text stringlengths 102 99.6k | url stringlengths 31 426 | crawl_date timestamp[us, tz=UTC]date 2022-04-01 00:29:49 2022-09-19 04:34:15 |
|---|---|---|
AUCKLAND, New Zealand and NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Air New Zealand touched down at John F. Kennedy International Airport today, marking the first of its non-stop flights connecting the city of sails and the city that never sleeps.
Minister of Tourism for New Zealand Hon Stuart Nash, Chair Dame Therese Walsh and Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran were onboard the inaugural flight, along with key tourism and travel partners. Foran says the introduction of a non-stop service between Auckland and New York connects his two favorite places.
"As one of the world's greatest cities, Air New Zealand is proud to add the Big Apple to its list of 29 international destinations. By adding greater access to the East Coast of the US, we're connecting our North American customers to the possibilities of 20 destinations within New Zealand as well as the Pacific and Australia, all within easy reach. This is terrific for our customers."
The airline's new international menu was debuted onboard NZ2, showcasing the best of New Zealand produce to the world. This features more choice in the air, so Premium customers can add the likes of seared salmon from Marlborough, free-range chicken from Waikato or bacon, and streamed green vegetables or fresh, crisp salads picked straight from orchards and fields in Gisborne, Waikato and the Manawatū.
As part of the new menu, Business Premier customers were welcomed to their dining experience with an amuse-bouche of New Zealand paua saucisson (abalone sausage) with herb cream and tomato.
Air New Zealand now serves seven destinations in North America – Chicago (from 31 October), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver and (after much anticipation), New York City.
The first flight from New York (JFK) to Auckland (AKL) departs at 21:55 ET with an estimated flight time of 17 and a half hours.
Flight schedule between Auckland and New York, effective 19 September 2022:
Link to broll video of NZ2 departing Auckland International Airport: https://airnz.sharefile.com/d-s3cb34d348575416dbb78c029e80733ff
Link to images of NZ2 departing Auckland International Airport: https://airnz.sharefile.com/share/view/s5ecccadfde2942868faa917770e6c5fd
Link to broll video and images of NZ2 arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Air New Zealand flight attendants in New York City: https://airnz.sharefile.com/d-sac2061cacfa6460e96d32366eaefe23b
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Air New Zealand | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/18/air-new-zealand-touches-down-big-apple/ | 2022-09-18T05:35:13Z |
Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant and Kyle Mooney’s signature ‘SNL’ moments
By Marianne Garvey
“Saturday Night Live” bid farewell to Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson and Kyle Mooney on Saturday.
The episode, hosted by Natasha Lyonne, began with a cold open with McKinnon playing Coleen Rafferty in “Close Encounter,” her recurring skit in which aliens abduct her and things get freaky. In the season finale, McKinnon agrees to leave Earth forever in the name of research, and boards a space ship with tears in her eyes.
“Well, Earth. I love you, thanks for letting me stay awhile,” McKinnon said.
It was a fitting sendoff for McKinnon, who in 2015 played the sketch so absurdly, she made both Ryan Gosling and Bryant break character.
In 2016, McKinnon switched gears for a heartbreaking cold open where she played piano under a spotlight and sang Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” as Hillary Clinton after Clinton lost the presidential election.
Davidson, who started on “SNL” eight years ago with no clear path of what he was supposed to do, grew braver over the years, working different characters and rap performances into the show. He also became a regular on the “Weekend Update” segment, where he would dish about his personal life and crack jokes about the news.
And who could forget his first kiss with Kim Kardashian in an Aladdin skit?
After 10 years, Aidy Bryant also finished her time on “SNL.” Here’s a look at her lovable character Joan, who dates her Chihuahua Doug, and sings along with Harry Styles.
In 2018, Bryant channeled Cardi B in Aidy B and Cardi B, where she became an empowered woman from the Bronx who says whatever she wants whenever she wants.
Mooney, who also said goodbye on Saturday after nine years, is known for playing the everyman, the nerd, the loser.
Here he challenges Kanye West to a rap battle in 2016:
In 2018, he attempted to become popular by taking on the mannerisms and style of Davidson.
Davidson has plans for an upcoming biographical sitcom. Safe bet the other departing cast members will keep us laughing with new projects too.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/news/2022/05/23/pete-davidson-kate-mckinnon-aidy-bryant-and-kyle-mooneys-signature-snl-moments/ | 2022-05-23T18:24:34Z |
ST. PAUL, Minn., June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly MN (LBFEMN) has officially changed its name to Friends & Co™. The change will not affect the organization's mission and programs, including the flagship program Visiting Companions, as well as the new phone-based programs – Phone Companions and Coffee Talk.
"The new Friends & Co name, logo, and colors are more welcoming and inclusive for older adults, donors, volunteers, and community partners," said James Falvey, Friends & Co's executive director. "It expresses the essence of who we are: connection, companionship, and community. It provides an ideal springboard for expanding our services and reaching more older adults in more places than ever before."
The change to Friends & Co is a result of a year-long process that involved participation from older adult members, volunteers, donors, partners, as well as our staff and board of directors. More than 30 key stakeholder interviews were conducted to determine what people liked about LBFEMN, its mission, name, and what they found problematic.
"Change has always been a part of our organization as we have grown and adapted over the years to better serve older adults," Falvey said. "This name change is really a continuation of that ongoing change that first started when we opened our doors in Minnesota 50 years ago."
After reviewing more than 1,000 name options, Friends & Co was the clear winner and paid homage to the organization's past while allowing it to build for the future. With the tagline "meaningful connections for older adults," the new name and visual identity will enable the organization to more effectively market its services via this vibrant and eye-catching logo and color scheme.
mweiner@friendsco.org
612-703-3932
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Friends & Co | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/little-brothers-friends-elderly-mn-changes-name-friends-amp-co-mission-programs-continue-unaffected/ | 2022-06-08T13:40:54Z |
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Monday warned mayors of big, mostly Democratic cities to be “on notice” as groups of migrants could be bused to their town from Texas.
This comes after New York City received its first busload of migrants from Texas earlier this month as part of a program launched by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in April. The program organizes charter buses to take migrants who have crossed the border and agree to it to Washington, D.C. Now, New York City is being added as a destination.
“Every mayor of a big blue city, which are most of the top 25 in the country, should be on notice. Look out your window, you might see a bus coming to you one day in the future, and the buses are going to keep coming,” Patrick said to Anchor Bill Hemmer on Fox News.
Texas’ migrant transport plan was created as the Biden administration moved to end Title 42, a policy enacted at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 that expels migrants from the U.S. without giving them a chance to request asylum.
“If we can put pressure on all these Democrat mayors around the country, maybe they’ll pick up the phone and call Joe Biden and say, ‘the border is not secure,'” Patrick continued on to say.
Earlier this month, Abbott invited the mayors of Washington, D.C., and New York City to visit the Texas-Mexico border after they complained about Texas busing migrants to their cities.
After the migrant group arrived in New York, the Texas Tribune reported NYC Mayor Eric Adams said, “I think that Gov. Abbott, what he’s doing is just so inhumane.” Adams accused Abbott of “putting them on a bus for the 44-hour ride, very few breaks, no food, no direction and clear information.”
As of Aug. 5, more than 6,500 migrants on over 150 buses have left Texas and been dropped off in D.C. since the effort was launched in April, according to the governor’s press secretary.
“Texas will keep sending buses of migrants to NYC and I support sending migrants to other big Democrat-led cities,” Patrick went on to write on Twitter. “The Democrats are squarely responsible for the crisis on our southern border. Until Democrat governors and mayors speak up, they share the blame with Joe and Kamala.” | https://cw33.com/news/texas-politics/dan-patrick-to-blue-cities-be-on-notice-for-buses-of-migrants-from-texas/ | 2022-08-19T22:16:17Z |
ARMONK, N.Y., May 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New market research commissioned by IBM (NYSE: IBM) revealed that global AI adoption grew steadily over the last year, to 35 percent of those surveyed in 2022, further underscoring that AI growth is poised to accelerate as it continues to mature, becoming more accessible and easier to implement.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9002053-ibm-global-ai-adoption-index-2022/
Other data points from the "Global AI Adoption Index 2022," conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of IBM, reveal this growth was due to companies recognizing the value of AI as they emerged from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and invested in their digital transformation, while dealing with talent and skills shortages. In fact, the study shows that AI adoption was up 4 percentage points compared with 2021.
For the first time, the report also polled companies about their plans to use AI in their sustainability initiatives and found that AI is poised to play a significant role. 66% of IT professionals surveyed said that their company is either currently applying AI, or plans to apply AI, to accelerate ESG initiatives.
Highlights from the "Global AI Adoption Index 2022" include:
- Global AI adoption is growing steadily, and most companies already use or plan to use AI: Today, 35% of companies reported using AI in their business. Compared with 2021, organizations are 13% more likely to have adopted AI in 2022. Additionally, 42% of companies report they are exploring AI. Large companies are more likely than smaller companies to use AI. Chinese and Indian companies are leading the way, with nearly 60% of IT professionals in those countries saying their organization already actively uses AI, compared with lagging markets like South Korea (22%), Australia (24%) the U.S. (25%), and the U.K. (26%). IT professionals in the financial services, media, energy, automotive, oil, and aerospace industries are most likely to report their company has actively deployed AI, while organizations in industries including retail, travel and government/federal services and healthcare are the least likely.
- Setting clear data and AI strategies are key for horizontal deployment: A major explanation for gradual AI adoption is the need to implement a successful data management strategy and applying AI to that data achieve business goals. Companies that have not deployed AI are three times as likely to say that they have little to no confidence their company has the proper data management tools. Today, 37% of companies are developing an AI strategy, 28% already have a holistic strategy in place, and 25% have a strategy that is focused only on limited or specific use cases.
- Automation is helping address skills gaps, labor shortages: More than costs, lack of tools, or project or data complexity, the skills gap remains the biggest barrier to AI adoption. At the same time, AI is also helping organizations address skills shortages, for example by automating tasks for skilled workers so they can be more productive, or by using AI-assisted learning or employee engagement. Almost one-in-four companies are adopting AI because of labor or skills shortages, and 30% of global IT professionals say employees at their organization are already saving time with new AI and automation software/tools.
- A growing emphasis on trust – but few concrete actions: Establishing trustworthy, responsible AI practices and AI maturity go hand-in-hand: The more likely a company is to have deployed AI, the more likely they are to value the importance of trustworthiness. IT professionals at businesses currently deploying AI are 17% more likely to report that their business values AI explainability than those that are simply exploring AI. But while growing majorities of business leaders say that trustworthy AI is critical, a majority organizations have not taken key steps to ensure their AI is trustworthy and responsible, such as reducing bias (74%), tracking performance variations/model drift (68%), and making sure making sure they can explain AI-powered decisions (61%)
- Building more sustainable operations: AI is poised to play a growing role in the sustainability initiatives of organizations around the world as more than two-thirds of businesses either use or plan to use AI today as part of their sustainability initiatives. One-in-five companies are already adopting AI because of environmental pressures.
- Popular use cases like automation, security drive adoption: Organizations are applying AI in a wide variety of use cases today, with the most advanced adoption happening in areas like IT operations, security and threat detection and business process automation. Today, already a third of companies are already using AI for IT Operations (AIOps) to automate key processes, which helps them maintain application performance while also making resource-allocation more efficient. A third of companies deploying AI are applying such as natural language processing to fields like marketing, sales and customer care.
"More than one-third of organizations polled in the IBM Global AI Adoption Index 2022 say they are using AI today to respond to a myriad of different factors and pressures," said Tom Rosamilia, Senior Vice President, IBM Software. "They're looking to AI to help them address skills and labor shortages, respond to competitive pressures and, increasingly to respond to environmental pressures as well. Most respondents said they either are already using or plan to use AI as part of their sustainability initiatives. These trends all point to the growing role that AI is playing both within organizations but also in society."
While AI investment continues to grow, barriers to adoption remain, particularly for smaller organizations who are significantly less likely to take advantage of AI. The survey determined top three barriers to AI adoption for businesses are: limited AI expertise or knowledge (34%), high prices (29%), and lack of tools and platforms for developing AI models (25%).
IBM is helping to address these barriers and deliver the benefits of AI to more people and organizations across industries with AI that is human-centered and designed for the needs of businesses. IBM is continually drawing on the latest innovations in AI from IBM Research to deliver new enterprise-ready capabilities, automate technical and manual processes like IT operations and develop new ways to operationalize and help ensure AI ethics are observed. Additionally, IBM Consulting brings deep technology, industry and process design expertise to co-create solutions with customers that embed AI into core business processes and create intelligent workflows at scale.
Download the full report here.
This poll was conducted from March 30-April 12, 2022, among a sample of 7,502 senior business decision-makers with some knowledge/influence over their company's IT decisions, including 500 respondents each in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, China, India, Singapore, Australia, Canada, UAE, and South Korea, and 1000 respondents in across the Latin America region (Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru). The interviews were conducted online and the margin of error for the full sample in each country is +/- 4 percentage points, and the margin of error for the Latin America region is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% confidence level. See full details on the methodology at the end of the summary.
Watson is IBM's AI technology for business, helping organizations to better predict and shape future outcomes, automate complex processes, and optimize employees' time. Watson has evolved from an IBM Research project, to experimentation, to a scaled, open set of products that run anywhere. With more than 40,000 client engagements, Watson is being applied by leading global brands across a variety of industries to transform how people work. To learn more, visit: https://www.ibm.com/watson
Media Contact:
Zachery Bishop
IBM Media Relations
Zachery.bishop@ibm.com
View original content:
SOURCE IBM | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/19/global-data-ibm-shows-steady-ai-adoption-organizations-look-address-skills-shortages-automate-processes-encourage-sustainable-operations/ | 2022-05-19T18:42:34Z |
SANTA BARBARA,Calif., Sept. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Women's Choice Award® recently named Mission Wealth a "Best Company to Work for Women" and a "Best Company to Work for Millennials". These awards recognize company culture and policies, including work-life balance and female representation at every level.
Since 2010, the Women's Choice Award — founded by Delia Passi, CEO of WomenCertified and former Publisher of Working Mother magazine — has selected companies based on female representation in the workforce, work-life balance benefits, professional development and support networks, paid and family time off, health and wellness benefits, employee recognition, and financial benefits.
"Creating an inclusive environment where women want to work is more than just policies and percentages," said Dannell Stuart, Partner and Chief Client Officer. "At Mission Wealth, we have long been a promoter of inclusion and gender parity in the workplace, so it is a great honor to receive this Women's Choice Award recognition."
Out of 85 employees 47% of the firm is represented by women and 62% are millennials. As a 100% employee-owned firm, 42% of the owners are female and 50% of the firm's executive leadership committee are currently represented by women. The firm has plans to increase female ownership and create additional leadership positions by 2023. Mission Wealth takes pride in its inclusive, caring culture and strives to make it a great place to work.
The Women's Choice Award identifies the brands, products and services that are most recommended and trusted by women. Additionally, they recognize the best companies to work for, based on a survey of women indicating what's most important when searching for a job. As the leading advocate for female consumers, WomenCertified Inc., home of the Women's Choice Award, created the first national award based on the ratings and preferences of women. For the full methodology on the criteria for this award, please click here.
Mission Wealth is a nationally recognized Registered Investment Advisory firm (RIA) founded in 2000 that oversees over $4.8 billion in client assets under management/administration. Mission Wealth is known for its service model, driven by a world-class technology stack that offers financial planning, investment counsel, tax strategies, estate planning coordination, philanthropic advice, and asset protection solutions tailored to each client's needs.
For more information, visit us at www.missionwealth.com.
View original content:
SOURCE Mission Wealth Management, LP | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/09/mission-wealth-named-two-womens-choice-award-lists/ | 2022-09-09T14:01:10Z |
NEW YORK, June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for EFOI, HSDT, LOV, SNDL, and NESR.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- EFOI: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=EFOI&prnumber=060220222
- HSDT: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=HSDT&prnumber=060220222
- LOV: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=LOV&prnumber=060220222
- SNDL: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=SNDL&prnumber=060220222
- NESR: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=NESR&prnumber=060220222
(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.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/02/thinking-about-buying-stock-energy-focus-helius-medical-technologies-spark-networks-sundial-growers-or-national-energy-services/ | 2022-06-02T14:58:00Z |
- The Pacific Cigar Co. LTD and Infifon Hong Kong Limited, exclusive distributors of Habanos, S.A., have presented in a 'virtual unboxing' the new H. Upmann Magnum 52 vitola, in commemoration of the Chinese New Year
HAVANA, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Habanos, S.A., together with its distributors for Asia Pacific and China, The Pacific Cigar Company and Infifon Hong Kong Limited, presented its new H. Upmann Magnum 52 vitola through a virtual "unboxing" to celebrate the product's arrival on the market.
H. Upmann's Magnum 52 (52 x 148 mm length) is a vitola that is produced in limited quantities but will be available in all Habanos's markets. This vitola is presented in a special box containing 18 Habanos "Totally Handmade with Long Filler," after a careful selection of the wrapper, filler and binder leaves from the Vuelta Abajo* area in the Pinar del Río* region (Cuba), which is considered to be the origin of the world's best tobacco products.
"Considering that China was Habanos, S.A.'s leading market in terms of sales volume in 2020, we are pleased to commemorate the Chinese New Year for the third consecutive year with a vitola such as 'Magnum 52' under the H. Upmann brand. We are convinced that Habanos aficionados will enthusiastically welcome this worldwide launch, which will be available in all markets, albeit in limited quantities as it is an exclusive production," said Mr. Leopoldo Cintra González, Commercial Vice President, and Mr. José María López Inchaurbe, Vice President of Development at Habanos, S.A.
Mr. Dag Holmboe, CEO of The Pacific Cigar Company, said: "H. Upmann's Magnum 52 is a new vitola that manifests the refined character of the brand with mild to medium strength, and that offers its very high quality and inimitable aroma. We expect a great reception from Habanos aficionados in the Asian market."
Herman Upmann was a German banker whose love for Cuban cigars led him to settle in Havana in 1840. He founded a bank and a Habanos factory in the city. Eventually, the bank closed down, but his brand of premium cigars remains to this day. All its cigars are "Totally Handmade with Long Filler," with leaves from the Vuelta Abajo* area, in the Pinar del Rio* region.
The Pacific Cigar Company Limited (PCC) and Infifon HK Ltd. are the exclusive distributors of Habanos, S.A. for the Asian region.
Tasting notes
H. Upmann Magnum 52
Size: 52 x 148 mm long
- Beautiful wrapper and masterfully crafted
- Roasted aromas right from the start
- Excellent combustion
- Perfect draw
- An Habano with great quality and balance
- Balanced medium strength
- Perfect with Ron 11 Years Old and medium roast Arabica coffee
- Smoking time about one hour
Corporación Habanos, S.A.
Corporación Habanos, S.A. is a world leader in the commercialization of Premium cigars both in Cuba and in the rest of the world. For this purpose, it has an exclusive distribution network present in the five continents and in more than 150 countries. For more information, please visit www.habanos.com.
Habanos, S.A. commercializes 27 Premium brands made entirely by hand and identified as Protected Designation of Origin (P.D.O.), including Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Partagás, Hoyo de Monterrey and H. Upmann, among others. Habanos Cuban cigars have been made entirely by hand for more than 500 years and since then they have become a benchmark worldwide.
* Protected Designation of Origin
Further information about Habanos, S.A.:
www.habanos.com
https://www.instagram.com/habanos_oficial/
https://twitter.com/Habanos_Oficial
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCstGLy96wdZG7eCM4855_DA
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1781570/Habanos_H_Upmann_Magnum_52.jpg
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Habanos, S.A. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/04/06/habanos-sa-presented-new-h-upmann-magnum-52-commemorate-year-tiger-according-chinese-lunar-calendar/ | 2022-04-06T11:07:01Z |
From 2020-2021, California recorded the highest surge in reported hate crimes since the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, according to the state's Attorney General, Rob Bonta.
Bonta announced the findings of a new California Department of Justice report on Tuesday. The number of hate crimes reported in the state went from 1,330 in 2020 to 1,763 last year -- making it the sixth highest total recorded since the agency began collecting and reporting statewide hate crimes data in 1995.
A significant portion of incidents involved racial and sexual orientation biases, according to the report. The latter increased about 48% from 205 in 2020 to 303 in 2021.
Crimes against Black people -- the most prevalent, the report noted -- rose 12.5% from 2020 to 513 reported incidents. Anti-Asian crimes increased 177.5% from 89 in 2020 to 247 last year.
Hate crimes against Latinos saw an increase of nearly 30% from 152 in 2020 to 197 last year, the report found.
"One hard truth in our state, just as we've seen across the nation, is that the epidemic of hate we saw spurred on during the pandemic remains a clear and present threat," Bonta said in a news conference Tuesday.
The report, Bonta said, "affirms what we've been hearing on the ground. The pandemic gave way to an epidemic of hate."
Thousands of people in the United States have been victims of anti-Asian incidents, from verbal abuse to physical attacks, since the start of the pandemic. Advocates and lawmakers have redoubled efforts to protect the community in the past two years, but reports of assaults and bigotry continue from coast to coast.
Earlier this month, an Asian man was assaulted outside a storefront in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Koreatown. Video footage released by police shows the suspect using his elbow to strike the victim in the face. Los Angeles police arrested a suspect last week, but authorities have yet to state whether the assault constitutes a hate crime.
The findings of the statewide report come months after San Francisco officials said anti-Asian hate crimes spiked 567% in 2021. Police Chief Bill Scott said more than 30 of the total 60 incidents in 2021 were committed by the same person who deliberately targeted Asians. He was arrested in August for burglaries and acts of vandalism, and also faces hate crime enhancements.
Bonta said hate crimes present a number of challenges to authorities, including a lack of reporting.
"These, of course, are statistics but they are more than just numbers. Each of these incidents represents an attack on a person, a neighbor, a family member, a fellow Californian, and worse, we know our statistics likely are not exhaustive. Still today, too many are too afraid to come forward," Bonta said.
Former prosecutors, experts and attorneys of victims of violence have also told CNN that hate crimes are more difficult to charge and prosecute than other criminal offenses.
California's report found the number of cases filed for prosecution by district attorneys and elected city attorneys involving hate crime charges increased by 30% from 2020 to 2021.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/reported-hate-crimes-in-california-last-year-reached-a-level-not-seen-since-9-11/article_f75b289b-e5cb-5928-bb7d-5a8d275744d9.html | 2022-06-30T20:46:17Z |
The heart failure program is a new model for cardiology practices in managing heart failure, starting with patients in Northeast Florida
NEW YORK, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Novocardia, a value-based cardiovascular disease care platform, has launched an innovative heart failure program that combines individualized health coaching and remote patient monitoring to improve the lives of heart failure patients and decrease the need for hospitalizations.
Using a "telehealth first model," Novocardia's heart failure management program focuses on the early detection of decompensation, which allows for at-home interventions that may reduce the need for emergency department visits. The program is designed to enable cardiology or primary care practices, as well as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and health plans, to improve patient outcomes while decreasing costs in both fee-for-service and value-based care payment models.
Introduced initially at First Coast Heart & Vascular Center in Northeast Florida, Novocardia's heart failure program equips practices with evidence-based protocols, best-in-class remote monitoring and telehealth technology, and smart data collection and analytics, enabling them to both implement the program efficiently and measure performance and outcomes.
"With our patient-centered, data-driven heart failure management program, Novocardia is delivering a solution to cardiology practices that enables them to optimize patient care while achieving the value that payers and risk-bearing partners increasingly expect," said Katherine Evans, DNP, FNP-C, GNP-BC, ACHPN, FAANP, Chief Nursing Officer & Senior Vice President of Clinical Services at Novocardia.
The heart failure model of care was developed by Evans and Novocardia Co-Founders Dr. Dan Blumenthal, CEO, and Dr. Julius Torelli, Chief Medical Officer, who together have decades of experience caring for heart failure patients.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood to keep up with the body's need for oxygen. CHF affects approximately 6.2 million U.S. adults.* Common symptoms of CHF include shortness of breath with activity or when lying flat, leg swelling, and fatigue. The condition typically worsens over time, putting patients at risk for organ failure and death.
Although there is no cure, research shows that diet and lifestyle changes, closely monitoring symptoms, and taking medications properly – potentially combined with surgical interventions and cardiac resynchronization therapy – can improve quality of life, prevent many hospital visits, and reduce the risk of death.**
Patients may be referred to Novocardia's heart failure program by their cardiologist, or at hospital discharge, a time when studies have shown that heart failure patients are at high risk of hospital readmission.*** During the approximately three-month program, enrolled patients receive regularly scheduled telehealth visits with a nurse practitioner, as well as patient education and health coaching visits, providing exceptional evidence-based care at the right time and at their convenience. Patients' vital signs, weight and other key indicators are monitored remotely so that the clinical team can respond quickly to alerts and prevent further exacerbations that could lead to hospitalization.
"Providing one-on-one health counseling with frequent touchpoints to support heart failure patients with the self-management of the disease is vital in achieving success in living with heart failure," Torelli said. "With this, they have less need for accessing acute care services, thereby reducing overall healthcare costs."
"We are delighted to expand our leading, patient-centered care to Northeast Florida residents with the new heart failure program," said Dr. Dinesh Pubbi, MD, FACC, FHRS, Director of Electrophysiology at First Coast Heart & Vascular Center. "By focusing on proactive and preventive care, the program will improve outcomes for more patients while reducing hospitalizations and the financial burdens on our healthcare system. We look forward to building strong practitioner-patient relationships that will lead to better health for patients with heart failure."
By leveraging Novocardia's robust data collection and analytics capabilities, cardiology practices can gain insights into the clinical needs of their patient population and can measure performance to fine-tune their services and demonstrate value.
"Our data and analytics capabilities enable physicians to understand their patient population, identify opportunities for improvement, and demonstrate efficiency and effectiveness," Torelli said.
ABOUT NOVOCARDIA™
Founded in 2020, Novocardia is on a mission to transform how cardiovascular care is delivered in the United States and help patients with heart and vascular disease live longer, healthier, and more satisfying lives. Novocardia is committed to putting cardiologists, and their patients, at the center of care by investing in our partner practices, deploying purpose-built data and analytics tools to improve patient outcomes, and enabling our partners to transition more successfully to value-based care. To learn more about Novocardia, please visit www.novocardiahealth.com.
ABOUT FIRST COAST HEART & VASCULAR CENTER
First Coast Heart & Vascular Center is a leading provider of high-quality cardiovascular disease care in Northeast Florida, offering a comprehensive array of services, including general, interventional and vascular cardiology, electrophysiology, heart failure, diagnostic imaging, and nuclear cardiology. To learn more about First Coast Heart & Vascular Center, please visit https://www.firstcoastheart.com.
*Source: American Heart Association, Circulation https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000757
**Source: British Medical Journal, Systematic review of multidisciplinary interventions in heart failure. https://heart.bmj.com/content/91/7/899
*****Source: American Heart Association, Circulation: Heart Failure, https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.121.008335
View original content:
SOURCE Novocardia | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/17/novocardia-launches-groundbreaking-value-based-heart-failure-management-program-improve-patient-outcomes-reduce-hospitalizations/ | 2022-05-17T17:56:15Z |
Members can directly support the environmental sustainability of Boston's beloved river and parks by booking Zipcars by the hour or the day
BOSTON, Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zipcar, the world's leading car-sharing network, today announced the launch of its "Drive to Donate" program in support of the Charles River Conservancy (CRC), a Boston-based organization that strives to maintain the Charles River and its parks for everyone to enjoy a network of natural urban places.
From now until September 30, 2022, Zipcar members can book one of 10 cars in the Boston area creatively wrapped with iconic boats sailing on the Charles River in honor of CRC's mission. For every hour a designated vehicle is reserved by a member, Zipcar will donate $1.00 to the CRC, with a goal of raising up to $20,000. Urbanites can learn more about how to support the program by scanning a vehicle's QR code.
As a mission-driven organization, Zipcar's vision is to eliminate the need for personally owned cars (which sit parked about 95% of the time) by enabling simple and responsible urban living. People who do not own a car drive less and embrace more sustainable forms of transportation, which means fewer vehicles on the road, less carbon emissions and a more sustainable environment, creating more space for people and the things they love, like parks and green space.
"We're excited to expand our partnership with the Charles River Conservancy, with whom we have previously partnered with for employee volunteer events," said Justin Holmes, Vice President of Marketing and Public Policy at Zipcar. "It's a privilege to help spread awareness of this impactful organization and to help drive forward a more sustainable and equitable future for Zipcar's home city."
"The Charles River is so important to the Boston community, serving as a refuge to connect to the environment in the heart of the city. Through Zipcar's Drive to Donate program, members can directly contribute to keeping the Charles River and its parks active, attractive and accessible for everyone to enjoy," said Laura Jasinski, Executive Director of the Charles River Conservancy.
By giving members a convenient and affordable alternative to car ownership, Zipcar reduces the number of personally owned cars on Boston's streets. Zipcar vehicles supporting the Charles River Conservancy can be booked via the app or online and found at the following locations:
- 233 Sydney Street
- 523 Columbus Avenue
- 154 Centre Street
- 7 Ellery Street
- 1320 Washington Street
- 1 S Sydney Street
- 89 South Street
- 1000 Cross Street
- 549 Commonwealth Avenue
- 13 Amherst Street (Cambridge)
Zipcar is the world's leading car-sharing network, driven by a mission to enable simple and responsible urban living. With its wide variety of self-service vehicles available by the hour, day or week, Zipcar operates in urban areas and university campuses in hundreds of cities, towns and universities. Zipcar is a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: CAR), a leading global provider of mobility solutions. More information is available at www.zipcar.com.
The Charles River Conservancy (CRC), founded in 2000, is a non-profit dedicated to the stewardship, renewal, and enhancement of the urban parks along the Charles River, from Boston Harbor to the Watertown Dam. With a mission to invite and engage all in the Charles River and its parks' use and stewardship, the CRC looks for ways to increase opportunities for urban swims. For more information about the CRC, please visit TheCharles.org.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Zipcar | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/zipcar-launches-limited-time-program-drive-donate-benefit-charles-river-conservancy/ | 2022-08-09T16:09:38Z |
Greece: Fossil fuels offer ‘new path’ to green transition
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece says it will accelerate plans to exploit offshore natural gas deposits, describing a return to reliance on fossil fuels as a temporary necessity due to the disruption caused by the war in Ukraine. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Tuesday urveys in six regions in western and southern Greece should be completed by the end of next year. The government last week announced plans to increase domestic coal production and expand its natural gas infrastructure to boost its liquefied natural gas capacity with additional storage space at an existing facility and plans to build two more. | https://localnews8.com/news/ap-national-business/2022/04/12/greece-fossil-fuels-offer-new-path-to-green-transition/ | 2022-04-12T13:37:25Z |
Beloved consumer brands including Ted's Bulletin, Michelin Bib Gourmand Winners Federalist Pig and Honeymoon Chicken, Kramers, Sidekick Bakery, Ensemble Digital Kitchen, and more united under one hospitality banner.
WASHINGTON, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Steve Salis, Founder & CEO of Salis Holdings, has officially launched Catalogue – a house of consumer brands that share the philosophy of elevating the everyday. Born out of the desire to create an organic connection between businesses with a shared philosophy. Catalogue is a home base for each brand, defined by its own individual identity and cult-like following. By creating this network of brands, information and ideas will be seamlessly shared to better serve Catalogue's current and future guests.
"My goal in forming Catalogue was to better centralize where these premium yet accessible brands could live" says Steve Salis. "The idea emerged as an answer to the question: what do consumers really want? And the answer was simple – we all want better. Better products, better quality, better value, better experiences. As we head into this next phase of growth, I want to focus on our expanding house of consumer brands, through the spirit of discovery, acquisition or investments, forming new partnerships and leveraging best practices across our network.
THE MISSION
Salis and his team have spent years studying what makes certain brands stand out and what inspires guest loyalty. The answer became clear and the mission has remained consistent - Catalogue aspires to make The Everyday Exceptional, Catalogue is creating the future of the consumer experience by making premium, approachable. Through the spirit of discovery, Catalogue aims to not only intrigue guests with new products and services to better their every day, but also serve as a place where brands can come to grow, create and collaborate with other unique brands.
THE BRANDS
Catalogue is redefining the idea that premium can and should be accessible, with a focus on quality, design and value, these brands make the aspirational feel approachable by offering higher standards. With sights set on further network and brand expansion, Salis and his team have plans toto to further expand their roster, which includes:
- Ted's Bulletin: A 9-unit neighborhood eatery bringing new creativity to American classics, open daily for all-day breakfast, lunch & dinner.
- Federalist Pig: A three-time Michelin Bib Gourmand winner serving up a convergence of Kansas City, Carolina and Texas-inspired BBQ, selling out daily since 2016.
- Honeymoon Chicken: A Michelin Bib Gourmand winning premium chicken brand blending funky and fancy to bring you an elevated version of the classic fried chicken everyone loves.
- Kramers: A 46-year-old cultural landmark, neighborhood gathering spot, iconic independent bookstore, versatile event space, award-winning restaurant and illustrious bar–all in one.
- Sidekick: A savory and sweet bakery & cafe serving up the best way to start your day with inventive breakfast sandwiches and treats.
- Ensemble Digital Kitchen: A hub serving menu favorites from all Catalogue restaurants in one convenient place, made in one kitchen and delivered directly to you.
THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND
The Catalogue brand is committed to partnering with local organizations to make positive change in the communities that have always supported each brand and around the world. Ongoing and upcoming community outreach includes:
- Mary's Center: Catalogue has partnered with Mary's Center, a community health organization serving thousands of people of all ages, incomes and backgrounds in the DC metro area in a joint mission to aid in building better communities.
Salis and the Catalogue team are looking forward to bringing their unique experiences and brands to life in new locations while continuing to serve communities where these brands have already become household names. With further growth plans, there is much to look forward to over the next several years at Catalogue.
For more information about Catalogue, visit http://catalogue.co, officially launching Thursday June 6, 2022.
Media Contacts
Bullfrog + Baum
Lily Stearns
SalisHoldings@bullfrogandbaum.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Catalogue | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/07/steve-salis-celebrated-entrepreneur-debuts-catalogue-network-magnetic-brands-that-elevate-everyday/ | 2022-06-07T19:23:18Z |
TORONTO, Aug. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Restaurant Brands International Inc. (TSX: QSR) (NYSE: QSR) ("RBI") announced today that it has filed, and the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") has accepted, notice of RBI's intention to renew its normal course issuer bid (the "NCIB") for its common shares (the "Common Shares"). The NCIB is being conducted in furtherance of RBI's board-approved share repurchase authorization that allows RBI to purchase up to US$1.0 billion of its Common Shares until August 10, 2023 (the "Repurchase Authorization").
The TSX notice provides that RBI may, during the 12-month period commencing August 17, 2022 and ending on August 16, 2023, purchase up to 30,254,374 Common Shares, representing 10% of its public float of 302,543,742 Common Shares as of July 30, 2022 (a total of 306,106,637 Common Shares were issued and outstanding as of such date). Purchases under the NCIB will be made through the facilities of the TSX, the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") and/or alternative trading systems in Canada and the U.S., if eligible, or by such other means as may be permitted by applicable securities laws, including private agreements. Any purchases made by private agreement under an issuer bid exemption order issued by a securities regulatory authority in Canada will generally be at a discount to the prevailing market price as provided in any such exemption order. In addition, RBI may also enter into derivative-based programs in support of its repurchase activities, including the writing of put options and forward purchase agreements, accelerated share repurchase transactions, other equity contracts or use other methods of acquiring shares, in each case as may be permitted by applicable securities laws or subject to regulatory approval.
Purchases under the NCIB made on the TSX will be made in compliance with the rules of the TSX at a price equal to the market price at the time of purchase or such other price as may be permitted by the TSX. In accordance with TSX rules, any daily repurchases (other than pursuant to a block purchase exception) on the TSX under the NCIB are limited to a maximum of 197,482 Common Shares, which represents 25% of the average daily trading volume on the TSX of 789,930 for the six months ended July 31, 2022. Purchases under the NCIB made on the NYSE will be made in compliance with Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b-18 and the U.S. federal securities laws.
Under its current NCIB which commenced on August 10, 2021 and expired on August 9, 2022 (the "2021 NCIB"), RBI previously sought and received approval from the TSX to repurchase up to 30,382,519 Common Shares. As of July 30, 2022, RBI has repurchased an aggregate of 15,042,882 Common Shares for cancellation under a NCIB in the past 12 months at a weighted average price of approximately C$72.58 per Common Share and approximately US$123 million remains available to RBI under the Repurchase Authorization. All repurchases under a NCIB within the past 12 months were conducted through the facilities of the NYSE, the TSX or an alternative stock exchange in the US or Canada. In addition, the plan agent under RBI's employee stock purchase plan purchased an aggregate of 5,870 Common Shares in the past 12 months for the benefit of plan participants at a weighted average price of approximately C$72.76 per Common Share.
RBI believes that the market price of Common Shares could be such that their purchase may be an attractive and appropriate use of corporate funds. Decisions regarding the amount and timing of future purchases of Common Shares will be based on market conditions, share price and other factors. RBI may elect to modify, suspend or discontinue the Repurchase Authorization, and its NCIB, at any time. Repurchases under the Repurchase Authorization will be funded using RBI's cash resources and all shares repurchased will be cancelled. RBI intends to enter into an automatic purchase plan to be effective on August 17, 2022 with a broker which will enable RBI to provide standard instructions in the future and then purchase Common Shares on the open market during self-imposed blackout periods. Outside of these blackout periods, Common Shares may be purchased in accordance with management's discretion.
Restaurant Brands International Inc. is one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with over $35 billion in annual system-wide sales and over 29,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. RBI owns four of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands – TIM HORTONS®, BURGER KING®, POPEYES®, and FIREHOUSE SUBS®. These independently operated brands have been serving their respective guests, franchisees and communities for decades. Through its Restaurant Brands for Good framework, RBI is improving sustainable outcomes related to its food, the planet, and people and communities.
