.
Booking records also indicate that Long was booked on a warrant from a separate incident and remains in jail on two more counts of interference with law enforcement as well as two counts of domestic battery. He was issued a bond of $2,500 for these crimes.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/25/topeka-man-behind-bars-after-chasing-residents-with-machete/ | 2022-08-25T18:57:00Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (NYSE: SWZ), a non-diversified registered closed-end investment company (the "Fund"), announced today that the Fund's Board of Directors has approved a quarterly distribution of $0.1665 per share of the Fund's common stock pursuant to Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan"). The distribution is subject to the following record, ex-dividend and payment dates:
Record Date: September 21, 2022
Ex-Dividend Date: September 20, 2022
Payment Date: September 30, 2022
The primary purpose of the Plan is to provide the Fund's stockholders with a more consistent, but not guaranteed, fixed minimum rate of distribution on a regular, quarterly basis. The Plan also may have the effect of narrowing the discount to net asset value per share at which the Fund's shares trade.
Distributions under the Plan may consist of net investment income, net realized short-term capital gains, net realized long-term capital gains and, to the extent necessary, return of capital (or other capital sources). With each distribution that does not consist solely of net investment income, the Fund will issue a notice to stockholders and an accompanying press release that will provide detailed information regarding the amount and composition of the distribution, as well as certain other related information. The Fund expects to issue any such notice and press release on or about the distribution payment date.
The amounts and sources of distributions reported in each notice will be estimated, are likely to change over time and are not provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for accounting and tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during its full fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send each stockholder a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell stockholders how to report distributions for federal income tax purposes.
The current distribution amount of $0.1665 per share of the Fund's common stock equates to an annualized distribution rate of 6.00% based on the Fund's net asset value per share, or NAV, as of October 31, 2021. The annualized rate is expected to change over time as the Fund's NAV varies. The Board will review periodically the terms of the Plan, including at least annually, to determine whether to adjust the amount or the calculation of the distribution rate, which may be affected by numerous factors, including changes in realized and projected market returns, Fund performance and other factors. The Board may amend the terms of the Plan or terminate the Plan at any time without prior notice to the Fund's stockholders. The amendment or termination of the Plan could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund's shares of common stock.
Unless a stockholder has otherwise elected, distributions declared pursuant to the Plan will be reinvested automatically in shares of the Fund's common stock as provided in the Fund's automatic dividend reinvestment plan.
The Fund (www.swzfund.com) is a non-diversified, closed-end investment company seeking long-term capital appreciation through investment in equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies. Its shares are listed on the NYSE under the symbol "SWZ." The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing generally in Swiss equity and equity-linked securities that are traded on a Swiss stock exchange, traded at the pre-bourse level of one or more Swiss stock exchanges, traded through a market maker or traded over the counter in Switzerland. The Fund also may invest in Swiss equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies that are traded on other major European stock exchanges.
Closed-end funds, unlike open-end funds, are not continuously offered. Typically, shares of closed-end funds are sold in the open market through a stock exchange. Shares of closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount to net asset value. The price of the Fund's shares is determined by a number of factors, several of which are beyond the control of the Fund. Therefore, the Fund cannot predict whether its shares will trade at, below or above net asset value.
The Fund is managed by Schroder Investment Management North America Inc.
Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. and Schroder Investment Management North America Limited, investment advisors registered with the U.S. SEC, are units of Schroders plc (SDR.L), a global asset management company with approximately $939.2 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2022. Schroder's clients include major financial institutions including banks and insurance companies, as well as local and public authorities, public and private pension funds, endowments and foundations, intermediaries and advisors, as well as high net worth individuals and retail investors. The firm has built one of the largest networks of offices of any dedicated asset management company with more than 500 portfolio managers and analysts covering the world's investment markets, offering a comprehensive range of products and services.
Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. provides asset management products and services to clients in the U.S. and Canada. Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Schroders plc, a U.K. public company with shares listed on the London Stock Exchange.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the Fund's shares in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of such state or jurisdiction.
Contact:
Jennifer Brogadir
212-641-3863
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SOURCE The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/swiss-helvetia-fund-inc-declares-quarterly-distribution-01665-per-share/ | 2022-09-08T18:19:52Z |
COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rhyme, the nation's largest integrated prior authorization network enabling intelligent collaboration between payers and providers, announced a new partnership with Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) effective April 2022. This exclusive partnership brings opportunities for improved efficiencies in the prior authorization space for OHA member hospitals and health systems.
As the united voice of Ohio's hospitals, OHA leverages data and expertise to be the leader in influencing health policy, driving quality improvement initiatives and advocating for economic sustainability to serve its diverse membership. The agreement brings OHA's endorsement of Rhyme's healthcare technology and establishes Rhyme as a Corporate Partner of OHA to engage with member hospitals. The timing is significant for a partnership, as providers in the state examine new ways to reduce the cost and resource burden associated with prior authorization.
"Ohio hospitals face significant workforce challenges and cost pressures that require exploring greater efficiencies in health care delivery. OHA chose to partner with Rhyme to offer our 250 member hospitals and 15 health systems the opportunity to streamline the prior authorization process," said Mike Abrams, president and CEO of the Ohio Hospital Association. "Reducing the time and hospital staff needed to secure payer approvals reduces costs and eases the burden on patients, hospitals, and payers."
Rhyme, based in Ohio, launched a real-time prior authorization network in 2016 for providers and payers. The platform replaces the prior authorization process with intelligent collaboration marked by meaningful payer-provider interactions and faster, coordinated care decisions. By delivering direct payer connectivity and integrating into providers' existing workflows, Rhyme accelerates time to patient care while saving time, effort, and costs commonly lost in the process.
"Payers and providers are done talking about the prior authorization problem, and they're ready to take action and feel some relief," says Rhyme CEO Joe Anstine. "We're thrilled to partner with OHA and continue creating opportunities across the state for hospitals—and the patients they serve—to experience that relief."
Rhyme is currently the electronic prior authorization vendor with several health systems in Ohio including: Akron Children's Hospital, Genesis HealthCare System, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, OhioHealth, and University Hospitals.
Rhyme is the largest integrated prior authorization network that enables intelligent collaboration between providers and payers. Our platform coordinates medical prior authorization processes and accelerates time to patient care. Connecting healthcare data from payers and providers, Rhyme's real-time shared knowledge network enables true collaboration, saves wasted efforts and resources, and enhances the patient experience. For more information, visit www.GetRhyme.com or follow us on LinkedIn @Rhyme (formerly PriorAuthNow).
Established in 1915, OHA represents 250 hospitals and 15 health systems throughout Ohio that employs 251,200 Ohioans, contributes $93.5 billion to Ohio's economy and gives $7.9 billion in net community benefit. OHA is the nation's first state hospital association and is recognized nationally for patient safety and health care quality initiatives and environmental sustainability programs. As the united voice of Ohio's hospitals, the Ohio Hospital Association leverages data and expertise to be the leader in influencing health policy, driving quality improvement initiatives and advocating for economic sustainability. OHA's mission is to collaborate with member hospitals and health systems to ensure a healthy Ohio. The association founded the OHA Institute for Health Innovation and is a co-founder of the Ohio Health Information Partnership and the Ohio Patient Safety Institute. OHA website: www.ohiohospitals.org.
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SOURCE Rhyme | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/rhyme-announces-partnership-with-ohio-hospital-association-ease-prior-authorization-burden/ | 2022-06-08T13:13:28Z |
LISHUI, China, May 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Farmmi, Inc. ("Farmmi" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: FAMI), an agricultural products supplier in China, today appealed the Staff Determination from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq"), to a Hearings Panel (the "Panel") to delist the Company's securities from The Nasdaq Capital Market because the Company's securities have had a closing bid price below $0.10 for ten consecutive trading days, which triggers a notice of delisting pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A)(iii)(1) (the "$0.10 Rule"). In addition to the $0.10 Rule delisting notice, the Company also currently fails to satisfy the requirement that the closing bid price of its securities remain at $1.00 or higher as required by Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A) (the "Minimum Bid Price Rule"). The Company has received a period of 180 calendar days and a second period of an additional 180 calendar days to return to compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Rule, which compliance period expires on May 30, 2022. If the Company's securities fail to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Rule, Nasdaq will have an additional basis for delisting the securities.
As noted in the Company's press release on May 23, 2022, the hearing request will stay the suspension of the Company's securities and the filing of the Form 25-NSE pending the Panel's decision. In connection with its request for a hearing, the Company has also requested that the Staff Determination be further stayed pending the resolution of the Company's appeal. According to the Staff Determination, hearings are typically scheduled to occur approximately 30-45 days after the date of a company's hearing request.
As part of its plan to regain compliance with the applicable listing requirements, the Company also noted in its May 23, 2022 press release that that it expects the recently approved consolidation of its ordinary shares will take effect on May 31, 2022.
About Farmmi, Inc.
Established in 1998, Farmmi Inc. (NASDAQ: FAMI) is an agricultural products supplier, processor and retailer of edible mushrooms like Shiitake and Mu Er, as well as other agricultural products. In addition to its offline sales, Farmmi sells its products direct-to-consumer at http://www.farmmi88.com. For further information about the Company, please visit: http://ir.farmmi.com.cn/.
Forward-Looking Statements
No statement made in this press release should be interpreted as an offer to purchase or sell any security. Such an offer can only be made in accordance with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and applicable state securities laws. Certain statements in this press release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations and intended to qualify for the "safe harbor" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding the outcome of appeal of a Nasdaq delisting determination, lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on our customer's businesses and our end purchaser's disposable income, our ability to raise capital on any particular terms, fulfillment of customer orders, fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, our ability to realize revenue from expanded operation and acquired assets in China, our ability to attract and retain skilled professionals, client concentration, industry segment concentration, and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Farmmi may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. In addition, please note that any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of the date of this press release. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law.
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SOURCE Farmmi, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/27/farmmi-appeals-nasdaq-delisting-determination/ | 2022-05-27T11:39:09Z |
Judge hits 3-run HR in 9th to give Yanks 6-5 win over Jays
By MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a mammoth three-run drive in the ninth inning for his first walk-off home run in the major leagues to give the New York Yankees a 6-5 comeback victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Giancarlo Stanton tied it with a three-run shot in the sixth, and the Yankees rallied for their 14th victory in 16 games after three Toronto ejections left the angry Blue Jays seeing red. New York overcame a shaky start from Luis Severino and improved to 21-8, the best record in the majors. George Springer launched a leadoff homer for Toronto, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth that helped the Blue Jays take a 5-3 lead. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/05/10/judge-hits-3-run-hr-in-9th-to-give-yanks-6-5-win-over-jays/ | 2022-05-11T05:27:35Z |
Dutch ABN AMRO bank apologizes for historic links to slavery
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch bank ABN AMRO has apologized for historic links to the slave trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, including the involvement of one of the bank’s predecessor institutions in “day-to-day business” of plantations. The bank is the latest institution to apologize for historic ties to slavery, following the Bank of England in 2020 and the municipality of Amsterdam last year amid a global Black Lives Matter reckoning over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. ABN AMRO said in a statement Wednesday that research it commissioned into operations of banks that were its direct predecessors uncovered the dark side of its history. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/04/13/dutch-abn-amro-bank-apologizes-for-historic-links-to-slavery/ | 2022-04-13T17:09:21Z |
DALLAS (KDAF) — We all love brunch on the weekend or even during the week if you’re feeling frisky. How about we take you on an inside look at a Dallas brunch spot with a french twist and even a chef’s secret recipe?
Let’s take a quick trip back in time… Do you remember growing up with the nostalgia of maybe Saturday or Sunday morning waking up to someone in the house making pancakes?
Hopefully, that unlocked some core sweet family memories of the past and even a reminder to ask for the chef in your family’s pancake recipe. We got to have a first-hand look at a family recipe from chef Shaun Hinson that’s actually made at the Renaissance Dallas at Toussaint.
Over at Toussaint, you can expect brunch, French Colonial meets Texas Comfort food, cocktails and even a market place. “Approachable French sophistication meets urban Dallas culture in an austere juxtaposition of soothing colors, lively sounds, and understated Texas flair. Find your joie de vive in Toussaint’s relaxed brasserie atmosphere with punches of brass, marble, and natural wood.”
Every day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., “Toussaint Marketplace is your go-to for gourmet coffee, French comfort food, light bites, and late night cocktails to go. Illy coffee is on offer all day alongside traditional favorites les viennoiseries, la tartine, Le pain au chocolat, and hearty handhelds. All day lunch features will include Tuna Nicoise and Jambon Beurre.” | https://cw33.com/lifestyle/inside-dfw/inside-look-at-dallas-brunch-spot-with-a-french-twist-chefs-secret-recipe/ | 2022-05-18T15:19:05Z |
No one claimed veteran’s remains, so St. Louis hospital arranged for military funeral
By Michele Munz
Click here for updates on this story
ST. LOUIS, Missouri (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) — “He didn’t have any family,” Chandra White told the group before they left a hospital parking lot in a funeral procession to Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.
“But now, he does.”
A U.S. veteran, who died alone in August at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, was buried on Thursday with the full military honors he deserved, something hospital staff worked to ensure.
White leads the hospital’s Office of Decedent Affairs, the only decedent affairs program in Missouri with a team dedicated solely to helping families through the next steps after their loved one dies at the hospital, she said. It’s one of about 10 in the country.
The veteran died at the hospital in August without anyone to claim his body, White said. Her office completed an exhaustive search for next of kin but was unable to locate anyone.
Since the decedent office’s creation in 2018 at BJC HealthCare’s Barnes-Jewish Hospital, the bodies of about 30 patients have been unclaimed.
“We are able to go forward and give them a dignified cremation,” White said. The cremains are kept at the hospital in case any relatives someday surface to claim them.
As part of their search for relatives, the decedent office staff also checks military records.
“If we can determine that they are a veteran, then we are able to give them a dignified farewell with the honors they deserve,” White said. One other unclaimed individual in 2018 was also able to receive a military funeral at Jefferson Barracks.
The veteran interred Thursday served three years in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War era with an honorable discharge, hospital officials said.
The decedent office organized a procession for his cremated remains from a hospital parking lot to Jefferson Barracks. About 30 BJC HealthCare employees who are service members or veterans formed a “line of honor” to salute the procession as it left.
David Rogers, project manager for BJC HealthCare who serves in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, said the group wanted to show that although the veteran died without family members or friends, his legacy will not be forgotten.
“In the military we always look out for each other. … That doesn’t end when someone’s watch is over,” Rogers said.
With Memorial Day a few days away, the salute was also an opportunity to remember the sacrifices of those who have served country, he said: “To honor them, by 1, our presence; and 2, by the way that we carry forward their legacy of service.”
The Barnes-Jewish team invited the Patriot Guard Riders, a volunteer organization that works to ensure respect at memorial services for soldiers, first responders and veterans.
About 30 guard riders with American flags waving from motorcycles and cars led the procession to the cemetery, where they each stood with flags surrounding the funeral service.
“This is what we do,” said rider Neil Hill, 67, of the St. Peters. “Our main goal is to make sure no veteran goes to his final resting place alone.”
The media was also invited to the parking lot before the procession left to learn about the hospital’s decedent program. While hospital officials wanted to tout the program, they did not provide the veteran’s name and initially tried to bar media from attending the funeral, citing patient privacy laws.
“We wanted to share but were advised by our legal team it would be a HIPAA violation. Since their name will be said at the funeral, we were advised to not have media there,” said Laura High, media relations manager for BJC HealthCare, in an email.
HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which was passed by Congress in 1996. The law establishes standards to protect individuals’ medical records and other identifiable health information and applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses and health care providers.
Although the hospital declined to identify the veteran, his name, Robert Lawrence Openlander, is on the Jefferson Barracks burial schedule. The Patriot Guard Riders also listed his name on their mission calendar.
The Veteran Legacy Memorial website lists Openlander’s date of birth as Dec. 7, 1942, the first anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, making him 78 when he died last year.
A public records search provides small glimpses into his life. A U.S. Navy publication from 1970 shows he served on the USS Robert E. Byrd, a destroyer.
A marriage record from 1981 shows at the age of 39, he married a Lois Kimball, age 27, of De Soto. His residence then was listed as Jennings.
The 1950 U.S. census shows him as a 7-year-old living with parents Lawrence and Fern Openlander in the 5600 block of Chippewa in the Southhampton neighborhood.
Robert Openlander is the only child listed in Fern Openlander’s obituary, which was published in 1973.
The Rev. Suzanne Anderson-Hurdle, chaplain for Barnes-Jewish Hospital, gave Openlander’s eulogy under a shelter at Jefferson Barracks. The Patriot Guard’s flags flapped in a strong breeze as clouds rolled in.
“Though we may not know a lot about this man, we know he served. We know that he was loved,” Anderson-Hurdle said, “hopefully by parents who helped support him as he grew up, giving him a foundation on which to build his life. We hope he knew love of a partner or a spouse, children or nieces or nephews, extended family and chosen friends.”
A rifle party fired a three-volley salute. A bugler played taps. Two Navy sailors in white uniforms quietly and carefully folded an American flag. One kneeled to place the flag in White’s lap.
The flag will be kept in a case at the hospital, White said, waiting for family — if they ever come.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://localnews8.com/cnn-regional/2022/05/27/no-one-claimed-veterans-remains-so-st-louis-hospital-arranged-for-military-funeral/ | 2022-05-27T22:53:37Z |
NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, and Delaware saw population growth in the 2010s that dramatically expanded the property damage a hurricane could cause in those states, according to a new Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) Issues Brief.
"The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be "well above average" in terms of the number of named storms, hurricanes, and "major" (Category 3, 4, or 5) hurricanes," states the Issues Brief -- Hurricanes: State of the Risk. "Insured losses from hurricanes have risen over the past 15 years as hurricane activity has intensified. When adjusted for inflation, nine of the 10 costliest hurricanes in U.S. history have struck since 2005. In addition to increased storm activity, coastal construction has continued, and property values risen, resulting in higher loss exposure."
Citing 2020 U.S. Census data, Triple-I reported double-digit percentage population growth occurred in four states with coastal exposure to hurricanes since 2010: Florida (+14.6 percent), South Carolina (+10.7 percent), Georgia (+10.6 percent), and Delaware (+10.2 percent).
"While wind speeds and storm surge in coastal areas grab headlines, inland flooding is on the rise," Triple-I's Issues Brief added. Hurricane Ida, for example, made landfall in Louisiana on Aug. 29, 2021, and days later brought deadly flooding to parts of Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania far, from the coastline, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report found.
The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and ends on Nov. 30. Colorado State University's (CSU) Department of Atmospheric Science last week projected the formation of 17 more named storms this year, on top of the three which already developed: Alex, Bonnie, and Colin. In addition, CSU envisions 10 of the 17 storms will become hurricanes, and five of the 10 will be classified as major ones. A typical hurricane season includes 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.
Triple-I's Issues Brief offers three pieces of insurance advice to those in hurricane-prone states:
- Check your homeowners' insurance policy to make sure the structure's policy limit, listed under Coverage A, is high enough to rebuild the home in the event of a total loss;
- Review your policy for hurricane deductibles; and
- Consider purchasing a flood insurance policy, because flood-caused property damage is not covered under standard homeowners insurance policies
Standard homeowners insurance policies cover a house's structure and contents for wind-caused property damage. Flood policies cover a house's structure and contents damaged by flood. The latter are offered through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and several private insurers.
Moreover, Triple-I's Resilience Accelerator uses advanced data analytics to create tools that empower residents to build more resilient communities before hurricanes happen. It also demonstrates the power of insurance as a force for resilience by showing how insured communities recover faster and more completely after a natural disaster.
RELATED LINKS
Facts & Statistics
Hurricanes
Consumer Information
Catastrophes: Insurance Issues
Videos
Triple-I Non-Resident Scholar Dr. Phil Klotzbach Discusses CSU's Hurricane Season Forecast (July 7 report)
Hurricane Insurance Guide
The Triple-I has a full library of educational videos on its YouTube Channel.
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SOURCE Insurance Information Institute | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/14/triple-i-population-growth-drives-hurricane-loss-trends/ | 2022-07-14T16:31:08Z |
FLANIGAN'S REPORTS EARNINGS
Published: May. 31, 2022 at 10:28 AM CDT|Updated: 1 hours ago
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FLANIGAN'S ENTERPRISES, INC., (NYSE AMERICAN: BDL) owners and operators of the "Flanigan's Seafood Bar and Grill" restaurants and "Big Daddy's" retail liquor stores, today announced results for the 13 weeks and the 26 weeks ended April 2, 2022. The table below sets forth the results on a comparative basis with the 13 weeks and 26 weeks ended April 3, 2021.
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SOURCE FLANIGAN'S ENTERPRISES, INC.
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.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/31/flanigans-reports-earnings/ | 2022-05-31T16:59:39Z |
Sri Lankan lawmakers on Wednesday elected former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as President of the crisis-hit South Asian country, in a move likely to anger protesters who have been demanding his removal from office for weeks.
Wickremesinghe -- a six-time former prime minister and key ally of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa -- won a parliamentary ballot after his predecessor fled the country amid escalating protests over an economic crisis marked by dire shortages of essential imports such as fuel, medicine and food.
He received 134 votes from a possible 223.
Addressing parliament shortly after the result, Wickremesinghe said while the country had been "divided on party lines" the "time has now come to work together."
Earlier this month, protesters set Wickremesinghe's private residence on fire and overran the presidential palace in a desperate attempt to overthrow the government and end the chaos that has enveloped Sri Lanka since March.
The protesters appeared to have scored a victory when Rajapaksa fled and Wickremesinghe -- prime minister at the time -- vowed to resign to make way for a unity government.
But Wickremesinghe's appointment Wednesday threatens to inflame the situation once again as many protesters see him as inextricably tied to the Rajapaksa regime. Even some members of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna political party have said they disapproved of him taking the top job.
As voting was taking place, a small group of protesters gathered on the steps of the Presidential Secretariat -- the president's office -- to demonstrate against Wickremesinghe's nomination.
Some chanted, "Ranil go home" in anger when the result was announced.
Many protesters insist only a complete overhaul of government will satisfy their demands, and some pledged they would stay on the streets.
"I am not surprised, but still disappointed at how corrupt and unfair the system is," Kasumi Ranasinghe Arachchige, 26, told Reuters.
"We won't back down, we won't settle for anything less," she said. "We will fight for what we deserve."
Everyday life for most Sri Lankans remains a hardship. Streets in the commercial capital of Colombo are largely empty, with people queuing outside gas stations for hours, desperately hoping to buy fuel. Many businesses are shut and supermarket shelves are increasingly barren.
On Monday, Wickremesinghe appeared to distance himself from Rajapaksa, telling CNN that the former administration had tried to cover up facts about Sri Lanka's crippling financial crisis.
Rajapaksa's government had not admitted that Sri Lanka was "bankrupt" and "needed to go to the International Monetary Fund," Wickremesinghe said.
"I would like to tell the people I know what they are suffering," he added. "We don't need five years or 10 years. By the end of next year let's start stabilizing, and certainly by 2024 let's have a functioning economy which will start growing."
His nearest challenger in Wednesday's vote was former journalist Dullas Alahapperuma, who received 82 votes, while a third candidate, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, received three votes.
All eyes are now on Wickremesinghe and ongoing bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund as he attempts to navigate the worst economic crisis the country has seen in seven decades and keep a lid on the protests.
Stacker compiled a list of the 50 biggest retailers in the country, using retail sales data from Kantar, provided by the National Retail Federation. Click for more.
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/sri-lankan-parliament-elects-ranil-wickremesinghe-as-president-but-some-protesters-vow-to-fight-on/article_cca26c52-31b4-5ef9-b688-b7837f65064a.html | 2022-07-20T10:32:55Z |
Cool weekend, Hot work week
Published: Apr. 9, 2022 at 5:46 AM EDT|Updated: 5 hours ago
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Our cool, windy, and dry weather pattern continues through the weekend. Highs are only in the 70s, lows in the 50s, and dew points dipping into the 40s. Strong northwest winds will give an even cooler feel to Saturday. Winds Sunday are back to Northwest t 10-15 mph. After the weekend, our cool High Pressure moves east and warmer air returns quickly. Wednesday and Thursday get close to record highs. Rain chances stay low even with the heat and higher humidity by the end of the week. No cold front on the maps to cool us down for the next 7 to 10 days.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/04/09/cool-weekend-hot-work-week/ | 2022-04-09T17:04:22Z |
LONDON, June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Datatonic, a leader for Data + AI consulting on Google Cloud, today announced it has received the 2021 Google Cloud Specialization Partner of the Year award for Machine Learning.