This press release includes forward-looking statements and information, which are often identified by the words "may," "might," "believe," "thinks," "anticipate," "plans," "expects," "intends," or similar expressions and reflect management's expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof. These forward-looking statements include statements about RBI's expectations and beliefs regarding its normal course issuer bid purchases. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from RBI's expectations are detailed in filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and on SEDAR in Canada, such as its annual and quarterly reports and current reports on Form 8-K, and include the following: risks related to RBI's substantial indebtedness, risks related to adverse economic and industry conditions and risks related to unforeseen events, such as adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, terrorist attacks or threats, pandemics, including coronavirus (COVID-19), the war in Ukraine or other catastrophic events, all of which could adversely affect its financial condition and prevent it from fulfilling its obligations. Other than as required under U.S. federal securities laws or Canadian securities laws, RBI undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Restaurant Brands International Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/12/restaurant-brands-international-inc-announces-renewal-normal-course-issuer-bid/ | 2022-08-12T21:44:02Z |
Data featured in plenary session at the 19th International Myeloma Society Annual Meeting
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced today the final results from the randomized Phase 2 GRIFFIN study evaluating the investigational use of DARZALEX® (daratumumab) in combination with lenalidomide (Revlimid®), bortezomib (VELCADE®) and dexamethasone (DARZALEX®-RVd), followed by maintenance therapy with DARZALEX®-lenalidomide (R), compared to RVd followed by maintenance therapy with R alone, in patients with newly diagnosed, transplant-eligible multiple myeloma. Data were presented in the plenary session at the 19th International Myeloma Society (IMS) Annual Meeting.
In the primary analysis (median follow-up of 13.5 months), the GRIFFIN study met its primary endpoint, resulting in a higher stringent complete response (sCR) rate for DARZALEX®-RVd compared with RVd alone by the end of post-autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) consolidation therapy (42.4 percent vs. 32 percent; 1-sided P=0.0680) meeting the prespecified 1-sided alpha of 0.1. At IMS, the predefined final analysis for GRIFFIN (median follow-up of 49.6 months), which occurred after all patients had completed at least one year of follow-up after end of study therapy or withdrew, showed that longer progression-free survival (PFS) was observed in patients who received DARZALEX®-RVd/DARZALEX®-R compared to those who received RVd/R (hazard ratio = 0.45; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.21-0.95; P=0.0324).1 Higher minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity rates were observed for DARZALEX®-RVd vs. RVd (64 percent vs. 30 percent). No new safety concerns were observed with longer-term follow-up.
"The final analysis of the GRIFFIN trial highlights the potential benefit of adding daratumumab to RVd for the treatment of newly diagnosed, transplant-eligible patients," said Douglas W. Sborov†, M.D., M.S., Director of the Multiple Myeloma Program at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah and GRIFFIN study investigator. "We are constantly investigating the role of new regimens and combinations to improve outcomes in our patients and GRIFFIN is another important step forward in this research."
Final Analysis from GRIFFIN
After two years of maintenance therapy, the MRD negativity rate continued to favor DARZALEX®-RVd versus RVd (64 percent vs. 30 percent; P=<0.0001). Additionally, 44 percent of patients who received DARZALEX®-RVd achieved sustained MRD negativity lasting 12 months or more, compared to 14 percent of patients in the RVd arm. Treatment with DARZALEX®-RVd also resulted in higher sCR rates at all time points in the study, with the highest rates occurring following two years of maintenance therapy (67 percent vs. 48 percent; P=0.0079, respectively). CR or better rate was 83 percent in the DARZALEX®-RVd arm vs. 60 percent in the RVd arm (P=0.005).
At the conclusion of the final analysis, after a median follow-up of 49.6 months, a 55 percent reduction in the risk of disease progression or death was observed in patients in the DARZALEX®-RVd arm; an estimated 48-month PFS rate of 87.2 percent was observed in the DARZALEX®-RVd arm, compared to 70 percent in the RVd arm. Median PFS was not reached in either treatment arm. In addition, after extended follow-up, no new safety concerns were observed.
"The Phase 2 GRIFFIN study showed important results with the investigational DARZALEX® quadruplet regimen in the treatment of newly diagnosed, transplant-eligible multiple myeloma," said Imran Khan, M.D., Ph.D., U.S. Vice President, Medical Affairs, Hematology at Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC. "The evaluation of this treatment regimen will continue as part of the registrational, Phase 3 PERSEUS study. These studies represent our ongoing focus in multiple myeloma and our commitment to advance research and new therapeutic combinations for patients at each stage of their treatment journey."
About the GRIFFIN Study
The Phase 2 GRIFFIN (NCT02874742) study evaluated the investigational regimen of DARZALEX® in combination with RVd and enrolled and treated more than 200 adults ages 18-70 years with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who were eligible for ASCT.
In the safety run-in cohort, 16 patients received 25 mg of lenalidomide orally on days 1-14; 1.3 mg/m2 of bortezomib subcutaneously on days 1, 4, 8 and 11; and 20 mg of dexamethasone on days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 16, and every 21 days during the induction and consolidation phases (cycles 1-6). DARZALEX® 16 mg/kg IV was given on days 1, 8 and 15 of cycles 1-4 and on day 1 of cycles 5-6.
During the maintenance phase (cycles 7-32), patients received 10 mg daily of lenalidomide (15 mg beginning at cycle 10 if tolerated) on days 1-21 every 28 days and DARZALEX® 16 mg/kg IV every 56 days; this was amended to every 28 days based upon emerging clinical pharmacokinetic data demonstrating improved target saturation with every-4-week maintenance dosing. Maintenance therapy with lenalidomide could be continued beyond cycle 32, per local standard of care.
In the subsequent randomized Phase 2 portion of the study, 207 patients were randomized to treatment with RVd induction and consolidation, ASCT, and maintenance therapy with lenalidomide; or DARZALEX®-RVd, ASCT, and maintenance therapy with DARZALEX® and lenalidomide.
Janssen's clinical development program continues to evaluate the potential of DARZALEX®-containing quadruplet regimens in improving clinical outcomes for patients.
About DARZALEX®
Janssen is committed to exploring the potential of DARZALEX® (daratumumab) for patients with multiple myeloma across the spectrum of the disease. DARZALEX® has been approved in eight indications, three of which are in the frontline setting, including newly diagnosed patients who are transplant eligible and ineligible.2
In August 2012, Janssen Biotech, Inc. and Genmab A/S entered a worldwide agreement, which granted Janssen an exclusive license to develop, manufacture and commercialize daratumumab. DARZALEX® has become a backbone therapy in the treatment of multiple myeloma, having been used in the treatment of more than 300,000 patients worldwide and more than 68,000 patients in the U.S. alone since its U.S. FDA approval in 2015.3 DARZALEX® is the first CD38-directed antibody approved globally to treat multiple myeloma.5
CD38 is a surface protein that is present in high numbers on multiple myeloma cells, regardless of the stage of disease.4 DARZALEX® binds to CD38 and inhibits tumor cell growth, causing myeloma cell death.4 DARZALEX® may also have an effect on normal cells.4 Data across eight Phase 3 clinical trials, in both the frontline and relapsed settings, have shown that DARZALEX®-based regimens resulted in significant improvement in PFS and/or OS.5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
About Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is an incurable blood cancer that affects a type of white blood cell called plasma cells, which are found in the bone marrow.2,3 When damaged, these plasma cells rapidly spread and replace normal cells with tumors in the bone marrow. In 2022, it is estimated that more than 34,000 people will be diagnosed and close to 12,000 will die from the disease in the U.S.13 While some patients with multiple myeloma have no symptoms, most patients are diagnosed due to symptoms, which can include bone fracture or pain, low red blood cell counts, tiredness, high calcium levels, kidney problems or infections.4
INDICATIONS
DARZALEX® (daratumumab) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma:
- In combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in newly diagnosed patients who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant and in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy
- In combination with bortezomib, melphalan, and prednisone in newly diagnosed patients who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant
- In combination with bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone in newly diagnosed patients who are eligible for autologous stem cell transplant
- In combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone in patients who have received at least one prior therapy
- In combination with carfilzomib and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior lines of therapy
- In combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone in patients who have received at least two prior therapies including lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor
- As monotherapy in patients who have received at least three prior lines of therapy including a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and an immunomodulatory agent or who are double-refractory to a PI and an immunomodulatory agent
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
CONTRAINDICATIONS
DARZALEX® is contraindicated in patients with a history of severe hypersensitivity (eg, anaphylactic reactions) to daratumumab or any of the components of the formulation.
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
Infusion-Related Reactions
DARZALEX® can cause severe and/or serious infusion-related reactions including anaphylactic reactions. These reactions can be life–threatening, and fatal outcomes have been reported. In clinical trials (monotherapy and combination: N=2066), infusion-related reactions occurred in 37% of patients with the Week 1 (16 mg/kg) infusion, 2% with the Week 2 infusion, and cumulatively 6% with subsequent infusions. Less than 1% of patients had a Grade 3/4 infusion-related reaction at Week 2 or subsequent infusions. The median time to onset was 1.5 hours (range: 0 to 73 hours). Nearly all reactions occurred during infusion or within 4 hours of completing DARZALEX®. Severe reactions have occurred, including bronchospasm, hypoxia, dyspnea, hypertension, tachycardia, headache, laryngeal edema, pulmonary edema, and ocular adverse reactions, including choroidal effusion, acute myopia, and acute angle closure glaucoma. Signs and symptoms may include respiratory symptoms, such as nasal congestion, cough, throat irritation, as well as chills, vomiting, and nausea. Less common signs and symptoms were wheezing, allergic rhinitis, pyrexia, chest discomfort, pruritus, hypotension and blurred vision.
When DARZALEX® dosing was interrupted in the setting of ASCT (CASSIOPEIA) for a median of 3.75 months (range: 2.4 to 6.9 months), upon re-initiation of DARZALEX®, the incidence of infusion-related reactions was 11% for the first infusion following ASCT. Infusion-related reactions occurring at re-initiation of DARZALEX® following ASCT were consistent in terms of symptoms and severity (Grade 3 or 4: <1%) with those reported in previous studies at Week 2 or subsequent infusions. In EQUULEUS, patients receiving combination treatment (n=97) were administered the first 16 mg/kg dose at Week 1 split over two days, ie, 8 mg/kg on Day 1 and Day 2, respectively. The incidence of any grade infusion-related reactions was 42%, with 36% of patients experiencing infusion-related reactions on Day 1 of Week 1, 4% on Day 2 of Week 1, and 8% with subsequent infusions.
Pre-medicate patients with antihistamines, antipyretics, and corticosteroids. Frequently monitor patients during the entire infusion. Interrupt DARZALEX® infusion for reactions of any severity and institute medical management as needed. Permanently discontinue DARZALEX® therapy if an anaphylactic reaction or life-threatening (Grade 4) reaction occurs and institute appropriate emergency care. For patients with Grade 1, 2, or 3 reactions, reduce the infusion rate when re-starting the infusion.
To reduce the risk of delayed infusion-related reactions, administer oral corticosteroids to all patients following DARZALEX® infusions. Patients with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may require additional post-infusion medications to manage respiratory complications. Consider prescribing short- and long-acting bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Ocular adverse reactions, including acute myopia and narrowing of the anterior chamber angle due to ciliochoroidal effusions with potential for increased intraocular pressure or glaucoma, have occurred with DARZALEX® infusion. If ocular symptoms occur, interrupt DARZALEX® infusion and seek immediate ophthalmologic evaluation prior to restarting DARZALEX®.
Interference With Serological Testing
Daratumumab binds to CD38 on red blood cells (RBCs) and results in a positive indirect antiglobulin test (indirect Coombs test). Daratumumab-mediated positive indirect antiglobulin test may persist for up to 6 months after the last daratumumab infusion. Daratumumab bound to RBCs masks detection of antibodies to minor antigens in the patient's serum. The determination of a patient's ABO and Rh blood type is not impacted. Notify blood transfusion centers of this interference with serological testing and inform blood banks that a patient has received DARZALEX®. Type and screen patients prior to starting DARZALEX®.
Neutropenia and Thrombocytopenia
DARZALEX® may increase neutropenia and thrombocytopenia induced by background therapy. Monitor complete blood cell counts periodically during treatment according to manufacturer's prescribing information for background therapies. Monitor patients with neutropenia for signs of infection. Consider withholding DARZALEX® until recovery of neutrophils or for recovery of platelets.
Interference With Determination of Complete Response
Daratumumab is a human immunoglobulin G (IgG) kappa monoclonal antibody that can be detected on both the serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) and immunofixation (IFE) assays used for the clinical monitoring of endogenous M-protein. This interference can impact the determination of complete response and of disease progression in some patients with IgG kappa myeloma protein.
Embryo-Fetal Toxicity
Based on the mechanism of action, DARZALEX® can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. DARZALEX® may cause depletion of fetal immune cells and decreased bone density. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females with reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with DARZALEX® and for 3 months after the last dose.
The combination of DARZALEX® with lenalidomide, pomalidomide, or thalidomide is contraindicated in pregnant women because lenalidomide, pomalidomide, and thalidomide may cause birth defects and death of the unborn child. Refer to the lenalidomide, pomalidomide, or thalidomide prescribing information on use during pregnancy.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
The most frequently reported adverse reactions (incidence ≥20%) were upper respiratory infection, neutropenia, infusion–related reactions, thrombocytopenia, diarrhea, constipation, anemia, peripheral sensory neuropathy, fatigue, peripheral edema, nausea, cough, pyrexia, dyspnea, and asthenia. The most common hematologic laboratory abnormalities (≥40%) with DARZALEX® are neutropenia, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and anemia.
Please click here to see the full Prescribing Information.
About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
At Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension.
Learn more at www.janssen.com. Follow us at www.twitter.com/JanssenUS and www.twitter.com/JanssenGlobal. Janssen Research & Development, LLC and Janssen Biotech, Inc. are part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.
†Douglas W. Sborov, M.D., M.S., has served as a consultant to Janssen; he has not been paid for any media work.
Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding DARZALEX®. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Janssen Biotech, Inc., or any of the other Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2022, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in Johnson & Johnson's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments.
1 Sborov, D et al. Daratumumab (DARA) Plus Lenalidomide, Bortezomib, and Dexamethasone (RVd) in Patients (Pts) With Transplant-eligible Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma (NDMM): Final Analysis of GRIFFIN after ≥ 1y follow up. To be presented at the International Myeloma Society 2022 Annual Meeting
2 DARZALEX® Prescribing Information, March 2021.
3 Data on File. Janssen Biotech, Inc.
4 Moreau P et al. Phase 3 randomized study of daratumumab (DARA) + bortezomib/thalidomide/dexamethasone (D-VTd) vs VTd in transplant-eligible (TE) newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM): CASSIOPEIA Part 1 results. Presented at Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Chicago, IL, USA, 31 May – 4 June 2019: abstract 8003.
5 Janssen Research & Development, LLC. A Study Comparing Daratumumab, Lenalidomide, and Dexamethasone With Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone in Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma. In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 July 24]. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02076009?term=mmy3003&rank=1. Identifier: NCT02076009.
6 Janssen Research & Development, LLC. Addition of Daratumumab to Combination of Bortezomib and Dexamethasone in Participants With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma. In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 July 24]. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02136134?term=mmy3004&rank=1. Identifier: NCT02136134.
7 Janssen Research & Development, LLC. A Study to Evaluate Daratumumab in Transplant Eligible Participants With Previously Untreated Multiple Myeloma (Cassiopeia). In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 July 24]. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02541383?term=mmy3006. Identifier: NCT02541383.
8 Janssen Research & Development, LLC. A Study of Combination of Daratumumab and Velcade (Bortezomib) Melphalan-Prednisone (DVMP) Compared to Velcade Melphalan-Prednisone (VMP) in Participants With Previously Untreated Multiple Myeloma In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 July 24]. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02195479?term=mmy3007&rank=1 Identifier: NCT02195479.
9 Janssen Research & Development, LLC. Study Comparing Daratumumab, Lenalidomide, and Dexamethasone With Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone in Participants With Previously Untreated Multiple Myeloma. In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 July 24]. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02252172?term=mmy3008&rank=1. Identifier: NCT02252172.
10 Janssen Research & Development, LLC. A Study of VELCADE (Bortezomib) Melphalan-Prednisone (VMP) Compared to Daratumumab in Combination With VMP (D-VMP), in Participants With Previously Untreated Multiple Myeloma Who Are Ineligible for High-Dose Therapy (Asia Pacific Region). In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 July 24]. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03217812?term=MMY3011&rank=1. Identifier: NCT03217812.
11 European Myeloma Network. Compare Progression Free Survival Btw Daratumumab/Pomalidomide/ Dexamethasone vs Pomalidomide/Dexamethasone (EMN14). In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 July 24] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03180736?term=MMY3013&rank=2. Identifier: NCT03180736.
12 Amgen. Study of Carfilzomib, Daratumumab and Dexamethasone for Patients With Relapsed and/or Refractory Multiple Myeloma. (CANDOR). In: ClinicalTrials.gov [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US). 2000-[cited 2018 July 24] Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03158688?term=NCT03158688&rank=1. Identifier: NCT03158688.
13 American Cancer Society. "Key Statistics About Multiple Myeloma." Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiple-myeloma/about/key-statistics.html#:~:text=The%20American%20Cancer%20Society's%20estimates,men%20and%205%2C570%20in%20women. Accessed August 2022.
Media contacts:
Virginia Chess
+1 609-240-9332
Christie Corbett
+1 857-636-0211
Investor Relations:
Raychel Kruper
+1 732-524-6164
U.S. Medical Inquiries:
+1 800-526-7736
View original content:
SOURCE The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/27/final-analysis-phase-2-griffin-study-presented-darzalex-daratumumab-based-investigational-quadruplet-regimen-patients-with-newly-diagnosed-transplant-eligible-multiple-myeloma/ | 2022-08-28T10:24:10Z |
Astros rookie Lee has 3 hits, 3 RBIs in 6-1 win over A’s
Published: Jul. 12, 2022 at 4:39 PM CDT|Updated: 42 minutes ago
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Korey Lee got his first three hits in the major leagues and drove in three runs, leading Jake Odorizzi and the Houston Astros past the Oakland Athletics 6-1. All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker hit his 17th home run, helping the first-place Astros to their 11th victory in 13 games. Lee, a top Houston prospect who was hitless in his debut Monday after catcher Jason Castro went on the injured list, had a soft RBI single in the fifth inning. Lee also lined a two-run double in the seventh, then singled leading off the ninth. Odorizzi had a season-high seven strikeouts in seven scoreless innings for his first win after missing 42 games with a lower left leg injury. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/07/12/astros-rookie-lee-has-3-hits-3-rbis-6-1-win-over/ | 2022-07-12T22:22:01Z |
Vision of Hamlin, Jordan comes into focus with win at Kansas
By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin founded 23XI Racing with a vision that extended far beyond the race track.
The Hall of Fame basketball player and the three-time Daytona 500 champion looked around the sport a couple of years ago and realized that it needed to get younger and much more inclusive. It needed to expand its talent pool in the race shop along with the fanbase in the stands if it wanted to resume its once-rapid growth.
All of which is a whole lot easier to accomplish after days like Sunday.
With the No. 45 car from their two-car stable decked out in Jordan Brand-themed graphics, Kurt Busch squeezed past Kyle Larson with eight laps to go to win a thriller at Kansas Speedway. Busch give 23XI a second Cup Series triumph after Bubba Wallace won last year at Talladega, when the team was still a single-car endeavor, and it came in a ride with the Jumpman logo on the hood and about as much cross-over appeal as Jordan could hope for.
“Yeah, that’s a lot of the reason we started this race team is Michael felt like NASCAR was a platform that didn’t maybe always understand his brand. He thought this was a good way to branch out the Jordan Brand,” said Hamlin, who finished fourth behind Larson and Kyle Busch in Sunday’s race.
“Obviously, they sat on the sidelines for the first year of this team,” Hamlin said, “and I mentioned that in the media. They said, ‘We just want to see how it goes and see how the NASCAR fans welcome us.’”
It’s been pretty good so far. Hamlin even acknowledged that if the No. 45 car in the Jordan Brand livery isn’t the top-selling diecast collectible when it comes out, “I’ll be scratching my head. I’m pretty certain it will be.”
Busch’s victory at Kansas was timely on two very different fronts.
The first was within the world of NASCAR, where the 23XI teams had been scuffling lately. Busch had two top-five finishes early in the season, and Wallace was second at the season-opening Daytona 500. But neither had finished in the top 15 in the last four races, which meant a rather unexpected trip to victory lane just in time to rep Jordan Brand.
The second was that 23XI’s triumph came just a day after a racially motivated shooting in a Buffalo supermarket, which once more underscored the deep racial divisions that still exist in the country today.
“It’s sad,” Hamlin said Sunday. “You just kind of think of the families and friends. You just pray for them.”
Then, you do what Jordan and Hamlin have done: You try to change things for the better. In their case, building out a diverse and inclusive racing program. Wallace remains the only fulltime Black drivrer at the top level of NASCAR.
“I’m looking at potential hires right now that we’ve got on the board — there’s England, Brazil and Israel, the next three hires,” Hamlin said. “We’re trying to make a very diverse team. Certainly it’s important to give opportunities to those that never thought racing was a job, a place that they could have a job opportunity.
“I think you have seen diversity on pit road; a lot of these college guys are college D-1 athletes,” Hamlin added. “But what about marketing? What about mechanics? I’m on the NASCAR Diversity Council, and we talk all the time about how can we change this sport. It starts from the ground roots.”
It was a vision that Jordan and Hamlin shared with Busch when they purchased StarCom Racing’s charter, expanded their effort to a two-car team and tried to get the former Cup Series champion to drive for them.
“There’s things that an owner has to go through that are really heavy, and Denny has chosen this ownership role, and he has done it with integrity and class and ambition and motivation,” Busch said. “He called me a year and-a-half ago, two years, and said, ‘Hey, I’ve got a plan.’ I was like, ‘If it all works out, I’ll be part of it.’ But wow, just learning some of the things, being close to him as a friend, but also as a racer, and now he is my boss, there’s a lot that goes into ownership.
“This means a lot to me as well,” Busch continued, “because we started this 45 car from scratch, and a lot of the guys, girls, people came from other teams. The spirit was, ‘We’re a bunch of rebels, let’s go do this.’”
Turns out the entire 23XI Racing team are rebels with a cause.
“I’m certainly proud of what we’ve done and how we’ve built this team,” Hamlin said. “It shows that there’s a lot of capable people putting race winning cars on the race track, and you do not have to look a certain way to do it.”
___
More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/05/16/vision-of-hamlin-jordan-comes-into-focus-with-win-at-kansas/ | 2022-05-16T20:29:29Z |
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "We thought there could be an easier way to collect and dispose of leaves and other yard debris," said one of two inventors, from Olympia, Wash., "so we invented the LEAF BAG. Our design would save time and effort and it would eliminate the need to struggle with traditional plastic yard bags."
The patent-pending invention provides an improved bag for collecting yard debris. In doing so, it prevents the bag from folding over or collapsing. It also increases convenience and safety and it reduces hassles and strain. The invention features a practical design that is easy to load, lift and carry so it is ideal for homeowners, landscapers, etc. Additionally, it is producible in design variations and a prototype is available.
The original design was submitted to the Seattle sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-FED-2395, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/12/inventhelp-inventors-develop-improved-leaf-collection-bag-fed-2395/ | 2022-09-12T15:47:06Z |
BUCHA, Ukraine (AP) — Bodies with bound hands, close-range gunshot wounds and signs of torture lay scattered in a city on the outskirts of Kyiv after Russian soldiers withdrew from the area. Ukrainian authorities on Sunday accused the departing forces of committing war crimesand leaving behind a “scene from a horror movie.”
As images of the bodies — of people whom residents said were killed indiscriminately — began to emerge from Bucha, a slew of European leaders condemned the atrocities and called for tougher sanctions against Moscow.
Associated Press journalists saw the bodies of at least 21 people in various spots around Bucha, northwest of the capital. One group of nine, all in civilian clothes, were scattered around a site that residents said Russian troops used as a base. They appeared to have been killed at close range. At least two had their hands tied behind their backs and one of those was shot in the head; another’s legs were bound.
Ukrainian officials laid the blame for the killings — which they said happened in Bucha and other Kyiv suburbs — squarely at the feet of Russian troops, with the president calling them evidence of genocide. But Russia’s Defense Ministry rejected the accusations as “provocation.”
The discoveries followed the Russian retreat from the area around the capital, territory that has seen heavy fighting since troops invaded Ukraine from three directions on Feb. 24. Troops who swept in from Belarus to the north spent weeks trying to clear a path to Kyiv, but their advance stalled in the face of resolute defense from Ukraine’s forces.
Moscow now says it is focusing its offensive on the country’s east, but it also pressed a siege on a city in the north and continued to strike cities elsewhere in a war that has already forced more than 4 million Ukrainians to flee their country and many more to leave their homes.
Russian troops rolled into Bucha in the early days of the invasion and stayed up March 30. With those forces gone, residents gave harrowing accounts Sunday, saying soldiers shot and killed civilians without any apparent reason.
One resident, who refused to give his name fearing for his safety, said that Russian troops went building to building and took people out of the basements where they were hiding, checking their phones for any evidence of anti-Russian activity and taking them away or shooting them.
Hanna Herega, a resident of Bucha, said Russian troops shot a neighbor who had gone out to gather wood for heating.
“He went to get some wood when all of a sudden they (Russians) started shooting. They hit him a bit above the heel, crushing the bone, and he fell down,” Herega said. “Then they shot off his left leg completely, with the boot. Then they shot him all over (the chest). And another shot went slightly below the temple. It was a controlled shot to the head.”
The AP also saw two bodies, that of a man and a woman, wrapped in plastic that residents said they had covered and placed in a shaft until a proper funeral could be arranged.
The resident who refused to be identified said the man was killed as he left a home.
“He put his hands up, and they shot him,” he said.
Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said scores of residents were found slain on the streets of the suburbs of Irpin and Hostomel as well as Bucha, in what looked like a “scene from a horror movie.”
He alleged that some of the women found dead had been raped before being killed and the Russians then burned the bodies.
“This is genocide,” Zelenskyy told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
But Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that the photos and videos of dead bodies “have been stage managed by the Kyiv regime for the Western media.” It noted that Bucha’s mayor did not mention any abuses a day after Russian troops left.
The ministry charged said “not a single civilian has faced any violent action by the Russian military” in Bucha.
Over the weekend, AP journalists witnessed Ukrainian soldiers gingerly removing at least six bodies from a street in Bucha with cables in case the Russians had booby-trapped corpses with explosives before their withdrawal.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko called on other nations to immediately end Russian gas imports, saying they were funding the killings.
“Not a penny should go to Russia anymore,” Klitschko told German newspaper Bild. “That’s bloody money used to slaughter people. The gas and oil embargo must come immediately.”
Officials in France, Germany, Italy, Estonia and the U.K. separately condemned what was being described and vowed that Russia would be held accountable.
“This is not a battlefield, it’s a crime scene,” Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas tweeted.
Authorities said they were documenting evidence to add to their case for prosecutingRussian officials for war crimes.
As Russian forces retreated from the area around the capital, they pressed their sieges in other parts of the country. Russia has said it is directing troops to the Donbas in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces for eight years.
In that region, Mariupol, a port on the Sea of Azov that has seen some of the war’s greatest suffering, remained cut off. About 100,000 civilians — less than a quarter of the prewar population of 430,000 — are believed to be trapped there with little or no food, water, fuel and medicine.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said Sunday that a team sent Saturday to help evacuate residents had yet to reach the city.
Ukrainian authorities said Russia agreed days ago to allow safe passage from the city, but similar agreements have broken down repeatedly under continued shelling.
A supermarket parking lot in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, meanwhile, has become the staging ground for helping people who have made it out.
Peycheva Olena, who fled the besieged city, told Britain’s Sky News she was forced to leave the body of her husband unburied when he was killed in shooting.
“There was shelling, and we tried to drag him away but it was too much, we couldn’t do it,” explained her daughter, Kristina Katrikova.
The mayor of Chernihiv, which also has been under attack for weeks, said Sunday that relentless Russian shelling has destroyed 70% of the northern city. Like in Mariupol, Chernihiv has been cut off from shipments of food and other supplies.
On Sunday morning, Russian forces launched missiles on the Black Sea port of Odesa, in southern Ukraine, sending up clouds of dark smoke that veiled parts of the city. The Russian military said the targets were an oil processing plant and fuel depots around Odesa, which is Ukraine’s largest port and home to its navy.
The Odesa city council said Ukraine’s air defense shot down some missiles before they hit the city. Ukrainian military spokesman Vladyslav Nazarov said there were no casualties from the attack.
The regional governor in Kharkiv, said Sunday that Russian artillery and tanks performed over 20 strikes on Ukraine’s second-largest city and its outskirts in the country’s northeast over the past day.
The head of Ukraine’s delegation in talks with Russia said Moscow’s negotiators informally agreed to most of a draft proposal discussed during face-to-face talks in Istanbul this week, but no written confirmation has been provided.
The Ukrainian negotiator, Davyd Arakhamia said on Ukrainian TV that he hoped the proposal was developed enough so Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin could meet to discuss it. But the top Russian negotiator in talks with Ukraine, Vladimir Medinksy, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying it was too early to talk about a meeting between the two leaders.
___
Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Ukraine, and Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/ukraine-sees-openings-as-russia-fixed-on-besieged-mariupol/ | 2022-04-03T18:42:09Z |
- Consuming a proprietary, resistant-starch fiber blend daily reduces blood sugar levels, improves sleep and even elevates energy levels, according to first-of-its-kind study
- Resistant starch is an all-natural form of non-digestible prebiotic fiber largely missing in Western diets; it nourishes beneficial bacteria, balancing the gut microbiome and boosting metabolic health
- Participants in comprehensive clinical trial consumed a daily meal-replacement shake from Supergut, which makes a full line of shakes, bars, and fiber mixes with its clinically proven, patented proprietary resistant starch blend
LOS ANGELES, July 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A first-of-its-kind study shows that daily intake of a proprietary, resistant-starch fiber blend reduces blood sugar levels, improves sleep and elevates energy levels.
The results of a comprehensive clinical trial, completed in June and announced today by Los Angeles-based functional food startup Supergut (formerly Muniq), validate a growing body of scientific evidence showing that resistant starch is the key to transforming the gut microbiome, boosting metabolic health, improving digestion and even enhancing mood.
Resistant starch is an all-natural form of prebiotic fiber that does not get digested in your small intestine like traditional carbohydrates. Instead, it ferments in your large intestine and feeds beneficial gut bacteria, which strengthens the gut microbiome and produces important metabolic by-products, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate.
An abundance of evidence shows that health-promoting SCFAs like butyrate are a major source of energy for colon cells; and they play an important role in preventing "leaky gut," decreasing overall inflammation, and regulating metabolism. Resistant starch has relatively few calories and helps reduce blood sugar; it helps regulate gut, metabolic, immune, and neurologic health.
The gut-balancing benefits of resistant starch underscore the outsized role the gut microbiome plays in overall health, helping control digestion and satiety, supporting prevention of diseases and improving physiologic and mental functioning in humans. The gut microbiome also helps regulate blood sugar levels and neurologic health.
"Over the past decade, the medical community has come to appreciate the gut microbiome's central role in driving a wide range of health and wellness outcomes," said Dr. Christopher Damman, MD, MA, gastroenterologist, Chief Medical and Science Officer at Supergut and former head of the microbiome program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "We were further impressed with the clinical trial results, which demonstrate that regular consumption of the resistant starch-based shake was more effective than a placebo shake and dietary advice at addressing gut, metabolic, and inflammatory dysfunction."
Despite its wide-ranging benefits, resistant starch is rare in Western diets; it is found in unripe, green bananas, cold cooked rice, and a few other starchy plant foods in modest quantities. Supergut formulated its proprietary fiber blend using diverse and highly concentrated sources of resistant starch to create highly functional and convenient foods that incorporate these essential missing nutrients, with a growing lineup of products.
Last month, Supergut launched Supergut Bars – a convenient, grab-and-go snack you can stash in your car, backpack or desk. The company also launched their gut balancing Supergut Fiber Mix – an unflavored, unsweetened, smooth powder you can mix into coffee, soup, baked goods or nearly any other home-cooked dish. All Supergut products include the company's proprietary resistant starch fiber blend.
Supergut's study is the first clinical trial on resistant starch from a food tech company. The goal was to provide definitive evidence that its products deliver measurable results – establishing a higher standard relative to the growing category of "functional foods" and nutraceutical fads without clinical substantiation.
Supergut's clinical trial was a three-arm, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial conducted over three months with 192 participants. The study included a placebo shake with matched protein and calorie profiles but missing the fiber blend, as well as a control group which did not consume meal-replacement shakes; all participants received the same dietary advice.
Participants who drank the Supergut meal-replacement shakes every day for three months experienced a statistically significant reduction in hemoglobin A1C of 0.7% relative to placebo. Participants with a baseline hemoglobin A1C of 8.5% or greater saw an absolute reduction in A1C of 0.8%.
Hemoglobin A1C measures your average blood sugar levels over the past three months, and is a commonly used test to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes. A reduction of 0.5% or greater is considered a clinically significant improvement in blood sugar control.
Supergut's clinical trial builds on the growing body of evidence indicating the importance of gut health on various dimensions of health. The trial was one of the rare studies showing that a non-pharmaceutical product can reduce A1C levels with both clinical and statistical significance.
A1C levels are notoriously difficult to lower through diet and exercise alone, and most clinical trials of non-pharmaceutical "functional foods" have either shown very small reduction in A1C or focused on other aspects of blood sugar control (like near-term blood sugar levels after a meal).
While a growing body of evidence points to the benefits of resistant starch, the Supergut study is also unusual in that it focuses on a commercially available finished product that incorporates resistant starch. Other studies on resistant starch focus on the impact of a specific ingredient containing resistant starch, such as high-amylose maize flour, which is less practical to incorporate into your daily diet.
In addition to lowering blood sugar levels, the Supergut results showed that 86% of participants reported a significant improvement in at least one of the following health and wellness indicators: sleep, immune health, energy levels, mental health and mood, clarity of thought (and decreased brain fog), and quality of life as measured by the World Health Organization 5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5) and the Diabetes Distress Assessment System. In addition, 60% reported an improvement in at least one area of digestive health, including reduced bloating, reduced heartburn, satisfactory bowel movements, and less nausea.
The study, conducted October 2021 through March 2022, also showed that people who had Supergut shakes experienced lower levels of depression and anxiety, maintained healthier weight, and reduced blood pressure levels.
The principal investigator of the trial, Dr. Juan Pablo Frias, Velocity Clinical Research, commented, "As a physician and clinical researcher who has conducted hundreds of clinical trials for diabetes and metabolism-related medications, I am very impressed to see such clinically significant results with a real food intervention."
Participants in the study represented a range of metabolic profiles including people who were overweight or obese and those with elevated blood sugar levels. The clinical trial included diverse representation with minorities representing nearly 40% of the 192 participants throughout the United States.
Supergut is conducting additional work to further understand how changes in the gut microbiome and other biomarkers (including butyrate, metabolic hormones such as GLP-1, and inflammatory markers) might impact these improvements.
Supergut was founded by Marc Washington in 2019 with initial funding from The Production Board (TPB), the San Francisco-based business foundry focused on food, agriculture, biomanufacturing, human health, and the broader life sciences. At the time, TPB CEO and Founder Dave Friedberg was researching the growing body of scientific evidence on the human microbiome – and he was keen to help create a data-driven, evidence-based business that could popularize gut-friendly resistant starch.
"Our goal was to set a new, extraordinarily high bar for scientific credibility in the food industry – and in so doing create a new category of truly functional food," Friedberg said.
Supergut has been selling its proprietary resistant starch-based products directly to consumers for two years under the Muniq brand name. During this time Supergut has helped thousands of people, many of whom previously struggled with metabolic disorders, regain better control over their health through the brand's patented line of gut balancing products.
Seven out of 10 of Americans are overweight or obese. Half of American adults have cardiovascular disease. And more than 50% of American adults have diabetes or prediabetes, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Real-world and clinical evidence now demonstrate that Supergut not only improves metabolic health outcomes, but also positively impacts a broad range of wellness and quality of life measures including mood, sleep, and energy. These wide ranging benefits indicate the brand's potential to positively impact the health and wellness of the public at large.
"Supergut has already been a game changer for more than 10,000 customers, many of whom previously struggled to stay in control of their health," said Supergut Founder and CEO Marc Washington. "The broad-ranging findings from our clinical study bring our long-term goal of improving public health on a global level into clearer focus. That means we need to make delicious, nutritious, truly functional food accessible for everybody. Our goal is to empower everyone to reclaim and sustain control over their bodies."
Supergut is the leading evidence-based nutrition brand designed to empower consumers to reclaim and sustain control over their bodies through the science of the gut microbiome, offering delicious and convenient functional foods. Harnessing the power of superfood resistant starch, Supergut offers scientifically-backed food products that are clinically proven to improve metabolic and gut health while boosting overall quality of life. Supergut uses breakthrough research and their own gold-standard clinical study to create products that deliver measurable health results for customers, including shakes, fiber mixes, and bars which were recently recognized as Best Nutritional Bar of 2022 by Good Housekeeping. Founder Marc Washington launched Supergut (formerly Muniq) in 2020 on a mission to fix the broken food system and create alternative methods for individuals looking to transform their health through their gut. To learn more, visit supergut.com or follow the brand on Instagram at @supergut.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Supergut | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/19/rigorous-clinical-trial-shows-that-daily-intake-superguts-resistant-starch-fiber-blend-improves-metabolic-health-overall-quality-life-quality-sleep-energy-levels-mood/ | 2022-07-19T15:16:54Z |
NEW YORK, April 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Reorg, the leading global provider of credit intelligence, data and analytics, announced today the launch of Credit Cloud by Reorg, a self-service data and analytics platform that professionals in the restructuring and leveraged finance markets can use to intuitively connect, manage and visualize the data required for their workflows.
Utilizing Reorg's collection of credit-focused databases and workflow solutions, Credit Cloud provides an easy-to-use portal for analyzing and querying restructuring and leveraged finance data, enabling subscribers to quickly access, enrich, visualize and monitor Reorg's differentiated data for a complete workflow for market participants and advisors.
Firm-specific dashboards enable teams and departments to enjoy streamlined, unfettered access to discrete legal and financial information such as bond and loan pricing and deal terms, advisor hires and fees, credit-focused fundamental data, and deep restructuring data (recoveries, rights offerings, DIPs and KEIPs).
Key features of Credit Cloud that power critical needs around business development, idea generation, due diligence and market monitoring include:
- A centralized hub to analyze, visualize and extract unique data sets, including financial, covenant and restructuring data, along with professional and advisor comp and data sets;
- Proprietary screening technology to discover investment and business development opportunities;
- Embedded intelligence and simplified workflow examples to address unique business requirements and data demands;
- Team-based dashboards and saved queries to improve collaboration across desks and departments.