Datatonic was recognized for the company's achievements in the Google Cloud ecosystem, helping joint customers scale their Machine Learning (ML) capabilities with Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) and achieve business impact with transformational ML solutions.
Datatonic has continuously invested in expanding their MLOps expertise, from defining what "good" MLOps looks like, to helping clients make their ML workloads faster, scalable, and more efficient. In just the past year, they have built high-performing MLOps platforms for global clients across the Telecommunications, Media, and e-Commerce sectors, enabling them to seamlessly leverage MLOps best practices across their teams.
Their recently open-sourced MLOps Turbo Templates, co-developed with Google Cloud's Vertex AI Pipelines product team, showcase Datatonic's experience implementing MLOps solutions, and Google Cloud's technical excellence to help teams get started with MLOps even faster.
"We're delighted with this recognition from our partners at Google Cloud. It's amazing to see our team go from strength to strength at the forefront of cutting-edge technology with Google Cloud and MLOps. We're proud to be driving continuous improvements to the tech stack in partnership with Google Cloud, and to drive impact and scalability with our customers, from increasing ROI in data and AI spending to unlocking new revenue streams." - Louis Decuypere - CEO, Datatonic
"Google Cloud Specializations recognize partner excellence and proven customer success in a particular product area or industry," said Nina Harding, Global Chief, Partner Programs and Strategy, Google Cloud. "Based on their certified, repeatable customer success and strong technical capabilities, we're proud to recognize Datatonic as Specialization Partner of the Year for Machine Learning."
Datatonic is a data consultancy enabling companies to make better business decisions with the power of Modern Data Stack and MLOps. Its services empower clients to deepen their understanding of consumers, increase competitive advantages, and unlock operational efficiencies by building cloud-native data foundations and accelerating high-impact analytics and machine learning use cases.
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For enquiries about new projects, get in touch at hello@datatonic.com
For media / press enquiries, contact Krisztina Gyure (krisztina.gyure@datatonic.com)
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SOURCE Datatonic Ltd | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/15/datatonic-wins-google-cloud-specialization-partner-year-award-machine-learning/ | 2022-06-15T09:05:58Z |
Oklahoma City plumber emphasizes the importance of fresh, clean water
OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Champion Plumbing, a leading provider of plumbing services to the Oklahoma City area, understands the importance of having fresh clean water. In recognition of National Water Quality Month, Champion is providing tips to Oklahoma City homeowners for keeping the city's water supply clean.
"It's easy for us to go inside and grab a glass of water or take a hot shower without issues, but that wouldn't be possible without clean water," said Brent Harpole, owner of Champion Plumbing. "While this is a privilege for us, there are many other places around the world that don't get that luxury. By joining others in recognizing August as National Water Quality Month, we can take time to emphasize how vital it is to protect our freshwater supply and minimize waste."
There are a couple of things that homeowners can do to minimize negative effects on clean water. Reducing the number of chemicals used daily is one option for residents. While drains may get clogged from time to time, harmful chemicals often used to clear drains can make their way into lakes and rivers. Opting for natural solutions can be an environmentally friendly alternative for solving the problem.
Using a car wash as opposed to an at-home alternative is another simple step for protecting water quality. Chemicals used to clean cars can be flushed into nearby storm drains, which lead to fresh bodies of water. In addition to limiting chemicals, using a car wash can help reduce water waste inside a home.
"Water is not a limitless resource," Harpole said. "It is important to protect the water that we have available to us. That's why National Water Quality Month is important. Increasing awareness and taking simple steps to reduce pollution can have long-term positive effects on our water quality by keeping it safer for the next generation."
For more information about Champion Plumbing, visit https://callthechamps.com/.
Started in 2015, Champion Plumbing is led by the husband-and-wife duo of Leslie and Brent Harpole. Champion provides plumbing and water quality services to the residents of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and surrounding areas. The team specializes in water heater services, drain cleaning, garbage disposals, water filtration systems, pipe lining and whole house repipes. The company is dedicated to giving back to the local community in addition to helping them with their plumbing needs.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
(865) 977-1973
hripley@ripleypr.com
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SOURCE Champion Plumbing | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/11/champion-plumbing-recognizes-national-water-quality-month/ | 2022-08-11T12:11:32Z |
City of Venice looking for Holiday Parade participants
The new application may be submitted digitally
VENICE, Fla. (WWSB) - The holidays are coming up around the corner and the City of Venice is planning its holiday parade.
Venice has launched an online application for organizations, clubs and businesses interested in participating in the 2022 Venice Holiday Parade downtown, set for Saturday, Nov. 26.
New as of 2022, the Venice Holiday Parade has a webpage on the City of Venice website.
The application to participate will be submitted digitally. The City’s goal was to make entrant information easily accessible and the application user-friendly.
Users can find the application on the new Venice Holiday Parade page as well as other useful information including a route map, rules/regulations, and photos from past parades.
The deadline to submit an application is Nov. 1, 2022.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/09/02/city-venice-looking-holiday-parade-participants/ | 2022-09-02T17:18:13Z |
US officials: Griner now considered wrongfully detained
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has determined that WNBA star Brittney Griner is being wrongfully detained in Russia, meaning the United States will more aggressively work to secure her release even as the legal case against her plays out, two U.S. officials said Tuesday.
Griner was detained at an airport in February after Russian authorities said a search of her bag revealed vape cartridges containing traces of cannabis oil. Since then, U.S. officials had stopped short of classifying the Phoenix Mercury player as wrongfully detained and said instead that their focus was on ensuring that she had access in jail to American consular affairs officials.
Now, though, U.S. officials have shifted supervision of her case to a State Department office focused on negotiating for the release of hostages and other Americans deemed wrongfully detained.
It was unclear what prompted the shift, though President Joe Biden’s administration had been under pressure from members of Congress and others to make Griner’s release a priority. The U.S. last week secured the release of Marine veteran Trevor Reed as part of a prisoner swap that also resulted in a convicted Russian drug trafficker being freed from prison in the U.S.
ESPN first reported the classification in Griner’s case. Two U.S. officials confirmed it on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it by name.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/03/us-officials-griner-now-considered-wrongfully-detained/ | 2022-05-03T14:50:23Z |
Teen hit-and-run victim ‘will not be the same’ after brain injury, mother says
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The mother of a 13-year-old girl badly injured in a hit-and-run crash wrote on GoFundMe that her daughter “will not be the same” due to extensive, inoperable damage to her brain stem.
Lilly, a 13-year-old from Osprey, Florida, is fighting to survive after Florida Highway Patrol reported she was hit by a car while riding her bike in a crosswalk Tuesday, according to WWSB.
The family asked that Lilly’s last name not be published to protect her privacy.
Her mother wrote in an update on GoFundMe that doctors say the teen “will not be the same Lilly that we all know and love ever again” because of extensive damage to her brain stem, which she said is “inoperable” after the crash.
Her mother’s post goes on to write she’s unsure if Lilly will ever be “aware as you and I are,” as the family waits for the results of an MRI scheduled for Monday.
Despite the seriousness of her brain injuries, the family is hoping the 13-year-old can recover to the best of her abilities. However, she is expected to need long term care for the rest of her life.
Investigators say Lilly, a student at Pine View School, was on her bike in a school crosswalk, marked with flashing yellow lights and yellow signage, about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday when a dark silver sedan approached her, heading west.
The sedan hit the 13-year-old before fleeing the scene westbound.
Suspect David Chang was arrested the next day after he and his heavily damaged car were found at an auto-repair shop in Tampa. He bonded out of jail but is facing a string of charges, including leaving the scene of a crash causing serious bodily injury, leaving the scene of a crash causing property damage and destroying evidence.
Lilly’s mother is feeling both gratitude toward community members who have stepped forward to donate tens of thousands of dollars to aid her daughter’s recover and other powerful emotions aimed at the man accused of putting her in the hospital.
“I am struggling with feelings of anger at this horrible man who is walking around our community while Lilly is fighting for her life,” she wrote in the post. “The overwhelming feeling of unfairness comes in waves.”
The GoFundMe, set up for medical and travel expenses, has raised more than $85,000. Any money left over will be donated to All Children’s Hospital, Lilly’s mother says.
Chang is expected to appear in court on Sept. 30.
Copyright 2022 WWSB via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/22/teen-hit-and-run-victim-will-not-be-same-after-brain-injury-mother-says/ | 2022-08-22T08:31:43Z |
McCook, Who Previously Worked at the Agency for 17 Years, is Now Leading the Firm's Consumer Group Practice.
NEW YORK, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rubenstein Public Relations (RPR) announced the return of industry veteran John McCook, who rejoins the agency as its Vice President, Consumer.
McCook has more than three decades of public relations experience and previously worked at RPR for 17 years. He has returned to the agency to manage the firm's consumer group practice, overseeing media outreach, strategy, and campaign creation and implementation.
"We are very pleased to welcome John back to the agency," said Richard Rubenstein, President, RPR. "He is a dynamic publicist and I believe his commitment to delivering high-impact exposure will add tremendous value to our clients. His recent experience couldn't be more valuable and makes him an even greater asset to our firm."
Throughout his career, McCook has developed and executed media relations programs on behalf of consumer-lifestyle brands and non-profit organizations, such as City Harvest, Wish-Bone Salad Dressing, Puerto Rico Tourism, Mount Airy Casino and Resort, Applebee's, The National Endowment for Financial Education, The Rubin Museum of Art, Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School, The Dick Clark Auction from Guernsey's Auction House, Mazda, and AMF Bowling, among others.
Prior to his rejoining the firm, McCook taught high school English in the South Bronx and graduated with honors from City College of New York, where he earned a master's degree in special education (grades 7-12).
"I am honored to return to RPR, a firm that I have called home for more than two-thirds of my public relations career," McCook said. "I admire the work ethic and standards for client service which are the hallmark of RPR. I am also proud to work among a highly talented group of professionals who achieve outstanding results for clients."
Rubenstein Public Relations (RPR) is a leading full-service agency based in New York that produces high-profile communications campaigns through branding and messaging, media relations, creative and business development services. Our comprehensive strategy, savvy media expertise and proactive approach shapes and markets a brand's core attributes to generate meaningful results for clients. We represent some of the world's most prominent names in the real estate, business, luxury lifestyle, entertainment, technology, healthcare and non-profit sectors. (www.rubensteinpr.com)
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SOURCE Rubenstein PR | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/01/public-relations-veteran-john-mccook-returns-rubenstein-public-relations/ | 2022-06-01T15:54:45Z |
Change trains: Mexico favors N. Mexico over Texas
By MARK STEVENSON
Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican government is snubbing Texas and moving a proposed border rail link to New Mexico, after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott backed up border crossings with state truck inspections in April. Mexican diplomats met Tuesday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and touted a rail line linking Mexican seaports on the Pacific with the San Jeronimo-Santa Teresa crossing in New Mexico. Mexican officials had considered a route through Texas, but in recent days they’ve said they can no longer rely on the state. Abbott had required all commercial trucks from Mexico to undergo extra inspections, tying up traffic and causing millions in losses. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/05/03/change-trains-mexico-favors-n-mexico-over-texas/ | 2022-05-03T21:16:44Z |
BERLIN (AP) — Germany will keep exporting electricity to neighboring France despite calling on people to help fend off winter shortages by saving energy at home, officials said Wednesday.
Problems at French nuclear plants have driven up electricity prices there in recent months, prompting power companies in neighboring countries to sell excess energy to France.
“Only half of France’s nuclear power plants are operating,” said Patrick Graichen, Germany’s deputy economy and energy minister. “That’s why we, as well as the Italians and others, are all basically exporting to France. That’s the way the electricity market is in Europe.”
It’s another sign of the energy crisis gripping Europe. Both natural gas and electricity prices have hit record highs, with power costs ballooning as Russia reduces gas flows to Germany and other countries and renewables and nuclear contributing less to the power mix lately, analysts at Rystad Energy said. High energy prices are driving inflation and fueling the prospect of a recession in Europe.
Even precious natural gas, which Germany is trying to conserve for the winter heating season in case Russia cuts of supplies entirely, is being burned in large volumes to produce electricity for export to France.
“We can’t say that our gas power plants in Germany won’t export to France anymore unless we want to bring their entire European electricity market to a standstill,” Graichen said.
Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said there were no plans to stop this practice, citing the need for European solidarity.
“That’s the way the European electricity market is set up and it could equally be the case, if we look to autumn and winter, that we might be grateful if others can help us out,” he said.
Meanwhile, the German Cabinet approved a series of measures Wednesday designed to reduce energy consumption, including restrictions on heating private pools and a cap of 19 C (66 F) in public offices. Shops will also have to close their doors in winter to conserve heat, while illumination on advertising and public buildings has to be switched off at night.
France, Spain, the Netherlands and other countries also have passed similar measures to conserve natural gas.
Germany supplying electricity to neighboring countries is part of a “stress test” study due to be published next week that could determine whether the government decides to extend the operating licenses for Germany’s three remaining nuclear power plants. This would defer the country’s long-standing plans to end the use of nuclear power this year.
“In principle, the nuclear power plants could suck a bit more out of their fuel rods, so to speak, in January, February and March,” Graichen said. “But after that there won’t be much more left.” | https://cw33.com/business/ap-business/ap-germany-exports-power-to-france-urges-savings-at-home/ | 2022-08-25T11:59:24Z |
Forbes Finance Council is an Invitation-Only Community for Executives in Accounting, Financial Planning, Wealth and Asset Management, and Investment Firms
OKLAHOMA CITY, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kacey Butcher, the Chief Financial Officer for Adaptation Financial Advisors, Inc has been accepted into Forbes Finance Council, an invitation-only community for executives in accounting, financial planning, wealth and asset management, and investment firms.
Kacey was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of his experience. Criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors.
"We are honored to welcome Kacey into the community," said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Finance Council. "Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world."
As an accepted member of the Council, Kacey has access to a variety of exclusive opportunities designed to help him reach peak professional influence. He will connect and collaborate with other respected local leaders in a private forum. Kacey will also be invited to work with a professional editorial team to share his expert insights in original business articles on Forbes.com, and to contribute to published Q&A panels alongside other experts.
Finally, Kacey will benefit from exclusive access to vetted business service partners, membership-branded marketing collateral, and the high-touch support of the Forbes Councils member concierge team.
"I am excited to have been selected as a Forbes Finance Council member and look forward to connecting with other industry professionals," says Kacey Butcher. "As we continue to expand through mergers and acquisitions, as well as through recruiting efforts targeted towards next gen talent, this forum will be a great asset for future growth opportunities within the financial services and wealth planning industry."
Forbes Councils is a collective of invitation-only communities created in partnership with Forbes and the expert community builders who founded Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). In Forbes Councils, exceptional business owners and leaders come together with the people and resources that can help them thrive.
For more information about Forbes Finance Council, visit forbesfinancecouncil.com. To learn more about Forbes Councils, visit forbescouncils.com.
Adaptation Financial, Inc is a Hybrid Independent Registered Investment Advisory firm with over $750MM of client assets under management. The firm currently has 6 office locations across 3 states and caters to individual investors. Securities are offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services are through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Financial planning services are through Adaptation Financial Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge and Adaptation Financial Advisors are not affiliated.
Visit www.adaptfa.com or call 800-522-8727 to connect with an advisor in your area.
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SOURCE Adaptation Financial | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/14/adaptation-financial-advisors-incs-chief-financial-officer-kacey-butcher-accepted-into-forbes-finance-council/ | 2022-07-14T01:56:43Z |
Published: May. 11, 2022 at 4:15 PM EDT|Updated: 2 hours ago
Adjusted EBITDA(1) growth of 16.5% to $277.1 million driven by highly differentiated business model
LONDON, UK, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Atlas ("Atlas" or the "Company") (NYSE: ATCO) announced today its results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.
Financial Highlights:
First quarter 2022 financial performance compared to first quarter 2021:
Robust balance sheet with liquidity of $951.3 million, total borrowings(1) to total assets of 53.2%
Comments from Management: Bing Chen, President and CEO of Atlas, commented: "Following a strong 2021 performance, Atlas continued its solid financial results in the first quarter of 2022. Seaspan strengthened its customer partnership with a global liner by forward fixing charters for 18 vessels, leveraging our creative customer solutions and differentiated business model. Despite the pandemic and European conflict, Seaspan continued diligently executing its newbuild program with one newbuild delivery in April ahead of schedule. Our entire newbuild program remains on track thanks to our experienced teams and integrated platform that have now delivered 114 newbuilds."
"APR Energy also delivered solid performance as we continue to leverage Atlas' five key competencies to pivot the business to longer-term, predictable cash flow opportunities. APR secured three new deployments, which includes the renewal of APR's IID contract in California for 74 MW, a new market contract in Brazil for 226 MW, and the dry leasing of five turbines for 120 MW. Focusing on operational excellence and creative partnership, APR successfully extended its Brazil contract from 12 months to 44 months, furthering its growth strategy of providing longer-term energy capacity solutions."
"With our customers' trusted partnerships, our dedicated team and differentiated business model, we are well positioned to drive future quality growth and continue delivering increasing shareholder value."
Graham Talbot, CFO of Atlas, commented, "I am very proud of our entire team's consistent high-performance during a period of considerable global uncertainty. These results demonstrate the resilience of our fully integrated platform which provides consistent delivery in all market conditions. Our continued focus on optimizing our capital structure, coupled with a gross contracted cash flow balance of $18.1 billion and liquidity balance of $951.3 million as of quarter end, positions Atlas to continue executing on our track-record of disciplined capital allocation and quality growth."
"We are pleased to see a strong vote of confidence from our strategic shareholder, Fairfax Financial, who exercised warrants to purchase 25 million common shares of Atlas in April. This resulted in proceeds of over $200.0 million dollars to Atlas which will be used to repay outstanding debt and for other general corporate purposes. This is yet another demonstration of our shareholders' continued confidence in our highly differentiated, risk-adjusted, capital allocation business model."
Significant Developments in the First Quarter of 2022 & Subsequent Events
Containership Sale Developments
In February 2022, Seaspan completed the sale of one vessel for gross proceeds of $32.8 million. Seaspan continues to manage the ship operations of this vessel pursuant to a management agreement entered into in connection with the sale. As of March 31, 2022, Seaspan had also entered into agreements for five more vessel sales, one of which closed in April 2022. The remaining four vessel sales are expected to complete in the second quarter of 2022, subject to closing conditions.
In April 2022, Seaspan entered into agreements for the sale of an additional four 4,250 TEU vessels. The sales are expected to be completed in the second and third quarters of 2022, subject to closing conditions.
The table below summarizes our Containership Leasing fleet:
Containership Leasing and Newbuild Developments
Seaspan entered into proactive lease extensions for 18 operating vessels in the first quarter of 2022.
In April 2022, Seaspan accepted delivery of its fourth 12,200 TEU vessel which commenced an 18-year bareboat charter upon delivery.
Mobile Power Generation Developments
APR Energy entered into contracts to provide a customer with up to 226 MW of gas power generation capacity in Itaguaí, Rio De Janeiro, for a minimum of 12 consecutive months commencing in May 2022. In March 2022, APR Energy extended this 12-month gas generation capacity contract in Brazil to a 44-month contract. Additionally, APR Energy entered into a contract with a US counterparty to provide a dry rental of five turbines representing 120 MW for a minimum of 12 consecutive months which commenced in February 2022. APR Energy also entered into a contract with Imperial Irrigation District ("IID") for three turbines to provide grid stabilization solutions to Southern California. The contract with IID represents its first renewal with APR Energy.
Financing Development
On February 16, 2022, Seaspan closed its new $250.0 million 3-year unsecured revolving credit facility (the "New Seaspan RCF"), which replaces a $150.0 million 2-year unsecured revolving credit facility. The New Seaspan RCF includes several new lenders and improvements driven by Seaspan's improving credit quality, including greater liquidity, tenor and pricing.
Exercise of Fairfax Warrants
On April 7, 2022, Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited ("Fairfax") exercised warrants to purchase 25.0 million common shares of Atlas. The warrants, which were originally issued on July 16, 2018, had an exercise price of $8.05 per common share for an aggregate exercise price of $201.3 million. Immediately following this exercise, Fairfax and its affiliates held in aggregate 124,805,753 common shares, representing 45.1% of the then issued and outstanding common shares of Atlas. Fairfax continues to hold 6.0 million warrants.
Distribution
On April 7, 2022, the Board of Directors of Atlas declared a quarterly distribution in the amount of $0.125 per common share. Regular quarterly dividends on the Series D, Series H, Series I and Series J preferred shares were also declared. All dividends were paid on May 2, 2022.
Common Shares Outstanding
As of May 1, 2022, there were 276.9 million common shares outstanding.
Consolidated Results:
The following table summarizes Atlas' consolidated results for the three months ended March 31, 2022, and March 31, 2021.
Financial Results Summary:
Revenue growth of 9.5% to $408.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to the same period in 2021.
For the quarter ended March 31, 2022, 16.0% of revenue growth was attributable to the Containership Leasing segment, of which 67% was attributable to the existing asset base, and 33% was attributable to assets added during the year. For the quarter ended March 31, 2022, there was a 42.7% decrease attributable to the Mobile Power Generation segment. The lower revenue is primarily due to an injunction at one of our project sites which commenced in March 2021. We are indemnified for the lost revenue and have recognized a corresponding recovery under the acquisition agreement for this indemnity.
Adjusted EBITDA growth of 16.5% to $277.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to the same period in 2021. The growth was primarily driven by the increase in revenue.
FFO Per Share growth of 21.7% to $0.73 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to the same period in 2021. The growth was primarily driven by the increase in revenue.
Diluted EPS was $0.56 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to $0.31 for the same period in 2021. The increase in diluted EPS was primarily driven by the increase in revenue and non-cash gain on derivative instruments related to the increase in the forward LIBOR curve.
Adjusted Diluted EPS growth of 56.0% to $0.39 for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to $0.25 for the same period in 2021. The increase in adjusted diluted EPS is primarily related to the increase in revenue.
Liquidity As of March 31, 2022, Atlas had total liquidity of $951.3 million, consisting of $251.3 million of cash and cash equivalents and $700.0 million of availability under undrawn committed credit facilities. As of March 31, 2022, we also had $6.0 billion of undrawn committed financing related to our newbuild vessels and an unencumbered asset base including 38 vessels with a book value of $1.4 billion.
Segmented Financial Results: The following table summarizes selected segmented financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2022.
Conference Call and Webcast:
Atlas will host a conference call and webcast presentation for investors, analysts and interested parties to discuss its first quarter on May 12, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. ET. Participants should call, 1-877-246-9875, International Dial-In, 1-707-287-9353, Listen Only Toll-Free Dial-In Number, 1-888-556-5741, and Listen Only International Dial-In Number, 1-857-270-6226 and request the Atlas call (conference ID: 9398541). The live webcast and slide presentation are available under "Events & Presentations" at www.atlascorporation.com. A webcast replay will be available until February 17, 2023.
The replay telephone numbers are: US/Canada 1-855-859-2056 or 1-800-585-8367 and International 1-404-537-3406, and the replay passcode is: 9398541. The phone replay will be available until May 11, 2023.
About Atlas
Atlas is a leading global asset management company, differentiated by its position as a best-in-class owner and operator with a focus on disciplined capital deployment to create sustainable shareholder value. We target long-term, risk-adjusted returns across high-quality infrastructure assets in the maritime sector, energy sector and other infrastructure verticals. For more information visit atlascorporation.com.