"With Credit Cloud, the power to utilize Reorg's data is now in the hands of our subscribers, enabling them to discover, extract and analyze the information that matters for their daily workflows," said Kent Collier, Reorg's CEO. "We will continue to innovate and add data sets to the platform to reduce the arduous amount of time it takes for our users to get to and slice the data they need to be successful, no matter if they are an investor, lawyer or advisor."
Credit Cloud builds upon Reorg's existing solutions in the leveraged finance, high-yield and distressed debt markets, which together offer a comprehensive platform providing one-stop access for market participants.
Credit Cloud is the result of Reorg's commitment to continuous development and innovation across our technology, product and data science disciplines. Rachel Loeffler, Chief Product Officer at Reorg, said of the launch, "Credit Cloud's powerful offering stems from Reorg's intense dedication to partnership with our customers as we build for their needs. We look forward to bringing even more differentiated leveraged finance and restructuring data under the Credit Cloud umbrella based on market developments and feedback from Reorg's valued subscribers."
About Reorg
Founded in 2013, Reorg has fundamentally changed the way financial and legal professionals access complex and opaque business information. Our unique editorial approach combines reporting with financial and legal analysis to provide a holistic view of topical situations and delivers that view in real time through our proprietary platform, which is powered by machine learning and natural language processing. Today, with offices on three continents, Reorg serves more than 23,000 professionals across the world's leading hedge funds, asset managers, investment banks, law firms, professional services, advisors and corporations so they can make better business, investment and advisory decisions. To learn more, visit Reorg.com.
View original content:
SOURCE Reorg | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/04/12/reorg-launches-credit-cloud/ | 2022-04-12T19:19:17Z |
Community Edition, the first of multiple Tidal offerings, enables security analysts to gain advanced knowledge of adversary behaviors
WASHINGTON, Aug. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tidal Cyber, a leader in threat-informed defense, has today announced the general availability of the Community Edition of their SaaS threat-informed defense platform. It is freely available at: www.tidalcyber.com/communityedition
The Tidal Platform enables businesses to assess, organize and optimize their cyber defenses based on a deep understanding of the threats and adversaries that are most relevant to them. Tidal's Community Edition is available free of charge and enables security analysts to more easily and efficiently apply the advanced knowledge of adversary behaviors, as defined by the MITRE ATT&CK® knowledge base and additional open-source threat intelligence sources, to their unique environment. Beyond this, the platform also enables analysts to make this threat information actionable by showing how specific security products address adversary behaviors to better defend against those threats.
"Threat-informed cyber defense is based on understanding how adversaries are likely to attack your organization and using that knowledge to ensure you have the optimal security solutions in place," said Richard Struse, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Tidal Cyber. "Our goal is to enable security teams to maintain a 'single source of truth' for all data regarding relevant threats and countermeasures. With the availability of Community Edition, organizations can now not only explore the extensive knowledge base of adversarial behaviors more efficiently, but also quickly research solutions available to defend against those threats."
Specific features and highlights of Tidal's Community Edition include:
- Advanced Adversary Behavior Search that enables security analysts to rapidly investigate relevant ATT&CK objects (e.g., tactics, techniques, sub-techniques, groups, software, data sources, references), as well as information on how to defend against those behaviors.
- Tidal's Product Registry, a curated repository of vendor-provided security product capabilities mapped to specific adversary behaviors. The registry describes how each product protects, detects, responds or tests ATT&CK techniques, as well as the data each product generates to map to ATT&CK Data Components. This allows defenders to see how their current security stack stands up to the adversary behaviors they care about and evaluate options to fill any gaps.
- Knowledge Base Labels which enable users to explore the relationships between the threat objects that are most relevant to their organization.
- Custom Technique Sets that allow defenders to group specific techniques and sub-techniques with custom labels, making it easy to track and communicate emulation plans and new threat research.
Solution providers whose product capabilities are available in Tidal's Community Edition at launch include Atomic Red Team, AttackIQ, BreachBits, BluVector, Picus, Remediant, SCYTHE, Sysmon Modular, and Trinity Cyber. A number of other solution providers, including Check Point, Cybereason, and SentinelOne, have also committed to joining the Product Registry, and their data will be integrated into the Community Edition shortly. Tidal will also be releasing frequent updates to the platform in which additional solution providers and new product features will be added.
"With the Tidal platform, my team will be much better equipped to understand the threats we face and answer questions such as: 'which threats are most relevant to our business?', 'where are our gaps and redundancies?' and 'is a particular security solution going to improve our protection against those relevant threats?'," said Patricia Titus, Chief Information Security Officer at Markel Corporation.
"Vulnerability management is important in cyber security. However, a defensive strategy driven primarily by vulnerability management doesn't do enough to prioritize threats relative to the severity of risk posed to a specific organization, its unique threat surface, and its unique security stack," said Patrick Donegan, Principal Analyst at HardenStance. "By enabling a threat-informed defense, Tidal Cyber makes it a lot easier for users to assess their specific cyber risk relative to the latest threat intel flagged up by the ATT&CK framework, identify capabilities and gaps in their own security controls for defending against the highest risk threats, and then configure those controls optimally for the most effective defense."
The Community Edition is the first of multiple offerings of the Tidal Platform. Subsequent platform editions will be announced later this year and will feature expanded functionality such as the ability to overlay threat models against the security solutions in your environment to identify areas of coverage, gaps, and redundancy.
To stay up to date on all of the latest news surrounding Tidal Cyber, please visit: www.tidalcyber.com.
Founded in January 2022 by a team of threat intelligence veterans with experience at MITRE, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and a wide range of innovative security providers, Tidal Cyber enables businesses to implement a threat-informed defense more easily and efficiently. The Tidal Platform helps our customers map the security capabilities of their unique environment against the industry's most complete knowledgebase of adversary tactics and techniques including the MITRE ATT&CK® knowledge base, additional open-source threat intelligence sources, and a Tidal-curated registry of security product capabilities mapped to specific adversary techniques. The result is actionable insight to track and improve their defensive coverage, gaps, and overlaps. For more information, please visit: www.tidalcyber.com.
View original content:
SOURCE Tidal Cyber | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/10/tidal-cyber-launches-threat-informed-defense-platform/ | 2022-08-10T13:28:22Z |
FORT WORTH, Tx (KDAF) — Whether it’s coffee, boba, or alcohol, Fort Worth has plenty of places to enjoy a drink and have a great upcoming weekend.
It can be a bit intimidating trying to navigate through it all, but Yelp has your back. They released a list of the Top 25 Places to Drink in Metro Fort Worth.
“Sure, you’ll see your obvious local favorites on the list, but it’s also chock full of hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path joints like Daiquiri Stop, tucked away in Hurst and known for its colorful menu of frozen daiquiris you can take home by the gallon. From coffee to boba tea to locally brewed beer, find a new favorite beverage with Yelp’s Top 25 Places to Drink in Metro Fort Worth,” Yelp said.
- 151 Coffee
- Sikhay Thai Lao Cuisine
- My Lan Vietnamese Restaurant
- Iris Bagel Coffee House
- Epic Gelato & Craft Coffee
- Vaquero Coffee
- Rejuv Juice
- Society Coffee
- Arcadia Coffee
- Turning Point Beer
- The Bearded Monk
- Coffee Folk
- Flying Squirrel Coffee Co.
- HopFusion Ale Works
- Feng Cha
- Redefined Coffee House
- Kahunas
- Acre Distilling Co.
- Babylon Coffee Roasters
- Black Coffee
- Pouring Glory
- Daiquiri Stop
- On Tap
For the full report, click here. | https://cw33.com/news/local/top-places-to-drink-in-fort-worth-according-to-yelp/ | 2022-07-22T21:21:25Z |
The Uvalde school district’s police chief has stepped down from his position in the City Council just weeks after being sworn in following allegations that he erred in his response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
Chief Pete Arredondo said in a letter dated Friday that he has decided to step down for the good of the city and “to minimize further distractions.” He was elected to the council on May 7 and was sworn in on May 31, just a week after the massacre, in a closed-door ceremony.
“The mayor, the city council, and the city staff must continue to move forward to unite our community once again,” Arredondo said in his resignation, first reported by the Uvalde Leader-News.
Arredondo, who has been on administrative leave from his school district position since June 22, has declined repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press. His attorney, George Hyde, did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment Saturday.
On June 21, the City Council voted unanimously to deny Arredondo a leave of absence from appearing at public meetings. Relatives of the shooting victims had pleaded with city leaders to fire him.
The Uvalde City Council released Arredondo’s resignation letter Saturday, after city officials received notification of his intent to step down via email, but did not comment further.
Representatives of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin have not responded to AP’s requests for comment.
Col. Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, told a state Senate hearing last month that Arredondo — the on-site commander — made “terrible decisions” as the massacre unfolded on May 24 , and that the police response was an “abject failure.”
Three minutes after 18-year-old Salvador Ramos entered the school, sufficient armed law enforcement were on scene to stop the gunman, McCraw testified. Yet police officers armed with rifles stood and waited in a school hallway for more than an hour while the gunman carried out the massacre. The classroom door could not be locked from the inside, but there is no indication officers tried to open the door while the gunman was inside, McCraw said.
McCraw has said parents begged police outside the school to move in and students inside the classroom repeatedly pleaded with 911 operators for help while more than a dozen officers waited in a hallway. Officers from other agencies urged Arredondo to let them move in because children were in danger.
“The only thing stopping a hallway of dedicated officers from entering room 111 and 112 was the on-scene commander who decided to place the lives of officers before the lives of children,” McCraw said.
Arredondo has tried to defend his actions, telling the Texas Tribune that he didn’t consider himself the commander in charge of operations and that he assumed someone else had taken control of the law enforcement response. He said he didn’t have his police and campus radios but that he used his cellphone to call for tactical gear, a sniper and the classroom keys.
It’s still not clear why it took so long for police to enter the classroom, how they communicated with each other during the attack, and what their body cameras show.
Officials have declined to release more details, citing the investigation.
Arredondo, 50, grew up in Uvalde and has spent much of his nearly 30-year career in law enforcement in the city. | https://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-us-headlines/uvalde-schools-police-chief-resigns-from-city-council/ | 2022-07-02T21:47:41Z |
Work-from-home stocks are getting crushed
By Julia Horowitz, CNN Business
You remember the early days of the pandemic, when millions of office workers started doing their jobs from home for the first time.
Video conferences — for business check-ins and happy hours — became a feature of daily life. Gym memberships were swapped for stationary bikes. Parents raced to crack the difficult code of remote learning.
Now, as restrictions in the United States and Europe have been rolled back, people are sick of spending so much time at home. And companies like Peloton, Zoom Video and DocuSign are paying the price.
Peloton’s stock dropped almost 9% on Tuesday after the company said it had lost $757 million last quarter. Sales tumbled 15% from one year ago.
It’s quickly running out of money. Peloton said it had just $879 million in cash in the bank at the end of its most recent quarter. It’s borrowing heavily from banks like JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs to keep the lights on.
CEO Barry McCarthy, who took over the top job from founder John Foley in February, acknowledged in a letter to shareholders that Peloton is “thinly capitalized for a business of our scale.”
While he’s working on a turnaround, McCarthy noted that the company grew too fast during the pandemic. Peloton is now sitting on way too much inventory for current levels of demand. Other issues tied to a rapid expansion — like wonky code — still need to be sorted out, too.
The home workout company is now worth just $4.3 billion, down from a peak of almost $49 billion in January 2021. Its shares are down 64% year-to-date.
Peloton’s problems have garnered plenty of attention. But it’s not the only darling of the work-from-home era that’s now getting pummeled by investors.
Zoom Video’s stock is down 51% since the start of 2022. It reports earnings later this month.
“We are really in a very interesting transition point for the company,” Chief Financial Officer Kelly Steckelberg said at a conference in March, explaining that Zoom wants to pivot from a “killer meetings app” to a broader platform for workplace collaboration.
She said Zoom has not lost any big customers, but noted that “companies are sort of past that panic-buying stage of the pandemic,” which means sales are becoming “more normalized.”
Shares of DocuSign, meanwhile, are 54% lower this year. Online learning platform Chegg is down 42%.
The takeaway: Few companies have been exempt from the recent stock market sell-off. Investors have dumped shares of American retailers even as people have returned to their stores. Gym chain Planet Fitness is off 25% year-to-date.
But work-from-home favorites have been getting hit especially hard as Wall Street skeptically assesses where the economy heads next.
Markets won’t calm down even if inflation has peaked
Inflation in the United States may have peaked at last.
The latest: The government will release data on consumer prices for the year to April later today. Economists expect to learn that the Consumer Price Index climbed 8.1% during that period, compared to 8.5% in the year to March.
But don’t expect investors to start celebrating just yet.
Inflation started to rise sharply last spring, which means year-over-year comparisons may look a bit less eye-watering. However, the underlying dynamics pushing up prices remain entrenched.
“In the absence of major improvements in supply chains and geopolitical tensions, the descent to the 2% [inflation] target will be very slow and may not be achieved until the very end of 2023,” James Knightley, ING’s chief international economist, said in a note to clients.
The latest National Federation of Independent Business survey, released earlier this week, found that a net 70% of companies raised prices in the past three months, according to ING. That’s down a bit from the previous survey, but is still the second highest reading on record.
Most importantly: Even if inflation isn’t climbing higher every month, the Fed has a lot of work to do, and is expected to continue aggressively hiking interest rates. That’s a recipe for markets to remain turbulent in the near term.
President Joe Biden said in a speech on Tuesday that combating inflation is his top domestic priority and acknowledged “families all across America are hurting.”
“They’re frustrated. I don’t blame them. I really don’t blame them,” Biden said.
Could Tesla buy a mining company?
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and, of course, the soon-to-be owner of Twitter, has his hands full across a range of industries. He may soon add mining to the list.
Musk made waves yesterday when he said he would reverse former President Donald Trump’s lifetime Twitter ban if he takes over the social media company.
Also of note: Musk said that while Tesla was unlikely to purchase a rival automaker, it could acquire a mining company as it tries to gain more control over its supply chain.
“That’s not out of the question,” Musk said at the FT’s Future of the Car summit, adding that such a move might be necessary to “accelerate the transition” to electric vehicles.
Last week, Tesla signed a supply deal with the Brazilian miner Vale to get the nickel it needs for its batteries.
But Musk’s comments are a reminder that car companies are desperate for greater certainty as prices for raw materials leap and limited supplies of key components create strain.
Musk didn’t say whether there was a specific miner that Tesla had its eye on. Last month, shares of Nevada-based mining firm Lithium Corporation popped after rumors circulated that Tesla had scooped it up.
The company said it had “not received so much as an expression of interest from Tesla.”
“We would be happy to chat with Elon if he was inclined, but presently there is no relationship between the two companies,” it said in a statement.
Up next
Olaplex and Wendy’s report results before US markets open. Rivian and Disney follow after the close.
Also today: The latest data on US inflation arrives at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Check this out: Want a breakdown of how the war in Ukraine is rattling the global economy? Listen to my conversation on CNN’s “Tug of War” podcast, where we talk about pain at the pump, the brewing food crisis and how rising prices could create more political instability.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/money/cnn-business-consumer/2022/05/11/work-from-home-stocks-are-getting-crushed/ | 2022-05-11T15:30:07Z |
Principal of Texas school where shooting happened reinstated
UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Officials of the Texas school district where the nation’s deadliest classroom shooting in a decade happened have reinstated the principal of the school where the shooting happened.
Uvalde school district officials had suspended Robb Elementary School Principal Mandy Gutierrez with pay after a legislative report criticized her school security after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at the school on May 24.
On Wednesday, Gutierrez rebutted the criticisms point by point in a letter sent to the committee that authored the report.
On Thursday, Uvalde school Superintendent Hal Harrell sent her and her attorney a brief letter lifting the suspension and reinstating her as an administrator.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/07/29/principal-texas-school-where-shooting-happened-reinstated/ | 2022-07-29T02:31:46Z |
HOUSTON, Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Adams Resources & Energy, Inc. (NYSE AMERICAN: AE) ("Adams" or the "Company") today announces operational and financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2022 and declares a quarterly cash dividend of $0.24 per common share.
Q2 2022 Financial Highlights
- Net earnings of $2.5 million, or $0.56 per diluted common share, on revenues of $992.1 million for the second quarter of 2022, compared to net earnings of $4.7 million, or $1.10 per diluted common share, on revenues of $486.7 million for the second quarter of 2021.
- Net cash used in operating activities was $30.1 million, versus net cash generated by operating activities of $29.1 million for the second quarter of 2021. The decrease was primarily driven by an increase in the market price of crude oil and an increase in crude oil inventory and changes in working capital.
- Adjusted net earnings of $3.1 million, or $0.69 per diluted common share, compared to adjusted net earnings of $1.9 million, or $0.44 per diluted common share, for the second quarter of 2021.
- Adjusted cash flow of $9.0 million versus $7.4 million for the second quarter of 2021.
Adjusted net earnings (losses), adjusted earnings (losses) per diluted common share and adjusted cash flow are non-generally accepted accounting principle ("non-GAAP") financial measures that are defined and reconciled in the financial tables later in this release.
Additional Q2 2022 Highlights
- Cash and cash equivalents position was $67.7 million at June 30, 2022, versus $97.8 million at December 31, 2021, primarily due to an increase in crude oil inventory barrels, due in part to timing of customer deliveries, together with an increase in crude oil prices.
- Enhanced financial liquidity of $102.0 million at June 30, 2022, including cash and cash equivalents and $34.3 million available under the Company's $40.0 million Credit Agreement.
- Adam's crude oil marketing subsidiary, GulfMark Energy, Inc. ("GulfMark"), marketed 94,876 barrels per day ("bpd") of crude oil, compared to 89,585 bpd during the second quarter of 2021 and 90,385 bpd during the first quarter of 2022. GulfMark held 573,036 barrels of crude oil inventory at June 30, 2022, compared to 259,489 barrels at December 31, 2021.
- The collective fleet of Service Transport Company ("Service Transport"), Adams' liquid chemicals, pressurized gases, asphalt and dry bulk transportation subsidiary, traveled 6.86 million miles versus 7.25 million miles during the second quarter of 2021 and 6.80 million miles during the first quarter of 2022.
- Adams' crude oil pipeline and storage segment, which was established following the purchase of the Victoria Express Pipeline System ("VEX Pipeline System") in October 2020, further expanded its scope of operations. Pipeline throughput increased to 13,281 bpd from 7,876 bpd for the second quarter of 2021 and 10,486 bpd for the first quarter of 2022, and terminalling volumes grew to 13,704 bpd from 8,106 bpd in the second quarter of 2021 and 10,948 bpd for the first quarter of 2022.
Kevin J. Roycraft, Adams' Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are delighted to report continued momentum through the second quarter, resulting in a strong first half of 2022 both operationally and financially. All three of our segments made important progress on their strategic initiatives designed to sustain profitability and grow their respective businesses for the long-term benefit of our shareholders. I want to thank all of our team members for their steadfast dedication to providing our customers with a safe, efficient and best-in-class service offering."
Capital Investments and Dividends
During the second quarter of 2022, the Company spent capital of $1.1 million for tractors, trailers and other field equipment. In addition, Adams paid dividends of $1.1 million, or $0.24 per common share.
As part of Adams' on-going capital allocation strategy, the Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend for the second quarter of 2022 of $0.24 per common share, payable on September 23, 2022, to shareholders of record as of September 9, 2022. Adams' has consistently paid a dividend since 1994.
Outlook
Mr. Roycraft concluded, "We look forward to further executing our strategic plan to drive increased efficiencies across the entire organization. We continue to have a strong financial position, which includes a liquidity position of more than $102 million at the end of this year's second quarter. As in the past, we will continue to leverage our significant operational expertise and financial flexibility to execute on opportunities designed to prudently grow our business. We remain laser focused on providing significant long-term value for our shareholders, demonstrated by the regular return on capital through our consistent payment of quarterly cash dividends."
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release and accompanying schedules includes the non-GAAP financial measures of adjusted cash flow, adjusted net earnings (losses) and adjusted earnings (losses) per common share. The accompanying schedules provide definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations to their most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Company management believes these measures are useful indicators of the financial performance of our business and uses these measurements as aids in monitoring the Company's ongoing financial performance from quarter to quarter and year to year on a regular basis and for benchmarking against peer companies. Our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as alternatives to GAAP measures such as net income, operating income, net cash flow provided by operating activities, earnings per share or any other measure of financial performance calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Adams' non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies because they may not calculate such measures in the same manner as Adams does. The non-GAAP financial measures are defined and reconciled in the financial tables below.
About Adams Resources & Energy, Inc.
Adams Resources & Energy, Inc. is engaged in crude oil marketing, transportation, terminalling and storage and tank truck transportation of liquid chemicals and dry bulk through its subsidiaries, GulfMark Energy, Inc., Service Transport Company, Victoria Express Pipeline, LLC and GulfMark Terminals, LLC. For more information, visit www.adamsresources.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate to future events and anticipated results of operations, business strategies, and other aspects of our operations or operating results. In many cases you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "project," "estimate," "continue," "potential," "should," "could," "may," "will," "objective," "guidance," "outlook," "effort," "expect," "believe," "predict," "budget," "projection," "goal," "forecast," "target" or similar words. Statements may be forward looking even in the absence of these particular words. Where, in any forward-looking statement, the Company expresses an expectation or belief as to future results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, and any other risk factors included in Adams' reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. However, there can be no assurance that such expectation or belief will result or be achieved. Unless legally required, Adams undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Company Contact
Tracy E. Ohmart
EVP, Chief Financial Officer
tohmart@adamsresources.com
(713) 881-3609
Investor Relations Contact
Gary Guyton or Steven Hooser
Three Part Advisors
(214) 442-0016
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Adams Resources & Energy, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/11/adams-resources-amp-energy-inc-announces-results-second-quarter-2022-declares-quarterly-dividend/ | 2022-08-11T21:19:53Z |
Upgrade to Calyx RIM on Microsoft Azure drives efficiencies and patient safety
NOTTINGHAM, England and MORRISVILLE, N.C., Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Calyx, the eClinical and Regulatory solutions and services provider relied on for solving complex data challenges in clinical research, today announced that long-term client, Krka – one of the world's leading generic pharmaceutical companies – is expanding its investment in the Calyx Regulatory Information Management (RIM) system for an additional five years.
"We chose to continue our relationship with Calyx based on our successful experience working with their regulatory experts over the past decade, and our trust in the robustness of the Calyx RIM system," said Krka. "We're excited about the investment Calyx has made in innovating the system with reliable cloud technology, which will help us to ensure patient safety, even during system updates."
Since 2011, Krka has relied on Calyx RIM to comply with increasingly complex global publishing requirements and for the management and tracking of detailed product information, registrations, and authorizations. Krka's contract extension includes an upgrade to Calyx RIM on Microsoft Azure for increased efficiencies, including simplified activities and tailored, direct delivery of system updates to minimize operational disruptions.
"We value the trust that Krka continues to place in Calyx RIM and are delighted to extend our relationship as they strive to comply with evolving worldwide regulations and ensure patient access to much needed medical treatments," said Jo English, Vice President, Regulatory Information Management, Calyx
More than 20 million regulatory records have been seamlessly migrated into the Calyx RIM system, representing over 1 million global submissions to date. Notably, over 100 COVID-19 vaccine authorizations have been granted by worldwide regulatory bodies based on clinical trial data submitted via Calyx RIM.
Click here for more information on the benefits of Calyx RIM.
About Calyx
Through innovative eClinical and Regulatory solutions and services, Calyx turns the uncertain into the reliable, helping bring new medical treatments to market reliably. With deep expertise in clinical development and 30 years supporting trial sponsors and clinical research organizations, Calyx harnesses its intelligence and experience to solve complex problems, deliver fast insights, and get new drugs to market every day.
CTMS | EDC | IRT | Medical Imaging | RIM
Take your trials further with intelligent insights at Calyx.ai or at LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.
About Krka
Krka (LJSE: KRKG) was established in 1954 and has developed into one of the leading generic pharmaceutical companies in wider Europe. Globally, it ranks among the top 20 generic companies, and is present in overseas markets and Asia. Krka has a broad portfolio of effective and innovative medicines and a strong development pipeline of 170 products. Krka's medicines are available in unique strengths and combinations, innovative dosage forms, including sustained release dosage forms, and are manufactured in advanced and patented technological processes. Our flexibility allows us to be agile and first to market. Krka has grown to become an international company with 12 thousand employees and global presence in more than 70 markets around the world. In addition to the 47 subsidiaries and representative offices abroad, the company's international presence is consolidated through its own production plants in Slovenia, Poland, the Russian Federation, Croatia, Germany, and now in China. Krka's products are marketed under our own brand names, ensuring market recognition. New products are constantly being added to the wide Krka product range, reinforcing the company's ability to enter new therapeutic areas. Krka's group business model is based on a high degree of vertical integration at all levels of its operation.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Calyx | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/02/krka-extends-use-calyx-regulatory-information-management-system-based-decade-successful-experience/ | 2022-08-02T12:20:39Z |
Who is Pakistan’s new Prime Minister? Steel dynasty scion Shehbaz Sharif inherits an ailing economy amid political turmoil
By Rhea Mogul and Sophia Saifi, CNN
Pakistan’s new leader Shehbaz Sharif called for “unity” and vowed to repair the country’s damaged economy after he was sworn in as Prime Minister Monday following the ouster of Imran Khan.
Former opposition leader Sharif, 70, is set to serve as Prime Minister until the next general election, expected in 2023.
He was elected by Pakistan’s parliament after former cricket star Khan was dismissed as Prime Minister in a no-confidence vote that had threatened to set off a constitutional crisis. For weeks Sharif had been leading a campaign to remove Khan over allegations of poor governance and economic mismanagement.
Sharif’s rise has been mired in political conflict, and critics say he now faces the daunting task of reviving a flailing economy and maintaining important relations with key countries against the backdrop of widespread protests in favor of Khan.
“It has been a historic (few weeks), with our young and fragile democracy being tested to its very limit,” said Hassan Kamal Wattoo, a lawyer and columnist based in the capital, Islamabad. “What we can only hope is at the end of this constitutional crisis, our democracy is left shaken but standing.”
Who is Shehbaz Sharif?
A steel dynasty scion, Shehbaz Sharif is the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif, a three-time former Pakistani prime minister. The family’s fortune derives largely from the Ittefaq Group steelmaker co-founded by their industrialist father, Muhammad Sharif.
Shehbaz Sharif first rose to power as the chief minister of Pakistan’s politically important and most populous province of Punjab in 1997, and was praised by many in the province for his good governance.
But his term was cut unexpectedly short in 1999 when former Gen. Pervez Musharraf led a military coup against his elder brother, due in part to a breakdown of relations between the government and the powerful military. Shehbaz Sharif was briefly imprisoned in Pakistan, before going into self-imposed exile in Saudi Arabia with his family.
He returned to Pakistan in 2007, and was reelected chief minister of Punjab the following year. His tenure proved popular with many in Punjab for its ambitious infrastructure projects, and advances in education and industry.
But Sharif’s family was embroiled in scandal in 2018 when his elder brother was sentenced to 10 years in prison and handed a $10.5 million fine for corruption.
Nawaz Sharif denied the charges, but was barred by Pakistan’s highest court from holding political office. Shehbaz Sharif took over from his elder brother as leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PMLN) party, but faces unresolved corruption charges, which he denies.
For much of Khan’s term, Sharif led a campaign to remove him as prime minister. In recent months, it escalated, with Sharif and the opposition accusing Khan of economic mismanagement and urging him to resign.
In a dramatic series of events, the deputy speaker in parliament blocked the no-confidence vote against Khan, who then dissolved parliament and called for early elections. The opposition challenged Khan’s moves in Pakistan’s highest court, with Sharif calling them “nothing short of high treason.”
The court ruled last week that the blocking of the no-confidence vote against Khan was unconstitutional, paving the way for re-run of the vote and for Sharif to become Prime Minister.
Repairing a damaged economy
Sharif now inherits an ailing economy, with inflation in the double digits. The cost of basic necessities such as food and fuel are skyrocketing, and the government’s foreign exchange reserves are fast depleting.
A poll released in January by Gallup Pakistan found 64% of respondents felt inflation was the biggest problem for the country.
Meleeha Lodhi, former Pakistan ambassador to the United States, Britain and the United Nations, said reviving the economy will be Sharif’s “biggest challenge and top priority.”
“There is pressure on the rupee which has been rapidly falling against the dollar and business confidence has plunged,” she said.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed in 2019 to provide Pakistan with a $6 billion bailout, but since then the program has experienced setbacks.
Lodhi said resuming the IMF program should be Sharif’s “main focus.”
“Pakistan urgently needs the funds,” she said.
Shortly after being sworn in, Sharif vowed to repair the economy.
“The economic challenges are huge and we need to make a way out of these troubles. We will have to shed sweat and blood to revive the economy,” he said.
How will Sharif’s term affect Pakistan’s foreign policy?
Khan ushered in a new era of foreign policy that saw Pakistan distance itself from the US, and move closer to China and Russia.
His unique brand of Islamist populism and anti-American rhetoric polarized the nation, with Khan blaming the US for the situation in neighboring Afghanistan, and most recently accusing Washington of conspiring with Pakistan’s opposition to remove him from power.
Analysts say Sharif now faces the challenging task of amending ties with the US without playing into Khan’s narrative — which has appeared to resonate with many of the former prime minister’s voters.
“Pakistan will have to work very closely with the Americans, there is no question about it. However, domestically, they will have to manage the optics,” said Happymon Jacob, founder of the India-based Council For Strategic Defense Research. “Pakistan has no option but to work very closely with the Americans, for the simple reason that Afghanistan needs to be stabilized.”
Unlike Khan, Sharif has not severed links with Washington, said Jacob, adding Pakistan is “likely to see an improvement of relations” with the US.
As his elder brother did, Sharif is also expected to maintain amicable relations with Pakistan’s largest South Asian neighbor, India.
In a speech to parliament Monday, Sharif stressed the need to “solve the crisis” in the disputed region of Kashmir, which has driven the two nuclear-armed states to war three times.
According to Jacob, his arrival “augurs well for India-Pakistan relations.”
“He has a close relationship with the leadership in India … and is pro-peace with India,” he said, adding that unlike Khan, Sharif has also maintained ties with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, paving the way for a “peaceful” year.
Another key relationship Sharif is expected to maintain is the one with China.
As Punjab’s chief minister, he was instrumental in driving the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a part of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure project, and maintains a positive relationship with Beijing.
“The relationship with China is very important for Pakistan from an economic point of view,” Jacob said. “The new government is not going to slow down that engagement and it will only increase over time.”
How will Sharif square off against Khan?
Sharif faces a tough challenge in quelling hostilities between his coalition government and Khan’s embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
The PTI’s lawmakers all resigned en masse in protest on Monday, ahead of the prime minister vote.
“For better or worse, Khan is likely to be a thorn in the government’s side for much time to come,” said Wattoo, the lawyer.
Khan is expected to challenge Sharif in the general election next year, and is likely to further his allegations of a “foreign conspiracy” against him.
Since Khan’s ouster, tens of thousands of his supporters have taken to the streets in key cities across Pakistan to protest, chanting slogans against the US and Pakistan’s military. Khan’s supporters blame the military for seeming to have withdrawn support for him in recent months.
Unlike Khan, Sharif has maintained an amicable relationship with the generals — something analysts say could bode well for him.
Still, according to Wattoo, Sharif could face a tough road ahead.
“The (conspiracy) label will be difficult for (Sharif) to shake off,” Wattoo said. “Corruption allegations (against Sharif) will persist, and it is inevitable that regular Pakistanis will tire of the prime minister’s office being treated as a family heirloom between brothers.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/cnn-asia-pacific/2022/04/13/who-is-pakistans-new-prime-minister-steel-dynasty-scion-shehbaz-sharif-inherits-an-ailing-economy-amid-political-turmoil/ | 2022-04-13T09:37:35Z |
Therapist-created app seeks to offer a simple but powerful approach to mental health support and help employers reduce burnout, turnover, and loneliness in remote working environments.
LEHI, Utah, June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With its network of specialized therapists and research-backed resources, Noble, a connection-based mental health app, announced the launch of a new offering for corporate clients seeking to combat loneliness in the workplace. Faced with ever-evolving mental health challenges, employers can leverage Noble's vast array of expertise and tools to prioritize employee mental health through an impact-focused approach.
With the increase in virtual or hybrid work, research suggests that loneliness is on the rise. Full-time remote employees are more likely to be lonely (65%) than those who typically work in in-person office environments (58%). Despite living in a world more connected than ever, we are seeing the highest rates of loneliness, anxiety, and depression, leading to employee burnout and high turnover.
"At Noble, we're focused on equipping employers with the means to cultivate meaningful human connection to reduce burnout, turnover and loneliness, while ultimately ensuring a healthier, happier employee experience," said Eric Red, co-founder of Noble. "We build outcome-focused, data-driven programs that connect employees with specialized help and human-to-human support."
Noble's four-part model combines the best technology with the best mental health professionals to impact outcomes in a lasting, meaningful way.
- Motivate: A user experience that builds trust, confidence, and motivation to begin healing.
- Assess: Clinical assessments offer a complete, systematic approach to identifying needs.
- Connect: Bringing together humans and technology for increased connection and improved outcomes.
- Support: Safe, skilled, and empathetic mental health professionals offering help to anyone at any time.
Through Noble, individuals gain access to therapist-created, research-backed Therapy Roadmaps on a variety of topics and one-on-one support from a dedicated mental health professional who will meet them right where they are.
"Employees experiencing feelings of loneliness in the workplace is an ongoing issue in today's society that only continues to escalate," said Dr. Kevin Skinner, LMFT, CSAT-S, EMDR, and co-founder of Noble. "We built Noble because we're passionate about helping people in every aspect of their daily lives. With Noble, employees gain anytime access to high-quality, empathetic therapy content centered on topics such as loneliness, depression, anxiety, addiction, trauma, and more. They also receive one-on-one support from a dedicated mental health professional who is there to guide and support them in whatever way they need."
To learn more about Noble and its approach to connection-based mental health support, visit www.noble.health. For more information on corporate offerings and proven mental health resources for employees, visit www.noble.health/corporate.
About Noble Corporate: Noble builds outcome-focused programs that connect employees with specialized help and human-to-human support. They use technology to enhance, not replace, human connection. For more information, please visit www.noble.health/corporate
About Noble: Noble is an innovative, mental health-focused app that offers therapist-created, research-backed Therapy Roadmaps designed to help individuals find healing through connection and habit-building. Roadmaps increase the effectiveness of one-on-one therapy sessions by providing automated, between-session content, individualized assignments, and thoughtful assessments for clients. Noble aims to reduce burnout for mental health professionals by creating an opportunity to earn a passive income and providing access to supplemental therapy tools and resources for a more consistent, interactive client experience. For more information, please visit www.noble.health.
Media Contact:
Paige Procknow
Marketing Manager
(512) 423-3118
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Noble | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/09/noble-introduces-corporate-mental-health-support-combat-loneliness-remote-workplace/ | 2022-06-09T12:32:51Z |
Leading Technology Company Brings the Future of Immersive Experiences Directly to Consumers
INGLEWOOD, Calif., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hollywood Park, the largest urban mixed-use mega development under construction in the Western United States, announces a new signed tenant, Cosm, a global leader in experiential media and immersive technology, which will introduce its first public venue in Hollywood Park. The forthcoming location will be the first venue of its kind to bring entertainment to life by utilizing Cosm's revolutionary domed and compound curved LED technology. Guests will be able to directly experience immersive content through the company's proprietary, best-in-class technology that seamlessly bridges the gap between virtual and physical realities.
As part of Hollywood Park's retail district, the venue will showcase a 26.6-meter diameter LED dome in a 65,000 total square feet facility that can hold up to 1,700 guests. Programming at the venue will include live sports and entertainment, experiential events and content, immersive art, music, and more.
"We look forward to Hollywood Park being the home of Cosm's first venue. Their modern venue design and immersive LED technology will create a one-of-a-kind entertainment offering for our guests and our community," said Jason Gannon, managing director, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park. "Integrating dynamic companies like Cosm into Hollywood Park's retail space furthers our goal to create a tenant mix that is not only unique to Hollywood Park, but also delivers extraordinary experiences for our community."
With 75 years of experience in immersive entertainment, Cosm's vision for its first public venue stems from its pioneering experience and innovation in dome design, pixel management, 3D and real-time rendering, and high-resolution live video workflows for planetariums and amusement parks around the world.
"We're redefining the way the world experiences content and up-leveling fandom by opening our first Cosm venue in the center of the entertainment capital of the world," said Jeb Terry, Cosm's CEO and President. "For decades, we've powered some of the most iconic and entertaining experiences for our partners around the globe. Now, we're powering our own. Cosm isn't just a place, it's a feeling. It's the energy of the crowd, the exhilaration of sitting courtside at the biggest sporting events, the thrill of standing front row at your dream concert, the intensity of being enveloped in immersive environments that you have to experience to believe. Cosm is bringing that to life – first in Los Angeles, then around the world."
"Cosm is providing an immersive and interactive canvas for partners and creators to showcase new and existing content in a way the world has never seen," continued Devin Poolman, Cosm's Chief Product and Technology Officer. "From our live 8K immersive production to real-time technology that leverages gaming engines like Unreal, to the architectural and interior designs and engineered build of our physical venues, our vertically integrated platform seamlessly intersects the digital and physical worlds. Cosm is a portal that can transport you anywhere, anytime, real or imagined, and it is completely reinventing entertainment as we know it."
Construction for Cosm's Los Angeles venue, designed by HKS, will begin in the fall of 2022.
Hollywood Park will become a city within a city with its recreational outdoor parks as its social heart. When complete, Hollywood Park will include up to five million square feet of creative office space, an exceptional retail district reaching up to 890,000 square feet, a 300-room hotel, and up to 2,500 sophisticated new residences. The expansive outdoor-oriented districts will border a six-acre artificial lake while being interlaced with 25 acres of tree-lined public parks and open space.
The first phase of Hollywood Park's retail district will total 500,000 square feet, with 320,000 square feet scheduled to open spring 2023. Hollywood Park's newest tenants feature concepts including Inglewood-based, family-owned juice bar Antojitos Martin; Grilled Fraiche from South LA restaurateur Peace Love Reedburg; Residency Art Gallery, which is a platform for artists of color; the latest venture from the founder of Inglewood's Three Weavers Brewing Company; Long Beach, Calif.-based Iconix Fitness; and Red Bay Coffee, an artisanal, black-owned coffee shop headquartered in Oakland, Calif.