About Seaspan
Seaspan is the largest global containership lessor, primarily focused on long-term, fixed-rate leases with the world's largest container shipping liners. As at March 31, 2022, Seaspan's operating fleet consisted of 132 vessels with a total capacity of 1,147,980 TEU, and an additional 67 vessels under construction, increasing total fleet capacity to 1,959,380 TEU, on a fully delivered basis. For more information, visit seaspancorp.com.
About APR
APR provides rapidly deployable, large-scale power and fast-track mobile power to underserved markets and industries. APR's mobile, turnkey power plants help run industries, cities and countries globally in both developed and developing markets. For more information, visit aprenergy.com.
ATLAS CORP. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (IN MILLIONS OF U.S. DOLLARS)
ATLAS CORP. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (IN MILLIONS OF U.S. DOLLARS, EXCEPT SHARES IN THOUSANDS AND PER SHARE AMOUNTS)
ATLAS CORP. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (IN MILLIONS OF U.S. DOLLARS)
The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheets that sum to the amounts shown in the consolidated statements of cash flows:
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS NET EARNINGS TO FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS NET EARNINGS TO FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS NET EARNINGS TO ADJUSTED EPS
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS NET EARNINGS TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS OPERATING NET DEBT TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS OPERATING NET DEBT TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
This release includes various financial measures that are non-GAAP financial measures as defined under the rules of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). These non-GAAP financial measures, which include FFO, FFO Per Share, Diluted ("FFO Per Share"), Adjusted Earnings, Adjusted Earnings Per Share, Diluted ("Adjusted EPS"), Adjusted EBITDA, Net Debt, Operating Net Debt and Total Borrowings, are intended to provide additional information and are not prepared in accordance with, and should not be considered substitutes for financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). Investors are cautioned that there are material limitations associated with the use of the non-GAAP financial measures as an analytical tool.
FFO and FFO PerShare represent net earnings adjusted for depreciation and amortization, gains/losses on sale, unrealized change in fair value of derivative instruments, loss on foreign currency repatriation, change in contingent consideration asset, preferred share dividends accumulated, impairment, loss on debt extinguishment and certain other items that management believes are not representative of its operating performance. FFO and FFO Per Share are useful performance measures because they exclude those items that management believes are not representative of its performance.
FFO and FFO Per Share are not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net earnings, earnings per share or any other indicator of the Company's performance required to be reported by GAAP. In addition, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.
Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted EPS represent net earnings adjusted for preferred share dividends accumulated, impairment, loss on debt extinguishment, unrealized change in fair value on derivative instruments and certain other items that management believes are not representative of its ongoing performance.
Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted EPS are not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net earnings, net earnings per share or any other indicator of the Company's performance required to be reported by GAAP. In addition, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and the closest measure is net earnings. Management believes that these metrics are helpful in providing investors with information to assess the ongoing operations of the business.
Adjusted EBITDA represents net earnings before interest expense and income, tax expense, depreciation and amortization, impairment, write-down and gains/losses on sale, gains/losses on derivative instruments, loss on foreign currency repatriation, change in contingent consideration asset, loss on debt extinguishment, other expenses and certain other items that management believes are not representative of its operating performance.
Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors in assessing the Company's results from operations. Management believes that this measure is useful in assessing performance and highlighting trends on an overall basis. Management also believes that this performance measure can be useful in comparing its results with those of other companies, even though other companies may not calculate this measure in the same way. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to Adjusted EBITDA is net earnings. Adjusted EBITDA is not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net earnings, or any other indicator of the Company's performance required to be reported by GAAP.
Total Borrowings represents long-term debt and other financing arrangements, excluding deferred financing fees. Operating borrowings represents Total Borrowings less amounts related to vessels under construction.
Net Debt represents Total Borrowings before debt discount and fair value adjustments, net of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash. Operating Net Debt represents Net Debt less amounts related to vessels under construction.
Net Debt and Total Borrowings provide useful information to investors in assessing the Company's leverage. Management believes these measures are useful in assessing the Company's ability to settle contracted debt payments. Management also believes that these leverage measurements can be useful in comparing the Company's position with those of other companies, even though other companies may not calculate these measures in the same way. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to Net Debt and Total Borrowings is the total of long-term debt and other financing arrangements. Net Debt and Total Borrowings are not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to long-term debt and other financing arrangements, or any other indicator of the Company's financial position required to be reported by GAAP.
This release contains forward-looking statements (as such term is defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act). Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "will," "may," "potential," "should" and similar expressions are forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements represent Atlas' estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this release and are not intended to give any assurance as to future results. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this release. Although these statements are based upon assumptions Atlas believes to be reasonable based upon available information, they are subject to risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to:
Atlas' future operating and financial results;
Atlas' future growth prospects;
Atlas' business strategy and capital allocation plans, and other plans and objectives for future operations;
Atlas' primary sources of funds for short, medium and long-term liquidity needs;
potential acquisitions, financing arrangements and other investments, and the expected benefits from such transactions;
Atlas' financial condition and liquidity, including its ability to realize the benefits of recent financing activities, borrow and repay funds under its credit facilities, its ability to obtain waivers or secure acceptable replacement charters under the credit facilities, its ability to refinance existing facilities and notes, and to obtain additional financing in the future to fund capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate activities;
conditions in the public equity market and the price of Atlas' shares;
changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, and the effect of governmental regulations on Atlas' business;
the financial condition of Seaspan's and APR's customers, lenders and other counterparties and their ability to perform their obligations under their agreements with Seaspan and APR, respectively;
the continued ability to meet specified restrictive covenants in Atlas' and its subsidiaries' financing and lease arrangements, notes and preferred shares;
any economic downturn in the global financial markets and potential negative effects of any recurrence of such disruptions on the demand for the services of Seaspan's containerships or APR's mobile power solutions or on our customers' ability to charter our vessels, lease our power generation assets and pay for our services;
the length and severity of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including as a result of new variants of the virus, and its impact on Atlas' business;
a major customer experiencing financial distress, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, bankruptcy or otherwise;
global economic and market conditions and shipping industry trends, including charter rates and other factors affecting supply and demand for our containerships and power generation solutions;
disruptions in global credit and financial markets as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic or otherwise;
Atlas' expectations as to impairments of its vessels and power generation assets, including the timing and amount of potential impairments;
the future valuation of Atlas' vessels, power generation assets and goodwill;
future time charters and vessel deliveries, including future long-term charters for certain existing vessels;
estimated future capital expenditures needed to preserve the operating capacity of Seaspan's containership fleet and comply with regulatory standards, as well as Atlas' expectations regarding future dry-docking and operating expenses, including ship operating expense and expenses related to performance under our contracts for the supply of power generation capacity, and general and administrative expenses;
availability of crew, number of off-hire days and dry-docking requirements;
Seaspan's continued ability to maintain, enter into or renew primarily long-term, fixed-rate time charters for its vessels and leases of our power generation assets;
the potential for early termination of long-term time charters and Seaspan's potential inability to enter into, renew or replace long-term time charters;
Seaspan's ability to leverage to its advantage its relationships and reputation in the containership industry;
changes in technology, prices, industry standards, environmental regulation and other factors which could affect Atlas' competitive position, revenues and asset values;
disruptions and security threats to our technology systems;
taxation of Atlas and of distributions to its shareholders;
Atlas' exemption from tax on U.S. source international transportation income;
the continued availability of services, equipment and software from subcontractors or third-party suppliers required to provide APR's power generation solutions;
APR's ability to protect its intellectual property and defend against possible third-party infringement claims relating to its power generation solutions;
Atlas' ability to achieve or realize expected benefits from ESG initiatives;
potential liability from future litigation;
other factors detailed from time to time in Atlas' periodic reports; and
other risks that are not currently material or known to us.
Forward-looking statements in this release are estimates and assumptions reflecting the judgment of senior management and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond Atlas' control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, all forward-looking statements should be considered in light of various important factors listed above and including, but not limited to, those set forth in "Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors" in Atlas' Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2021 on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 24, 2022.
Atlas does not intend to revise any forward-looking statements in order to reflect any change in its expectations or events or circumstances that may subsequently arise. Atlas expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether because of future events, new information, a change in Atlas' views or expectations, or otherwise. You should carefully review and consider the various disclosures included in Atlas' Annual Report and in Atlas' other filings made with the SEC that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect Atlas' businesses, prospects and results of operations.
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/2022/05/11/atlas-reports-first-quarter-2022-results/ | 2022-05-11T23:05:03Z |
Asian shares mixed after Wall St barely misses bear market
By ELAINE KURTENBACH
AP Business Writer
Shares are mixed in Asia in cautious trading after Wall Street rumbled to the edge of a bear market on Friday.
Tokyo and Sydney were higher Monday while Hong Kong and Shanghai declined.
Investors were awaiting minutes from the latest policy setting meeting of the Federal Reserve and updates on consumer prices, due later this week.
On Friday the S&P 500 dipped more than 20% below its peak set early this year before buying late in the day gave it a tiny gain. It finished 18.7% below its record. That capped a seventh straight losing week, the longest since 2001, when the dot-com bubble was deflating.
Inflation and rising interest rates, the war in Ukraine, and China’s slowing economy are all punishing stocks and raising fears about a possible U.S. recession.
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo gained 0.5% to 26,868.02. President Joe Biden’s visit to Japan and South Korea was due to result in the launching of a U.S. initiative on economic cooperation and security.
Called the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, the White House said it will help the United States and Asian economies work more closely on issues including supply chains, digital trade, clean energy, worker protections and anticorruption efforts.
However, the details still need to be negotiated among member countries, making it unclear how the framework might help U.S. workers and businesses while also serving the interests of partner countries.
South Korea’s Kospi was unchanged, at 2,639.58.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.1% higher to 7,154.70. Australia’s center-left opposition party on Saturday toppled the conservative government after almost a decade in power.
Anthony Albanese was sworn in as prime minister after his Labor party clinched its first electoral win since 2007. Labor has promised more financial assistance and a robust social safety net as Australia grapples with the highest inflation since 2001 and soaring housing prices.
But analysts said the policy stance of the newly elected administration was not significantly different from the incumbent government and major changes were not expected.
“Although it is possible that Labor will represent a slightly more fiscally supportive government than their predecessors, we don’t see many implications for financial markets from this election result,” ING Economics economists said in a commentary.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index lost 1.4% to 20,424.23 while the Shanghai Composite index declined 0.4% to 3,133.38.
On Friday, the S&P 500 finished the day up 0.57 points at 3,901.36. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up less than 0.1%, to 31,261.90. The Nasdaq composite trimmed a big loss to finish 0.3% lower, at 11,354.62.
Many big tech stocks, seen as some of the most vulnerable to rising interest rates, have already fallen much more than 20% this year. That includes a 37.2% tumble for Tesla and a 69.1% nosedive for Netflix.
It’s a sharp turnaround from the powerful run Wall Street enjoyed after emerging from its last bear market in early 2020, at the start of the pandemic.
With inflation at its highest level in four decades, the Fed has switched from keeping interest rates super-low to support markets and the economy and is raising rates and making other moves to tamp down inflation. The worry is it might go too far or too quickly.
Goldman Sachs economists recently put the probabilty of a U.S. recession in the next two years at 35%.
Inflation has been painfully high for months. But the market’s worries swung higher after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent prices spiraling further at grocery stores and gasoline pumps, because the region is a major source of energy and grains.
Adding pressure onto stocks are signs corporate profits are slowing and finally may be suffering from inflation.
In other trading, U.S. benchmark crude oil added 47 cents to $110.75 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It gained 39 cents to $110.28 on Friday.
Brent crude, used as the basis for pricing for international trading, advanced 67 cents to $113.22 per barrel.
The U.S. dollar slipped to 127.29 Japanese yen from 127.87 yen late Friday. The euro rose to $1.0593 from $1.0564. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/05/22/asian-shares-mixed-after-wall-st-barely-misses-bear-market/ | 2022-05-23T07:08:30Z |
(The Hill) — Former President Donald Trump celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision on Friday to overturn Roe. v. Wade, the landmark ruling granting a right to abortion.
“This is following the Constitution, and giving rights back when they should have been given long ago,” Trump told Fox News shortly after the decision was announced.
Friday’s decision, which kicks authority on the issue to states, was expected after a leak of a draft memo from the court last month indicated the court was poised to overturn Roe.