To learn more about Hollywood Park, please visit www.hollywoodparklife.com and follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
To learn more about Cosm, please visit www.cosm.com/losangeles and follow on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Spanning nearly 300 acres, Hollywood Park is the largest urban mixed-use development under construction in the Western United States. Anchored by an 890,000-square-foot retail area and surrounded by creative office space, Hollywood Park offers new sophisticated residences, public parks, a lake, and premier entertainment venues. The mixed-use development is all linked by walkable paseos and plazas and centered around the newly completed 3.1 million square-foot SoFi Stadium, one of Los Angeles' most striking architectural structures. Stylish residences and a modern open-office campus will complement the entertainment and retail district, creating a world-class destination for both local and international guests. Located just six miles off the coast, a short drive from LAX and the City of Inglewood's future Crenshaw/LAX Line, Hollywood Park is poised to become an iconic global destination for millions to enjoy. For more information, please visit www.hollywoodparklife.com.
Cosm, based in Los Angeles, California, is the leading experiential media and immersive technology company redefining the way the world experiences content. With 75 years of leading experience, the company creates the richest immersive experiences around the globe with proprietary technology and state-of-the-art venues that seamlessly bridge the gap between virtual and physical realities, expanding the realm of what's possible. For more information, visit http://www.cosm.com/newsroom.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Cosm | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/cosm-unveils-plans-develop-its-first-ever-public-venue-hollywood-park/ | 2022-08-17T16:00:50Z |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE: EHC) ("Encompass Health"), today announced that it has completed the spin off of 100% of Enhabit, Inc. ("Enhabit"), its home health and hospice business. Enhabit is now an independent public company. Encompass Health will continue to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "EHC" and, effective today, Enhabit will begin "regular-way" trading on the NYSE under the symbol "EHAB."
The separation was completed through a distribution to Encompass Health stockholders of one share of Enhabit common stock for every two shares of Encompass Health common stock held as of the close of business on June 24, 2022, the record date for the distribution. Cash will be delivered in lieu of any fractional shares of Enhabit stock. Enhabit shares were distributed at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on July 1, 2022, in a distribution that is intended to be tax-free to Encompass Health stockholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes, except with respect to cash received in lieu of fractional shares.
About Encompass Health
Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) is the largest owner and operator of rehabilitation hospitals in the United States. With a national footprint that includes 150 hospitals in 35 states and Puerto Rico, the Company provides high-quality, compassionate rehabilitative care for patients recovering from a major injury or illness, using advanced technology and innovative treatments to maximize recovery. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For and Modern Healthcare's Best Places to Work in Healthcare. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on our newsroom, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release which are not historical facts, such as those relating to the timing and effects of the spin off, including the tax-free treatment, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, Encompass Health and Enhabit, through senior management, may from time to time make forward-looking public statements concerning the matters described herein. All such estimates, projections, and forward-looking information speak only as of the date hereof, and Encompass Health and Enhabit undertake no duty to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates based upon current information, involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and relate to, among other things, future events and transactions as well as future interpretations of facts and law by the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS"). Actual events or results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. While it is impossible to identify all such factors, factors which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those estimated by Encompass Health and Enhabit include, but are not limited to, the possibility that Encompass Health or Enhabit enter into or are the subject of a transaction that the IRS deems contrary to the assumptions underlying the tax-free status of the spin off and other factors which may be identified from time to time in Encompass Health's and Enhabit's SEC filings and other public announcements, including Encompass Health's Form 10‑K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 and Enhabit's Form 10.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Encompass Health Corp. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/01/encompass-health-corporation-completes-spin-off-enhabit-home-health-amp-hospice/ | 2022-07-01T12:52:20Z |
BARCELONA, Spain, June 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Randy K. Avent, president of Florida Polytechnic University, strengthened European ties and shared the University's approach to producing career-ready STEM graduates in a visit to Spain that concludes today.
The trip positions Florida Poly for greater international stature and collaboration.
"This visit will help establish a presence for Florida Poly in Europe," Avent said. "It will help us shape the University and provide more opportunities for our students and faculty in education, research, and industry partnerships."
Avent met with Spanish leaders in education and technology, including Mateo Valero Cortes, CEO of Barcelona Supercomputing Center.
"There are a lot of synergies between Florida Poly and Barcelona Supercomputing Center, including the ability to shape the future megatrends in research, science, and technology," Valero said. "It's a pleasure to host President Avent and exchange our expertise that can lead, ultimately, to a solid collaboration in the future."
Avent also met with representatives of Fulbright Spain, University Polytechnic of Catalunya, and Polytechnic University of Madrid to increase international awareness and explore research collaborations and exchange programs.
"I am pleased to engage with so many of our strategic international partners in person," Avent said. "Our actions will benefit education in both our nations for years to come."
While in Barcelona, Avent was inaugurated into the Royal European Academy of Doctors on June 15. He was selected by the academy as a correspondent academician and delivered a speech on the role of university research in creating economic markets.
"It's a tremendous honor to join this renowned group of international leaders," Avent said. "I'm committed to expanding our international footprint and working with leaders in education and industry to address common challenges and create collaborative, impactful solutions."
The academy, founded in 1914, is made up of some of the world's most celebrated scholars, diplomats, and business leaders. Its goal is to research and disseminate knowledge in the health, social, human, experimental, and technological sciences.
"It is an honor to welcome Dr. Randy Avent to our Royal Society and work with him to shape the future of education, technology, and sciences to better serve mankind," said Dr. Alfredo Rocafort Nicolau, president of the Royal European Academy of Doctors.
For the most recent University news, visit Florida Poly News.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Florida Polytechnic University | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/20/florida-poly-expands-european-footprint-with-presidential-visit-spain/ | 2022-06-20T21:53:42Z |
XI'AN, China, July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On 11th July 2022, Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism will kick off its online event "Planet of Fantasy" on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, inviting fans to meet in space in the name of planets.
During this event, tourists will receive a spaceship ticket for "Star Travel" issued by Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. This spaceship will take tourists to the scenic spots in Shaanxi that are the wonderful works of the great nature. These geographical spectacles on the vast land of Shaanxi will make you feel as if tourists were on alien planets.
Shaanxi is located on the Loess Plateau of China, which has bred the unique loess culture, the "cave dwellings" representative of Shaanxi, as well as folk literature and art represented by folk songs in China's Northwest and Ansai Waist Drum. In Shaanxi, tourists can appreciate the dignified terracotta warriors in Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum and the Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River, listen to the ancient Qinqiang Opera of China, taste the delicious Chinese hamburgers, visit the charmingly naïve pandas, and have a glimpse of the glorious culture of the Tang Dynasty in Xi'an.
This "Planet of Fantasy" event will show overseas tourists the natural landscapes unique to Shaanxi. The first stop of this "Star Travel" is the Jingbian Wave Valley. The red sandstone and the Danxia landform will make you feel like you were on Mars. Our second stop is the Guanshan Grassland. Away from the crowded downtown, tourists can see the Milky Way here and feel as if you were floating in the brilliant outer space. The third stop is the Hukou Waterfall. It will feel like you were on the Moon when surrounded by the cloud of fine spray that came up from the waterfall during the flood season. At the end of the event, Shaanxi's "Star Travel" video will be officially released to demonstrate the "alien" charm of Shaanxi in a more direct sense.
This event will last for 9 days. Tourists can follow the home pages of "Visit Shaanxi" on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to participate in the event. We will draw lucky fans from those who leave messages under our posts and send gifts to them.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/meet-space-shaanxis-online-event-planet-fantasy-kick-off-soon/ | 2022-07-13T06:51:20Z |
LONDON, June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fluency has qualified for the final round of the G20 TechSprint 2022. The G20 TechSprint Initiative 2022 is an international competition to explore innovation in order to develop cutting-edge technology-based solutions. It is organised annually by the 20 leading economic nations. This year, the Bank for International Settlements, together with Bank Indonesia, announced the competition with a view to future-oriented central bank digital currency solutions. Indonesia currently holds the G20 presidency and will host the G20 summit in November in Bali.
There was an overwhelming amount of interest in the competition, with many practical, yet innovative and game changing solutions proposed from teams around the world. This year's competition pays particular attention to financial inclusion and aims to identify solutions to enable a greater number of the population excluded from digital payment transactions to be financially included.
Fluency's Aureum solution delivers true benefits to society empowering the unbanked and underbanked, powering inclusive growth in emerging economies by enabling digital finance access for all, while maintaining regulatory compliance. It enables inclusive, easy, convenient and affordable CBDC access for everyone.
Aureum, a next-generation future-proof blockchain technology is designed from the ground up enabling universal, inclusive, seamless and affordable digital payments with a superior level of resilience. At its core, is a ledger-stored, account-based CBDC solution with privacy by design, offline functionality, cross-chain interoperability and programmability as key features.
Inga Mullins, CEO of Fluency comments "We are thrilled to be shortlisted to the final round. It's another incredible opportunity to showcase our innovative solution and its benefits to society. This is a fantastic step towards our growth in Asia and increased awareness of Fluency as a global technology pioneer. We look forward to continuing our support with Bank Indonesia and other central banks globally, in their CBDC exploration and realisation."
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Fluency Group Ltd. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/fluency-declared-finalist-g20-techsprint-2022-global-cbdc-challenge/ | 2022-06-16T21:59:21Z |
SEOUL, South Korea, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lunit, a global provider of AI-powered cancer solutions, announced today that it made its stock market debut on the South Korean KOSDAQ under the ticker "A32813". Lunit's initial public offering of 1,215,800 shares of its common stock was priced at KRW 30,000 (US$ 23) apiece. Shares closed at the upper limit price, KRW 40,000 (US$ 30.5), surging 29.87% in its debut.
Lunit expects to raise approximately KRW 36.4 billion (US$ 28 million). Lunit intends to use the proceeds for R&D of its new AI products and global market development.
"I sincerely appreciate everyone who supported us through the entire IPO journey, especially our investors, stakeholders, and team Lunit," said Brandon Suh, CEO of Lunit. "The IPO itself is a remarkable accomplishment. But we will step forward towards our bigger goal of strengthening our technological innovation and business development and securing an unrivaled position in the market. We will also strive to optimize our stakeholders' value. And above all, we will continue on our mission to conquer cancer through AI."
About Lunit
Lunit is a medical AI software company devoted to developing AI solutions for precision diagnostics and treatment support, mainly focused on conquering cancer.
Lunit has partnered with global medical device giants such as GE Healthcare, Philips, and FujiFilm. The company also focuses on its biomarker business through an exclusive partnership with Guardant Health, a leading global liquid biopsy company.
Lunit has earned international recognition for its unprecedented, state-of-the-art AI technology. More than half of its employees are research and development (R&D) specialists, with more than 12 medical doctors working as full-time staff.
Lunit's flagship products are Lunit INSIGHT and Lunit SCOPE. The FDA-cleared and CE-marked Lunit INSIGHT series provide AI-powered detection of chest abnormalities and breast cancer with 96-99% accuracy. As of March 2022, Lunit INSIGHT products are being used in approximately 600 medical sites in more than 40 countries. Lunit SCOPE series provide AI detection and analytics for tissue data, quantifying key features and scores that enhance elevated response prediction for immunotherapy. By receiving CE Mark in April 2022, Lunit SCOPE PD-L1 TPS has been officially approved for deployment and use in European pathology practices.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Lunit | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/ai-based-cancer-solution-pioneer-lunit-makes-market-debut/ | 2022-07-21T14:29:34Z |
Max Scherzer ‘good to go’ for Mets debut at Nationals Park
By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP National Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Max Scherzer says he is “good to go” for his New York Mets debut in Friday’s second game of the season against the Washington Nationals. This is Scherzer’s return to Nationals Park after he played 6 1/2 seasons with Washington and helped the club win the 2019 World Series. The three-time Cy Young Award winner developed a problem with his right hamstring late in spring training camp in Florida and there had been some uncertainty about when he would be able to make his first appearance of the regular season. Fellow Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom is sidelined for at least a month or two because of a shoulder blade issue. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/04/07/max-scherzer-good-to-go-for-mets-debut-at-nationals-park/ | 2022-04-07T23:32:45Z |
BERLIN, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spark Networks SE (NASDAQ: LOV), a leading social dating platform for meaningful relationships, today announced that it will release its financial results for its 2022 second quarter ended June 30, 2022, on Tuesday, August 9, 2022, before the market opens.
Management will host a conference call and live webcast for analysts and investors on August 9, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (5:30 a.m. Pacific Time) to discuss the company's financial results. To access the live call, dial 1- 800-225-9448 (US) or +1 203-518-9708 (International) and ask to join the SPARK call.
A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be accessible on the Investor Relations section of the company's website at https://investor.spark.net/investor-relations/home. In addition, a phone replay will be available approximately two hours following the end of the call, and it will remain available for one week. To access the call replay dial 1- 877-481-4010 (US) or +1 919-882-2331 (International) and enter the replay passcode: 46271.
About Spark Networks SE:
Spark Networks SE (NASDAQ: LOV) is a leading social dating platform for meaningful relationships focusing on the 40+ demographic and faith-based affiliations. Spark's widening portfolio of premium and freemium dating apps include Zoosk, EliteSingles, SilverSingles, Christian Mingle, Jdate, and JSwipe, among others. Spark is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, with offices in New York and Utah.
For More Information
Investor Contact:
MKR Investor Relations, Inc.
Todd Kehrli
lov@mkr-group.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Spark Networks SE | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/02/spark-networks-report-2022-second-quarter-financial-results-august-9-2022/ | 2022-08-02T21:39:55Z |
The First CHAP Verified Solution Connects with Highly Accurate Speech Recognition Platform
DALLAS, July 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its mission to reduce the clinician shortage, Axxess, the leading technology innovator for healthcare at home, adds voice-to-text technology pioneer nVoq to its ecosystem. nVoq's speech recognition solution leads to an average 33% reduction in documentation time.
"Our priority is clinician ease of use. Every partnership we enter into is based on how it affects our clients, and in turn, the patient. We are positive this collaborative relationship with nVoq will lead to higher clinician satisfaction at a time when retention is key," says Axxess Founder and CEO John Olajide. "Both enterprise and smaller healthcare organizations need support right now, so we are actively engaging in ways to make providing care in the home easier."
nVoq is a HIPAA and PCI-DSS compliant, cloud-based speech recognition platform with an impressive track record of improving documentation quality while also reducing documentation time. With its wide medical vocabulary, clinicians can dictate patient information that will integrate seamlessly into their Axxess documentation.
"Our leading-edge technology greatly benefits post-acute organizations – easing the burden of documentation while increasing clinician satisfaction and improving their work-life balance," said nVoq Chief Operating Officer Deborah Gillotti. "We are very excited about the relationship that's been formed with Axxess and look forward to continued collaboration."
About Axxess
Axxess is the leading technology innovator for healthcare at home, focused on solving the most complex industry challenges. Trusted by more than 9,000 organizations that serve more than 3 million patients worldwide, Axxess offers a complete suite of easy-to-use software solutions that empower home health, home care, hospice, and palliative providers to make healthcare in the home human again. The company's collaborative culture focused on innovation and excellence is recognized nationally as a "Best Place to Work."
About nVoq
nVoq Incorporated, headquartered in Boulder, CO, provides HIPAA-compliant, SaaS-based speech recognition to the healthcare industry, with a strategic emphasis on the post-acute care segment. nVoq's platform supports both mobile and office-based clinicians in capturing patient narratives at the point of care to expedite high-quality documentation, simplify coding, and streamline reimbursement. For more information, go to nVoq.com or call Kristen Ayers, Director of Marketing at 303-304-7021.
Contact: Dennis Petroskey
(202) 215-6767
dpetroskey@axxess.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Axxess | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/25/axxess-clients-save-more-time-increase-documentation-accuracy-through-collaborative-nvoq-partnership/ | 2022-07-25T12:58:59Z |
BELTON — A Bell County District judge denied a bond reduction for a woman awaiting trial for allegedly attacking a Temple woman in her home.
Jhantell Bradford, 32, of Temple, has been at the Bell County Jail since Jan. 19, 2021, on a $100,000 bond.
She is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony, and possession of a controlled substance less than 1 gram, a state jail felony.
During a bond reduction hearing Wednesday at the 27th Judicial District Court, presiding Judge John Gauntt denied the motion after listening to testimony from a witness and the attorneys in the case.
Bradford’s defense attorney, Bobby Barina, called Craig Gregg, an acquaintance of the accused, to testify on her behalf.
Gregg said Branford would stay at his house to help him care for a disabled veteran staying at the property and help him with chores around the house.
He further testified to trusting Bradford in his property and the changes he has seen in her demeanor since her incarceration.
“She is a completely different person than when she first came in,” Gregg testified. “She was an angry person. I see a spiritual person who is trying to change.”
Barina echoed Gregg’s testimony and asked the judge to lower the bond to $5,000 on each case.
“She can’t make the bond,” he said. “He has seen a change in her behavior. She is taking the charges seriously.”
However, Bell County District Attorney Sandra Martin disagreed, citing Bradford’s extensive criminal history and the severity of the crime.
“You saw videos of her behavior,” she said. “She was on bond when she committed the crime. We believe that nothing has changed. We ask that she remains in custody.”
Martin told the court the case should be resolved promptly since Cedric Coleman, a codefendant on the case, pleaded guilty to the crime in June and was sentenced to five years in prison.
The attorneys asked the judge if they could squeeze a plea negotiation at the hearing.
Gaunt allowed them to negotiate as he left the courtroom — since Texas law prohibits judges from being part of the negotiations.
Martin offered Bradford a five-year sentence on the aggravated assault charge with credit for time served and dismissal on the drug case.
Bradford rejected the plea.
Her charges stem from a Dec. 31, 2020, assault at the 2400 block of 61st Street.
A woman told officers that Bradford went to her house unannounced asking about her daughter — a child she has with Coleman — and asked her to leave, according to an arrest affidavit.
Coleman then ran to the door and pushed his way inside the house, the affidavit said.
The woman told police that once inside the house, Bradford allegedly began to hit her and choke her.
“At some point (Bradford) pulled out a knife and attempted to stab (her) with the knife,” the affidavit said. “(She) also stated she saw Coleman with what she thought was a piece of paper but was later found at the scene to be a boxcutter.”
The woman was able to defend herself from Bradford until Coleman pulled her by the hair, and the duo left the woman’s apartment.
Bradford called the police and claimed to be the victim of the attack and that items were taken from her while denying Coleman was present.
As part of the investigation, the affidavit said detectives found a social media post from Bradford’s profile of her driving up to the woman’s residence and the encounter at the door.
“On the video that Bradford was taking, you can hear a male voice say … ‘I know which door it is, I been watching her,’” the affidavit said. | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_d8bcc23a-138e-11ed-8297-a3fa37973446.html | 2022-08-04T10:15:38Z |
In a post-pandemic revival of the foundation's projects, French cardiac surgeon Dr Olivier Baron performed open-heart surgery on underprivileged Uzbek children with cardiovascular diseases
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Six Uzbek children with congenital heart conditions have received heart surgeries as part of the programme backed by Lola Tillyaeva (Till) and Timur Tillyaev's You Are Not Alone Foundation (YANAF).
Visiting French cardiac surgeon Dr Olivier Baron and his Uzbek counterparts performed open-heart surgery on children with complex forms of cardiovascular diseases from Uzbekistan's Andijan, Qashqadaryo, Namangan, Samarkand and Fergana regions. Dr Baron also examined and provided consultations to over 60 children, including those who had previously undergone cardiac surgeries by French doctors.
Since 2015, with the funding of the You Are Not Alone Foundation, French cardiac surgeons have carried out over 135 operations on children with complex congenital heart conditions, all of whom come from Uzbekistan's low-income families and orphanages. 21 of these operations were carried out in France with the foundation's support.
The foundation's programme was briefly put on hold as the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to provide surgeries which required doctors and patients to travel. In the second half of 2022, You Are Not Alone aims to fund more projects to help provide quality healthcare and educational opportunities to underprivileged children in Uzbekistan.
"Covid-19 made many philanthropic initiatives more difficult with vulnerable people suffering the most. Fortunately, we were now able to resume our activities providing life-saving heart surgeries to children in Uzbekistan. We are grateful to Dr Olivier Baron and all other surgeons who work with us to provide children with the care they need," said Lola Tillyaeva (Till).
"Giving back is a way of investing in our common future. We strongly believe that helping children achieve their full potential by providing them with healthcare and educational opportunities is the best way to invest in a better world for all," Timur Tillyaev added.
About You Are Not Alone Foundation
The You are Not Alone Foundation (YANAF), founded by Lola Tillyaeva and Timur Tillyaev in 2002, provides access to quality education, healthcare and psychological support to vulnerable children in Uzbekistan. The foundation's primary goal is to ensure that disadvantaged children in the country are provided with the opportunity to grow up in a safe environment and it has supported reconstruction and renovation of orphanages in Uzbekistan.
Along with access to quality healthcare, the foundation also provides educational opportunities and scholarships to students, and legal and social support to children transitioning into adulthood.
To learn more about YANAF's activities, please visit: https://youarenotalone.ngo/
Or follow them on: Facebook and Instagram.
Contact: youarenotalone.ngo/contact/
View original content:
SOURCE You Are Not Alone Foundation | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/30/lola-tillyaeva-till-timur-tillyaevs-you-are-not-alone-foundation-resumes-life-saving-surgeries-covid-pandemic-subsides/ | 2022-06-30T11:31:56Z |
HELL’S KITCHEN, Manhattan (WPIX) — Julio Ramirez, a Brooklyn social worker who did mental health counseling for the poor, was enjoying a night out in Hell’s Kitchen in the early hours of April 21 when he took a smiling selfie.
He was making a “peace” sign, his fingernails painted stylishly black.
“It is the last picture Julio took the night he died — 2:26 a.m.,” close friend Karinina Quimpo said.
In less than an hour after the photo, surveillance video would show Ramirez, 25, getting into a taxi with three men at 3:17 a.m. outside the Ritz Bar and Lounge, a popular gay club in the heart of Restaurant Row on West 46th Street.
About 90 minutes later, a cab driver flagged down police on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Ramirez was alone and unresponsive in the back seat. His cellphone and wallet were gone.
By the time Ramirez’s family was called, “he was dead and already with the medical examiner’s office,” Quimpo said.
The mystery of what happened to the accomplished son of El Salvadoran immigrants, who received a dual master’s degree in public health and social work from the University of Buffalo, torments his friends and family.
Police at the scene initially called the death a possible drug overdose. But those closest to Ramirez think he was targeted and drugged — and ultimately robbed.
The circumstances of Ramirez’s death are “suspicious to me,” Quimpo said. “Because Julio didn’t do drugs. He would drink alcohol. He would go out and be safe.”
Julie Bolcer, a spokesperson for the city Office of Chief Medical Examiner, told WPIX the cause and manner of Ramirez’s death remained under investigation. She said his family would first be informed about the cause before the information would be made public.
Manhattan detectives have spoken with the family about the surveillance footage.
Ramirez’s older brother, Carlos, found the social worker’s laptop and the last photo he took before he died. Carlos Ramirez was also able to access his brother’s banking records, according to Quimpo.
“He noticed that thousands of dollars were being spent in that month after Julio’s death,” Quimpo said. “We also saw something transferred to another account, through Zelle.”
Carlos Ramirez wrote of his anguish on Instagram on April 25, saying “I am destroyed and my life will never be the same. My sweet little brother is an angel now.”
Julio Ramirez was born and raised on Long Island and later attended college in Buffalo. A funeral Mass was held for Ramirez on April 30.
Quimpo said she was the resident aide at the University of Buffalo dorm when she met Ramirez in his freshman year there in 2014.
“He was proud of his culture,” Quimpo said, recalling that Ramirez would take vacations with his family in El Salvador.
Quimpo said Ramirez was initially planning to be a nurse, like her, but changed his majors to public health and social work. She remembered her friend as someone who was filled with joy.
In 2021, Ramirez moved to the Bushwick section of Brooklyn and was providing mental health counseling for underserved communities, helping people of all ages.
“It was something he was very passionate about,” Quimpo said. “He would always tell me how motivated he was to help his community.” | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/social-worker-took-last-selfie-before-mysterious-nyc-taxi-death/ | 2022-06-03T17:09:35Z |
35 lbs. of meth lands man from Mexico in prison for 8+ years
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (WIBW) - A man from Mexico will spend more than 8 years in prison after he was caught in an international drug ring when a vehicle was delivered to him with 35 pounds of methamphetamine in the gas tank.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas says a man from Mexico has been sentenced to 100 months - 8.3 years - in prison for his part in an international drug ring that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana from Mexico in the Kansas City area.
Court documents indicate that in Jan. 2021, Aron Rodriguez-Posada, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In October 2019, court records show the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped a semi hauling cars in Meade in order to conduct a vehicle inspection. With consent to search, one trooper said about 35 pounds of methamphetamine was found in the gas tank of one of the vehicles using a scope.
The Drug Enforcement Administration then conducted a controlled delivery of the methamphetamine. The Office noted that federal agents arrested Rodriguez-Posada as well as Jovany Medina, 24, of Kansas City after they took possession of the vehicle.
In July 2022, court records indicate that Medina was sentenced to 144 months - 12 years - in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Court records also show that Rodriguez-Posada also pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry subsequent to removal after he admitted to returning to the U.S. after a 2014 deportation.
U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard said he would like to thank the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the DEA for their collaborative investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania who prosecuted the case.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/09/35-lbs-meth-lands-man-mexico-prison-8-years/ | 2022-08-09T20:24:31Z |
CHICAGO, July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hirzel Law, PLC, is pleased to announce the launch of its fourth office location in Chicago, Illinois. Hirzel Law presently represents hundreds of community association and real estate clients in Michigan and Illinois. The new location strengthens Hirzel Law's Midwestern presence as a leader in homeowners association and real estate law. "We are excited about our expansion into Chicago and the opportunity it presents for the continued growth of our law firm," said Managing Member, Kevin Hirzel.
"The Chicago office location will help better serve our Illinois HOA and real estate clients," said Hirzel. The idea for the Chicago office came about when Member Adam Toosley, who has managed over 2000 litigation cases in the past 20 years as an Illinois attorney, joined the firm last year. The firm is also pleased to announce that Michael Shifrin, an experienced Illinois community association and real estate attorney, will also be joining Hirzel Law as of-counsel. "Hirzel Law is looking forward to serving the demand that is needed for condominium associations, homeowners associations, and other real estate clients in the Chicago market," said Hirzel.
"All of us at Hirzel Law are passionate in our commitment to providing peace of mind to our clients." As part of our ongoing commitment to educating our clients to set them up for success, Hirzel Law has also launched The Illinois Condo and HOA Law blog, which has various articles on hot topics in the condominium and HOA industry.
Hirzel Law, PLC is an award-winning and responsive law firm that focuses on condominium, HOA, and real estate law. Kevin Hirzel has been interviewed on community association and real estate issues by various national media outlets, such as CBS, CNBC, Dan Abrams Live, Dr. Drew Midday Live, Fox Business News, Fox News, Newsmax, and the Wall Street Journal. The attorneys at Hirzel Law, PLC have received numerous recognitions from Best Lawyers, the Community Association Institute's College of Community Association Lawyers, Leading Lawyers, and Super Lawyers. Hirzel Law was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Farmington, Michigan, while also maintaining offices in Grand Rapids, Michigan and Traverse City, Michigan.
Contact Hirzel Law online or call the new Chicago, Illinois office at (312) 646-2770 to learn how our condominium, HOA, and real estate attorneys can assist with your Illinois community association or real estate matters.
Hirzel Law, PLC is an award-winning law firm with offices in Chicago, Farmington, Grand Rapids, and Traverse City. Hirzel Law, PLC represents condominium associations, homeowners associations, and summer resorts throughout Michigan and Illinois. The firm also represents individual and corporate clients in various real estate matters.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Hirzel Law, PLC | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/01/hirzel-law-plc-opens-chicago-office-serve-illinois-condominium-associations-homeowners-associations-real-estate-law-clients/ | 2022-07-01T18:57:27Z |
Country star Eric Church cancels San Antonio concert amid Final Four matchup
(Gray News) - Some fans of country musician Eric Church are singing the blues.
Church’s San Antonio appearance Saturday, part of his “The Gather Again Tour,” has been canceled, Ticketmaster said.
The star is ditching this concert date to watch a Final Four game of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, also known as “March Madness,” Variety and other outlets reported.
According to a letter sent to his fan club, The Church Choir, and reportedly also sent out to all who purchased tickets for the San Antonio show, Church is a huge Tar Heels men’s basketball fan.
In the letter, he admitted, “This is also the most selfish thing I’ve ever asked the Choir to do: to give up your Saturday night plans with us so that I can have this moment with my family and sports community.”
Carolina is playing Duke in the Final Four matchup, with the winner moving on to the championship game. The in-state rivals are two of the most decorated programs in the sport’s history, but they have never faced each other in the tournament.
Some fans on social media were predictably upset by the ruined concert plans, with one saying “Dude didn’t even reschedule. Just canceled it.”
Also, fans complained that they won’t be able to get refunds on the hotels they booked to be able to see the show and that the Ticketmaster refund will take a while to process.
Ticketmaster said fans should be able to get their refunds within 30 days.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/03/30/country-star-church-cancels-san-antonio-concert-amid-final-four-matchup/ | 2022-04-01T02:25:45Z |
The 18-year-old White man accused of killing 10 people in a racist mass shooting Saturday at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, had visited the area in early March, police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said Monday.
"We found some things that show that he was here in early March, and then again, we know he was here on Friday, basically doing reconnaissance on the area," Gramaglia told CNN's Erin Burnett. "He was in the store, both on Friday and Saturday."
The suspect, who is from the city of Conklin, about 200 miles away, opened fire Saturday at the Tops Friendly Markets store in a predominantly Black neighborhood, shooting 13 people before surrendering to police.
The massacre follows other mass shootings in recent years in which authorities say a White supremacist suspect was motivated by racial hatred, including in El Paso, Texas, Charleston, South Carolina, and as far as Norway and New Zealand.
The commissioner said he couldn't comment on whether the suspect was at the store in March but in social media posts the accused shooter revealed he had been to the store March 8 and spent months planning his attack.
The suspect, Payton S. Gendron, wrote in posts on Discord that were shared on the hate-filled online forum 4Chan that he went into the store at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. during his March visit. He wrote that on his way from his home in Broome County he got a speeding ticket.
Gendron noted in his post the activity taking place inside the market, like how many Black and White people were there. He also drew a map depicting the store aisles, pharmacy, bakery and exit points of the building.
Gendron wrote that as he did his last reconnaissance visit he was approached by a "Black armed security guard" who said, "I've seen you go in and out... What are you doing?" The suspect wrote that he told the security guard that he is collecting "consensus data," for which the security guard said he needed to talk to the manager.
"I asked for his name and he told me and I instantly forgot, then I said bye and thanks and walked back to my car," Gendron wrote. "In hindsight that was a close call."
In a post Gendron wrote March 10, "I'm going to have to kill that security guard at Tops I hope he doesn't kill me or even hurt me instantly."
He added that the attack would take place March 15 but he ended up postponing the date several times.
Gendron also considered attacking a church or an elementary school before settling on a supermarket, he wrote.
The information comes as investigators have dug into a 180-page diatribe posted online and attributed to the suspected gunman that lays out in detail his motives and plans for the attack.
Suspect planned to shoot people at other sites, sheriff says
Gendron pleaded not guilty Saturday night to a charge of first-degree murder. More charges are expected. He is in custody without bail and under suicide watch, officials said.
The suspect wore tactical gear for protection and livestreamed the attack on Twitch, authorities said. The company said it took down the video within minutes, but social media sites have struggled to stop its spread.
Inside and outside the store, he allegedly used a semi-automatic rifle to kill 10 people and wound three more, one of whom remained hospitalized Monday morning. Eleven victims were Black, officials said, and the attack is being investigated as a hate crime.
After the shooting, he exited the building and surrendered to police. Police said Monday he had plans to kill more Black people if police hadn't arrived.
"There was evidence that was uncovered that he had plans, had he gotten out of here, to continue his rampage and continue shooting people," Gramaglia told CNN. "He'd even spoken about possibly going to another store."
The suspect had other "target locations" down the street from the supermarket, according to Erie County Sheriff John Garcia. Authorities found another rifle and a shotgun in his vehicle, the sheriff told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
"He was not going to be finished with killing as many Blacks as possible," Garcia said. He credited the quick arrival of two police officers for preventing other attacks.
Those slain range in age from 20 to 86, police said, among them the former police officer who tried to stop the gunman and a number of people doing their regular weekend grocery shopping.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown on Monday praised the guard's heroism, as well as the quick police response.
"Many more people would probably have been killed and injured if the Buffalo Police did not get to the scene as quickly," Brown said. "They were able to subdue the gunman, they were able to take him into custody without incident and protect the surrounding neighborhood."
The suspect has a court hearing Thursday, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said. He also said a request for a mental health forensic examination has been withdrawn by the suspect's attorney.
Suspect allegedly wrote 180 pages outlining beliefs
Since the shooting, officials have looked at what they say was the suspect's racist intent and his history.
"We continue to investigate this case as a hate crime, a federal hate crime, and as a crime perpetrated by a racially motivated, violent extremist," Stephen Belongia, special agent in charge of the FBI Buffalo field office, said Sunday at a news conference.
Federal prosecutors are expected to bring charges against the suspect in the coming days, law enforcement officials told CNN on Monday.
The 180-page document attributed to Gendron and posted online before the shooting lays out the alleged shooter's motives and shows the meticulous planning that went into the massacre. CNN independently obtained the document shortly after the mass shooting -- before authorities released the name of the suspect -- and law enforcement sources have told CNN its description of guns matches the weapons the suspect used.
In it, the suspect allegedly detailed how he had been radicalized by reading the online message board 4chan and described himself as a White supremacist, fascist and anti-Semite. He subscribed to a "great replacement" theory, or the false belief that White Americans are being "replaced" by people of other races. Once a fringe idea, replacement theory has recently become a talking point for Fox News' host Tucker Carlson as well as other prominent conservatives.
The suspect also wrote he was inspired by the 2019 mass killing at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in which the gunman similarly wrote a lengthy document and livestreamed the attack.
The Buffalo suspect wrote he began seriously planning the attack in January. The document's author also writes that he targeted this Buffalo neighborhood because it's in a ZIP code that "has the highest Black percentage that is close enough to where I live."
Indeed, the ZIP code that includes the store, 14208, is 78% Black, the highest percentage of a Black population in any ZIP code in upstate New York, according to the US Census Bureau's 2020 American Community Survey. The shooting suspect is from the town of Conklin, New York, a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Buffalo near the Pennsylvania border.
The document also states the suspect bought the main gun he used, a Bushmaster XM-15, from a gun store before "illegally modifying it."
"We are obviously going through (the document) with a fine-toothed comb and reviewing that for all evidence," prosecutor Flynn told CNN.
Video shows shooter pointing gun at man but not firing
CNN has obtained video recorded inside the store showing the alleged gunman pointing his rifle at a person on the ground but not shooting him.
The video is taken from the point of view of the shooter, after he's fired at several people. In it, the shooter turns the weapon on a man who is curled up on the ground near what looks like a checkout lane.
"No!" the man on the ground shouts.
The shooter says, "Sorry," and then turns away and continues walking down the aisle of cash registers.
The video ends at this point and it is unknown what happened next.
It's not clear why the man was apparently spared or why the gunman says "sorry."
Suspect made 'ominous' threat last year
A year ago, the suspect landed on the radar of police as a student at Susquehanna Valley High School, officials said.
He made an "ominous" reference to murder-suicide through a virtual learning platform in June, the Susquehanna Valley Central School District said Monday. Though the threat was not specific and did not involve other students, the instructor immediately informed an administrator who escalated the matter to New York State Police, a spokesperson told CNN, adding the law limits what more school officials can say.
Concern arose after the suspect turned in a high school project about murder-suicides, leading to a state police investigation, said Garcia, the sheriff.
"The state police arrived at his house at that point last year," he said. "He stayed at a facility -- I'm not sure if it was a hospital or a mental health facility -- for a day and a half."
State police investigated an unnamed 17-year-old student who had made "a threatening statement" in June at the high school, they confirmed. The student was taken into custody and to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.
It was not the sort of involuntary commitment that would have precluded the suspect from purchasing a weapon, state police spokesperson Beau Duffy said.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/buffalo-shooting-suspect-visited-the-area-in-early-march-police-and-alleged-gunmans-posts-say/article_dea7c2aa-d5ca-55fd-bb72-a0ada737800f.html | 2022-05-17T03:49:04Z |
BAYPORT, Minn., June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In collaboration with Dwell Magazine, Andersen invites architects to submit entries for its second annual Bright Ideas Design Awards. The contest recognizes outstanding architectural projects showcasing fenestration in transformational design with exceptional, solar-oriented configurations.
"As contemporary design continues to grow in favorability among homeowners, architects and builders, we are thrilled to be teaming up with Dwell again this year for the second annual Bright Ideas Design Awards," said Annie Zipfel, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Andersen Corporation. "Our homes are our sanctuaries — the places where we express our truest selves. At Andersen, we are inspired by the work of architects who create modern spaces designed to improve our daily lives through the use of windows and doors to increase natural light and bring in fresh air, welcoming a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle and connectivity to the outdoors."
The Bright Ideas Design Awards recognize the best newly completed projects submitted in two categories: single-family and multi-family, demonstrating an exceptional use of daylighting, environmentally responsible design, innovation, and contextually responsive to urban and natural environments.
Winners and runner-ups will be determined by an esteemed panel of judges:
- Brandon Berg, Vice President of Research & Development at Andersen Corporation
- William Hanley, Editor-in-Chief of Dwell
- Jonathan Feldman, Feldman Architecture
- Max Guo, Partner at AllThatIsSolid and Lecturer at UCLA Architecture and Urban Design
- Delia Kenza, DeliaKenza Interiors
- Frederick Tang, Frederick Tang Architecture
"The architects entering this contest not only drive industry trends, but help inform brands like Andersen what customers are craving," said Brandon Berg, vice president of research, development and innovation at Andersen Corporation, and member of the Bright Ideas Design Awards judging panel. "The talented creators of these projects continue to inspire our work to develop sought-after products that bring modern design to life."
Awards Criteria
The contest is open to licensed individual architects and firms around the world. The winning residential projects will be:
- Creative in their approach to fenestration and daylighting.
- Environmentally responsible with safe, healthy living spaces that incorporate recycled, renewable, or otherwise sustainable materials.
- Structurally innovative in their use of new materials and/or methods.
- Contextualized and responsive to their surroundings to ensure they fit into their environment.
"Daylight is an essential ingredient in a well-designed home," says William Hanley, Dwell's editor-in-chief. "We're excited to be continuing our relationship with Andersen and celebrating projects that demonstrate thoughtful and creative use of natural light."
Interested parties are invited to submit their projects for consideration between now and Friday, July 15, 2022. Dwell will name the winning projects on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, in celebration of World Architecture Day. Selected projects will also be featured on Dwell.com and in the winter issue of Dwell Magazine.
For additional information, how to submit, and best practices, visit Dwell.com.
To learn more about the Andersen window and door product portfolio, architect-focused resources, and continuing education courses, visit AndersenWindows.com.
Follow the award conversation and see projects shared on Instagram using the hashtag #andersenbrightideas, as entrants choose to share them.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS CONTEST. VOID IN PUERTO RICO AND WHERE PROHIBITED. Contest begins at 12:00:01 pm PT on 6/1/22 and ends at 10:00:01 pm PT on 7/15/22. Open to licensed Architects who are current legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, and who are at least 18 and age of majority at the time of entry. See the Official Rules here for detailed entry instructions, eligibility requirements, judging criteria, and other contest details. Winning entries may be featured in editorial coverage on Dwell.com and in Dwell magazine. Sponsor: Andersen Windows, Inc., 100 Fourth Avenue North, Bayport, MN 55003; Administrator: Dwell Media LLC, 595 Pacific Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94133. Andersen Windows, Inc. collects certain categories of personal information and uses this information in various ways, including contest fulfillment, order fulfillment and providing product information and services to you. For more information, see: https://www.andersenwindows.com/support/privacy/.
ABOUT ANDERSEN WINDOWS & DOORS
Andersen was founded in 1903 on the philosophy of working "all together" to deliver on its promise to its customers. Every day, the company's more than 13,000 employees are empowered to imagine what's possible and do what's right. Andersen delivers products for the way people live, unmatched performance for the comfort and security homeowners desire, and endless design options to achieve any style.
Headquartered in Bayport, Minn., Andersen Corporation and its subsidiaries manufacture and market window and door products under the Andersen®, Renewal by Andersen®, EMCO® and MQ™ brands. Andersen, a privately held company, operates manufacturing sites across North America and Europe. Andersen has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2022 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award. Visit us at AndersenWindows.com.
Follow us on Facebook @AndersenWindows, Twitter @AndersenWindows, and Instagram @andersen_windows.
© 2022 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Andersen Windows | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/06/dwell-magazine-presents-second-annual-andersen-bright-ideas-design-awards-call-entries-now-open/ | 2022-06-06T18:57:43Z |
NEW YORK, July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Outset Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: OM) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws.
This lawsuit is on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased Outset Medical common stock between September 15, 2020, and June 13, 2022.
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: September 6, 2022
No obligation or cost to you.
Learn more about your recoverable losses in OM:
https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/loss-submission-form-outset-medical-class-action?id=30194&from=4
Outset Medical, Inc. NEWS - OM NEWS
CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that Outset Medical, Inc. made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the Company's flagship product, Tablo Hemodialysis System ("Tablo"), would require an additional 510(k) application to be filed with The United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"), as defendants had "continuously made improvements and updates to Tablo over time since its original clearance"; (2) as a result, the Company could not conduct a human factors study on a cleared device in accordance with FDA protocols; (3) the Company's inability to conduct the human factors study subjected the Company to the likelihood of the FDA imposing a "shipment hold" and marketing suspension, leaving the Company unable to sell Tablo for home use; and (4) as a result, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and /or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in Outset Medical you have until September 6, 2022 to petition the court for lead plaintiff status. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
NO COST TO YOU: If you purchased Outset Medical securities during the relevant period, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket fees.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FINANCIAL INTERESTS: For additional information about the OM lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/loss-submission-form-outset-medical-class-action?id=30194&from=4.
ABOUT KLEIN LAW FIRM
J. Klein, Esq. represents investors and participates in securities litigations involving financial fraud throughout the nation. The Klein Law Firm is a boutique litigation firm with experience in a wide range of areas including securities law, corporate finance and commercial litigation. Since 2011, our experienced attorneys have achieved superior results for our clients with a personalized focus. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
J. Klein, Esq.
Empire State Building
350 Fifth Avenue
59th Floor
New York, NY 10118
jk@kleinstocklaw.com
Telephone: (212) 616-4899
www.kleinstocklaw.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Klein Law Firm | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/26/om-alert-klein-law-firm-announces-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-6-2022-class-action-filed-behalf-outset-medical-inc-shareholders/ | 2022-07-26T10:32:26Z |
ATLANTA -- Georgia tax collections soared 45.5% last month compared to March of last year, an anomaly the state Department of Revenue attributed to different tax filing deadlines this year compared to Fiscal 2021 and Fiscal 2020.
The state brought in $2.76 billion in tax revenue in March, up $862.9 million over March of 2021.
Individual income tax collections rose 70.6%, driven in part by a 54.7% decline in refunds issued by the revenue agency. Net sales tax receipts also were up by a more modest 19.4%.
Corporate income tax collections increased 53.1%, as refunds plummeted 67.2%.
Motor fuel taxes rose by $12.6 million last month over March of last year, an 8.8% increase, despite the temporary suspension of the tax to curb rising prices at the pump.
State tax receipts for the first nine months of Fiscal 2022 were up 18.9% over the same period last year.
Among the most impactful trends in the U.S. transportation industry over the last several years has been the growing number of electric vehicle offerings to reach the market. CoPilot ranked each state (and Washington D.C.) by the number of registered EVs as a percentage of total registered p… Click for more.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/different-filing-deadlines-prompt-spike-in-state-tax-revenues/article_cd61ac12-bcda-11ec-948b-4bcdb0898254.html | 2022-04-15T21:19:18Z |
Lawyer charged with lying to FBI in Russia probe faces trial
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal trial begins Monday for a lawyer for the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign who is accused of lying to the FBI as it investigated potential ties between Donald Trump and Russia in 2016.
The case against Michael Sussmann, a cybersecurity attorney who represented the Clinton campaign in 2016, is the first trial arising from the ongoing investigation by special counsel John Durham and will test the strength of evidence he and his team have gathered while scrutinizing the early days of the Trump-Russia probe for potential misconduct.
An acquittal is likely to hasten questions about the Durham probe’s purpose and cost to taxpayers while a guilty verdict will almost certainly energize Trump supporters who have long looked to Durham to expose what they see as biased mistreatment of the former president.
Sussmann is accused of misleading the FBI’s then-general counsel during a September 2016 meeting in which he presented research showing what he said might be a suspicious backchannel of communications between computer servers of the Trump Organization and Russia-based Alfa Bank.
Prosecutors allege Sussmann lied by saying that he wasn’t attending the meeting on behalf of any particular client when they say he was actually acting on behalf of two clients: the Clinton campaign and a technology executive who had helped assemble the computer data.
Durham’s team says that had the FBI been told the truth, it would have factored into the bureau’s assessment of the credibility of the Alfa Bank claims as it weighed whether to begin investigating. The FBI did look into the matter but ultimately found nothing suspicious.
Sussmann’s lawyers deny he lied but say the alleged misstatement isn’t relevant in any event since there’s no evidence that what the FBI knew or didn’t know about his political affiliations had any bearing on its decision-making.
Jurors will be selected in Washington’s federal court on Monday. In a nod to the politically loaded nature of the case, prospective jurors are being asked questions such as whether they voted in 2016 and whether they or anyone they are close with was involved in investigating potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Durham was appointed in 2019 by then-Attorney General William Barr to look for any misconduct as the U.S. government was examining potential coordination between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign to tip the outcome of the election. An investigation by an earlier special counsel, Robert Mueller, did not find a criminal conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign, though it did find that Russia sought to aid Trump’s election bid.
Durham’s work has resulted in three criminal cases, but only the one against Sussmann has reached trial.
In 2020, a former FBI lawyer named Kevin Clinesmith pleaded guilty to altering an email related to secret FBI surveillance of an ex-Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page. In applying for warrants to eavesdrop on Page, the FBI relied on a dossier of anti-Trump research known colloquially as the “Steele dossier” that contained rumors and uncorroborated claims.
Last year, Durham charged a Russia analyst who was a source for that dossier with lying to the FBI about his own sources of information — among them, a longtime Hillary Clinton supporter. Igor Danchenko has pleaded not guilty. The case is pending and set for trial in October.
____
Follow Eric Tucker on http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/16/lawyer-charged-with-lying-fbi-russia-probe-faces-trial/ | 2022-05-16T11:36:59Z |
NEW YORK (AP) — Small businesses still have the pandemic and now high inflation to grapple with — and they’re finding it’s tough to get a loan to help with the daily grind.
A recently released survey from the Federal Reserve shows how the pandemic has altered the financial landscape for small business. About 85% experienced financial difficulties in 2021, up nearly 20 percentage points from 2019. Back then, more than half of owners who sought a loan were looking to expand; last year, the majority of applicants needed funds just to cover every day operating expenses.
Meanwhile, inflation is the highest in decades, with raw materials and finished goods soaring in price and workers demanding higher wages. The Federal Reserve is raising interest rates in response, which means the cost of borrowing money is going up.
Even in normal times, it can be tough for small businesses to get loans from traditional banks because they lack the assets and credit histories of bigger companies. During the pandemic, banks have been stingier, outside of COVID-related programs. Two years in, loan applicants are more likely to get turned down or to receive less money than they asked for compared to before COVID-19.
When the building she leased in went up for sale, Letha Pugh knew she would need to relocate her business. So, she decided to buy and renovate her own building.
Pugh, co-founder of Bake Me Happy, a gluten-free bakery in Columbus, Ohio, applied for a Small Business Administration loan last July. But the process, involving a Community Development Financial Institution and a local bank, First Merchants Bank, dragged on.
Pugh worried that another buyer would swoop in with cash and buy the building she was under contract for. Finally, in January, she got approval for a loan of $780,000.
While Pugh is glad everything worked out, the episode shows how difficult and stressful it can be for a small business to get financing.
“One night I got off the phone and just started bawling because I was so frustrated, all of these things were happening, not because of me, but because of the bureaucracy and red tape,” she said.
Only about 30% of businesses that applied for financing last year got the full amount that they asked for, down from about half in 2019. Firms owned by people of color, firms with fewer employees, and leisure and hospitality firms were least likely to receive the full amount of financing sought. About 68% of applicants got some of the amount they applied for, down from 83% in 2019 and 76% in 2020.
Todd McCracken, president of the National Small Business Association, an advocacy group, said the current loan environment could make it tougher on small businesses trying to recover from the pandemic. Their balance sheets, which banks look at to assess loan applications, were weakened during the pandemic, even if their prospects are bright.
“Past performance is not really good indicator of future potential,” he said.
In February, big banks approved 14.7% of loan requests, down from 28.3% in February 2020. And small banks approved 20.5% of loan requests, down from 50.3% in the same month in 2020. That’s according to the online lender Biz2Credit, based on data from more than 1,000 small business owners who applied for funding on the company’s platform.
The banks’ stinginess has led business owners to consider other options such as community banks, online lenders and crowdfunding sites. Owners were more likely to apply for an online loan last year than in 2020, while applicants were less likely to seek financing from a small bank, the Fed survey shows.
There are tradeoffs however: Alternative loans can be easier to get but are likely come with higher interest rates or steep penalties. Typically, traditional banks’ small business loans carry interest rates from 3% to 7%, while online loan rates vary widely but can be 10% and higher.
“The good news is, small businesses do have plenty of options out there, although they may not be the cheapest options,” said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at online lending marketplace LendingTree.
Business at Cache, a Sandy, Utah-based company that sells truck accessories, boomed during the pandemic. But that unexpected success left the company in a financial bind.
Co-founder Tyler Green realized that the company needed to ramp up manufacturing. Meanwhile, shipping costs jumped from $2,500 per shipping container to $26,000.
Green and his business partner went to their bank seeking a loan of $50,000 to $100,000 but were told they didn’t qualify for a loan that big. Another problem: As a new business that was making money, Cache didn’t qualify for pandemic aid either. And being a manufacturer, the company needed funds in a hurry.
So, the owners turned to Quickbooks’ lending arm, QB Capital. They got a loan in three days. It’s $15,000 with an interest rate of 10%. That doesn’t cover everything, but is essential for keeping the business going in the short-term.
“It really is something that genuinely saved our business,” Green said.
Crowdsourced loans are another option for small businesses.
Since founding Hugo Coffee Roasters in Park City, Utah, in 2015, Claudia McMullin hasn’t been able to convince a traditional bank to give her a loan. She said she lacked the historic cash flow that banks like to see.
“Small businesses are stuck in this twilight zone between we need capital to grow, but we can’t get capital to grow because we don’t qualify because we haven’t grown yet,” McMullin said.
She has used her own money and borrowed from friends and family to help fund the business. Then last year she got a large purchase order from a grocery store chain for beans that she didn’t have enough money on hand to pay for.
McMullin took out a loan with an online lender, which she called “a lifesaver at the time.” But the terms were strict with payments due weekly, and she’s had trouble paying it off.
“It only works if you get in and out quickly,” she said. “Now, it feels like it’s killing me and killing my cash flow.”
She turned to Kiva, which offers crowdsourced loans at low interest rates, to restructure her debt. McMullin’s $25,000 loan has 0% interest with an 18-month payoff period. Kiva says it will work with borrowers that can’t repay a loan in the allotted time, although a default makes them ineligible for additional loans.
Online lenders aren’t the only option to traditional banks. For Suzan Hernandez, finding support from community organizations has been key to helping her navigate the loan process.
Hernandez founded MamaP, which sells personal care products that cut down on plastic like bamboo toothbrushes and laundry detergent sheets, in 2019. She found a mentor via the JP Morgan Chase Minority Business Program, and the mentor advised her to join groups like the New Jersey Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the New Jersey Small Business Development Corp. for support.
She’s looking for a $500,000 loan or line of credit. She has been applying to different loans from community lenders and SBA-backed banks for about eight weeks. Although it’s time-consuming, she said the process is worth it because of the low rates offered — interest rates vary from 3 to 6%.
“Right now, working with representatives to understand what we qualify for and what is required, it’s a lot of paperwork,” but worth it, she said. “It has been good. Because these aren’t a straight loan from a conventional bank, they’ve been more supportive.” | https://cw33.com/business/ap-business/small-businesses-in-need-of-a-loan-find-banks-are-stingy/ | 2022-04-05T13:40:50Z |
A Belton man accused of molesting a 12-year-old girl in 2017 was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday.
Anthony David Trevino, 34, was indicted on a charge of indecency with a child, a second-degree felony.
According to an arrest affidavit, on Dec. 3, 2021, officers with the Temple Police Department learned that Trevino had allegedly molested a girl in 2017 when she was 12 years old.
At the time, the girl lived with Trevino and a family member in a house when the abuse happened.
The girl spoke with detectives, and the affidavit said she was molested three times in the course of a year.
On one of the occasions, the girl said she was washing dishes when Trevino allegedly walked up behind her and touched her inappropriately, causing her to scream, alerting her sister. The sister, according to the affidavit, came into the kitchen holding a baseball bat.
The girl told officers of two other occasions where the abuse escalated.
The girl also spoke of two other occasions where the abuse escalated.
A sexual assault nurse examiner also interviewed the girl, and the girl “reaffirmed her outcry regarding being touched inappropriately when she was 12 years old,” the affidavit said.
Detectives interviewed the sister, who told them she remembered the incident with the bat, but at the time, the girl said that Trevino was bothering her. Years later, she found out that Trevino had allegedly touched her inappropriately, the affidavit said.
Trevino was initially booked on a $150,000 bond. During a hearing at the 426th Judicial District Court, presiding judge Steven Duskie lowered his bond by $50,000.
Trevino was being held at the Bell County Jail on Friday in lieu of bonds totaling $102,500 due to a pending misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor. | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_f0859b94-f985-11ec-a234-237a36e5092b.html | 2022-07-01T22:32:33Z |
Willie-LeBreton's expertise in higher education, social inequality and community building aligns with the college's key priorities
NORTHAMPTON, Mass., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Smith College Board of Trustees today announced that Sarah Willie-LeBreton has been named the 12th president of Smith College. Willie-LeBreton currently serves as provost and dean of the faculty at Swarthmore College, where she has taught since 1997. She will take office at Smith on July 1, 2023.
Making the announcement, Alison Overseth, chair of Smith's board of trustees, commented, "In Sarah, we have found the extraordinary leader that the community intended as we began the search process. She has the vision, energy and strategic leadership experience necessary to move Smith toward our highest aspirations and goals for the future. Throughout the course of her career, she has demonstrated the courage to engage in challenging conversations and make difficult decisions while simultaneously exuding the joy, warmth, and curiosity that is required to lead an institution with empathy and integrity."
Of her appointment, Willie-LeBreton said, "I am thrilled to be joining the Smith College community. The commitment of extraordinary educators on the faculty and staff, passionate and curious students, devoted alums and generous trustees and friends offer models of scholarship, engagement, leadership and philanthropy that inspire me." She continued, "The promise of education is not just the creation of knowledge, but the model of how to share it for our mutual liberation and the collective good. We tend to be more aware of injustice when it crashes in upon our lives, more aware of misogyny, racism and other forms of oppression when they circumscribe our possibilities, and more aware of the fragility of democracy when its admittedly young promise brought to us through the liberation struggles of its subdominant people is so clearly threatened. But so, too, are we more aware of knowledge when we participate in its co-creation, more appreciative of empathy when we receive it, more devoted to the liberal arts when we experience the power of mutually-informing disciplines."
She concluded, "I am honored to have the faith and support of Smith's Board of Trustees, grateful for my conversations with President McCartney, and deeply appreciative of the search committee for challenging me with questions of significance and for answering my queries with candor and imagination on behalf of the Smith community."
Willie-LeBreton will join Smith at a time of great momentum, when women's education has become increasingly essential for solving the problems of tomorrow. In October 2021, the college announced that it was increasing access to education by eliminating loans from its financial aid packages; in May 2022, Smith began converting its heating system to geothermal energy to fulfill its commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Campus improvements—such as the recently re-imagined Neilson Library, designed by Maya Lin, and classrooms created to support innovative pedagogies—enable students and faculty in their intellectual pursuits. Applications to the selective women's college are at an all-time high, up 63% since 2014.
"The search committee was extraordinarily impressed by Sarah—because of her academic experience as well as her personal priorities," said Susan Molineaux '75, vice-chair of Smith's board of trustees and chair of the search committee. "Community is integral to Smith's identity, and it was clear that building community is one of Sarah's highest priorities and greatest strengths. She listens thoughtfully and deeply, seeks to build relationships and is practiced in building consensus."
A sociologist who studies social inequality and race and ethnicity, Willie-LeBreton is known for her commitment to the liberal arts, strengthening community and energizing the work of equity and inclusion. At Swarthmore, she has chaired the college's Diversity Task Force and the President's Task Force on Sexual Misconduct. As provost, she championed tenure lines in environmental studies as well as in peace and conflict studies, and she led colleagues on the faculty and the administration to increase tenure-track lines and leadership positions to enhance curricular and co-curricular offerings. "As Swarthmore's provost and dean of the faculty, Sarah has led with a spirit of inclusivity and compassion, excellent judgment, a deep respect for shared governance, enthusiastic support for research and teaching, and good humor," said
Swarthmore College President Valerie Smith. "She is certain to bring these qualities and more to her role as president of Smith College. Her colleagues and many friends at Swarthmore will miss Sarah, but we wish her all the best on her new adventure."
Willie-LeBreton is the author of Acting Black: College, Identity, and the Performance of Race and edited and contributed to Transforming the Academy: Faculty Perspectives on Diversity and Pedagogy.
In addition to holding appointments at Swarthmore, Willie-LeBreton has been a member of the faculty at Colby and Bard colleges, as well as at Pendle Hill Quaker center. She received a bachelor's degree in sociology from Haverford College and master's and doctoral degrees in sociology from Northwestern University.
Willie-LeBreton succeeds Kathleen McCartney, who became president of Smith in 2013 and announced last spring that she would conclude her term at the end of June 2023.
Founded in 1871, Smith College opened in 1875 with 14 students. Today, it is one of the largest women's liberal arts colleges in the United States, educating women of promise for lives of distinction and purpose. Smith enrolls more than 2,900 students from nearly every state and more than 75 other countries to cultivate leaders able to address the complex, urgent problems of today. As a global community of scholars, entrepreneurs, artists, scientists, activists and humanitarians, Smith is pushing the world forward. More information at smith.edu .
View original content:
SOURCE Smith College | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/smith-college-selects-sarah-willie-lebreton-swarthmore-provost-scholar-social-inequality-african-american-culture-its-12th-president/ | 2022-09-15T16:55:35Z |
PHOENIX, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- iTether Technologies, Inc. and Complete Care Partners, LLC. have announced a multi-year agreement to implement iTether's community supervision platform to improve client engagement, expand access to resources, and reduce recidivism in Yavapai County.
Complete Care Partners of Arizona is the sole provider of diversion services for the Yavapai County Attorney's Office. Their diversion program includes a wrap-around approach to delivering services, focusing on social determinants of health including addressing mental health issues and helping clients to meet their basic needs. Complete Care Partners was founded in 2020 by two of Yavapai County's key beahvioral health providers: Spectrum Healthcare and Polara Health.
"We are excited to implement the iTether platform in our program to better connect with our clients through secure messaging and video appointments, track progress on program goals, and stay on top of their diversion program requirements," said Erin Ortega, Managed Care Coordinator for Complete Care Partners. "The platform offers a customizable set of tools that enables us to support these individuals in ways that foster growth and change for participants – the real reason we provide this program."
Bradley D. Wilde, Founder and CEO of iTether Technologies said, "There's so much work to be done across the country in the arena of justice reform. iTether looks forward to creating impactful changes along with Complete Care Partners here in Yavapai county."
About Complete Care Partners, LLC
Complete Care Partners, LLC provides services as sole administrator for the diversion program initiated through the Yavapai County Attorney's Office. They assist first-time or low-level offenders, who are better served outside of the regular court system, with program services, including life skills, employment or education gaps, housing and transportation in addition to substance abuse and mental health treatment.
About iTether Technologies, Inc.
iTether Technologies, Inc. provides HIPAA compliant digital care technology that is customizable and scalable, connecting individuals to their care team to improve outcomes and increase wellness. iTether's engagement platform integrates with current clinical or community supervision workflows, and is applicable to any outpatient, behavioral, physical health, or criminal justice treatment plan.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE iTether Technologies Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/17/complete-care-partners-selects-itether-technologies-community-supervision-platform-reduce-recidivism-yavapai-county-az/ | 2022-05-17T10:14:27Z |
Woman found guilty in deadly road rage incident despite ‘cough syrup defense’
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3/Gray News) - A jury in Missouri delivered a guilty verdict in a trial that involved a woman accused of a deadly road rage crash and having a cough syrup addiction.
KY3 reports the jury found Elizabeth McKeown guilty of first-degree murder in Barbara Foster’s death in a November 2018 incident. The jury also found her guilty of armed criminal action.
Police say McKeown rear-ended Foster’s vehicle in traffic for moving too slowly at an intersection in Springfield. Investigators said McKeown lured Foster out of her car and ran her over.
Authorities said Foster died from her injuries at the hospital.
During the trial, McKeown’s defense argued that she had a side effect that day from drinking cough syrup to suppress a cough that she had. The state worked to disprove McKeown’s addiction to cough syrup. They claimed she was under the influence at the time of the incident.
A Missouri Department of Mental Health clinical psychologist testified McKeown had unspecified schizophrenia brought on by her medication. Prosecutors quickly attempted to discredit the diagnosis. They explained to the jury inconsistencies in McKeown’s mental evaluation.
McKeon’s attorneys said the team plans to file a motion for a new trial.
Copyright 2022 KY3 via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/06/11/woman-found-guilty-deadly-road-rage-incident-despite-cough-syrup-defense/ | 2022-06-11T04:02:17Z |
NASHUA, N.H., April 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pinpoint is pleased to welcome Mr. Jay Stainsby, a forty-year Financial Services industry veteran, to their team. His expertise in the industry makes him a proponent of training, development, compliance solutions. Mr. Stainsby comes to Pinpoint from Cetera Investment Services where he served as Vice President of Sales Leadership Development & Recruiting. He has also served Foresters as Regional VP of Sales and First Investors as Director of Training and SVP of Sales.
As both an end-user and a decision maker Jay experienced first-hand the efficiencies that Pinpoint Global provides. Jay made the leap to Pinpoint so he can positively impact their financial services clients by applying his technology experience to solve their training and compliance requirements.
"Jay is a great addition to the Pinpoint team. His industry insights and leadership skills will ensure Pinpoint continues to grow our business and better service our clients in the financial services industry," says Bob Sullivan, CEO of Pinpoint Global Communications.
About Pinpoint Global Communications
Pinpoint Global is the recognized leader of on-demand, on-line training and compliance solutions for the financial services and health insurance industries. Pinpoint's financial services clients include; MassMutual, Cetera, Equitable Advisors, Equitable Distributors, MetLife, AIG, Prudential, Allianz, Lincoln Financial, Manulife, Raymond James LTD., Guardian Life, and more than fifty (50) others. Pinpoint's health plan clients include; Cigna, BlueCross Blue Shield of Minnesota, BlueCross BlueShield of Michigan, Wellmark, Regence, BlueCross Blue Shield of Louisiana, the BlueCross BlueShield Association and more than 25 other health plans across the United States.
Our platform enables clients to deliver required training and relevant information to salespeople, agents, wholesalers, and employees in ways that keep their attention, improve their understanding, and easily track their progress. In addition, administrators and management personnel possess the capabilities to track and monitor progress through real-time reports.
Pinpoint also provides an entire array of services from video, audio, and flash animation production to SCORM compliant presentation authoring and hosting, to custom designed portals. www.pinpointglobal.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Pinpoint Global Communications | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/04/21/pinpoint-global-welcomes-jay-stainsby-vice-president-sales-marketing/ | 2022-04-21T21:38:54Z |
Man gets 20 years for breaking into homes to sexually assault victims, including children
TULSA, Okla. (Gray News) – A man in Oklahoma has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for breaking into multiple homes and sexually assaulting multiple victims, including children. He also was convicted of soliciting child pornography while in jail.
Jesse Thomas Moore, 20, was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma announced.
According to the Tulsa Police Department, Moore admitted that between May 2020 and December 2020, he broke into multiple homes and sexually assaulted multiple victims, including children.
Court documents say that in May 2020, Moore broke into a home and entered a bedroom where a child was sleeping and attempted to get the child to engage in sex acts with him while touching himself. He tried to coax the child into the bathroom but eventually left.
In November 2020, Moore broke into another home with what court documents say was the intent to commit sex acts with a child. However, the child screamed when he saw Moore, and Moore fled the home.
In that incident, the boy’s mother told police she had previously seen Moore in her backyard and peeking in her windows multiple times starting the month prior.
In December 2020, Moore broke into a third home where he found a woman and a man sleeping in a bedroom. Court documents say he began touching the woman, causing her to wake up, and then threatened to kill her if she spoke. He forced the woman into the living room, where he attempted to rape her. However, as Moore covered the victim’s mouth with his hand, she bit him, which caused him to let go and flee the scene.
While in custody awaiting trial for charges related to those crimes, Moore began accessing a program called JailATM on a kiosk or portable smart pad to video chat and message with a 16-year-old girl, who he referred to as his girlfriend.
During these conversations, Moore pressured the girl for explicit videos and photos. Tulsa police said while the JailATM system rejected most of the explicit content, Moore was able to receive at least one explicit video from the girl.
Moore also admitted to the solicitation of child pornography, Tulsa police said.
Moore pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including:
- Lewd acts with a child under 16
- Three counts of first-degree burglary
- Attempted sexual abuse by threat
- Coercion and enticement of a minor
- Attempted production of child pornography
- Attempted receipt of child pornography
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/07/07/man-gets-20-years-breaking-into-homes-sexually-assault-victims-including-children/ | 2022-07-07T21:45:05Z |
New RFP supports goal to make Maryland a top-ten fastest-growing innovation economy; proposals due by August 1, 2022
COLUMBIA, Md., June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TEDCO, Maryland's economic engine for technology companies, is seeking a firm to conduct in-depth economic development research and analysis. Understanding TEDCO's commitment to fostering an inclusive and entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem, the selected firm's report will assess the State's current economic development strategy in this space. These findings will also help shape the creation of a new Maryland Equitech Growth Fund.
The selected firm will collect and review relevant reports and publications; perform an analysis of the findings and key data, including missing data; and draft a final report to present to the TEDCO leadership team and Board members. The final report will consider the impact of Maryland's current economic development strategy and actions and include recommendations ensuring Maryland's long-term leadership in building an inclusive, advanced, technology-based, innovation and entrepreneurial culture across the State.
"TEDCO would use the final report to begin a statewide strategic planning process around its goals, including making Maryland a top-ten, fastest-growing innovation economy by 2033 and a top ten global innovation economy by 2050," said Troy LeMaile-Stovall, TEDCO CEO.
Interested applicants will respond to a detailed Request for Proposals (RFP) which can be found here. The goal of this RFP is to receive proposals from potential firms, evaluate those submittals, and select the one best suited to provide the services detailed in the RFP. TEDCO anticipates spending between $80,000 and $120,000 for the services. The deadline for submissions is 5:00 p.m. on August 1, 2022. The firm will be selected on August 31, 2022 and deliver the final written report to TEDCO by December 30, 2022.
Minority business enterprises, as defined in Section 14-301(f) of the State Finance and Procurement Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, are encouraged to respond to this RFP.
TEDCO has a portfolio of more than 400 seed investments since 1998 through several funding, mentoring, and education programs. TEDCO's six largest funding programs collectively resulted in $2.3 billion in economic activity and over 10,400 Maryland jobs as of 2021.
The organization has an ambitious vision: TEDCO will be the recognized national leader for supporting translational research, and technology-based, economic, and entrepreneurial development while being the hub of Maryland's innovation ecosystem.
TEDCO is a technology-based economic development (TBED) organization. It was created in 1998 by the Maryland State Legislature to facilitate the transfer and commercialization of technology from Maryland's research universities and federal labs into the marketplace, and to assist in the creation and growth of technology-based businesses in the State. Over the past 24 years, the organization has evolved into an organization with three major areas of focus: technology advancement, investments, and entrepreneurial & ecosystem support. TEDCO is, among other things, a resource for mentoring, funding, and networking for entrepreneurs and start-ups that need guidance as they bring innovative concepts to market. It is more than an early-stage funding resource; it is also a hub of Maryland's entrepreneurial network where start-ups find mentors, organization assistance, facilities for daily operations, and a roadmap for success.
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.
Media Contact
Tammi Thomas
Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, TEDCO
tthomas@tedco.md
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE TEDCO | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/tedco-seeks-firm-economic-development-research-analysis/ | 2022-06-28T19:36:29Z |
Services for Justin Chad McCollister, 42, of Kingsland are pending with Young’s Daughters Funeral Home & Bereavement Center in Temple.
Mr. McCollister died Saturday, June 24, at a hospital.
Please log in, or sign up for a
new account and
Subscribe for as little as $4
to continue reading.
To submit a free obituary, please email tdt@tdtnews.com.
To submit a paid obituary, please email advertiz@tdtnews.com with verbiage, along with an optional photograph. | https://www.tdtnews.com/obituaries/article_ee506c34-f735-11ec-b444-3b5cb87bd067.html | 2022-06-29T10:22:43Z |
Which Indominus rex toy is best?
Children’s fascination with dinosaurs seemingly knows no limits, even when it comes to dinosaurs that are completely made up. “Jurassic World,” a blockbuster film that continued the “Jurassic Park” franchise, introduced a new imposing carnivore in the form of Indominus rex, and it quickly became a fan favorite.
A hybrid of tyrannosaurus and other carnivores, this fearsome foe is a sought after toy for many young fans. The top choice, LEGO Indominus Rex vs. Ankylosaur Set, features the predator battling against an armored herbivore.
What to know before you buy a Indominus rex toy
What is an Indominus rex?
The Indominus rex is a fictional dinosaur created for the movie “Jurassic World.” It is the ferocious villain of the film that battles against the tyrannosaurus and velociraptor while also menacing human characters. It’s noted by its large size, particularly its large head and sharp, exposed teeth. It’s skin also changes shades, but often appears as white or cream-colored with toys. It also appears in the animated series spinoff “Camp Cretaceous.”
Toy type
Jurassic World toys come in a variety of forms, but most fall under the umbrella of action figures. A majority of options are articulated dinosaurs that feature movable components, including legs and jaws. These figurines range in size and detail, though some feature few, if any, movable parts and are intended only for display.
For those who like softer, more cuddly toys, there are plush options available in a variety of dinosaurs, including the Indominus rex. Other types that may loosely fall under the umbrella of toys include board games and coloring books.
Age range
Most Indominus rex toys are geared for children and adolescents. There are some smaller, safer toys aimed at children ages 3-4 that are designed to inspire curiosity and foster creativity. Other toys may be large and more detailed and are best for older children.
What to look for in a quality Indominus rex toy
Authenticity
With the popularity of dinosaur toys, it’s important to buy from trusted retailers and officially licensed brand names. Cheap knockoffs are easy to make and ubiquitous online. Although inexpensive, their quality and safety can’t be verified.
LEGO sets
LEGO has partnered with “Jurassic World” to provide a wide range of builds for young kids, teens and adults alike. These sets feature dinosaurs from films and TV series, including the Indominus rex. Most builds include between 200-700 pieces. Higher piece counts typically increase the challenge and minimum age recommendation.
The dinosaurs in LEGO sets are often made up of only a few pieces, and aren’t like other standard, blocky LEGO creations. Instead, these more lifelong figurines can be played with like regular toys.
Interactivity
Those toys that most appeal to youngsters are likely to feature some element of interactivity. This includes extras like making sounds or moving when activated. Some toys may require batteries to operate electronically and may come with a higher price and need extra care.
How much you can expect to spend on Indominus rex toy
Toys will range in price spending on the size, age-range and type. Most action figures and plush products cost $10-$30. LEGO sets, electronic toys and other games can cost $50 or more.
Indominus rex toy FAQ
What other dinosaur toys should pair with the Indominus rex?
A. The Indominus rex is one of many dinosaurs that populate the Jurassic World franchise. Kids who like this predator may also enjoy the Indoraptor, another genetic hybrid that is featured in “Jurassic World.” The water-bound mosasaur is another common pairing due to their encounter at the end of the film. Any number of other carnivores and herbivores will make for exciting interactive playtime paired with the Indominus rex.
Are dinosaur toys educational?
A. Children’s fascination with dinosaurs allows for plenty of learning and exploration. While the Indominus rex is a fictitious creature, children may be eager to learn about biology, anatomy and paleontology as it relates to dinosaurs. Toys, in general, foster creativity and teach kids how to play independently, cooperate and be responsible for their possessions.
What’s the best Indominus rex toy to buy?
LEGO Indominus Rex vs. Ankylosaurus Set
What you need to know: This mid-range LEGO set features a battle between two powerful dinosaurs and includes over 500 pieces for plenty of creativity.
What you’ll love: This set is great for ages 8 and up. The dinosaur figurines are large and movable, and it also includes five minifigures inspired by the film.
What you should consider: This set is fairly expensive.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top Indominus rex toy for the money
What you need to know: This cute and interactive baby Indominus rex offers entertainment and interactivity and is a terrific toy for younger kids.
What you’ll love: Inspired by the kids animated show “Camp Creataceous,” this small Indominus rex features a vocal growl, glowing eyes and moveable jaws. Also included are ribs to chomp on.
What you should consider: This affordable set is best for kids around ages 4-6.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
What you need to know: This entertaining figurine from a trusted name in kids toys fosters interaction and creativity.
What you’ll love: The thrashing Indominus rex moves when the tail is pulled. Also included is a tiny raptor toy that lends to creative play. Safely and durably made, this toy is suited for kids ages 3-8.
What you should consider: Kids may want additional toys to create a more exciting scene.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Anthony Marcusa writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://cw33.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/theme-toys-br/best-indominus-rex-toy/ | 2022-05-22T13:27:48Z |
NEW YORK, June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fylí has teamed up with UBS Global Wealth Management to host the latest iteration of its Salon Series, Own Your Worth – a four-market tour of panel discussions and VIP dinners addressing the needs of early-stage female founders; arming them with resources to thrive in a male-dominated world. The partnership leverages UBS's exclusive Own your worth content focused on helping women lead more purposeful lives through financial participation and empowerment.
Kicking off July 17 in the Hamptons, the female mastermind community and UBS Global Wealth Management will host an invite-only VIP dinner, followed by an afternoon of panel discussions on July 19 at the Southampton Arts Center. The biggest women in tech will come together in conversations on the future of Web3, and how to use data to break barriers and bridge gaps—further highlighting the UBS Own your worth research, which explores how to pave a path to greater gender equality through women's financial participation.
"We're thrilled to partner with Fylí to launch the Own Your Worth Salon Series. This is a tremendous opportunity to champion the incredible work Fylí is doing to empower early-stage female founders, while bringing to bear the breadth of resources from the UBS Women's Segment and UBS Business Owners Segment teams," says Carey Shuffman, Head of the Women's Segment at UBS. "We are excited to be able to share our Own your worth resources with this community as part of our ongoing commitment to empower women to take their seat at the financial table and help female business leaders thrive."
Soho House locations in NYC, LA, and Miami will host the following stops; with each market covering a different theme. Women in finance will be highlighted on September 15 at The Ned in NYC, followed by LA on November 11, bringing together world-renowned women in wellness. Miami will host the series' final event of 2022 for women in the art world.
"The work Fylí does to help female leaders thrive is something all of us should learn from and apply," explains Founder and CEO of Soho House, Nick Jones. "I know from our Soho House mentoring programs how important support, access and networking is improving representation for women."
Learn more about Fylí's programming and community by visiting https://fylitribe.com/. To learn more about UBS Global Wealth Management and the UBS Women's Segment, visit ubs.com/women.
View original content:
SOURCE Fyli; UBS | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/fyl-partners-with-ubs-soho-house-nationwide-event-tour/ | 2022-06-28T20:37:29Z |
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan could lift crushing debt burdens from millions of borrowers, but the tax man may demand a cut of the relief in some states.