“I think, in the end, this is something that will work out for everybody,” Trump told Fox when asked about how his pro-choice supporters might feel about Friday’s ruling.
Trump played a key role in shaping the conservative majority court, which this week has issued a number of blockbuster decisions on gun rights, separation of church and state and now abortion rights.
Trump and his top aides worked with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), then the GOP majority leader, to nominate and confirm conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.
Trump was the first sitting president to attend the March for Life in 2020. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/trump-praises-supreme-court-decision-overturning-roe-v-wade/ | 2022-06-24T18:24:05Z |
Citizen scientists, trees needed for seasonality research in Pocatello
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – The Idaho State University Department of Biological Sciences needs your help researching the trees around Pocatello.
Scientists in Dr. Rebecca Hale’s urban socio-hydrology lab are asking residents to volunteer a tree in their front yard for observation. Currently, researchers are looking for the following tree species:
- Littleleaf linden
- Callery pear
- Green ash
- Russian olive
- Crab apple
- Siberian elm
- Honeylocust
- Norway maple
“This research will better allow us to monitor how the trees are changing through the seasons and know more precisely when leaves, fruit and seeds sprout and fall off of a tree,” Post-Baccalaureate Scholar Brittany Folk said.
Additionally, researchers are looking to enlist the help of citizen scientists to help check on the trees. Trees that are volunteered will have a small sign with a link to a brief survey that community members can use to enter data about how the tree is faring at that moment. The survey features questions about the whether fruit or seeds are on the tree, the tree’s general health, and more.
“By using citizen science, we can monitor more trees than would be possible using just one researcher checking a tree each day,” Folk said. “This will allow us to get more wide-reaching data about the timing of trees within our cities and give us a greater understanding of a large part of our city's ecosystem.”
The compiled data will be used to better monitor leaf and seed material on the ground in future studies and help provide researchers with more information about citizen science data collection techniques.
If you are interested in volunteering your trees for the research, contact Brittany Folk at brittanyfolk@isu.edu.
For more information on ISU’s Department of Biological Sciences, visit isu.edu/biology. | https://localnews8.com/news/pocatello/2022/04/10/citizen-scientists-trees-needed-for-seasonality-research-in-pocatello/ | 2022-04-10T16:59:41Z |
Bank robber in drag nabbed in Fort Myers
Published: Apr. 11, 2022 at 2:50 PM EDT|Updated: 24 minutes ago
FORT MYERS, Fla. (WWSB) - Fort Myers police have arrested a man who they say robbed a bank April 4 wearing a dress and wig, authorities said.
Police say Leroy Johnson, 62, entered the Bank of America on Matthew Drive an handed a written note to the teller and then fled with an unknown amount of currency.
No employees were injured. There were no weapons mentioned or seen.
The following day, Johnson was stopped in the vehicle police say was used during the robbery and was arrested.
A second suspect, Alfreda Dean, was also arrested and charged with robbery in the same incident and is currently being housed at the Lee County Jail.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/04/11/bank-robber-drag-nabbed-fort-myers/ | 2022-04-11T19:15:46Z |
Demanding quarter, but management believes positive inflection point has been reached with strong 2H trend underway
Record June sales of $34 million, growing to 60% in hard currency, and Total Annual Value of Sales in Q2 increasing 16.4% to $54.7 million
Accelerated 2022 cost efficiency program, realizing $15 million cost reductions by year-end, or $25 million on an annualized basis.
Cash position rose 6.1% to healthy $103 million, with strong free cash flow turnaround to positive $5 million, versus negative $26 million in 2Q21 and negative $65 million in 1Q22
Working capital improved to positive $9 million in 2Q22, versus negative $25 million in 2Q21
Due to uncertain macroeconomic conditions, annual guidance revised to flat revenue growth, EBITDA margin of 11.5% to 12.5%, and leverage ratio of 3.0x to 3.5x
Strong year-end exit rate forecasted, based on sales momentum and improving cost structure
NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Atento S.A. (NYSE: ATTO) ("Atento" or the "Company"), one of the five largest providers of Customer Relationship Management and Business Process Outsourcing (CRM / BPO) services worldwide and sector leader in Latin America, announced today its second quarter operating and financial results for the period ending June 30, 2022. All comparisons in this announcement are year-over-year (YoY) and in constant-currency (CCY), unless otherwise noted.
Volume recovery slower than expected
- Total Annual Value of sales (TAV) increased 16.4% to $54.7 million, growing 88.7% in hard currencies that accounted for 60.2% of TAV
- Excluding the effect of a large one-time Covid-19 services contract signed with State of Maryland in first quarter 2021, TAV would have increased 27.7% in first-half 2022
- Revenue decreased 4.0% to $363.8 million, with Multisector and Telefónica (TEF) sales decreasing 3.3% and 5.5%, respectively, due to lower client volumes, mainly in Brazil and the US, partially offset by inflation pass-through
- Hard-currency revenues expanded to 26% of total revenue
- Brazil TEF sales declined 14.7%, due to the cost-cutting program that this client implemented in the first quarter, which requires reduced CX volumes
EBITDA impacted by reduced volumes, additional one-time severance costs and higher inflation
- EBITDA decreased 44.2% to $28.5 million on aforementioned declines in Multisector and TEF sales, coupled with high severance costs related to new cost efficiency initiatives, ramp up of new client programs and higher inflation, as well as positive one-offs in second quarter of 2021
- Decrease in EBITDA and 543 bps margin contraction were partially offset by improved inflation pass-through
- Net loss of $12.1 million, or negative EPS of $0.83, mainly due to net financial expenses of $12.9 million, $8.7 million of which was non-cash items related to change in fair value of hedges
- Cash financial costs were $29.6 million, of which $20.9 million was a bond interest payment and other interest expenses, primarily those related to the Company's hedges and bank credit facilities
- Free cash flow of $4.5 million
- Despite decreased EBITDA, improved working capital management and lower Capex resulted in positive operating cash flow of $7 million
- Healthy exit rate at quarter-end, with revenue, EBITDA and operating cash flow forecasted to accelerate during second half of year
Healthy cash position
- Healthy cash position of $102.9 million, including $75 million from existing credit revolvers
- At the end of 2Q22, LTM net debt-to-EBITDA was 5.3x, or 3.8x when excluding EBITDA impact of cyberattack in Q4 2021
- Shareholders' equity was negative $130.9 million at June 30, 2022, mainly due to $108.5 million in financial items consisting of $68.8 million in balance sheet and P&L conversion, $39.7 million in financial costs and a negative net $7.1 million change in fair value of hedging instruments
Additional cost reduction initiatives
- Cost reduction initiatives began in April 2022, focused on two areas: SG&A efficiencies, Labor Cost/Headcount and 360° Vendor Revision
- Reduction of fixed costs expected to reach $25 million on an annualized basis ($15 million realizing through July)
Summarized Consolidated Financials
Message from Management
The second quarter was a challenging one, as the recovery in volumes was slower than our expectations, with continued higher inflation across our markets and one-off costs on accelerating structural efficiency programs.
However, based on strong sales in June and July and a growing pipeline, we are expecting 2022 to be the fourth consecutive year of record sales. Moreover, with the investments that we made in further reducing Atento's cost structure, we expect to reap the benefits of $25 million in annualized cost savings, as revenues rise and we continue ramping up new client programs during the remainder of the year and into 2023.
A new account management structure combined with expanding partnerships and effective channel marketing are enabling us to sell more, sell better and sell what we want, namely delivering higher-value services to higher-growth, higher-margin clients. A more effective sales organization also means increasing hard currency revenues, which represented 60% of sales in Q2, versus 37% last year.
Also encouraging was the nearly $5 million in free cash flow that we generated in the quarter, which allowed us to finish with healthy cash position. The cash flow reflects not just a leaner cost structure, but also greater efficiencies, including significantly better working capital management, thanks to new processes and systems that have been implemented to improve the core of our organization. After passing the halfway mark, we remain ahead of plan with regard to inflation pass-through, which we still expect to be approximately 80% of total contract value by year-end.
Given the uncertain macroeconomic conditions, annual guidance was revised to flat revenue growth, EBITDA margin of 11.5% to 12.5%, and a leverage ratio of 3.0 to 3.5x. Although we have revised guidance downward, we still forecast a healthy exit rate at the end of the year, in terms of revenue growth and EBITDA margin, putting us back on a course for much-improved cash flow and debt leverage in 2023.
Second Quarter Segment Reporting
Brazil
Brazil revenue decreased 6.9% in the second quarter to $156.3 million, mainly due to a 14.7% decline in TEF revenue, as this client implemented a cost-cutting program in the first quarter, which requires reduced CX volumes. Multisector revenues decreased 3.8%, mostly related to volume reductions. Multisector sales accounted for 74.7% of revenue in the quarter, down 237 bps compared to last year's comparable quarter.
EBITDA in Brazil decreased 38.6% to $15.0 million, with the corresponding margin declining 500 bps to 9.6%, mainly due to tax credits that benefited 2Q21 profitability and to union agreements signed in 1Q22, partially offset by inflation pass-through negotiation and improved cost efficiencies.
Americas Region
Second quarter revenue declined 4.1% to $149.7 million in the Americas region. Multisector sales decreased 5.0% to 67.9% of revenue, due to a temporary Covid-19 contract, lower volumes related to the higher absentee rates, and the loss of several client programs, partially offset by volumes stemming from new client wins. Most reductions in client volumes were in the US and Mexico, with the latter being impacted by changes in Mexico's outsourcing regulations, while South American countries had slight increases in volumes.
Americas EBITDA decreased 50.9% to $7.8 million, due to a 480 bps contraction in the corresponding margin. The margin decline was due to the aforementioned volume reductions and to cost increases stemming mostly from hyper-inflation in certain countries.
EMEA Region
Second quarter EMEA revenue increased 5.6% to $59.4 million, with Multisector sales increasing 6.8% and TEF sales rising 4.3%. Sales in the latter category still benefited from TEF shifting volumes to Atento, as this client recently consolidated the number of CX providers it utilizes. Multisector sales rose on new sales, mainly driven by the insurance sector.
EBITDA decreased 46.2% in EMEA on a 520 bps margin contraction stemming from offshore to onshore business coverage mix. For the quarter, EMEA EBITDA accounted for 11.2% of consolidated EBITDA.
Cash Flow
Although EBITDA decreased during the second quarter, improved working capital management as well as lower Capex and tax payments resulted in $7.7 million of operating cash flow and $4.5 million of free cash flow. The free cash flow was partially offset by $3.2 million in net financial expenses., which were primarily due to the impact of the Brazilian Reais' appreciation and a higher CDI rate on the Company's currency hedge.
Indebtedness & Capital Structure
At June 30, 2022, Gross debt totaled $736.0 million, or $596.7 million when excluding lease obligations under IFRS 16. With cash and cash equivalents of $102.9 million, net debt was $633.2 million at the end of the quarter. Approximately $89.2 million in revolving credit facilities were available at quarter-end, of which $74.6 million was drawn from existing and new credit facilities.
At the end of the second quarter, LTM net debt-to-EBITDA was 5.3x, or 3.8x when excluding the one-time EBITDA impact of the cyberattack in Q4 2021. The Company finished the quarter with a comfortable maturity profile going out to 2026.
Fiscal 2022 Guidance
Conference Call
Atento will host a conference call and webcast on Thursday, August 04, 2022, at 8:30 am ET to discuss the Company's fiscal second quarter 2022 operating and financial results. The conference call can be accessed by dialing: USA: +1 (866) 807-9684; UK: (+44) 20 3514 3188; Brazil: (+55) 11 4933-0682; Spain: (+34) 80 030-0687; or International: (+1) 412 317 5415. No passcode is required. Individuals who dial in will be asked to identify themselves and their affiliations. A live webcast of the conference call will be available on Atento's Investor Relations website at investors.atento.com (click here). A web-based archive of the conference call will also be available at the website.