That’s because some states tax forgiven debt as income, which means borrowers who are still paying down student loans could owe taxes on as much as $10,000 or even $20,000 that was taken off their bill. In Mississippi, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arkansas and North Carolina, forgiven student loans will be subject to state income taxes unless they change their laws to conform with a federal tax exemption for student loans, according to a tally by the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.
That dismays Cathy Newman, a Louisiana State University graduate who just took a job teaching freshman biology at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. She figures she could end up owing a few hundred dollars of money that she could have kept had she stayed in Louisiana.
Newman said she can come up with the cash because she has a good job, but she knows of a lot of other borrowers who will still be stuck in difficult financial positions even with their loans forgiven.
“If they stay in the state, they could end up with a pretty hefty tax burden if things don’t change,” Newman said. “I won’t be happy if I have to do it. I can do it. But a lot of people can’t.”
More than 40 million Americans could see their student loan debt cut or eliminated under the forgiveness plan Biden announced late last month. The president is erasing $10,000 in federal student loan debt for individuals with incomes below $125,000 a year, or households that earn less than $250,000. He’s canceling an additional $10,000 for those who also used federal Pell Grants to pay for college. But it only applies to those whose loans were paid out before July 1, which leaves out current high school seniors and students who will follow them.
Although having $10,000 or $20,000 in loan payments eliminated will be a boon over the long term to borrowers who qualify, those in the affected states might be required to declare that as income. Depending on a state’s tax rates, the taxpayer’s other income and the deductions and exemptions they’re able to claim, that could add up to several hundred extra tax dollars that they’ll owe.
Spokespeople for tax agencies in several states — including Virginia, Idaho, New York, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky — told The Associated Press that their states definitely won’t tax student loans forgiven under Biden’s program. Revenue officials in a few other states said they needed to do more research to know.
Newman, 38, went into debt to pay for graduate school. She had already set herself up for relief under the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, though that requires five more years of teaching on top of the five she already taught at the University of Louisiana Monroe. Biden’s program would cut $10,000 off her debt load when it takes effect, but under existing Mississippi tax law, the relief won’t come free.
“It’s not a huge burden for me, but it could be for a lot of other people, which is what I’m worried about, especially if it’s unexpected, and I think a lot of people don’t realize that,” Newman said.
Any relief in states that would tax the forgiven debt would have to come from their Legislatures. Leaders of the Minnesota Legislature and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz have indicated in recent media interviews that there’s broad support for a fix, which could come during the 2023 session, or even earlier on the remote chance of a special session.
In Wisconsin, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration plans to propose a fix in the state budget next year, but that would have to be approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature. And Evers needs to get reelected in November before he can formally make that request. Republican legislative leaders and Evers’ GOP challenger, Tim Michels, did not reply to messages seeking comment on the student loan tax issue.
However, in Mississippi, the chairman of the state Senate committee in charge of taxes said he’s willing to take a look when the Legislature convenes next year. Republican state Sen. Josh Harkins, of Brandon, said he needs to learn more about what his state’s tax laws say on debt forgiveness.
“I’m sure people will want to look at adjusting that or making some changes in the law, but a lot of factors have to be considered,” Harkins said, noting that Mississippi enacted its biggest-ever tax cut earlier this year and adding that he wants to gauge the impact of inflation before making big tax policy decisions. “This all just hit in the last week.”
___
Binkley reported from Washington, D.C. Associated Press writers Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi, and Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this story. | https://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-us-headlines/ap-some-states-could-tax-bidens-student-loan-debt-relief/ | 2022-09-05T02:03:01Z |
Target workers at a Virginia store withdraw union petition
NEW YORK (AP) — Workers at a Target store in Christiansburg, Virginia, have withdrawn their request with federal labor regulators for a union election.
Such an election would have joined a wave of union organizing across the country at other retailers from Amazon to Starbucks.
The petition was filed last week with the National Labor Relations Board by the independent Target Workers Unite. The group was founded by Adam Ryan, who has been working at Target Virginia store for five years.
Ryan said last week that the filing comes as workers see their pay failing to cover rising costs for basics like food and rent.
He also noted workers feel like they are having to do too many tasks, from filling online orders to unloading trucks. Ryan couldn’t be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday. No reason was given in the document filed with the NLRB. The group is not required to provide a reason for the withdrawal.
The NLRB also declined to comment.
Target said in a statement last week it is committed to listening to its workers and creating an environment of mutual trust.
“We want all team members to be better off for working at Target,” the retailer said.
Target cited “industry-leading” starting hourly wages of $15 to $24, expanded health care benefits, personalized scheduling and opportunities for career growth. It said it raised the starting wage at its Christiansburg store last fall and increased wages for longer-tenured workers.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/18/target-workers-virginia-store-withdraw-union-petition/ | 2022-05-18T18:40:46Z |
Chatbot guides candidates through the application process, giving employers faster access to top talent
TROY, Mich., July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelly today launched its new RPO solution, Kelly Ace, a recruiting and application chatbot that provides employers with a powerful user interface to connect with top talent faster. The tool guides qualified candidates through the process for high-volume roles, offering a smoother, faster, and more interactive experience. Kelly Ace is part of the company's continued strategy to invest in high-growth portfolios and introduce new solutions that meet customers' evolving recruiting needs.
Kelly Ace is a modular solution that balances technology and human engagement to reduce candidate drop-off by empowering them throughout the entire application process. The solution interacts with an organization's Applicant Tracking System (ATS), minimizing manual data entry with the use of Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and provides employers insights about the company's application process. It gives relevant, real-time feedback to candidates and shortens the recruiting cycle for an improved experience with a company's brand.
"Candidates invest significant time into the job application process and want to be informed of their status throughout the journey," said KellyOCG President Tammy Browning. "Kelly Ace digitizes key parts so employers can be confident that qualified talent is not lost in a 'black hole' and is instead moving swiftly through the process, giving organizations fast, no-nonsense access to the talent they need."
Kelly Ace is built on more than 75 years of deep knowledge and expertise in the human resources and talent acquisition market and KellyOCG's continual recognition in the global RPO market to address customers' rapidly changing recruiting challenges. KellyOCG was named a Star Performer on Everest Group's Global RPO Services PEAK Matrix Assessment for 2022.
"KellyOCG offers agile and flexible RPO solutions to its clients to address their talent challenges rapidly," said Practice Director for Everest Group Aniruddha Kulkarni. "Its continued investments in DE&I sourcing, high volume hiring solutions, and Total Talent Acquisition (TTA) capabilities have helped position KellyOCG as a Major Contender and Star Performer on Everest Group's Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2022 - Global. And as a Major Contender in Everest Group's Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2022 – EMEA."
Learn more about Kelly Ace and other RPO solutions.
About Kelly
Kelly (Nasdaq: KELYA, KELYB) connects talented people to companies in need of their skills in areas including Science, Engineering, Education, Office, Contact Center, Light Industrial, and more. We're always thinking about what's next in the evolving world of work, and we help people ditch the script on old ways of thinking and embrace the value of all workstyles in the workplace. We directly employ nearly 350,000 people around the world and connect thousands more with work through our global network of talent suppliers and partners in our outsourcing and consulting practice. Revenue in 2021 was $4.9 billion. Visit kellyservices.com and let us help with what's next for you.
About KellyOCG
KellyOCG connects companies with the talented people they need to fuel and grow their business through our unrivaled global talent supply chain and leading workforce solutions including Managed Service Provider (MSP) and Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO). We combine decades of people industry experience with proprietary insights and a continued focus on technology to produce world-class programs that meet an organization's unique workforce needs and can start them on their journey to total talent management. Our ability to anticipate what's next for talent solutions drives us to challenge the status quo making us a trusted partner for our global client portfolio, which spans leading industries across North America, APAC and EMEA. Visit kellyocg.com or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn more.
Media Contact
Cynthia Carey
KellyOCG
248.462.3021
Cynthia.carey@kellyservices.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Kelly | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/kelly-helps-companies-rescue-candidates-job-application-black-hole-with-new-rpo-solution-kelly-ace/ | 2022-07-13T14:05:10Z |
Known for digitizing handwritten, paper-based work and cutting grading time in half, the assessment software is now available for students on the App Store and Google Play
OAKLAND, Calif., July 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, leading education technology solutions provider Turnitin, announced the global release of the Gradescope by Turnitin mobile application for students to submit their assignments. This follows the successful United States pilot on April 21, 2022 of the Gradescope Mobile App. The App is available on the App Store and Google Play.
Students need education technology that keeps pace and enhances their flexible, fast learning environments. Via the Gradescope Mobile App, students can take photos of single- or multiple-page assignments or select files on their smartphones and upload them directly to their course. On the app, students can also view their enrolled courses, assignments, due dates, and grade notifications—whenever and wherever students may be located.
Gradescope was originally created to help educators build, administer, and evaluate assignments and assessments, especially for large classes. The software digitizes handwritten, paper-based work and utilizes AI to help cut grading time in half. Additional features, including dynamic rubrics and hiding student identifiers, help maintain fair evaluation. Because of these features, classrooms experience streamlined course management; quicker and more comprehensive evaluation feedback; and data insights to course, class, and individual student performance.
The Gradescope Mobile App eliminates the extra step of using a third-party app or web browser every time students need to submit an assignment. Eliminating this burden allows students to centralize their workflow; work from their preferred, personal device; and reclaim valuable time.
"The past two years have shown us both the benefits and hardships of remote learning, highlighting the need for increased accessibility, flexibility, and mobility," said Turnitin Chief Product Officer Annie Chechitelli. "Technology companies have a responsibility to contribute sustainable solutions to these issues. The Gradescope Mobile App is an expansion of our existing digitization feature, providing a submission option that helps reduce the unnecessary pains of students' academic experience. When there is less stress on students; there is more space for learning."
During its two-month United States release, more than 3,000 assignments were submitted via the Gradescope Mobile App. Gradescope's web platform has been recognized by Bett Awards, EdTech Breakthrough, EdTech Digest, IMS Global, SaaS, SIIA CODiE, Tech & Learning, and more. To date, 624 million questions have been graded through the platform. Globally, more than 150,000 educators and 3.6 million students from 2,600 institutions have used Gradescope to maximize learning from assessments.
Download the Gradescope Mobile App on:
Media contact
press@turnitin.com
Turnitin is a global company dedicated to ensuring the integrity of education and meaningfully improving learning outcomes. For more than 20 years, Turnitin has partnered with educational institutions to promote honesty, consistency, and fairness across all subject areas and assessment types. Turnitin products are used by educational institutions and certification and licensing programs to uphold integrity and increase learning performance, and by students and professionals to do their best, original work.
Turnitin has offices in Australia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Over 16,000 academic institutions, publishers, and corporations use Turnitin services: Gradescope by Turnitin, iThenticate, Turnitin Feedback Studio, Turnitin Originality, Turnitin Similarity, ExamSoft, ProctorExam, and Ouriginal.
View original content:
SOURCE Turnitin | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/11/students-can-now-submit-assignments-through-their-phone-gradescope-mobile-app/ | 2022-07-11T14:43:42Z |
SAN DIEGO, May 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRTX), a clinical-stage targeted oncology company, today announced positive results from the registration-enabling Phase 2 cohort of the KRYSTAL-1 study evaluating adagrasib 600 mg BID in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring the KRASG12C mutation who have received at least one prior systemic therapy. Findings will be presented on June 3 at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, as an oral presentation during the "Lung Cancer – Non-Small Cell Metastatic" session from 2:24 to 2:36 PM ET/ 1:24 to 1:36 PM CT (Abstract #9002).
- As of October 15, 2021, 116 patients were enrolled and treated in the study. Of the patients enrolled, 98% had prior treatment with a PD-1/L1 inhibitor following or in combination with chemotherapy. Median follow up was 12.9 months.
- Of the patients evaluable for response (n=112), initial results showed that the objective response rate (ORR) by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) was 43%, the disease control rate (DCR) was 80%, the median duration of response (DOR) was 8.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.2 – 13.8), and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.5 months (95% CI: 4.7 – 8.4).
- With a January 15, 2022 data cutoff, the median overall survival (OS) was 12.6 months (95% CI: 9.2 – 19.2).
- The safety profile of adagrasib in this study was consistent with prior reports and no new safety signals were observed. The most frequent treatment related adverse events (TRAEs) included gastrointestinal events and fatigue. The majority of TRAEs were Grade 1–2 (53%) with Grade 3–4 TRAEs observed in 43% of patients. Two Grade 5 TRAEs were observed. TRAEs led to discontinuation of therapy in only 7% of patients.
"The positive and encouraging data from this trial further support the scientific rationale for targeting the KRASG12C mutation with adagrasib, which fully and continually inhibits mutant KRASG12C throughout the entire dosing period," says Alexander I. Spira, M.D., Ph.D., FACP, Co-Director, Virginia Cancer Specialists Research Institute. "This important dataset demonstrates positive clinical activity with adagrasib across molecular and clinical subgroups, including patients with treated and stable CNS metastases."
The Company also presented results from an exploratory, retrospective subgroup analysis from the Phase 2 NSCLC cohort of the KRYSTAL-1 study evaluating adagrasib in patients with KRASG12C-mutated NSCLC and stable, previously treated central nervous system (CNS) metastases (n=33). These results showed CNS-specific activity, including a 33% intracranial (IC) ORR by response assessment in neuro-oncology-brain metastases (modified RANO-BM). The IC DCR was 85% (95% CI: 68 – 95).
"The exploratory, retrospective subgroup analysis of adagrasib in patients with stable and previously treated CNS metastases showed intracranial tumor regression," added Dr. Spira. "These data are encouraging and contribute to the rapidly advancing science seeking to better understand how KRASG12C inhibitors like adagrasib can help improve patient outcomes."
In addition to these results, the Company reported updated findings from a pooled analysis in a total of 132 patients from the KRYSTAL-1 study, including the registrational Phase 2 and Phase 1/1b NSCLC cohorts evaluating adagrasib at a dose of 600mg BID.
As of October 15, 2021, results from this pooled analysis showed an ORR of 44% and a disease control rate of 81% based on central independent review. The median DOR was 12.5 months and the median PFS was 6.9 months. With a January 15, 2022 data cutoff, (median duration of follow-up of 15.9 months) the median OS was 14.1 months. The safety and tolerability profile was consistent with the above reported findings for adagrasib in patients with advanced NSCLC. The Company plans to present full results from this pooled analysis at a future medical congress.
"The data from the registrational lung cancer cohort of KRYSTAL-1, including the clinical activity shown in patients with stable, previously treated CNS metastases, further support adagrasib's unique profile," says Charles M. Baum, M.D., Ph.D., president, founder and head of research and development, Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. "Mirati is at the forefront of KRAS research, and we are pleased with the meaningfully positive clinical outcomes patients are experiencing with adagrasib, both in previously treated lung cancer and in other tumor settings."
On June 6, 2022, during an oral presentation at the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting, the Company will present new, late-breaking results from the Phase 1b cohort of the KRYSTAL-1 study evaluating adagrasib in active, untreated CNS metastases (Abstract #LBA9009).
The adagrasib New Drug Application is currently being reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Accelerated Approval (Subpart H) as a treatment for patients with NSCLC harboring the KRASG12C mutation who have received at least one prior systemic therapy. Adagrasib has also received Breakthrough Therapy Designation status from the FDA for the same indication. The Company has an ongoing confirmatory Phase 3 trial, KRYSTAL-12, evaluating adagrasib versus docetaxel who have been previously treated for metastatic NSCLC with a KRASG12C mutation.
Mirati Therapeutics will host an Investor Event on Monday, June 6, 2022, at 8:00 PM ET/7:00 PM CT.
Company executives will provide an overview of the adagrasib clinical data presented at the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting and the Company's broader lung cancer strategy, including in earlier lines of therapy.
Investors and the general public are invited to register and listen to a live webcast of the event through the "Investors and Media" section on Mirati.com. A replay of the event will be available shortly after the conclusion of the event.
The brain, along with the bone, adrenals, and liver are common sites of extra-thoracic metastases in NSCLC.[1]−3 CNS metastases occur in 27−42% of patients with KRASG12C-mutated NSCLC at diagnosis.1,4−6 Additionally, patients with CNS metastases and KRAS-mutated NSCLC may have poor outcomes, with median overall survival (OS) of approximately five months.7-9
Adagrasib is an investigational, highly selective, and potent oral small-molecule inhibitor of KRASG12C that is optimized to sustain target inhibition, an attribute that could be important to treat KRASG12C-mutated cancers, as the KRASG12C protein regenerates every 24–48 hours. Adagrasib is being evaluated as monotherapy and in combination with other anti-cancer therapies in patients with advanced KRASG12C-mutated solid tumors, including NSCLC, colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer. For more information visit Mirati.com/science.
Mirati has an Expanded Access Program (EAP) for investigational adagrasib for the treatment of eligible patients with KRASG12C-mutated cancers, regardless of tumor type, including patients with treated or untreated CNS metastases, in the U.S. Learn more about the EAP at Mirati.com/expanded-access-policy.
Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company whose mission is to discover, design and deliver breakthrough therapies to transform the lives of patients with cancer and their loved ones. The company is relentlessly focused on bringing forward therapies that address areas of high unmet medical need, including lung cancer, and advancing a pipeline of novel therapeutics targeting the genetic and immunological drivers of cancer. Unified for patients, Mirati's vision is to unlock the science behind the promise of a life beyond cancer. For more information about Mirati, visit us at Mirati.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the business of Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. ("Mirati"). Any statement describing Mirati's goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions or beliefs, development plans and the commercial potential of Mirati's drug development pipeline, including without limitation adagrasib (selective KRASG12C inhibitor), sitravatinib (TAM receptor inhibitor), MRTX1719 (MTA cooperative PRMT5 inhibitor), MRTX1133 (selective KRAS G12D inhibitor), and MRTX0902 (SOS1 inhibitor), is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, particularly those challenges inherent in the process of discovering, developing and commercialization of new drug products that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics, and in the endeavor of building a business around such drugs.
Mirati's forward-looking statements also involve assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Mirati's forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by Mirati. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements.
These and other risks concerning Mirati's programs are described in additional detail in Mirati's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual reports on Form 10-K, which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and Mirati assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
1. Lohinai Z, Klickovits T, Moldvay J, et al. KRAS-mutation incidence and prognostic value are metastatic site-specific in lung adenocarcinoma: poor prognosis in patients with KRAS mutation and bone metastasis. Sci Rep. 2017;7:39721.
2. Milovanovic IS, Stjepanovic M, Mitrovic D. Distribution patterns of the metastases of the lung carcinoma in relation to histological type of the primary tumor: an autopsy study. Ann Thorac Med. 2017;12(3):191-198.
3. Wang X, Wang Z, Pan J, et al. Patterns of extrathoracic metastases in different histological types of cancer. Front Oncol. 2020;10:715.
4. Cui W, Franchini F, Alexander M, et al. Real world outcomes in KRAS G12C mutation positive non-small cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer. 2020;146:310-317.
5. Offin M, Feldman D, Ni A, et al. Frequency and outcomes of brain metastases in patients with HER2-mutant lung cancers. Cancer. 2019;125(24):4380-4387.
6. Tomasini P, Serdjebi C, Khobta N, et al. EGFR and KRAS mutations predict the incidence and outcome of brain metastases in non-small cell lung cancer. Int J Mol Sci. 2016;17(12):2132.
7. Cagney DN, Martin AM, Catalano PJ. Incidence and prognosis of patients with brain metastases at diagnosis of systemic malignancy: a population-based study. Neuro Oncol. 2017;19(11):1511-1521.
8. Chi A, Komaki R. Treatment of brain metastasis from lung cancer. Cancers (Basel). 2010;2(4):2100-2137.
9. Mak KS, Gainor JF, Niemierko A, et al. Significance of targeted therapy and genetic alterations in EGFR, ALK, or KRAS on survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with radiotherapy for brain metastases. Neuro Oncol. 2015;17(2):296-302.
Mirati Contacts
Investor Relations: ir@mirati.com
Media Relations: media@mirati.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/26/investigational-adagrasib-delivers-positive-results-registration-enabling-study-patients-with-krasg12c-mutated-advanced-non-small-cell-lung-cancer/ | 2022-05-27T00:05:52Z |
A Belton man was indicted on sex charges on April 27 after police say he exposed himself to a 13-year-old girl while on a video call.
Juan D. Castillo, 34, was indicted for indecency with a child by sexual contact, a second-degree felony, and indecency with a child by exposure, a third-degree felony.
According to an arrest affidavit filed by the Belton Police Department, a mother told officers on Jan. 2 that Castillo allegedly exposed himself to her 13-year daughter while on a video call.
Officers obtained a recording of the video call in which they allege Castillo changed camera views and used lighting to expose himself to the girl, the affidavit said.
Officers interviewed Castillo, who initially told them it was an accident.
“After being confronted with a description of the video, Juan Castillo agreed that he had a lapse in judgment,” the affidavit said. “It should be noted that Castillo described additional acts of sexual abuse against children in his interview. He was evasive throughout the interview and often minimized his actions.”
Castillo was held at the Bell County Jail Monday in lieu of a $75,000 bond.
Jeffrey Mundo
A Temple man was indicted on a burglary charge April 27 after police said he beat up a woman and broke into her house to attack her.
Jeffrey Mundo, 25, was indicted on burglary of a habitation with intent to commit assault, a second-degree felony.
According to an arrest affidavit filed by the Temple Police Department, officers responded on March 5 to a residence on the 5200 block of Davy Crockett Street for a violent domestic call.
A 911 call alerted them that a woman was asking for help while Mundo, a man she used to have a relationship with, allegedly attacked her and tried to take her children.
Officers at the scene observed the front door had been kicked in and spoke with the woman who made the phone call. The woman told the police that Mundo had left when she made the phone call.
“Mundo left and barricaded himself in his house … and would not come out when ordered to by officers,” the affidavit said. “A warrant was issued, and Temple PD SWAT was forced to make entry and retrieve Mundo.”
Mundo was held at the Bell County Jail Monday in lieu of bonds totaling $325,000.
Mundo has several felony charges pending in the court system, including domestic assault and drugs, court records show.
He also has several pending misdemeanor charges, including evading arrest, criminal mischief, driving while intoxicated, and domestic assault.
Aradt Palacios
A Temple man was indicted on a second-degree sexual assault charge on April 20 after allegedly assaulting a woman he met online two weeks prior.
Aradt Palacios, 21, posted a $95,000 bail on Feb. 10 and was released from the Bell County Jail.
On Aug. 9, 2021, Temple police officers responded to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple for a sexual assault that occurred at an apartment complex on the 3000 block of Antelope Trail.
A woman told police that Palacios, a man she met on social media two weeks prior and once in person, sexually assaulted her at his apartment.
During the incident, the woman described to officers how Palacios removed her clothing and allegedly assaulted her several times as she told him “no,” and that she was “not comfortable” with what he was doing, the affidavit said.
The woman got away from Palacios and left the apartment.
Police recovered messages before the assault between the two stating that the woman told Palacios that she would go to his apartment as long as he didn’t try to do anything sexual. He said he wouldn’t, the affidavit said.
An arrest warrant for Palacios was issued on Feb. 2 by Bell County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 Keith Reed.
Other indictments
• Iden Ferris, 22, of Temple, assault of a family member by strangulation.
• Joseph Grant, 49, of Belton, failure to register as a sex offender and possession of a controlled substance less than one gram.
• Luis Alonso Ruiz, 29, of Austin, possession of a controlled substance between 4 and 400 grams.
• Arthur Frosch Jr., 37, of Temple, possession of a controlled substance less than 1 gram.
• Robert Helbert, 27, of Killeen, possession of a controlled substance less than 1 gram.
• Perry Lewis, 62, of Temple, possession of a controlled substance between 4 and 400 grams. | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_22a92c60-ca67-11ec-bfc9-ab06fd9bb4c2.html | 2022-05-03T01:47:52Z |
Downtown Damonte To Bring Unparalleled Innovation, Amenities and Lifestyle to Northern Nevada
RENO, Nev., July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With the launch of a thousand fireworks, northern Nevada's premiere master-planned community, Damonte Ranch, kicked off its annual 4th of July celebration and announced the much-anticipated, new community addition, Downtown Damonte.
Downtown Damonte is a 73-acre mixed-use development in the heart of Damonte Ranch and is one of three new projects to be developed by a partnership between The Di Loreto Companies and Nevada Pacific Development Corporation. Downtown Damonte will be a walkable canvas of dining, housing, office, retail, medical, recreational, and commercial opportunities with a target occupancy date of late 2024 to early 2025.
Downtown Damonte will be the place where businesses, families, and friends come together to meet, unwind, celebrate, dine, shop, stroll and enjoy day-to-day living. Downtown Damonte will include a new urban core and mixed-use district, which will include:
- 244,000+ square feet of retail, shopping, dining, and bars
- 150,000+ square feet of Class A office space
- 180+ hotel rooms
- Up to 900 residential units
- Biking and pedestrian paths with a walkability and bike rating of 62
- Seasonal programming and special events
Three significant projects currently in the development and construction stages will surround Downtown Damonte:
Ridgeline, Inc. Reno Campus. Within Downtown Damonte and adjacent to the urban core will be a technology campus for Ridgeline Inc. Founded by Dave Duffield, Ridgeline is a financial technology company developing an industry cloud platform for investment management. The Ridgeline campus is anticipated to have more than 1,500 employees.
Liberty Dogs Campus. Located immediately south of Downtown Damonte will be the new Liberty Dogs Campus. Liberty Dogs will be among the nation's premier service dog training programs and facilities for veterans. The program will provide the nation's veteran heroes with the ability to lead more independent and fulfilling lives through the enhanced emotional and psychological well-being that research shows a service dog provides. The Liberty Dogs program is the vision of local Nevada residents Dave and Cheryl Duffield and is funded through the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation.
Damonte Ranch Marketplace. To the east of Downtown Damonte will be the new Damonte Ranch Marketplace. The marketplace will include a Chevron Gas Station and convenience store, a Wild Wild West Car Wash, and Tahoe Natural Café. The marketplace is currently under construction on the southwest corner of Steamboat Parkway and Veteran's Parkway.
"We have definitely saved the best for last," said Perry Di Loreto, president of The Di Loreto Companies and master developer of Damonte Ranch. "As a result of the partnership between the Di Loreto Companies and Dave and Cheryl Duffield, we are thrilled to bring these significant and unparalleled additions to Damonte Ranch and our entire community. We are very excited to share our vision for Downtown Damonte, the Liberty Dogs Campus, and the future home of Ridgeline, Inc. as we conclude more than 30 years of development in Damonte Ranch. It will truly be an unmatched destination where families, friends, and businesses can come together to live, work and play in south Reno," Di Loreto said.
"Cheryl and I are honored to partner with The Di Loreto Companies to bring Liberty Dogs into the Downtown Damonte family," said Dave Duffield, co-founder of the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation. "It's both extraordinary and humbling to think that we will be able to enhance the lives of our local and national veterans through the new Liberty Dogs service dog training program, and we can't wait for it to begin operating in 2025, if not sooner. I am also excited to be able to bring Ridgeline's new technology campus to Reno."
With breathtaking views of Mt. Rose and Slide Mountains, Downtown Damonte is located at the intersection of Damonte Ranch Parkway and Steamboat Parkway just east of I-580/U.S. 395 South in South Reno.
For more information about Downtown Damonte, please visit DowntownDamonte.com.
Founded in the early 1900s by Italian immigrant Louis Damonte, Damonte Ranch is located on 2000 acres of scenic land in Reno, Nevada. Damonte Ranch is a master-planned community surrounded by the natural beauty of the Sierra Nevada mountains and wetlands. Damonte Ranch offers diverse residential choices, abundant greenbelts, a community park, and meandering walking, hiking, and bike trails.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Di Loreto Companies | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/05/4th-july-celebration-kicks-off-announcement-downtown-damonte/ | 2022-07-05T19:29:19Z |
Thirty creatives from across the U.S. were celebrated and awarded to pursue aspirational goals in food, fashion, art, music and dance industries
EL PASO, Texas, Sept. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jarritos, the authentic and flavorful Mexican soda brand, today announced the five grand prize winners each to receive $10,000 and an additional top 25 finalists to each receive $1,000 for their participation in the JarriTODOS Artist Grant Contest. The contest challenged competitors to showcase their art and creative work in visual art, dance, fashion, food and music for the chance to win a grant to help them pursue their artistic goals.
"I'm absolutely blown away by all of the talent and effort placed into these innovative food concepts and the finalists' passion for cooking," said celebrity chef and Jarritos Food Judge, Pati Jinich. "It's inspiring to see the next generation of chefs, bakers and food enthusiasts come from diverse backgrounds and experience."
A panel of arts and entertainment professionals selected a top-scoring winner and five semifinalists per category. Judges included Courtney Plummer, Contemporary Art Dealer, Karla Martinez de Salas, editor of Vogue Mexico/Latin America, JoJo Gomez, professional dancer/choreographer, Pati Jinich, celebrity chef and host of La Frontera, and Javier Farfan, music, entertainment, and cultural marketing consultant.
"The Jarritodos Artist Grant Contest was created to help amplify the artists and creatives whose work impacts our communities on a daily basis," said Eric Delamare, marketing director for Jarritos. "We are honored to be a small part of supporting diverse artists who don't always have access, networks or funding to pursue their dreams and ambitions."
The five grand prize winners to receive $10,000 artist grants are as follows:
- ART: Calvin Clausell from Los Angeles, California
- DANCE: Lenai A Wilkerson from Cincinnati, Ohio
- FASHION: Nicole Bisono from New York City, New York
- FOOD: Mason Sanchez & Raffi Frensley from Bowling Green, Kentucky
- MUSIC: Andres Mejia from Baltimore, Maryland
The top 25 finalists to receive $1,000 artist grants are as follows:
- Keturah Benson from Atlanta, Georgia
- Eustace Mamba from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Ruben Esquivel II from Austin, Texas
- Christian Pardo Cardenas & Raul Cardenas from El Paso, Texas
- Larissa Akhmetova from Denver, Colorado
- Rob Rich from Panorama City, California
- Julian Ray Carmolinga from Berwyn Illinois
- Derek Sisouphone from Los Angeles, California
- Thom Kitt from Burbank, California
- Naomi Rivera from Bakersfield, California
- Anabella Bergero from Miami, Florida
- Fanny Mena from Los Angeles, California
- Derrick C Perkins II from Dallas, Texas
- Adan Avila from Houston, Texas
- Nico Perez from Austin, Texas
- Gina Lawrence Grandjean from Las Cruces, New Mexico
- Juan J. Sanjuan III from Huntington Park, California
- Pablo Rodriguez from Crafton Hills, California
- Johnny Chanthavong from Boston, Massachusetts
- Tessa Flack from Los Angeles, California
- David Elias Delgado from El Paso, Texas
- Beatrice Roberts and Jared Burkhalter from Deland, Florida
- Isai Morales from Dayton, Ohio
- Bran Movay from Dallas, Texas
- Jonathan Romo from El Paso, Texas
From July 11 - August 10, the JarriTODOS Artist Grant Contest opened for video submissions from artists and creatives across the U.S. who were interested in showcasing their artistic talents for the chance to move forward in the contest. Eligible entries advanced to fan voting August 12 - August 20. Due to irregularities and potential fraudulent activity in the fan voting process, all eligible submissions moved forward for an internal process review in which the top 25 submissions per each visual art, dance, fashion, food and music category were moved forward in judge deliberation from August 23 - September 2.
Created in 1950, Jarritos are delicious fruit-flavored sodas from Mexico. Sold in iconic glass bottles throughout the U.S., the brand offers 13 unique flavors, all made with natural flavors and real sugar. Jarritos flavors are mandarin, tamarind, pineapple, fruit-punch, lime, grapefruit, strawberry, mango, guava, hibiscus, passion fruit, cola and watermelon. Each unique flavor represents a delicious slice of the brand's Mexican heritage. Jarritos is now distributed in 41 countries around the world. Find out more at www.Jarritos.com.
Press Release Contact:
Brianna Hernandez
brianna@apccollective.co
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Jarritos | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/12/jarritos-mexican-soda-announces-grand-prize-winners-top-finalists-jarritodos-75000-artist-grant-contest/ | 2022-09-12T13:51:01Z |
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Counting of mailed ballots in Pennsylvania is drawing renewed scrutiny amid a too-close-to-call U.S. Senate primary between Republicans David McCormick and Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Former President Donald Trump blasted the state’s elections procedures on social media Wednesday even though there are no indications of any wrongdoing with those ballots other than a printing error that was slowing the tally in one county. He has relentlessly criticized the state’s voting procedures since his loss in Pennsylvania two years ago, when it took several days to tally the results from all mailed ballots.
The head of the state association of county commissioners, the local officials who oversee the nuts-and-bolts of Pennsylvania voting, described Tuesday’s primary as “a very smooth election day” but acknowledged that the state’s 2019 law expanding the use of mailed ballots could be improved.
HOW THE STATE’S MAILED BALLOT SYSTEM WORKS
Until 2019, Pennsylvania allowed only limited voting using mailed ballots. Voters could receive an absentee ballot only if they could show a medical problem, planned travel or some other complication that would prevent them from voting in-person on Election Day.
A legislative deal that year put an end to straight-ticket voting, a priority of Republicans, in exchange for allowing anyone to request a ballot in the mail, a change sought by Democrats.
The mailed ballot expansion left in place the longstanding procedures for absentee ballots. But the pandemic brought much wider use of mailed ballots than anyone had anticipated, as voters sought alternatives to casting a ballot inside crowded precincts.
The state Supreme Court in 2020 allowed more ballot collection boxes and extended the period when mailed ballots would be accepted to three days after the election as long as they were mailed by Election Day. Those changes, which were temporary, fueled Trump’s claim that mailed ballots provided an opening for widespread fraud, but there is no evidence that occurred.
FAILURE TO AMEND EXISTING LAW
County officials throughout the state have been calling for changes to the 2019 law. One major problem is that it does not allow counties to begin processing mailed ballots before Election Day. Getting a head-start would allow local election workers to identify errors ahead of time and get the properly marked ballots ready to be tallied.
Not allowing that early processing creates a huge backlog of ballots to process just as local election officials have to turn their attention to Election Day voting. That creates a delay of several days — or longer — for counting mailed ballots.
Both parties generally agree the law should be amended to allow early processing of those ballots. That hasn’t happened, in part because of disagreements between the Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat. How much time should be allowed to receive ballots and how to address issues such as signature verification and drop boxes are among the contested changes.
Republican lawmakers have proposed linking early canvassing to a host of other election law revisions they want, including tougher voter ID requirements, changes Democrats do not support.
WHAT TRUMP IS SAYING ABOUT MAILED BALLOTS
Trump, who endorsed Oz, posted on his Truth Social platform Wednesday that Oz “should declare victory,” arguing that “makes it much harder for them to cheat with the ballots that they ‘just happened to find.’”
Oz has not taken that advice and made no public statements on Wednesday.
In another post, Trump said, “Here we go again! In Pennsylvania they are unable to count the Mail-In Ballots. It is a BIG MESS. Our Country should go to paper ballots, with same day voting.”
He was likely referring to a problem in Lancaster County, a GOP stronghold in the heart of Amish country. County elections officials said a company that printed its mailed ballots included the wrong ID code, which prevented scanning machines from being able to read them. The issue involved at least 21,000 mailed ballots, of which only a third were scanning properly. The slow but painstakingly detailed process of transferring the votes to fresh ballots that can be scanned is underway.
Trump takes a heightened interest in Pennsylvania because it’s one of the most important presidential battlegrounds and voters are split fairly evenly between Democrats and Republicans.
SAFE TRACK RECORD FOR MAILED BALLOTS
Eight states allow all elections to be conducted entirely by mail. This includes Republican-led Utah, where all-mail election have been in place statewide since 2019 and no major problems have been reported.
In those states and others, numerous safeguards are in place to ensure that people casting mailed ballots are who they say they are and vote just once. Pennsylvania counties have successfully counted mailed ballots during every election in which they have been used.
There has been no evidence of any widespread fraud or conspiracy to steal the 2020 presidential election despite claims pushed by Trump and his allies. Numerous judges, including Trump appointees, dismissed lawsuits filed over the November 2020 election.
A group of federal and state election officials issued a statement calling the 2020 election the “most secure” in U.S. history. And an exhaustive review by The Associated Press of every potential instance of fraud in the six states disputed by Trump, including Pennsylvania, found nowhere near enough cases to affect the outcome.
BALLOTS COUNTED AFTER ELECTION DAY
There is nothing suspicious about this. Tallies reported by election officials on election night are unofficial results. Those totals will change over time, particularly as mailed ballots are verified and counted. Local election offices have stringent procedures to ensure that every valid vote is counted.
It can take weeks to certify an election — the point at which all results are final. In states that allow election officials to pre-process and even pre-scan mailed ballots, results can come quickly.
Some states allow mailed ballots to be accepted if they arrive a few days after the election, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.
Several states also allow for a period after the election for voters to correct technical mistakes with their mail ballot, such as forgetting to sign it. Once these are fixed, the ballot is counted and added to the totals.
___
Cassidy reported from Atlanta. | https://cw33.com/news/politics/ap-politics/explainer-how-mailed-ballots-slow-results-in-pennsylvania/ | 2022-05-19T08:48:03Z |
Keeping your lawn green and healthy throughout the summer
You can’t just expect something to thrive simply because it exists. Nurturing any living thing takes time, patience and care. Your lawn is no exception, especially in the summer when intense heat and drought can make it difficult for plants to survive, let alone flourish.
Luckily, even little changes to your lawn care routine can make a big impact. It is entirely possible to keep your grass green and healthy all summer long. These tips and products can help you do exactly that.
What does your lawn need to thrive?
Before you can get your lawn to be the best, most healthy version of itself, you must learn what it needs to thrive. While there are other items your grass requires, these six are the most important: suitable soil temperature, sunlight, healthy soil, oxygen, water and nutrients.
Suitable soil temperature
The effect that soil temperature has on a lawn is easy to see. In the winter, you do not have to pull out your lawn mower and cut the grass between snow storms because the cold temperatures have caused your lawn to stop growing. The same thing happens when it gets too hot — during those summer scorchers, you might notice you don’t have to cut the grass as often.
While soil temperatures play the leading role in whether your grass grows or not, unfortunately, it is not something you have control over. It is more something to recognize. If your grass stops growing and turns brown in the middle of an extended heatwave, it is a natural survival reaction. As long as you are giving your grass everything else it needs, it should come back to its full health when temperatures cool down a little.
Sunlight
Without sunlight, grass won’t survive. Depending on the type of grass you have, your lawn needs anywhere from four to six hours of direct sunlight each day. Some shade tolerant grasses, however, can survive in filtered sunlight. Also, it is important to remember that too much direct sunlight can damage your lawn. If you want the healthiest summer grass, consider the amount of sunlight it gets and if there is anything you can do to increase or limit that amount so your lawn thrives.
Healthy soil
A plant survives on the air, food and nutrients it takes in through its roots. If you don’t believe that, snip off the top of a plant, but leave its roots unharmed. Even though nearly all of the plant is gone, if the roots are safe, it will grow back.
For air, food and nutrients to get to your lawn’s root system, they have to make it through the soil. Sometimes, soil can get so compacted that it doesn’t allow these vital elements through. When that happens, you need to loosen your soil with a lawn aerator. When you aerate your soil, you put lots of holes in it or remove plugs of soil to loosen it up so air, food and nutrients can get through to the roots.
Sometimes, your soil may be fine, but a layer of organic matter builds up that doesn’t allow these three essentials through. This is called thatch. When that happens, you must remove some of that organic matter using a lawn dethatcher.
Oxygen
In school, you learned that plants need carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. While this is true, many of us may have reasoned that plants do not require oxygen. This is not true. For plants to convert food into energy, they need oxygen. As long as you keep your soil healthy, your thatch to no thicker than a half inch and you do not over-water, your lawn will get the oxygen it needs.
Water
One of the keys to keeping your lawn lush and green during the summer is to make sure it has enough water. If the color of your grass fades and the blades do not spring back after you walk across it, your lawn needs water.
It is best to water your lawn in the morning before the temperatures climb to keep the water from evaporating. Add enough water so a screwdriver can easily slide roughly six inches into the ground. You want the soil moist, not wet. Twice a week is sufficient unless there are abnormally high temperatures or long periods without rain.
Nutrients
Applying fertilizer is like giving your lawn a healthy meal — it will help it grow strong and endure harsh conditions. Apply the first round about the time you begin mowing your lawn and be sure to water it afterward. You may need to apply one or two more treatments of fertilizer over the summer. This is okay. Just wait at least six weeks before treatments and try to time it so you are not applying fertilizer during the hottest temperatures of the season.
What is overseeding?
If you notice your lawn has bare spots or looks a little thin, and you have tended to all the other areas, consider overseeding. This simply means you put grass seed directly on top of your lawn to bolster it. For best results, this should be done during the peak growing season.
When is peak growing season?
Peak growing season varies for grasses in the northern half of the country and grasses in the southern half of the country. In the north, you have cool-season grasses which grow the most mid spring and early fall. In the south, you have warm-season grasses which grow the most during late spring. You can easily tell when it is peak growing season because it is when your grass will grow the fastest.
Products that help your summer lawn thrive
This soil thermometer has a long stainless steel probe. Simply stick it in the ground, wait about four seconds and you’ll know the temperature of your soil. This lets you know when the conditions are right for peak growing season.
Sold by Amazon
Agri-Fab 48-inch Tow Plug Aerator
This 48-inch tow-behind plug aerator has 32 galvanized shafts that remove three-inch plugs from your lawn to help loosen up compacted soil so water, nutrients and air can get through to the roots of your grass.
Sold by Amazon and Home Depot
If you do not have a large area to aerate, these spikes are ideal. They quickly attach to your footwear. Once on, all you have to do is walk around to loosen up your soil.
Sold by Amazon
Brinly 42-inch Tow-Behind Lawn Sweeper with Dethatcher
If you have a mid to large-sized lawn that is being suffocated by too much thatch, this tool can help. The innovative design lets you dethatch and sweep your lawn clean in one pass.
Sold by Amazon
Worx Corded Electric Dethatcher
For people who have a smaller lawn, this electric dethatcher may be all you need. It is limited by the length of the cord, but it lets you complete your task with minimal effort. The collection bag keeps your property neat as you work.
Sold by Amazon and Home Depot
Orbit Three-Arm Sprinkler with Wheeled Base
One of the most important tasks you can do to ensure a lush, green lawn throughout the summer is to keep the soil moist. With a sprinkler, you can water your lawn without saturating it. This model has three arms that rotate to provide coverage of up to 24 feet in all directions.
Sold by Amazon
Scotts Turf Builder Classic Drop Spreader
If you plan on feeding your lawn so it grows with a robust energy, you need a spreader. This large-capacity spreader holds enough fertilizer (or grass seed) to cover up to 10,000 square feet. It has a heavy-duty frame and disperses fertilizer or seeds in a 22-inch spread pattern.
Sold by Amazon and Home Depot
This all-in-one turf builder can be used throughout any season. It helps your grass develop strong roots that can keep it lush during the stress caused by harsh weather conditions. It also helps your lawn absorb more nutrients so it can thrive all season long.
Sold by Amazon and Home Depot
Scotts Turf Builder SummerGuard Lawn Food
If you are having problems with excessive heat and drought, this is the fertilizer you want to use because it is formulated not to burn your lawn. The product is also fortified with insect control to protect against a range of harmful bugs.
Sold by Amazon (two-pack) and Home Depot (single)
Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed (Sun and Shade Mix)
This mix is for people who want to overseed cool-season grasses. It is suitable for use in either sun or shade and will spread aggressively to fill bare spots. The protective coating keeps the seeds moist and helps fortify them against diseases.
Sold by Amazon and Home Depot
Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed (Bermudagrass)
People who live in the south need a warm-season product. This grass seed is formulated to grow in high-traffic areas that receive little water and must endure scorching heat. The WaterSmart coating protects against diseases and keeps the seeds moist up to two times longer than uncoated seeds.
Sold by Amazon
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://cw33.com/reviews/br/lawn-garden-br/lawn-care-br/lawn-alternatives-to-help-your-yard-thrive-this-summer-no-matter-the-climate/ | 2022-07-01T15:11:25Z |
New formula neutralizes harmful free radicals and reduces oxidative stress
SAN DIEGO, June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cymbiotika, a leading nutritional supplement brand known for creating pure, clinically backed supplements, today announced the launch of its Molecular Hydrogen formulation.
Antioxidants act as stabilizers in your body, countering the effects of free radical damage. Hydrogen is the most powerful antioxidant and the only molecule that can neutralize the most harmful free radical (hydroxyl), meaning it stops oxidative stress in its tracks while protecting cell integrity. Additionally, it is the smallest antioxidant, meaning that it can easily penetrate the cell and travel through the body.
"At Cymbiotika, we consistently aim to empower people to reclaim their health by filling nutritional gaps," said Cymbiotika's CEO and Co-Founder, Shahab Elmi. "We're proud that our Molecular Hydrogen does just that. Educating our consumers on the benefits of new products is key to helping them learn how to prioritize their wellness."
Cymbiotika's Molecular Hydrogen retails for $32. For suggested use, dissolve one tablet in 12-16oz of room temperature water and drink immediately. It is best taken on an empty stomach. Do not swallow the tablet directly. May repeat up to twice per day.
Cymbiotika crafts supplements with only the highest quality bioavailable,ingredients. Molecular Hydrogen is GMP, made in the USA, soy free, and gluten free. For more details, please visit: www.cymbiotika.com.
Cymbiotika is an innovative wellness brand based in San Diego. With the motto, "Your mind and body deserve the best", Cymbiotika is driven by the higher purpose of inspiring everyday people to achieve optimal health. Founded in 2017, Cymbiotika uses the most advanced bioavailable absorption technology and sources only the highest quality plant-based nutrients to resolve specific nutritional deficiencies and support healthy aging, detoxification and longevity. Cymbiotika never uses synthetics, GMOs, fillers, chemicals, preservatives, or additives in its products. For more information, visit www.cymbiotika.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Cymbiotika | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/cymbiotika-releases-molecular-hydrogen-formulation-provide-balance-body/ | 2022-06-21T16:22:38Z |
DENVER, June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- APITech™ (API Technologies Corp.), a leading provider of capabilities that protect, power, and process critical RF and electronics applications today announced early samples of the company's new line of High Power SAW Filters.
The backbone of digital transformation is the wireless spectrum. One of the key threats to systems using that backbone is electromagnetic confusion, which will increase exponentially as the transformation accelerates. The wireless interface of every digitally transformed device, machine, or service will need RF filtering technology to ensure that a clean signal is received and processed.
High power SAW (surface acoustic wave) technology provides essential signal filtering/conditioning for systems that require sustained input power of 1W and higher. These include satellite, defense, electronic warfare, and other high-reliability and high-power applications.
APITech has developed new SAW Filter technology using an advanced manufacturing process that will deliver the higher power, tighter bandwidths, and expanded package options required by these systems. APITech is the only US-based manufacturer of this high-power technology.
"As an industry leader in SAW Filter development for decades, APITech has been working with our customers to understand and respond to these higher power requirements," says Ian Dunn, Chief Technology Officer at APITech. "We are excited to announce this new line of high-power SAW filters that can meet those demands. Going forward we plan to extend this high-power capability across the entire frequency range and all package types."
Prospective customers may meet with our product experts at the International Microwave Symposium (IMS) held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO, USA from June 21st-23rd, 2022, APITech will exhibit at Booth #11080.
First samples of these new SAW Filters will be available to key development customers in Q3. For more information on APITech's new High Power SAW Filters visit: https://www.apitech.com/products/rf-solutions/saw-filters-oscillators/hp-saw-filters/
APITech™ (API Technologies Corp.) is an innovative designer and manufacturer of high-performance subsystems, modules, and components to Protect, Power, and Process critical RF and electronics applications. A high-reliability technology pioneer with over 70 years of heritage, APITech's products are used by global defense, industrial, and commercial customers for critical applications including electronic warfare, Radar, C4ISR, Space, missile defense, commercial aerospace, wireless communications, medical, oil and gas, and harsh environments.
Contact:
Madeline Lee
APITech
+1 508-251-6486
madeline.lee@apitech.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE API Technologies Corp. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/apitech-announces-early-samples-high-power-saw-filter-ims-2022/ | 2022-06-21T15:24:07Z |
NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During BerniePortal's fifth annual users conference, Weekdays With Bernie, founder and CEO Alex Tolbert announced the launch of the latest feature to its award-winning, all-in-one HRIS–BerniePortal Payroll—a streamlined payroll management solution for the payroll needs of small to midsize businesses that eliminates the need for outsourcing.
With BerniePortal Payroll, users have the ability to implement all aspects of the payroll process from calculating tax withholdings and benefits deductions to populating and processing W-2s.
"BerniePortal's Payroll was intentionally designed with our users in mind. We work with thousands of small and midsize organizations across the country who told us they were looking for a truely all-in-one HR system — so we built one. Our Payroll feature will free up hours of time so they can focus on building the businesses they love," said Tolbert at the announcement.
With BerniePortal Payroll, small to midsize businesses will appreciate these notable features:
- Seamless Integration, All-in-One HR: BerniePortal Payroll blends intuitively with all other BerniePortal award-winning HRIS software features to streamline every aspect of the employee lifecycle, from tracking employee hours to benefits and PTO.
- Elimination of Third-Party Payroll Providers: BerniePortal Payroll automatically populates employee data, including hours worked, PTO, and benefit deductions to prepare scheduled payroll runs. By eliminating the manual data entry component for each payroll run, BerniePortal Payroll not only saves precious time, but it also improves payroll accuracy. Plus, having payroll as part of the BerniePortal HRIS package is simply convenient.
- Accurate Tax Withholding: With BerniePortal Payroll there's no need to worry about compliance with federal regulations since it automatically calculates what each employee is required to pay, no matter where in the US your employees are located.
- Unlimited Number of Payroll Runs: For those occasions when you need to schedule pay runs that fall outside of the regular pay schedule, HR can feel satisfied knowing that BerniePortal Payroll will allow them to conduct as many payroll runs as necessary–and with no extra cost!
- Access to a Dedicated Support Team: Organizations can feel confident knowing that when questions arise, BerniePortal Payroll's support team is staffed with experienced payroll experts who are eager to provide top-of-the-line support whenever help is needed.
- Access to a Robust Library of Resources: As an integral part of BerniePortal, BerniePortal Payroll users can find an abundance of resources to help them navigate through payroll–or anything HR-related for that matter. This comprehensive library is updated regularly with new and relevant content:
- Affordable prices: BerniePortal Payroll offers attractive pricing that won't break the bank.
BerniePortal Payroll is so much more than simply a payroll provider; it's part of an all-inclusive experience that begins with applicant tracking and follows the candidate through their entire HR lifecycle.
Learn more about how BerniePortal Payroll can work for your organization, schedule a demo here or visit www.BerniePortal.com.
About BerniePortal
BerniePortal is an all-in-one HR platform that saves time, cuts the paperwork, and helps build better employee experiences. Founded out of healthcare advisory and software company Bernard Health, BerniePortal connects the fragmented HR ecosystem in a comprehensive all-in-one tool, allowing employers to spend less time on administration and more time building the businesses they love. BerniePortal provides solutions for applicant tracking, onboarding, online benefits, PTO tracking, time & attendance, compliance, performance management, and payroll. Learn more at www.BerniePortal.com.
View original content:
SOURCE Bernard Health | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/bernieportal-hris-announces-new-payroll-feature/ | 2022-06-28T20:35:49Z |
FN Media Group Presents Microsmallcap.com Market Commentary
NEW YORK, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The first global copper outlook from energy research group BloombergNEF was recently released, taking into account demand from the technological shifts required to wean the industry off fossil fuels. The main conclusion is startling: Between now and 2040, demand for copper will rise by more than 50%. This growth trajectory is confronting a hurdle. However, it is more existential than acute. By 2040, primary copper production may rise by around 16%. It goes without saying that the increase falls short of the demand. Demand for copper may exceed supply by more than 6 million tonnes annually by the early 2030s. Further exploration and findings should be encouraged by copper's relatively predictable demand trajectory. Companies exploring for copper, like Torq Resources Inc. (TSXV:TORQ) (OTCQX:TRBMF), need to make new copper discoveries to maintain the supply for the largest miners, while companies mining copper like Barrick Gold (NYSE:GOLD) (TSX:ABX), Southern Copper Corporation (NYSE:SCCO), Taseko Mines Limited (TSX:TKO) (NYSE:TGB), and Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE) need to increase production to fulfill the spike in demand.
Torq Resources Inc. (TSXV:TORQ) (OTCQX:TRBMF) is a Vancouver-based copper and gold exploration company. It is one of the few that can claim to have just discovered a brand-new copper-gold system. The Santa Cecilia gold-copper project and the Margarita iron-oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) project are two of Torq's prime assets in Chile.
On September 13, Torq Resources announced that it has expanded its initial discovery at the Margarita Iron-oxide Copper Gold (IOCG) project in northern Chile, 65 kilometers north of Copiapo. Following up on the initial discovery hole 22MAR-013R, which intersected 90 of 0.94% copper and 0.84 g/t gold, about 190 meters to the north, drill hole 22MAR-014R successfully intercepted 98 m of 0.94 g/t gold and 0.68% copper. Results from the phase II drill program, which included 11 drill holes totaling over 4,000 m, will be available in the upcoming weeks.
The company aims to conduct an additional geochemical survey to assay for gold and a multi-element package to seek immobile trace elements linked with mineralization in light of the considerable surface leaching of copper that has been seen and is now verified in drill hole 22MAR-014R. The technical team at Torq is confident that this exploration step will produce new targets for the project in the future because gold rock chips are present in several areas around the project. In addition, Torq will examine all outcomes in the upcoming months and prepare a phase III drill program, which is anticipated to consist of between 8,000 and 12,000 meters.
On September 6, Torq Resources announced a non-brokered C$15 million private placement with Gold Fields Limited, a global gold mining firm listed on the NYSE, at a C$1.00 per share. The funds will be used to advance Torq's Chilean project portfolio, particularly its Santa Cecilia gold-copper project, where the company recently signed a 7-year social access agreement that covers the duration of the underlying option agreement. Most importantly, the funds will permit the start of drilling and other exploration activities. The company will issue a total of 15,000,000 common shares of Torq at a price of $1, which is 23% higher than the stock's 20-day average trading price on the TSX Venture Exchange for the period ended September 2, 2022. If the private placement is successful, Gold Fields will hold roughly 15.05% of Torq's issued and outstanding shares (undiluted).
Shawn Wallace, Torq CEO & Chair said: "We are very pleased to have attracted Gold Fields as a strategic investor in Torq. An investment of this size at this early stage of exploration represents tremendous confidence in our projects, our approach and our team. This capital will primarily finance the highly anticipated maiden drill program at our flagship Santa Cecilia gold-copper project, as well as additional drilling at Margarita, where we have been working to expand upon our exciting new discovery."
For more information about Torq Resources Inc. (TSXV:TORQ) (OTCQX:TRBMF), click here.
Copper Miners Enter Into Agreements
Barrick Gold (NYSE:GOLD) (TSX:ABX) stated on September 1 that it had signed a legal contract to sell Maverix Metals Inc., a portfolio of royalties, for a possible purchase price of $60 million. In total, 22 royalties on the production of minerals from mines in North America, South America, Australia, and Africa make up the portfolio. The $60 million total consideration comprises a $50 million cash payment due at the close of the portfolio sale, subject to the counterparties exercising any first refusal or buy-down rights under royalties, and three contingent payments. Following the fulfillment of customary closing conditions, the transaction is anticipated to close at the end of the third quarter of this year.
On July 26, Southern Copper Corporation (NYSE:SCCO) reported for Q2 2022 net sales of $2,306.99 million, 20.4%, or $590.0 million lower than in Q2 2021 as a result of reduced copper market metal prices and silver. In addition, net sales declined due to a $173.5 million accounting change for a pricing variation for completed sales that have not yet been paid for. Q2 2022 net income was $432.3 million, a 53.7% decline from the $932.7 million reported in the prior quarter. Some unforeseen events have had an impact on Southern Copper quarterly financial results. This scenario was compounded by rising costs for fuel, electricity and some other operating materials due to inflation. In a context impacted by lower copper prices, the company recorded a significant market value adjustment at open sales. Quarterly results were also impacted by a 25,624-tonne decline in copper production from Southern's Peruvian operations, mainly due to the Cuajone outage and lower grades. To avoid an event of force majeure, the production losses were temporarily offset by copper purchased from third parties, albeit at a higher cost.
Taseko Mines Limited (TSX:TKO) (NYSE:TGB) announced on August 15 that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made a draft Underground Injection Control (UIC) permit available to the public for the Florence Copper Project. According to the EPA, the 45-day public comment period for the proposed federal permit will end on September 29. On September 15, a virtual public hearing will be placed. With Florence Copper, the United States will be less dependent on foreign suppliers for a metal that is thought to be essential for the shift to a low-carbon economy. Florence Copper is anticipated to have the lowest energy and greenhouse gas intensity (GHG) of any copper producer in North America.
On July 28, Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE) announced that it has entered into, together with its partners Posco Holding Inc. and Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., Ltd, into a binding agreement
with ArcelorMittal to sell their respective interests in Companhia Siderúrgica do Pecém (CSP).
Under the agreed terms, the transaction's enterprise value is approximately US$2.2 billion, which will be used to prepay outstanding net debt of approximately US$2.3 billion. The closure of the transaction is subject to customary corporate and regulatory approvals. Located in Ceará, Brazil and founded in 2008, CSP is a joint venture between Vale (50%), Dongkuk
(30%) and Posco (20%). It has an installed capacity of 3 million tons of steel slabs/year.
This transaction reinforces Vale's portfolio simplification strategy, focusing on its core businesses and growth opportunities, guided by disciplined capital allocation.
Torq Resources' technical team includes geologists based in Chile with invaluable local expertise and an outstanding track record of significant discoveries in the country.
DISCLAIMER: Microsmallcap.com (MSC) is the source of the Article and content set forth above. References to any issuer other than the profiled issuer are intended solely to identify industry participants and do not constitute an endorsement of any issuer and do not constitute a comparison to the profiled issuer. FN Media Group (FNM) is a third-party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated with MSC or any company mentioned herein. The commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release by MSC are solely those of MSC and are not shared by and do not reflect in any manner the views or opinions of FNM. Readers of this Article and content agree that they cannot and will not seek to hold liable MSC and FNM for any investment decisions by their readers or subscribers. MSC and FNM and their respective affiliated companies are a news dissemination and financial marketing solutions provider and are NOT registered broker-dealers/analysts/investment advisers, hold no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security.
The Article and content related to the profiled company represent the personal and subjective views of the Author (MSC), and are subject to change at any time without notice. The information provided in the Article and the content has been obtained from sources which the Author believes to be reliable. However, the Author (MSC) has not independently verified or otherwise investigated all such information. None of the Author, MSC, FNM, or any of their respective affiliates, guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any such information. This Article and content are not, and should not be regarded as investment advice or as a recommendation regarding any particular security or course of action; readers are strongly urged to speak with their own investment advisor and review all of the profiled issuer's filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission before making any investment decisions and should understand the risks associated with an investment in the profiled issuer's securities, including, but not limited to, the complete loss of your investment. FNM was not compensated by any public company mentioned herein to disseminate this press release but was compensated twenty five hundred dollars by MSC, a non-affiliated third party to distribute this release on behalf of Torq Resources
FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.
This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and MSC and FNM undertake no obligation to update such statements.
Media Contact:
FN Media Group, LLC
info@financialnews.com
+1(561)325-8757
View original content:
SOURCE Microsmallcap.com | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/13/copper-is-new-oil-expected-rise-by-more-than-50-by-2040/ | 2022-09-13T15:40:59Z |
WASHINGTON, April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Black Women's Leadership Collective, a coalition of 12 national Black women's organizations, networks and leaders, issued the following statement on the bipartisan Senate confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court:
"Today America took a glorious leap forward on the road to becoming a more just nation with the historic confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Jackson is unquestionably one of the most qualified people ever nominated to serve on the Supreme Court in all of American history. All Americans will benefit by her presence on our nation's highest court and her strong commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law.
"Our joy and pride as Black women has deepened throughout this process as Judge Jackson displayed her character, integrity, deep knowledge, and respect for the Constitution. The American people recognize her talents as well. Polling shows strong public support for her nomination, exceeding support for the three justices nominated by former President Trump. Indeed her nomination has unified our country and the more Americans learned about her the more support for her has grown. In addition, the endorsement Judge Jackson received from the Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police proved beyond question that she is a strong supporter of law enforcement and public safety. She received the highest possible rating from the American Bar Association and the endorsement of many other groups as well, including key faith leaders and judges appointed by Republican presidents.
President Biden and Vice President Harris wisely recognized Judge Jackson's enormous talents by nominating her, and recognized the grave injustice of never opening the doors of our nation's highest court to a highly qualified Black woman. Just as Vice President Harris broke a barrier, Judge Jackson has shattered another glass ceiling, showing Black girls that there should be no limit to their hopes and dreams and affirming that we are all created equal.
Even before President Biden announced his pick to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, members of the BWLC began mobilizing to support the eventual nominee Representing over 10 million Black women across the nation, members of the BWLC worked to support Judge Jackson's nomination by lifting up her outstanding qualifications, inspirational life story and shape the national conversation with Black women front and center. Throughout the nomination members of the BWLC have held in-person and virtual events, social media activations, organized call-ins to Congress, Instagram Live events, as well as television, print and digital advertising, to support Judge Jackson's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.
We congratulate incoming Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on her confirmation and thank her for her dedication and love of country that motivated her to serve the American people on the Supreme Court.
About The Black Women's Leadership Collective
The Black Women's Leadership Collective is a leadership and organizing hub for Black women's organizations, advocates, and supporters, utilizing the power of our collective efforts to support the nomination of the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. We are a collective of intergenerational, intersectional Black women leaders throughout the nation. Within our collective are organizational leaders, business leaders, political strategists, student leaders, faith leaders, tech leaders, labor leaders, pioneers in sports, music and entertainment, movement leaders and more.
To learn more about the Black Women's Leadership Collective please visit www.Blackwomensleadershipcollective.org.
Contact: press@blackwomensleadershipcollective.org
View original content:
SOURCE The Black Women's Leadership Collective | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/07/prominent-national-black-women-leaders-congatulate-judge-ketanji-brown-jackson-her-historic-confirmation-us-supreme-court/ | 2022-04-07T19:57:12Z |
MIAMI, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 24, 2021, after months of investigation, Mark Cassidy, through The Moskowitz Law Firm PLLC and Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen, P.A., filed a class action Complaint before Chief Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga in the Southern District of Florida, captioned Mark Cassidy v. Voyager Digital Ltd., et al., Case No. 21-24441-CIV-ALTONAGA/Torres (S.D. Fla.).
Voyager was sued for a wide range of alleged deceptive claims, including false "no commission" promises and the sale of unregistered securities, the Voyager Earn Program Account ("EPA"). "We have been talking to many Voyager customers from across the country about their problems and their desire to join our lawsuit", said Adam Moskowitz, Managing Partner of The Moskowitz Law Firm, who indicated that they may be further expanding the lawsuit.
On April 28, 2022, plaintiff filed his Amended Complaint with additional expert support to, among other things, include allegations Voyager engaged in the unlawful offer and sale of unregistered securities in violation of Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act of 1933 by selling EPAs to persons or entities in the United States on or after December 24, 2020. Any member of this putative class may move within 60 days of this publication to seek to serve as a lead plaintiff.
Voyager has raised numerous defenses, including arguing the Court lacks personal jurisdiction over its Canadian parent company and that plaintiff manifested his agreement to Voyager's User Agreement (containing an Arbitration Provision, which Voyager argues includes a delegation clause requiring claimants to submit threshold issues to the arbitrator) through clicking a box affirming his agreement at registration. Voyager was required to file one consolidated motion to dismiss by next week, where they state they will raise numerous other defenses to these alleged claims.
"Our main goal is simply to allow every common investor a fighting chance," said Adam Moskowitz. Moskowitz further explains "the sale of unregistered securities may allow investors full repayment and this app, we allege, was set up like a carnival game, where every consumer was going to lose."
If you wish to discuss this action and potentially join it as a plaintiff and/or class representative, Joseph Kaye of The Moskowitz Law Firm PLLC may be contacted at (786) 309-9585 or joseph@moskowitz-law.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Moskowitz Law Firm | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/12/voyager-digital-sued-miami-federal-court/ | 2022-05-12T06:39:23Z |
Statement Pursuant to Section 19(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
DENVER, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund (NYSE MKT: GLV) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund, paid a monthly distribution on its common stock of $0.0906 per share to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 20, 2022.
The following table sets forth the estimated amount of the sources of distribution for purposes of Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the related rules adopted thereunder. The Fund estimates the following percentages, of the total distribution amount per share, attributable to (i) current and prior fiscal year net investment income, (ii) net realized short-term capital gain, (iii) net realized long-term capital gain and (iv) return of capital or other capital source as a percentage of the total distribution amount. These percentages are disclosed for the current distribution as well as the fiscal year-to-date cumulative distribution amount per share for the Fund.
The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this 19(a) Notice are only estimates and not for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with 'yield' or 'income.'
Presented below are return figures, based on the change in the Fund's Net Asset Value per share ("NAV"), compared to the annualized distribution rate for this current distribution as a percentage of the NAV on the last business day of the month prior to distribution record date.
Fund Performance & Distribution Information
Past performance is not indicative of future results.
^ Based on the Fund's NAV as of April 29, 2022.
+Cumulative distribution rate is based on distributions paid to date for the period November 1, 2021 through May 31, 2022.
*Cumulative fiscal year-to-date return is based on the change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions and that all rights in the Fund's rights offering were exercised, for the period November 1, 2021 through April 29, 2022.
**The 5 year average annual total return is based on change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions and that all rights in the Fund's rights offering were exercised, as of the last business day of the month prior to the month of the current distribution record date.
While the NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market.
Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's Managed Distribution Plan.
Furthermore, the Board of Trustees reviews the amount of any potential distribution and the income, capital gain or capital available. The Board of Trustees will continue to monitor the Fund's distribution level, taking into consideration the Fund's net asset value and the financial market environment. The Fund's distribution policy is subject to modification by the Board of Trustees at any time. The distribution rate should not be considered the dividend yield or total return on an investment in the Fund.
ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. FINRA Member Firm.
Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund (NYSE MKT: GLV)
1290 Broadway, Suite 1000
Denver, CO 80203
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/31/clough-global-dividend-income-fund-section-19a-notice/ | 2022-05-31T10:42:25Z |
LONDON (AP) — David Trimble, a former Northern Ireland first minister who won the Nobel Peace Prize for playing a key role in helping end Northern Ireland’s decades of violence, has died, the Ulster Unionist Party said Monday. He was 77.
The party said in a statement on behalf of the Trimble family that the unionist politician died earlier Monday “following a short illness.”
Trimble, who led the UUP from 1995 to 2005, was a key architect of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that ended three decades of violent conflict in Northern Ireland known as “The Troubles.”
Keir Starmer, leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, called Trimble “a towering figure of Northern Ireland and British politics” in a tweet Monday. Current UUP leader Doug Beattie praised Trimble as “man of courage and vision,” a tribute echoed by leaders from across the political divide.
The UUP was Northern Ireland’s largest Protestant unionist party when, led by Trimble, it agreed to the Good Friday peace accord.
Although a hardliner unionist when he was younger, Trimble became a politician whose efforts in compromise became pivotal in bringing together unionists and nationalists in Northern Ireland’s new power-sharing government.
Like most Protestant politicians at the time, Trimble initially opposed efforts to share power with Catholics as something that would jeopardize Northern Ireland’s union with Britain. He at first refused to speak directly with Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army.
He ultimately relented and in 1997 became the first unionist leader to negotiate with Sinn Fein.
Former British Prime Minister John Major said Trimble’s “brave and principled change of policy” was critical to peace in Northern Ireland.
“He thoroughly merits an honorable place amongst peacemakers,” Major said.
The peace talks began formally in 1998 and was overseen by neutral figures like former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell. The outcomes were overwhelmingly ratified by public referendums in both parts of Ireland.
Trimble shared the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize with Catholic moderate leader John Hume, head of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, for their work.
Trimble was elected first minister in Northern Ireland’s first power-sharing government the same year, with the SDLP’s Seamus Mallon as deputy first minister.
But both the UUP and the SDLP soon saw themselves eclipsed by more hardline parties — the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein. Many in Northern Ireland grew tired of Trimble and his colleagues, who appeared to be too moderate and compromising.
Trimble struggled to keep his party together as the power-sharing government was rocked by disagreements over disarming the IRA and other paramilitary groups. Senior colleagues defected to the DUP, Trimble lost his seat in Britain’s Parliament in 2005 and soon after he resigned as party leader. The following year he was appointed to the upper chamber of Parliament, the House of Lords.
Northern Ireland power-sharing has gone through many crises since then — but the peace settlement has largely endured.
“The Good Friday Agreement is something which everybody in Northern Ireland has been able to agree with,” Trimble said earlier this year. “It doesn’t mean they agree with everything. There are aspects which some people thought were a mistake, but the basic thing is that this was agreed.”
William David Trimble was born in Belfast on Oct. 15, 1944, and was educated at Queen’s University, Belfast.
He had an academic career in law before entering politics in the early 1970s, when he became involved in the hardline Vanguard Party. He surprised many when he won the leadership of the UUP in 1995.
Trimble was not always a popular leader, and his negotiations toward the peace accord attracted criticism from elements of his party.
“David faced huge challenges when he led the Ulster Unionist Party in the Good Friday Agreement negotiations and persuaded his party to sign on for it,” Adams said Monday in a statement. “It is to his credit that he supported that Agreement. I thank him for that.”
“While we held fundamentally different political opinions on the way forward nonetheless I believe he was committed to making the peace process work,” Adams continued. “David’s contribution to the Good Friday Agreement and to the quarter century of relative peace that followed cannot be underestimated.”
Trimble is survived by his wife Daphne and children Richard, Victoria, Nicholas and Sarah. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/david-trimble-architect-of-n-ireland-peace-deal-dies-at-77/ | 2022-07-26T10:52:38Z |
NEW YORK (AP) — Retail sales rose modestly in March, but higher prices for food, gasoline and other basics took a big share of consumers’ wallets.
Retail sales increased 0.5% after registering a revised 0.8% increase from January to February, reported the U.S. Commerce Department Thursday. Spending has been fueled by wage gains, solid hiring and more money in banking accounts. January’s increase of 4.9% was the biggest jump in spending since March 2021, when American households received a final federal stimulus check of $1,400. But soaring prices on everything, particularly at the gas pump, are making shoppers choosier about how they spend their money.
Excluding an 8.9% increase at gas stations, overall retail sales slipped 0.3% last month.
Overall, the retail sales picture was mixed, but shoppers still showed resilience in spending, economists said. Business at general merchandise stores was up 5.4%, while sales at clothing stores rose 2.6%. Restaurants had a 1% increase. But online sales dropped 6.4%, while auto sales were down 1.9% as auto companies faced a vehicle shortage. Major retailers will be issuing quarterly earnings reports next month, which will give a fuller picture of the state of the consumer.
“They are spending selectively this month, and the gasoline price spike from the Russian-Ukraine war was where most of the expenditures were made,” said Christopher S. Rupkey, chief economist at research firm FWDBONDS LLC.
But he added, “Inflation is not going away, but it will likely stop getting worse and that means less of a headwind for spending.”
Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData Retail, agreed that shoppers are nervous about inflation. He added that online purchases are taking a hit because he believes they’re more discretionary and easy to cut back. He also thinks the pullback online could be a consequence of shoppers assessing higher delivery charges.
The retail report covers only about a third of overall consumer spending and doesn’t include services such as haircuts, hotel stays and plane tickets, areas that have been rebounding from the depths of the pandemic.
Retailers are closely monitoring Russia’s war with Ukraine and how it could weigh on shoppers’ confidence but also worsen inflation. The conflict has already limited supplies of wheat, vegetable oils, and electronic components like chips. It’s pushed up fertilizer prices that were already high, made scarce supplies even harder to find and squeezed farmers, especially those in the developing world. In addition to the Russian invasion, rising COVID-19 cases and renewed restrictions in China could worsen supply chain issues.
The Labor Department said Tuesday that its consumer price index jumped 8.5% in March from 12 months earlier, the sharpest year-over-year increase since 1981. Prices have been pushed up by bottlenecked supply chains, robust consumer demand and disruptions to global food and energy markets worsened by the war. From February to March, inflation rose 1.2%, the biggest month-to-month jump since 2005. Gasoline prices drove more than half that increase.
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of gasoline — $4.07 — is up 42% from a year ago, though it’s dipped in the past couple of weeks.
The March inflation numbers were the first to fully capture the surge in gasoline prices that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Moscow’s attacks have triggered far-reaching Western sanctions against the Russian economy.
The acceleration of inflation is happening in an otherwise strong economy. In March, employers added a robust 431,000 jobs — the 11th straight month in which they’ve added at least 400,000. For 2021, they added 6.7 million jobs, the most in any year on record. In addition, job openings are near record highs, layoffs are at their lowest point since 1968 and the unemployment rate is just above a half-century low.
Matt Shay, CEO of National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, said that “consumers are adapting and shopping smarter for themselves and their families.” He believes the strength of the consumer can carry the economy through this economic uncertainty if policy makers implement measured policies and “don’t overreact to current conditions.”
NRF said the challenge for the Federal Reserve is to cool off demand without pushing the economy into a dramatic slowdown.
To protect themselves against any consumer spending downturn, retailers are cutting back on expenses, while taking a measured approach to ordering merchandise as well as adding surcharges.
Amazon announced on Wednesday that it will add a 5% “ fuel and inflation surcharge ” to fees it charges third-party sellers who use the e-commerce giant’s fulfillment services. The Seattle-based company said on its website that the added fees, which take effect April 28, are “subject to change” and will apply to both apparel and non-apparel items.
Gary Friedman, CEO of upscale furniture chain RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, told analysts in late March that the company has seen consumer demand weakening in the company’s first quarter, which started in late January, that coincided with Russia’s war with Ukraine.
“I don’t think anybody really understands how high prices are going to go everywhere, in restaurants, in cars, in everything,” Friedman said. “If you’re going into a very difficult unpredictable time, you just got to be super flexible. You’ve got to be able to improvise, adapt, overcome, and kind of be ready for anything.”
___
AP Economics Writer Paul Wiseman in Washington contributed to this report.
_____
Follow Anne D’Innocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio | https://cw33.com/business/ap-business/retail-sales-up-0-5-in-march-despite-soaring-inflation/ | 2022-04-15T07:31:11Z |
NEW YORK, July 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Teladoc Health, Inc. (NYSE: TDOC) between October 28, 2021 and April 27, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important August 5, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Teladoc Health securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Teladoc Health class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6818 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 5, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) increased competition, among other factors, was negatively impacting Teladoc Health's BetterHelp and chronic care businesses; (2) accordingly, the growth of those businesses was less sustainable than defendants had led investors to believe; (3) as a result, Teladoc Health's revenue and adjusted EBITDA projections for its fiscal year 2022 were unrealistic; (4) as a result of all the foregoing, Teladoc Health would be forced to recognize a significant non-cash goodwill impairment charge; and (5) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Teladoc Health class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6818 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/30/tdoc-deadline-alert-rosen-leading-law-firm-encourages-teladoc-health-inc-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-august-5-deadline-securities-class-action-tdoc/ | 2022-07-30T16:16:29Z |
Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has left the country, according to a high ranking security official, shortly before he was due to formally step down.
Rajapaksa and his wife flew to Malé, in the Maldives, on an AN32 troop transport plane from the Sri Lanka Air Force, the official said.
Local air traffic control refused the plane's request to land until an intervention by the Speaker of Maldivian Parliament Majlis and former President, Mohamed Nasheed, according to the official. CNN has reached out to Nasheed for comment.
The embattled Rajapaksa was previously blocked from departing Sri Lanka at least twice on Monday, after refusing to join a public immigration queue at the Bandaranaike International Airport, a high-ranking military source told CNN.
Aides for Rajapaksa arrived at the airport in Colombo on Monday with 15 passports belonging to the president and members of his family -- including First Lady Ioma Rajapaksa -- who had booked seats on a Sri Lankan Airlines flight leaving for Dubai at 6:25 p.m. local time, according to the military source.
But immigration officers declined to process the passports given to them by presidential aides, as Rajapaksa and his family were not physically present for cross checks. Eventually, the flight departed without the president and his family on board, the source added.