About Atento
Atento one of the largest CRM / BPO providers worldwide and sector leader in Latin America and global provider for client relationship management and business process outsourcing services. Since 1999, the company has developed its business model in 13 countries with a workforce of 131,000 employees. Atento has over 400 clients for which it provides a wide range of CRM/BPO services through multiple channels. Its clients are leading multinational companies in the technology, digital, telecommunications, finance, health, consumer and public administration sectors, amongst others. Atento trades under ATTO on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2019, Atento was recognized by Great Place to Work® as one of the 25 World's Best Multinational Workplaces and as one of the Best Places to Work in Latin America. For more information www.atento.com
Media Relations
Investor and analyst inquiries
Hernan van Waveren
+1 979-633-9539
hernan.vanwaveren@atento.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "intends," "continue" or similar terminology. These statements reflect only Atento's current expectations and are not guarantees of future performance or results. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic, and governments' extraordinary measures to limit the spread of the virus, are disrupting the global economy and Atento's industry, and consequently adversely affecting the Company's business, results of operation and cash flows and, as conditions are recent, uncertain and changing rapidly, it is difficult to predict the full extent of the impact that the pandemic will have. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, competition in Atento's highly competitive industries; increases in the cost of voice and data services or significant interruptions in these services; Atento's ability to keep pace with its clients' needs for rapid technological change and systems availability; the continued deployment and adoption of emerging technologies; the loss, financial difficulties or bankruptcy of any key clients; the effects of global economic trends on the businesses of Atento's clients; the non-exclusive nature of Atento's client contracts and the absence of revenue commitments; security and privacy breaches of the systems Atento uses to protect personal data; the cost of pending and future litigation; the cost of defending Atento against intellectual property infringement claims; extensive regulation affecting many of Atento's businesses; Atento's ability to protect its proprietary information or technology; service interruptions to Atento's data and operation centers; Atento's ability to retain key personnel and attract a sufficient number of qualified employees; increases in labor costs and turnover rates; the political, economic and other conditions in the countries where Atento operates; changes in foreign exchange rates; Atento's ability to complete future acquisitions and integrate or achieve the objectives of its recent and future acquisitions; future impairments of our substantial goodwill, intangible assets, or other long-lived assets; and Atento's ability to recover consumer receivables on behalf of its clients. In addition, Atento is subject to risks related to its level of indebtedness. Such risks include Atento's ability to generate sufficient cash to service its indebtedness and fund its other liquidity needs; Atento's ability to comply with covenants contained in its debt instruments; the ability to obtain additional financing; the incurrence of significant additional indebtedness by Atento and its subsidiaries; and the ability of Atento's lenders to fulfill their lending commitments. Atento is also subject to other risk factors described in documents filed by the comp any with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which the statements were made. Atento undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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SOURCE Atento S.A. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/atento-reports-fiscal-2022-second-quarter-first-half-results/ | 2022-08-04T00:24:21Z |
Full technology overhaul sets innovative course for other community banks to follow
PLANO, Texas, April 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Alkami Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALKT) ("Alkami"), a leading cloud-based digital banking solutions provider for banks and credit unions in the U.S., today announced that Mascoma Bank ("Mascoma") has selected Alkami's digital banking platform as part of a full technology stack overhaul with core banking technology firm Thought Machine. This will not only drive future growth for Mascoma, but also serve as a model for other community banks to build upon.
"We are building an innovative ecosystem that will allow us to better serve our existing customer base, attract new customers and grow strategically into the future," said Clay Adams, president and chief executive officer of Mascoma Bank. "Our Chief Technology Officer, Raphael Reznek, challenged us to rethink how we use technology and the importance of building an embedded finance system. As a result, instead of replacing our existing core, we set out to completely revamp our tech stack to incorporate the most advanced systems. We chose to partner with Alkami because they offer the best balance of deep extensibility with robust 'out of the box' capabilities and configurations."
The Alkami platform will be integrated with Thought Machine's core banking platform, Vault, to provide a complete cloud-based banking platform that is capable of being easily configured and scaled. Mascoma will be able to get to market quickly and have the ability to customize based on the bank's unique needs using a modern API architecture and real-time data.
"Mascoma is a community bank to watch. They are undergoing a true digital transformation, and we are thrilled to be a part of it," said Alkami's chief executive officer, Alex Shootman. "Their digital-first mindset is helping them build a foundation that will allow them to innovate and adapt—fueling the future of community banking as a whole."
"Raphael Reznek along with our leadership team has a vision to build a digital platform that will put us in control of our destiny and serve as a roadmap for other community banks to follow. The new tech stack more than answers that call," added Samantha Pause, chief marketing and product officer at Mascoma. "I am particularly excited for Alkami's data insights, which will allow us to provide tailored experiences to further empower our customers on their financial journeys."
About Mascoma Bank
Headquartered in Lebanon, New Hampshire, Mascoma Bank is a $2.6 billion mutual bank and Certified B-Corporation® with 28 branches and 2 loan offices throughout Northern New England. Mascoma Bank was founded in 1899 by community members seeking ways to establish a healthy local economy. For over 122 years, Mascoma Bank's foundation of mutuality has continued to be a force for positive change supporting communities to reach thriving sustainability. Mascoma Bank has made a strong commitment of utilizing technology to help support its mission and values of putting the customer at the center of its work.
About Alkami
Alkami Technology, Inc. is a leading cloud-based digital banking solutions provider for financial institutions in the United States that enables clients to grow confidently, adapt quickly and build thriving digital communities. Alkami helps clients transform through retail and business banking, digital account opening, loan origination, and multi-payment fraud prevention solutions. To learn more, visit www.alkami.com.
Media Relations Contact
Jennifer Cortez
jennifer.cortez@alkami.com
Katie Schimmel
katie@outlookmarketingsrv.com
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SOURCE Alkami Technology, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/12/mascoma-bank-selects-alkami-its-digital-banking-platform-partner/ | 2022-04-12T15:12:23Z |
An additional 42 genes connected to the development of Alzheimer's disease have been uncovered in the largest study of genetic risk for Alzheimer's to date.
"This is a landmark study in the field of Alzheimer's research and is the culmination of 30 years' work," study co-author Julie Williams, center director at the UK Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff University, said in a statement.
"Lifestyle factors such as smoking, exercise and diet influence our development of Alzheimer's, and acting to address these now is a positive way of reducing risk ourselves," she added. "However, 60-80% of disease risk is based on our genetics and therefore we must continue to seek out the biological causes and develop much-needed treatments for the millions of people affected worldwide."
The previously unknown genes point to additional pathways for disease progression besides the well-known APOE e4 gene or the development of amyloid beta and tau, two hallmark proteins that build up in the brain with devastating results as Alzheimer's progresses.
"Creating an extensive list of Alzheimer's disease risk genes is like having the edge pieces of a puzzle put together, and while this work doesn't give us the full picture, it provides a valuable framework for future developments," said Susan Kohlhaas, director of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, who was not involved in the research.
A number of the newly discovered genes focus on very detailed reactions between proteins in the body that govern how inflammation and the immune system might damage brain cells, the study found.
"The new risk variants identified in the present study are significantly associated with progression" to Alzheimer's disease, says the study, published Monday in the journal Nature Genetics.
The discovery will provide scientists with potential new targets for treatments, medications and lifestyle changes that might reduce the risk of the deadly brain disease, experts say.
"The future of Alzheimer's disease is precision medicine and prevention," said Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic in the Center for Brain Health at Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine.
"This paper gives us so many more tools in our toolbox to, eventually, more precisely target Alzheimer's disease," said Isaacson, who was not involved in the study.
New disease pathways
The global study analyzed the genomes of 111,326 people with clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's and compared those with genes from 677,663 cognitively healthy people. The genomes were supplied by clinics in over 15 members of the European Union, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Iceland, Nigeria, New Zealand, the UK and the United States.
The study identified 75 genes that are linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's, 33 of which were already known. It also confirmed years of research into the roles of amyloid beta and tau.
Of the 42 new genes found to be connected to Alzheimer's, many clustered into several suspected but unconfirmed pathways for disease development. One such pathway is the body's immune system, designed to protect us from germ invaders.
A number of genes were associated with an immune regulator called LUBAC, which the body needs to activate genes and prevent cell death. The study also found that microglia, immune cells in the brain that are tasked with "taking out the trash" -- clearing away damaged neurons -- play a key role in people with diagnosed Alzheimer's disease.
Some of the newly discovered genes may cause microglia to be less efficient, "which could accelerate the disease," Williams said.
Another key pathway, according to the study, involves genes associated with inflammation. The body uses inflammation as a defense mechanism to kill off pathogens, but it also plays a role in removing damaged cells.
One protein that stood out in the study was tumor necrosis factor alpha, which is made by the immune system to regulate inflammation. The study found a cluster of genes associated with TNF, as it is called. Though the chemical's true role is to gather the body's defenses for a fight, it is also a culprit in many autoimmune diseases in which the body turns upon itself, such as rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, Crohn's disease and type 1 diabetes.
Additional complicated gene interactions were found by the study, all of which illustrate that "Alzheimer's disease is a multifactorial disease, made up of different pathologies, and each person has their own road," Isaacson said.
"Clinicians always say, 'once you've seen one person with Alzheimer's, you've seen one person with Alzheimer's.' The disease presents differently and progresses differently in different people," he said.
A common cause?
Another key insight of the study was that brain disorders such as Parkinson's, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may have the same underlying genetic basis: "Taken as a whole, these data may thus emphasize a potential continuum between neurodegenerative diseases," the study said.
"The scientific and medical community view neurodegenerative disease processes as very different and distinct, and that's how we've been studying them for a long time," said Dr. Kellyann Niotis, a neurologist specializing in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease prevention at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.
"This emphasizes that there may be a larger continuum between these disease processes than we really understood before," said Niotis, who was not involved in the study.
"Young people may have similar underlying genetic risks, and they might lead to Parkinson's in one person and Alzheimer's in the other," she said. "In reality, it is less relevant. What matters is understanding that this is what is going wrong in their body, so let's start early and target this pathway."
By generating this more complete picture of genetic risk -- which needs to be fleshed out and defined in future studies -- the study authors also developed "a new scoring system to predict the risk of Alzheimer's disease," Tara Spires-Jones, deputy director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, said in a statement.
"This tool will be useful for researchers but will not likely be used any time soon for people who are not participating in clinical trials," said Spires-Jones, who was not involved in the study.
Clinician researchers like Isaacson and Niotis know that a tool like that is precisely what patients want who are worried about their brain health.
"People want to know, 'what are my chances?' and then 'what can I do about it?' " Isaacson said. "Not today, but in the near future, we'll be able to calculate a person's likelihood of developing Alzheimer's or another brain disorder in a more precise way, and that will help with precision medical and lifestyle management."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/features/health/42-previously-unknown-genes-discovered-for-alzheimers-disease/article_9b091929-7464-59cd-a13f-160a956c7ebd.html | 2022-04-06T02:11:48Z |
Brand "Spokesowl" launching on International Owl Awareness Day will give consumers behind-the-scenes look at farm-to-mill sugar crafting practices
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Crystals® – the only brand of organic sugars made from sugarcane sustainably grown in the U.S. – announces the launch of a new "spokesowl." Barn owl mascot "Ollie" will give consumers a bird's-eye view of each step of the organic raw cane sugar crafting process, from farm to package.
Farming in harmony with nature is core to everything Florida Crystals does, and the Florida Crystals® products are all done at home – right here in the United States. It's a passion of the brand to share a love for farming and the joys of working amidst acres of Florida's vast, sun-drenched farmland. Ollie will serve as the brand's new ambassador, helping share the sustainability message in a heartfelt and personal way.
"We believe that everyone deserves to know where their food comes from and how it's grown, so we're pleased to introduce our new mascot, Ollie, who will be able to walk – or fly – consumers through the ins and outs of our farms," said Paula Summers, Vice President of Marketing. "For decades, we've been proud to craft a full line of organic raw cane sugars for baking – the only ones crafted from organic sugarcane grown in the U.S. We're committed to following some of the most sustainable practices in the world and to having full transparency in each step of our sugarcane's journey, from our farms, to our mills, to our bags."
An embodiment of the brand's innovative and regenerative farming approach, the new feathered mascot pays tribute to the more than 1,250 native barn owls that call Florida Crystals' farms home. The owls are drawn to the farms by the largest private owl box network in the world – soon to be 2,000 boxes – built by Florida Crystals. They enjoy cozy housing, while acting as natural pest control – with one owl family eating up to 3,000 pests in a year. Ollie's full story is now live on the Florida Crystals website.
In addition to the barn owl program, Florida Crystals follows other regenerative agriculture practices like rotating sugarcane with rice and other cover crops to replenish soil nutrients naturally. The company also uses its sugarcane fiber to generate the clean energy that powers its milling and packaging facilities. And that's not all! Using satellites and drones, Florida Crystals precisely monitors soil moisture, crop growth and weather factors. With GPS-guided tractors, nutrients are precisely applied where they're needed. Ollie will be able to explain all these practices and more from the perspective of someone who was born and raised on the farms. This feathered friend will share what goes into making top-quality raw cane sugars that are USDA-certified organic, as well as Non-GMO Project verified, certified vegan, gluten-free and kosher. In other words, Ollie will share the delicious secrets of crafting sweetness you can feel good about with every bite.
For exclusive recipes, baking tips, product information and to "meet" Ollie, visit the Florida Crystals® virtual hub HERE. And for more details on how we are doubling the size of the largest network of owl boxes in the word visit the corporate press release link HERE.
About Florida Crystals®
Florida Crystals® cane sugars – the only USDA-certified organic raw cane sugars made from organic sugarcane grown and harvested in the U.S. – is produced by Florida Crystals Corporation, a fully integrated cane sugar company that thoughtfully plans every step of its sugarcane's journey to deliver sweetness that consumers can feel good about with every bite.
From sugarcane grown and harvested fresh from family-owned farms in Florida and milled within 24 hours, Florida Crystals® delivers minimally processed cane sugars that offer consistency, unparalleled quality and authentic flavor for recipes. The products – all Non-GMO Project verified, vegan and kosher – are grown following some of the world's most sustainable practices like regenerative and precision agriculture, crop rotation, and using barn owls for pest control, to protect the environment for this generation and the next.
For recipes, baking tips, product information and so much more, visit FloridaCrystals.com, or follow Florida Crystals® on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Media Contacts:
Kaitlin Harris
Florida Crystals®
kharris@brightredagency.com
(850) 668-6824
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SOURCE Florida Crystals | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/04/leading-organic-sugar-brand-florida-crystals-introduces-barn-owl-mascot-ollie-share-its-sustainably-homegrown-farming-story/ | 2022-08-04T12:41:01Z |
TORONTO, Aug. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PARCLL, a leading global e-commerce logistics solutions provider, opened its first Canada-based shipping facility earlier this month to meet rising demand for domestic and cross-border parcel shipping services for clients in Canada, the U.S. and Asia. The facility is located just minutes from Pearson International Airport, in Mississauga GTA, near highways 401, 403, 410, 427 and 407.
With the opening of the Toronto facility, not only will company's Canada-based parcel shipping services become more reliable and trackable, it will also help PARCLL better respond to client requests and help them develop stronger vendor relationships.
"Canada is an important destination for global eCommerce," said Allan Zhang, General Manager Canada. "We're very excited to have a permanent facility where we can provide a better range of shipping services for our global clients, including DDP customs clearance services for inbound parcels here at Pearson International Airport." This marks the eighth major facility that PARCLL has opened in North America.
"We want to make shipping to and throughout Canada easy," said Vincent D'Amato, Head of Sales & Strategic Alliances at PARCLL. "Canada is a large footprint with many national and regional delivery options. Those options can be overwhelming. Our intelligent shipping solution will help clients make informed decisions based on price and speed."
PARCLL is a global e-commerce logistics solutions provider built to serve shippers who demand better service, more reliability and more pricing options for domestic and cross border lightweight parcels. Equipped with a dynamic IT-platform, PARCLL provides best-in-class delivery services to U.S. brands, online sellers, e-commerce fulfillment providers, and digital shipping platforms. Domestically, PARCLL provides B2C small package delivery services from its strategically located, large-scale sortation hubs in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, New York /New Jersey and Toronto. Internationally, PARCLL offers fully-tracked DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) solutions into Canada, UK, the European Union and many other markets via its own eCommerce facilities based in each region.
Media contact: For all press inquiries, please contact press@parcll.com.
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SOURCE PARCLL | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/25/parcll-adds-toronto-facility-north-america-shipping-operations/ | 2022-08-26T01:07:10Z |
Donnell Campbell, Head of Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Receives Business Leader Award
HANOVER, Md., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aston Carter, a leading staffing and consulting firm with a focus on financial and professional services, announced today that two executives will be participating in the second annual National Black Men in Leadership Summit. The Michigan Diversity Council (MIDC), in partnership with the National Diversity Council (NDC), is hosting the event, which will focus on "Resilient Leadership: Connection, Community and Contribution."
Aston Carter President, Stuart Ferguson, and Head of Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), Donnell Campbell, have been selected to speak on a panel: Anti-Racism, Allyship, and Authenticity: Building Transformational Organizations at the National Black Men in Leadership Summit. The central goals of the summit are to advance the knowledge of corporate leaders so that they can inspire respect and understanding by educating them on the many facets of diversity, creating an open dialogue that supports diversity and inclusion practices in the workplace, and promoting outreach efforts to youth affiliated with the program.
During the National Black Men in Leadership Summit Awards, Campbell will be recognized with the 2022 Business Leader Award. The award highlights individuals who have achieved success in their careers, while paving the way for Black men to advance in the corporate and education arena.
"Donnell's passion for creating and promoting a culture of inclusion is unparalleled," said Ferguson. "We are so proud of his outstanding leadership and that he is being recognized by the MIDC and NDC for his commitment."
To learn more about the National Black Men in Leadership Summit, visit here. For more information about Aston Carter's talent solutions and services, please visit AstonCarter.com.
Established in 1997, Aston Carter is a leading staffing and consulting firm, providing high-caliber talent and premium services to more than 7,000 companies across North America. Spanning four continents and more than 200 offices, Aston Carter extends its clients' capabilities by seeking solvers and delivering solutions to address today's workforce challenges. For organizations looking for innovative solutions shaped by critical-thinking professionals, visit AstonCarter.com.
Aston Carter is a company within Allegis Group, a global leader in talent solutions.
A non-profit organization committed to fostering a learning environment for organizations to grow in their knowledge of diversity. The council affords opportunities for organizations to share best practices and learn from top corporate leaders in the areas of diversity and inclusion. For more information about the National Diversity Council, please visit www.nationaldiversitycouncil.org.
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SOURCE Aston Carter | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/aston-carter-executives-speak-2022-national-black-men-leadership-summit/ | 2022-08-18T12:33:10Z |
Wells Fargo and Mentor Collective Team Up to Create
Lasting Socioeconomic Change for HBCU Students
BOSTON, Aug. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wells Fargo and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) have announced the winners for this year's College Completion Scholarship Program. Awarded to a minimum of two hundred (200) senior scholars attending TMCF-member schools, the spring scholarship provides up to $5,000 for the 2021-22 academic year and career mentorship from leading large-scale mentorship program provider Mentor Collective. A full list of winners and their schools can be downloaded here.
Established to honor the U.S. Supreme Court's first African-American justice, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund partners with organizations like Wells Fargo and Mentor Collective to help provide access to a high-quality college education while connecting high-performing, world-ready students with top-tier employment opportunities.
"None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody – a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns – bent down and helped us pick up our boots." - Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall
Critical to the College Completion Scholarship Program is a mentorship component facilitated by Mentor Collective. Mentor Collective applies scholarly research on mentorship to purposefully match each scholarship winner with a professional mentor at Wells Fargo. A 2021 study found that young adults with career mentors experienced greater career enhancement and reported higher levels of well-being in the short and long term. Additional research performed across over 700 students in Mentor Collective's programs also show significant improvements in retention and sense of belonging; namely that peer mentorship influenced an average 5.67% increase in year-over-year retention. These results were considerably more profound when students had 3+ conversations with their mentor (average 11.8% increase in retention and 13.39% increase in sense of belonging).
"Social and financial capital are two essential components necessary to help students graduate and transition their learning into a fulfilling career," said Gigi Dixon, Wells Fargo head of external engagement for Diverse Segments, Representation, and Inclusion. "We are honored to play a role in empowering the next graduating class with both financial and networking assistance. Through the Mentor Collective program, these scholarship recipients will be paired with a Wells Fargo employee to help them navigate the professional landscape beyond their post-secondary career."
"Through our research and experience with career readiness programs, we've found that mentorship at this formative time before graduation not only better prepares students for academia or the workforce, it contributes to significant upward movement on the socioeconomic strata," said Jackson Boyar, Co-Founder and CEO of Mentor Collective. "Wells Fargo has been an incredible partner in helping Mentor Collective reach students with the most to gain from life-changing relationships, and we look forward to seeing the impact an initiative like this can make."
Wells Fargo's Senior Lead Diversity & Inclusion Consultant Dewey Norwood, Jr. will be conversing with other senior leaders across higher education on August 11th about equitable career outcomes at Mentor Collective's next virtual roundtable event. He is joined by leaders from The University of Delaware and Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce.
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation's largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). Publicly-supported HBCUs enroll over 80% of all students attending HBCUs. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also a source for top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs.
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is a leading middle market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 41 on Fortune's 2022 rankings of America's largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy.
News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.
Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com | Twitter: @WellsFargo
Mentor Collective—the leading provider of high-impact, large-scale mentorship programming in higher education—is a collective of institutions and thought leaders dedicated to closing the opportunity gap through mentorship. Founded in 2014, Mentor Collective has delivered 700+ unique mentorship programs, established 160+ institutional partnerships, and formed 200,000 mentoring relationships through expert-led research, services, and technology. As an impact-first investment of the Lumina Foundation, Mentor Collective partners with forward-thinking institutions that are committed to equity, inclusion, and relationship-centered education.
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SOURCE Mentor Collective | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/10/thurgood-marshall-college-fund-provides-scholarship-winners-with-career-advancing-mentorships/ | 2022-08-10T14:53:51Z |
Energizer's first 2150Wh portable power station ever
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Energizer's first portable power station 2150Wh was launched today at IIT.
IIT has committed to selling portable power stations since becoming the agent of the Energizer brand in 2019 and has successively launched the Energizer small-capacity series: PPS100/160/240/320/700.
The PPS2000 is IIT's first high-capacity unit.
Judy Tan, CEO of IIT is far-sighted. She once said: "Our goal is to bring clean energy into people and homes." "Portable power stations are only our first step into clean energy."
Into The Family
With its power output of 2100W (peak 4800W) and its capacity of 2150Wh, it can supply power to most household appliances, including refrigerators, microwave ovens, TV sets, Etc.
Battery Management System
Battery management system with overcharge/overcurrent protection. Integrated LiFePO4 battery cycles up to 2000 times and lasts for up to 10 years.
4 Charging Methods
The battery can be charged in four different ways - solar panel; AC/DC adapter; car charger; AC+DC dual charge; PV fast charge; (using 700W solar charger) can be fully charged within 3-3.5 hours
LCD Touch Screen
The operation is intelligent, and users can read what they need.
Product Specifications:
Item Weight: 81.6 pounds
Aviation Output
Power Button
6×AC Output
Wireless Charging
USB-A
OutputUSB-A 18W
12V DC Charging Port
DC 5521 Output
Output PD100W
Availability
The Energizer PPS2000 is now available for order on energizerpps.com / Amazon.com / Aliexpress.com
In addition, Energizerpps.com is recruiting affiliates. Anyone can register as an affiliate and recommend others to buy products in the shop, earn up to 3% commission for each successful referral (valid forever)
Company Profile
IIT started from trading, and with more than 10 years of brand operation experience, its business covers North America, Southeast Asia, the European Union, and other countries
In addition to the newly launched Energizer PPS2000, it is imperative for IIT to enter the clean energy field.
IIT has also invested in a high-tech solar panel R&D team and factory as early as 2021, which has been successfully mass-produced and supplied both at home and abroad.
For more B2B information about IIT, please visit the IIT online website iittechnology.com
PR Contact
For More Information
Energizer-Marketing@iittechnology.com
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SOURCE IIT Technology Co. Ltd. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/energizer-introduces-newest-2150wh-portable-power-station/ | 2022-08-23T16:46:01Z |
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