Another attempt was made to get the family on an Etihad flight scheduled to leave Colombo for Abu Dhabi at 9:20 p.m. local, according to the source, however the same problem occurred, as the Rajapaksas refused to join the public immigration queue for the flight.
In both instances, the Rajapaksa family was in a nearby airport lounge, waiting for confirmation they could board without queuing among members of the public, the source said.
On Tuesday, a video released by a former police officer claimed that Rajapaksa was staying in a private house belonging to a top Air Force Commander. The Sri Lanka Air Force has denied the claim, describing it as propaganda intended to tarnish the image of the corps and its chief.
Forced to resign
Rajapaksa's planned resignation on Wednesday -- which follows months of protests over the country's crippling economic crisis -- would leave him without presidential immunity and potentially exposed to a raft of legal charges in the country.
He has been accused of high-level corruption and economic mismanagement, which ultimately bankrupted the country and triggered its worst financial crisis since independence.
He agreed to step down from his office on Saturday, after more than 100,000 people massed outside his residence and called for his resignation. Some of the protesters then broke into the property and splashed around in his swimming pool.
Striking images shared on social media showed demonstrators singing protest songs and chanting slogans calling for Rajapaksa to resign. Other photos showed groups of demonstrators setting up barbecue pits to grill and cook food.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/sri-lankas-president-leaves-the-country-after-mass-protests-forced-him-to-resign/article_7b4b0949-57a7-57c6-80b1-f1b60b26223e.html | 2022-07-13T00:32:19Z |
The record hot temperatures sunk the stock market to its lowest point; workers demanding higher wages announced strikes; farmers worried as a countywide drought burned crops in the fields.
Yes, the Fourth of July 1897 was like today — except without refrigeration.
To make matters worse, the Independence Day music was awful.
By July 4, Gatesville recorded 107 degrees under shade trees. By the Fourth of July, the statewide drought had entered its sixth week. Corn burned up in the fields, and vegetable gardens yielded dry stubs, the Temple Times reported. Deep crevices riddled the Blackland Prairie pastures.
The hot weather meant booming businesses for “soda water vendors” and ice cream merchants.
One old-timer growled that the weather was too hot “for anything that wears hair,” adding that “Hell is only two degrees hotter than this.”
Labor unrest created more tension in already volatile situations 125 years ago.
That same week, the Temple Times reported that 595,000 unionized workers nationwide went on strike.
The editor posted in his comments, “I wonder if the thinking men are knowing enough to solve the problem? That means that babies will cry for bread, and fathers will go through the streets with the terrible look of desperation on their faces. … It means that the laboring classes have stood the final stand, and in the near future, it will be the battle royal of centuries. It means the rich has grown too rich with their robbery of labor.”
To add insult to injury, the Temple Times editor complained that the Belton Carnival’s July Fourth music was terrible. “I am no musician,” he wrote, “but the Belton band ought to lay off for about three years and learn to play.” The writer even lambasted the band’s uniforms — straw helmets, white canvas coats and “any old trouser that suited them.”
However, the writer failed to mention the triple-digit weather on the fairgrounds.
By the next year, Independence Day seemed more optimistic, thanks partially to some well-timed fall rains. The Temple Times in 1898 reported that July Fourth was a blast.
“Every spare firecracker, roman candle, anything and everything that would hold powder was in use,” the Times said. “The whistles screamed and a big bon fire sent its glow and sparks far up into the blue dome, pandemonium reigned and the Fourth was celebrated.”
For many in Bell County, the sweaty weather failed to dampen the patriotic celebrations.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s in Killeen, the annual Farmers’ Union picnic attracted more than 3,000 Central Texans who converged for three days of meetings and eating. The chief topic of conversation: The fall cotton harvest.
The Fourth of July 1901 was one of the most memorable in Belton history. Newspapers reported that the biggest crowd ever — about 10,000 people — converged in Belton for the Independence Day festivities. People started pouring into the Bell County seat long before sunrise. The annual festivities capped off a weeklong Confederate veterans’ reunion.
That same year, an estimated 200 Red Men from Temple and Bartlett, a secret patriotic society that was more of a men’s drinking conclave, staged its own horseback parade by “capturing” a Belton mail coach. The Red Men, dressed in Native American garb, then conducted a sham battle on the courthouse square with the “cowboys” of Wedemeyer Academy, a private boys’ school.
The Temple Daily Telegram editor yearned for a little patriotic peace, quiet and common sense on Independence Day 1908.
Every summer throughout Bell County history has been a time for old-fashioned celebration with parades, flags flapping in the breeze and horses of every size and hue. The county’s Independence Day celebrations were illumined with pomp, fireworks and sparklers.
The usual cadre of glad-handing politicians delivered the lofty speeches while servers dished the food nearby. Even though Fourth of July observances changed with the times, a few things remain constant: red-white-and-blue bunting, hot weather and fireworks.
However, the Telegram’s editor, Eldon Kent Williams (1876-1936), saw a darker side to July 4, 1908. He admitted many disagreed with him, but he wasn’t backing down.
“The fitting celebration of Independence Day is a question on which patriotic Americans are separated in two widely divergent parties: One claiming that it ought to be observed as noisily as possible, the other believing that our national birthday is too glorious an occasion to be marred by din and disorder.”
The real issue, Williams continued, was holiday safety. “For the past five years, the Journal of the American Medical Association has endeavored to collect statistics setting forth what the celebrations of the Fourth costs in human life and human usefulness.”
The AMA collected information — admittedly incomplete — from newspaper reports instead of hospital records. The main reason: Hospitals and physicians rarely kept complete records, and extant records were hard to collect in the early 20th century.
But what the AMA’s statisticians were able to collect was disturbing: From 1903 to 1907 throughout the nation, 1,253 died and 22,520 maimed due to unsafe use of fireworks, fires and related July 4th accidents.
Of the injured, 80 suffered either partial or total blindness; 380 lost limbs or hands; and 1,670 lost fingers. Williams concluded that Independence Day didn’t mean freedom from common sense.
However, the paper featured ads from hardware and department stores selling fireworks in downtown stores. The Temple Chamber of Commerce at the same time encouraged children to bring fireworks to be “touched off” along with others provided by Chamber members.
The Telegram then and now pleads for safety. “When that day comes, we may perhaps revive the old-time celebration of Independence Day, and make it what it was intended to be — educational as well as enjoyable,” the Telegram in 1908 added. | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/central_texas_news/article_efa544b4-fb50-11ec-a720-0f504c4d478f.html | 2022-07-04T06:51:15Z |
Strategic Acquisitions, Organic Growth, and Increased Infrastructure Projects Nationwide Fueled Another Year of Accelerated Growth for UES
ORLANDO, Fla., June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Engineering Sciences® (UES), a privately-held national leading engineering and consulting company specializing in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, building code compliance, threshold inspections, and environmental consulting, has been recognized as #1 on the Zweig Group's recently released 2022 Hot Firm List. The awards program ranks the 100 fastest-growing architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms in the United States and Canada based on both dollar and percentage revenue growth rate over a three-year period. These firms have outperformed the economy and competitors to become industry leaders, according to Zweig Group. UES entered the top 10 at number one in 2021 and maintains that position in 2022.
The announcement comes during a period of rapid growth at Universal Engineering Sciences, which has expanded to 67 locations in nearly 20 states and more than 3,100 team members, with plans to add an additional 1,500 positions over the next three years. The company has deployed an aggressive M&A and organic growth strategy which doubled its team and tripled its size, completing more than a dozen significant acquisitions over the past two years, thereby enabling the company to dramatically expand in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Texas and the West. In addition, several high-profile industry leaders have joined the company in recent months, including newly appointed CEO Dave Witsken, CFO Mike Dear, and CHRO Sheila Norden.
"We are honored to receive this recognition for the second consecutive year. Our success is driven by a number of factors, including the dedication and hard work of our people, the innovative solutions and services we provide to our clients, the top tier businesses we have acquired, and the excellent leadership team we have assembled," said UES CEO Dave Witsken. "We've built a culture our 3,100 team members are proud to be a part of, where we can work on exciting projects and ultimately improve the infrastructure and the communities where we live and work."
UES has recently completed and is currently working on a number of significant projects nationwide, including the Miami Signature Bridge, Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts, the I-4 Ultimate Project,
Howard Frankland Bridge, Brightline High-Speed Rail and SunRail, Seefried Industrial Properties & Hillwood Investment Properties, Lennar, DR Horton, MLS Stadium for St. Louis City Soccer Club, North Texas Municipal Water District – Bois D'Arc Lake, Billingsley Company – Cypress Waters, and the Las Vegas Convention Center, as well as other important transportation, residential, commercial, and industrial projects nationwide. UES announced a new $5 million contract to perform services for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) last week and has completed significant work in previous years with the Department of Transportation.
About Universal Engineering Sciences
Universal Engineering Sciences, headquartered in Orlando, is a privately held, rapidly growing engineering and consulting firm with nearly six decades of experience in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, building code compliance, threshold inspections and environmental consulting. UES is considered a pioneer of the industry and stands at the forefront of emerging technology, best practices, and influential legislation. Projects include both public and private clients, ranging from transportation and healthcare to commercial and education. UES engineers, geologists, certified inspectors, and scientists offer an unwavering commitment to excellence, approaching each project as an opportunity to cultivate enduring relationships with clients. BDT Capital Partners is the primary investor in the company.
UES has made a commitment to growing through strategic acquisition and organic growth. UES' presence includes locations throughout the high growth markets in the South, Midwest, and West, including Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North and South Carolina, Metro DC, California, Utah, Nevada, Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.
UES was named #42 on the ENR Top 500 Design Firms and has been ranked number one on the Zweig Group Hot Firm List for two consecutive years, honoring the fastest-growing firms in the architecture, engineering, planning, environmental and construction (AEC) industry. With nearly 3,100 professionals across 67 branches in nearly 20 states nationwide, UES consults on projects of all sizes to help deliver needed infrastructure and build safe and successful communities. For more information, please visit universalengineering.com or follow UES on social media.
Media Contact:
Lauren Falcone
Vice President, Corporate Communications
Universal Engineering Sciences
407-274-3375 and media@universalengineering.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Universal Engineering Sciences | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/universal-engineering-sciences-named-no-1-zweig-hot-firm-list-second-consecutive-year/ | 2022-06-08T18:18:22Z |
Signing Ceremony out at Fort Riley
MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) - Fort Riley hosted an Intergovernmental Support Agreement Signing Ceremony with USD 475 at Garrison Headquarters today. Fort Riley and USD 475 Geary County Schools partnered for the design-build agreement. This agreement allows Fort Riley to use the district contractors for capital improvement projects which will help Fort Riley complete projects faster and cheaper.
Garrison Commander, Michael Foote, talked about how this will benefit both sides and how honored he is to help out. ”In a good way Fort Riley provides a lot financially into the local economy, this goes straight into our children and there’s nothing more important than our schools and education for the kids,” said Foote. Ronald Johnson, president of USD 475 BOE, said this will help out the school district and base from a financial standpoint. “With this were able to utilize our resources and work in cooperation with the base and the army as a whole and more importantly more additional savings for the tax payer,” said Johnson.
This IGSA creates cost savings and efficiencies by allowing Fort Riley to pay USD 475 utilizing a more efficient acquisition strategy than traditional contracting methods. USD 475 will benefit through increased workload to stabilize the workforce and strengthen relations between Fort Riley and the USD 475 community. Johnson also mentioned the working relationship and continuing the working relationship is important to them.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/31/signing-ceremony-out-fort-riley/ | 2022-08-31T01:02:45Z |
WASHINGTON (AP) — For a year, U.S. officials have been saying that taking out a terrorist threat in Afghanistan with no American troops on the ground would be difficult but not impossible. Last weekend, the U.S. did just that — killing al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri with a CIA drone strike.
Other high-profile airstrikes in the past had inadvertently killed innocent civilians. In this case, the U.S. carefully chose to use a type of Hellfire missile that greatly minimized the chance of other casualties. Although U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed which variant of the Hellfire was used, experts and others familiar with counterterrorism operations said a likely option was the highly secretive Hellfire R9X — know by various nicknames, including the “knife bomb” or the “flying Ginsu.”
That potential use of the R9X, said Klon Kitchen, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former intelligence analyst, suggests the U.S. wanted to kill al-Zawahri with “limited likelihood of collateral death and destruction and for other relevant political reasons.”
A look at the Hellfire, and how al-Zawahri likely was killed:
WHAT IS A HELLFIRE MISSILE?
Originally designed as an anti-tank missile in the 1980s, the Hellfire has been used by military and intelligence agencies over the last two decades to strike targets in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and elsewhere.
The precision-guided missiles can be mounted on helicopters and unmanned drones and are used widely in combat around the world. More than 100,000 Hellfire missiles have been sold to the U.S. and other countries, according to Ryan Brobst, an analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a Washington think tank.
“It can do enough damage to destroy most targets such as vehicles and buildings while not doing enough damage to level city blocks and cause significant civilian casualties,” Brobst said.
The U.S. military has routinely used Hellfire missiles to kill high-value targets, including a senior al-Qaida leader in Syria last year, and al-Qaida propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen in 2011.
WHAT KILLED AL-ZAWAHRI?
The U.S. had multiple options for the attack. It could have used a traditional Hellfire, a bomb dropped from an manned aircraft, or a far more risky assault by ground forces. U.S. Navy SEALs, for example, flew into Pakistan on helicopters and took out Osama bin Laden in a raid.
In this case, the CIA opted for a drone strike. And while the CIA generally doesn’t confirm its counterterrorism missions and closely guards information about strikes it conducts, U.S. government officials have said that two Hellfire missiles were fired at the balcony of the building where al-Zawahri was living in Kabul.
Online images of the building show damage to the balcony, where the U.S. says al-Zawahri was, but the rest of the house is standing and not badly damaged.
Unlike other models of the Hellfire, the R9X doesn’t carry an explosive payload. Instead, it has a series of six rotating blades that emerge on its final approach to a target, Kitchen said. “One of their utilities is in opening up vehicles and other obstructions to get to the target without having to use an explosive warhead,” he said.
AVOIDING CIVILIAN CASUALTIES
U.S. officials and experts made clear this week that avoiding civilian casualties was a crucial element in the choice of weapon.
Less than a year ago, a U.S. drone strike — using a more conventional Hellfire missile — struck a white Toyota Corolla sedan in a Kabul neighborhood and killed 10 civilians around and near the car, including seven children. In the midst of the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, American forces believed there were explosives in the car and that it posed an imminent threat to troops on the ground. It was, military leaders said, a “tragic mistake”
One former U.S. official said the likely choice of an R9X is an example of the administration’s effort to find ways to minimize collateral damage and prevent the loss of innocent life. That missile is a very accurate weapon that strikes in a very small area, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss counterterrorism operations.
An administration official said Monday that the U.S. investigated the construction of the house where al-Zawahri was staying in order to ensure that the operation could be done without threatening the structural integrity of the building and also minimizing the risks of killing civilians, including members of his family who were in other parts of the house.
The choice of missile is ultimately one part of reducing the possibility of killing civilians or causing other collateral damage.
“I would say this is by far a lower-risk option,” said Tom Karako, an expert on missile defense at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Using the Hellfire, he said, “reflects a high degree of caution as opposed to a riskiness.”
IS THE US PROVIDING UKRAINE WITH DRONES THAT CAN FIRE HELLFIRE MISSILES?
No. While the U.S. has delivered billions of dollars in military assistance to help Ukraine fight the invading Russian troops, it is wary of providing weapons that could fire deep into Russia, potentially escalating the conflict or drawing the U.S. into the war.
As a result, the U.S. so far has not provided Hellfire missiles or drones that could fire them. Instead, the U.S. has delivered smaller, so-called kamikaze drones, such as the Switchblade and Phoenix Ghost, which instead of firing missiles, explode when they hit a target. | https://cw33.com/news/politics/ap-politics/explainer-a-look-at-the-missile-that-killed-al-qaida-leader/ | 2022-08-03T14:40:16Z |
States tapping historic surpluses for tax cuts and rebates
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Stoked by the largest surplus in state history, Missouri’s Republican-led Legislature devised a $500 million plan to send one-time tax refunds to millions of households. In a shock to some, GOP Gov. Mike Parson vetoed it.
Parson’s objection: He wanted a bigger, longer-lasting tax cut.
“Now is the time for the largest income tax cut in our state’s history,” Parson declared as he called lawmakers back for a September special session to consider a $700 million permanent tax reduction.
Upon its likely approval, Missouri will join at least 31 states that already have enacted some type of tax cut or rebate this year — an astounding outpouring of billions of tax dollars back to the people. Idaho lawmakers are convening Thursday to consider more tax breaks, and Montana lawmakers also are weighing a special session for tax relief.
Flush with federal pandemic aid and their own surging tax revenue, states have cut income tax rates for individuals and businesses, expanded tax deductions for families and retirees, pared back property taxes, waived sales taxes on groceries and suspended motor fuel taxes to offset inflationary price spikes. Many also have provided immediate tax rebates.
Republicans and Democrats alike have joined the tax-cutting trend during a midterm election year.
Yet divisions have emerged about how far to go. While Democrats generally have favored targeted tax breaks and one-time rebates, some Republicans have pressed for permanent income tax rate reductions that could lower tax bills — and state revenue — for years to come. Parson describes it as “real, lasting relief.”
Some budget analysts warn that permanent tax cuts could strain states during a future recession. The U.S. economy has shrunk for two straight quarters this year, meeting one informal sign of a recession.
“Quite simply, relying on the current surplus to fund permanent tax changes isn’t fiscally sustainable, or responsible, and will ultimately require cuts to state services,” said Amy Blouin, president and CEO of the Missouri Budget Project, a nonprofit that analyzes fiscal policies.
For some states, the current surpluses are unlike anything they’ve previously seen.
The 2022 fiscal year, which ended June 30 for most states, marked the second straight year of large growth in tax collections after economic shutdowns triggered declines early in the coronavirus pandemic. Many states reported their largest-ever surpluses, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers.
“I don’t think there’s been a time in history where states are better equipped to ride out a potential recession,” said Timothy Vermeer, senior state tax policy analyst at the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. “A majority, if not all, of the rainy day funds are in a really healthy position.”
Income tax rate cuts have passed in 13 states this year, already equaling last year’s historic total, according to the Tax Foundation. Republicans control the legislatures in all of those states except New York, where Democrats who wield power accelerated the timetable for a previously approved tax rate reduction.
Republican-led Arkansas was the most recent to take action during an August special session. A new law will speed up a gradual income tax rate reduction enacted last year and provide a one-time inflationary tax credit. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson described the $500 million package as “a transfer of wealth from the government to the taxpayer” that “could not have come at a more important time.”
Nationwide, inflation is at a 40-year-high, raising prices on most good and services and squeezing incomes.
At least 15 states have approved one-time rebates from their surpluses, including 10 led by Democratic governors and legislatures, four by Republicans and one — Virginia — with split partisan control.
Democratic-led California, which posted a record $97 billion surplus, is sending rebates of between $200 and $1,050 to individuals earning less than $250,000 annually and households earning less than $500,000.
All four GOP-controlled states providing rebates — Georgia, Indiana, Idaho and South Carolina — also made permanent income tax rate cuts.
Though often popular, tax rebates do little to fight inflation and “may actually be counterproductive” by enabling additional consumer spending on items in scarce supply and thus contributing to higher prices, said Hernan Moscoso Boedo, an economist at the University of Cincinnati.
Still, big surpluses coupled with inflation make rebates a tempting option for politicians, especially during an election year.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican facing a re-election challenge from Democrat Stacey Abrams, has been among the most aggressive tax-cutters. He signed legislation gradually reducing the income tax rate from 5.75% to 4.99%. He also signed a measure providing a $1.1 billion tax rebate, with up to $250 for individuals and $500 for couples. He has proposed an additional $2 billion in income and property tax rebates. And after a law temporarily suspending the state’s gas tax expired in May, Kemp extended the gas tax break through mid-September.
“We’re trying to help Georgians fight through this tough time,” Kemp said.
In Colorado, legislative staff estimate it will cost $2.7 million to carry out legislation expediting an income tax refund of $750 for individuals and $1,500 for couples. The constitutionally mandated refund of surplus revenue was originally due to be paid next year but is being distributed now — along with a letter from Democratic Gov. Jared Polis touting it as inflation relief.
Polis, who is up for re-election in November, had been a previous critic of the automatic refund provision. His Republican challenger, Heidi Ganahl, is accusing him of “hypocrisy.”
Idaho Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, has called the Legislature back for a special session starting Thursday to consider more tax breaks.
He’s proposing to use part of the state’s projected $2 billion budget surplus for a $500 million income tax rebate this year. He also wants to cut more than $150 million annually by creating a flat 5.8% income tax rate starting next year. That comes after the state reduced the top tax rate each of the last two years.
“Folks, this is conservative governing in action,” Little said while asserting the tax cuts still would leave enough money to boost education funding by hundreds of millions of dollars.
Montana lawmakers are weighing whether to convene a special session later in September to provide tax breaks from a budget surplus. A proposal calls for giving $1,000 rebates to homeowners who paid property taxes during the past two years. It also would provide income tax rebates of $1,250 for individuals and $2,500 for couples.
Montana’s Republican House and Senate majority leaders said in a joint statement that the rebates would offer help “as soon as possible with expenses such as gas, groceries, school supplies and so much more.” But some lawmakers, including term-limited GOP Rep. Frank Garner, have expressed reluctance.
“My first concern is if this proposal is driven by an imminent emergency or by those wanting to write checks to voters because their emergency is merely an imminent election,” Garner wrote in an opinion column.
___
Associated Press writers Jeff Amy in Atlanta; Jim Anderson and Jesse Bedayn in Denver; Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Ark.; Amy Beth Hanson in Helena, Mont.; and Keith Ridler in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/08/31/states-tapping-historic-surpluses-tax-cuts-rebates/ | 2022-08-31T12:09:44Z |
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A giant Mega Millions lottery jackpot keeps getting larger as officials raised the massive prize to $1.28 billion on Friday, just hours before the next drawing.
The giant jackpot remains the nation’s third-largest prize and is the result of 29 consecutive drawings without anyone matching all of the game’s six numbers. That last time someone hit the Mega Millions jackpot was April 15.
If no one wins the Mega Millions jackpot Friday night, lottery officials expect the prize will grow to $1.7 billion for the next drawing Tuesday, making it the nation’s largest lottery prize.
Before rushing out to spend $2 on a ticket, keep in mind that the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are a staggering 1 in 302.5 million.
The estimated $1.28 billion prize is for players who get their winnings through an annuity, paid annually over 29 years. Nearly all winners take the cash option, which for Friday’s drawing is an estimated $747.2 million.
The jackpot is the latest focus of lotteries that have been conducted in the U.S. and around the world for centuries.
Across the U.S., state lottery systems use lottery revenue to boost education, tourism, transportation and much more. With the big Mega Millions jackpot, state officials are hoping increased national interest in securing the top prize will result in more funding for their own causes. | https://cw33.com/news/ap-top-headlines/drawing-nears-for-1-1-billion-mega-millions-jackpot/ | 2022-07-30T02:39:47Z |
Buffalo shooter’s prior threat, hospital stay face scrutiny
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - The white gunman accused of committing a racist massacre at a Buffalo supermarket made threating comments that brought police to his high school last spring, but he was never charged with a crime and had no further contact with law enforcement after his release from a hospital, officials said.
The revelation raised questions about whether his encounter with police and the mental health system was yet another missed opportunity to put a potential mass shooter under closer law enforcement scrutiny, get him help, or make sure he didn’t have access to deadly firearms.
Authorities said Sunday that they were investigating the attack on predominantly Black shoppers and workers at the Tops Friendly Market as a potential federal hate crime or act of domestic terrorism.
Payton Gendron, 18, traveled about 200 miles (320 kilometers) from his home in Conklin, New York, to Buffalo to commit the attack, police said.
Federal authorities were still working to confirm the authenticity of a racist 180-page document, purportedly written by Gendron, that said the assault was intended to terrorize all non-white, non-Christian people and get them to leave the country.
Law enforcement officials revealed Sunday that New York State Police troopers had been called to Gendron’s high school last June, for a report that Gendron, then 17, had made threatening statements.
Gendron threatened to carry out a shooting at Susquehanna Valley High School, in Conklin, New York, around the time of graduation, a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity said. The official was not authorized to speak publicly on the investigation.
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said Gendron had no further contact with law enforcement after a mental health evaluation that put him in a hospital for a day and a half.
“Nobody called in,” he said. “Nobody called any complaints,” Gramaglia said. The threat was “general” in nature, he said, and not related to race.
New York is one of several states that have enacted “red flag” laws in recent years that were intended to try and prevent mass shootings committed by people who show warning signs that they might be a threat to themselves or others.
Those laws allow law enforcement officers, a person’s family, or in some cases, medical professionals or school officials to petition courts to temporarily seize a troubled person’s firearms, or prevent them from buying guns.
Federal law bars people from owning a gun if a judge has determined they have a “mental defect” or they have been forced into a mental institution — but an evaluation alone would not trigger the prohibition.
It is unclear whether officials could have invoked “red flag” legislation after the incident at Susquehanna Valley High School. Police and prosecutors wouldn’t provide details on the incident, or say when Gendron had purchased the weapons used in the assault.
The long list of mass shootings in the U.S. involving missed opportunities to intervene includes the 2018 massacre of 17 students at a high school in Parkland, Florida, where law enforcement officials had received numerous complaints about the gunman’s threatening statements, and the killings of more than two dozen people at a Texas church in 2017 by a former U.S. Air Force serviceman who was able to buy a gun despite a violent history.
The victims of Saturday’s attack in Buffalo included an 86-year-old woman who had just visited her husband in a nursing home, a man buying a cake for his grandson, a church deacon helping people get home with their groceries and a supermarket security guard.
The shooter livestreamed the attack on Twitch, prompting scrutiny of how fast social platforms react to violent videos.
President Joe Biden planned to visit Buffalo Tuesday.
Gendron surrendered to police who confronted him in the supermarket’s vestibule. He was arraigned later Saturday on a murder charge. Relatives didn’t respond to messages.
A lengthy statement circulating online, attributed to Gendron, outlined a racist ideology rooted in a belief that the United States should belong only to white people.
Portions of the Twitch video circulating online showed the gunman killing multiple shoppers in less than a minute. At one point, he trains his weapon on a white person cowering behind a checkout counter, but says “Sorry!” and doesn’t shoot.
Screenshots purporting to be from the broadcast appear to show a racial slur targeting Black people scrawled on his rifle.
Authorities said he shot, in total, 11 Black people and two white people Saturday.
“This individual came here with the express purpose of taking as many Black lives as he possibly could,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said at a news conference Sunday.
___
Associated Press reporters Robert Bumsted in Buffalo, Michael Hill in Albany, New York, Travis Loller in Nashville and Jake Bleiberg in Dallas contributed reporting. Balsamo reported from Washington.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/16/buffalo-shooters-prior-threat-hospital-stay-face-scrutiny/ | 2022-05-16T10:40:27Z |
Hrishi Talwar will lead the global product and marketing functions at Vesta
PORTLAND, Ore., June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vesta, a leading end-to-end transaction guarantee platform for online purchases, today announced the hiring of experienced Identity and Fraud industry leader, Hrishi Talwar as Chief Product Officer.
With extensive global experience, Hrishi brings 20+ years of product management and technology expertise in the financial services, payments, and mobility space across various organizations. Most recently, Hrishi was responsible for the Identity, Fraud & Compliance business at Equifax. He led the overall product strategy which included the execution of innovative solutions and platforms leveraging the extensive Equifax and partner data ecosystems.
"I am excited to welcome Hrishi to Vesta. His expertise in identity, fraud, and compliance and his deep knowledge of payments is well set for driving our roadmap." said Ron Hynes, CEO of Vesta. "As online fraud continues to surge, fraudsters become more sophisticated, so we must continue to innovate and adapt our solutions to stay ahead of the curve and ahead of the fraudsters."
Hrishi will oversee Vesta's global product and marketing functions, from new product ideation through launch, with a focus on ensuring new product development and go to market strategies deliver enhanced approval rates for merchants and drive the true cost of fraud towards zero.
"Ecommerce sales grew to nearly $5 trillion worldwide in 2021 and are expected to continue to accelerate in the years ahead. Our customers want to focus on growth but have been forced to balance growth with the fear of fraud." said Hrishi Talwar. "Our market leading solutions help our customers eliminate fraud and increase approval rates, which allows them to focus on growing their business. I am excited to work with the team to continue to build Vesta's momentum and to further solidify Vesta's position as a global leader in fraud prevention and transaction approvals."
In addition to his experience at Equifax, Hrishi has also held several leadership positions at First Data (now Fiserv), Nokia, Panasonic, and Motorola. He holds an MBA from Emory University's Goizueta Business School, a master's degree in Computer Science from Georgia State University and a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from University of Pune, India.
For more information on Vesta and its solutions please visit www.vesta.io.
Vesta is an end-to-end transaction guarantee platform for online purchases, delivering unparalleled approval rates, a better customer experience and eliminating fraud for leading brands in telco, e-commerce, travel, and financial services. Using machine learning backed by 25 years of transactional data history, Vesta increases approvals of legitimate sales for its customers, while eliminating chargebacks and other forms of digital fraud, driving the true cost of fraud to zero and transferring 100% of the liability for fraud, including chargeback processing, so merchants can focus on increasing sales. The company is headquartered in Portland, OR, with offices in Atlanta, Miami, Ireland, Mexico, and Singapore. For more information visit www.vesta.io.
Media Contact:
media@vesta.io
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Vesta | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/vesta-pioneer-online-fraud-prevention-appoints-former-equifax-leader-chief-product-officer/ | 2022-06-16T17:18:22Z |
Research Partnership with Teachers College Reveals Outcomes, Underscores Potential
OAKLAND, Calif., April 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BookNook, the leading provider of evidenced-based, high-impact online tutoring services in education, reported findings from an impact study conducted during Fall 2021 by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), based at Teachers College, Columbia University, demonstrating that students who received regular online tutoring via BookNook showed a statistically significant, positive effect on their reading development.
This study was conducted during an effort by Prince George's County Public Schools (PGPCS) to support student learning while schools were closed. PGCPS launched an initiative dubbed "PGCPS READS '' with BookNook. With more than 4,000 students in grades K-5 participating in the program, the study looked at the outcomes for 3rd-5th graders, representing a sample of just over 750 students. PGCPS READS utilized a remote tutoring approach that brought high-quality tutors together with small groups of students for two, thirty-minute BookNook sessions per week via Zoom. Tutors used BookNook's online standards-aligned curricular program with all participating students.
Despite the challenges facing PGCPS - and many other districts around the country - the program was implemented on a voluntary basis for families that sought additional support from the district for their children. This construct enabled researchers to compare the differences between students enrolled in BookNook's program and those who did not.
CPRE found that "third to fifth grade students with relatively higher levels of BookNook usage experienced stronger literacy development, compared to both non-BookNook students and low-usage BookNook participants." Specifically, those students with high usage of the BookNook program gained 13.3 points on teacher-administered i-Ready RIT Literacy Scale Solutions over an eight-week period, compared to 5.8 point gains, on average, by students not enrolled in the program. The use of independent measures is significant because it validates the impact of online tutoring during what CPRE called "one of the most disruptive periods in the history of U.S. education."
BookNook Founder and CEO Michael Lombardo expressed his enthusiasm for the outcomes achieved in PGCPS, saying "we see incredible outcomes on a daily basis among the schools and students we work with, so it's encouraging to have a research partner like CPRE validate that ours is an effective model for highly scaled online tutoring services in schools."
Under the US Department of Education's ESSA standards for evidence, the BookNook reading program can now be rated as Tier III.
About BookNook
Founded in 2016, BookNook is a synchronous, evidence-based online learning platform that strives to ensure equitable access to rigorous and engaging instruction through technology innovation. A comprehensive turnkey solution that brings much-needed online support and tutoring for students, BookNook has quickly grown to partner with hundreds of schools, school districts, and nonprofits across 35 states, receiving national recognition for its impact on students' reading ability and unique equity-based pricing model. For more information, visit booknooklearning.com.
About Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE)
The Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) brings together education experts from renowned research institutions, including Teachers College, Columbia University; the University of Pennsylvania; Harvard University; Stanford University; the University of Michigan; the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Northwestern University. CPRE was launched in 1985 as the first national federally funded R&D center for state and local education policy. Since then, CPRE has studied the design, implementation, and effects of hundreds of policies and programs. CPRE researchers and staff at Teachers College (CPRE-TC) are continuing this long tradition by conducting rigorous research and evaluation that aims to improve elementary and secondary education through increased educational effectiveness, equity, and access. To learn more about CPRE-TC, visit our website at www.tc.columbia.edu/cpre
Media Contact
Carolyn Pestritto
carolyn@booknooklearning.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE BookNook | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/04/21/research-study-highlights-impact-booknook-tutoring-prince-georges-county-public-schools/ | 2022-04-21T12:52:57Z |
Above-trend demand in 2021 as families stayed home, spent stimulus funds
CLEVELAND, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- US demand for toys and games in nominal terms is forecast to see slight annual declines from a high 2021 base through 2026, according to Toys & Games: United States, a report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports. Suppliers are expected to benefit from slight increases in the number of births and the population under five years old. Growing disposable personal incomes will further stimulate spending. New product introductions will continue to support demand, especially for video game consoles. Ongoing investment in new television series and movies based on well-known media franchises is expected to boost demand for toys and games featuring licensed characters and themes. However, the wide range of entertainment options that compete with toys and games will continue to prevent faster gains. In addition, many parents are interested in providing educational and fun experiences for their kids, rather than purchasing a large number of toys and games.
Sales of toys and games are expected to decline 15% in 2022, representing a dampening of demand following a 40% surge in 2021 that was driven by higher demand for in-home entertainment as adults and kids spent more time at home and fueled by government stimulus payments. Difficulties in procuring semiconductor devices may hurt output of electronic toys and games such as video game consoles and game machines. Supply chain difficulties and the rising price of raw materials such as plastic, due to rising oil and gas prices, will drive inflation in toy and game prices in 2022 and possibly further into the forecast period.
These and other key insights are featured in Toys & Games: United States. This report forecasts to 2022 and 2026 US toys and games demand and shipments in nominal US dollars at the manufacturer level. Total demand is segmented by product in terms of:
- toys and dolls
- video game consoles
- game machines
- board games
- baby carriages and strollers
To illustrate historical trends, total demand, total shipments, the various segments, and trade are provided in annual series from 2011 to 2021.
Excluded from the scope of this report are video game software; card games; slot machines; and athletic equipment, bicycles, billiard tables, and bowling equipment. Re-exports of toys and games are excluded from demand and trade figures.
More information about the report is available at:
https://www.freedoniafocusreports.com/Toys-Games-United-States-FF90021/?progid=91541
About Freedonia Focus Reports
Each month, The Freedonia Group – a division of MarketResearch.com – publishes over 20 new or updated Freedonia Focus Reports, providing fresh, unbiased analysis on a wide variety of markets and industries. Published in 20-30 pages, Focus Report coverage ranges from raw materials to finished manufactured goods and related services such as freight and construction. Additional Consumer Goods reports can be purchased at Freedonia Focus Reports or MarketResearch.com.
Analysis is intended to guide the busy reader through pertinent topics in rapid succession, including:
- total historical market size and industry output
- segmentation by products and markets
- identification of market drivers, constraints, and key indicators
- segment-by-segment outlook in five-year forecasts
- a survey of the supply base
- suggested resources for further study
Press Contact:
Corinne Gangloff
+1 440.842.2400
cgangloff@freedoniagroup.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Freedonia Group | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/us-toy-amp-game-sales-drop-15-2022/ | 2022-08-03T22:18:11Z |
Agency Committed to Using All Available Tools to Stop Online Businesses Illegally Selling Potentially Harmful Drug Products to Consumers
SILVER SPRING, Md., April 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration recently issued joint warning letters to operators of two websites illegally selling Schedule II stimulants, including amphetamine drug products marketed as Adderall. These websites sell Adderall online without a prescription, which places consumers at risk.
Adderall is an FDA-approved prescription drug that has a high potential for abuse and addiction and should only be used under the supervision of a licensed health care professional. This joint action demonstrates the federal government's ongoing commitment to reduce the public health danger posed by drugs illegally sold online.
"This action underscores the FDA's commitment to use all available regulatory and compliance tools to stop online businesses illegally selling potentially harmful drug products to consumers," said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. "The illegal sale of prescription drug stimulants online puts Americans at risk and contributes to potential abuse, misuse and overdose. These particular types of online pharmacies also undermine our efforts to help consumers safely purchase legitimate prescription medicines over the internet. FDA will continue partnering with DEA in an effort to safeguard public health and protect consumers who need access to these important medicines."
Illegally marketed prescription drugs pose significant risks to consumers who purchase those products. Consumers who buy prescription drugs from unsafe online pharmacies may put their health at risk because the products, while being marketed as authentic, may be counterfeit, contaminated, expired or otherwise harmful.
The warning letters were issued to:
Consumers should dispose of unused medicine from these websites and not purchase or use prescription drugs sold from these websites without a prescription. The FDA urges consumers to obtain prescription drugs from state-licensed U.S. pharmacies or physicians located in the United States, where the FDA and state authorities can assure the quality of drug manufacturing, packaging, distribution, and labeling.
"These letters are not only a warning to the companies that illegally sell prescription medications, but they also serve as a warning to consumers who have bought or have considered buying medications online without a legitimate prescription," said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. "Consumers cannot trust the safety or legitimacy of pills sold on unaccredited sites. DEA strongly urges anyone seeking controlled medications to obtain a prescription from a trusted medical professional and have it dispensed by a licensed pharmacy. We will continue working closely with our FDA partners to protect the integrity of the prescription drug supply chain and ensure the safety and health of our communities."
As noted in the warning letters, these websites sell amphetamine drug products, including Adderall, that are misbranded in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The website operators also violate the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Act (RHA) by failing to register their online pharmacies with the DEA despite knowingly or intentionally advertising the sale of controlled substances. The RHA has, among other provisions, requirements that must be met for controlled substances to be legally distributed and dispensed via the internet. For example, an entity must be registered with the DEA to specifically dispense controlled substances; none of these are currently registered with the DEA to dispense or distribute controlled substances online.
The online operators will have 15 business days to respond to the agencies with specific steps taken or steps they will take to address any violations and to prevent their recurrence.
Additional Resources:
- Warning Letters
- FDA: How to Buy Medicines Safely from an Online Pharmacy
- BeSafeRx: Know Your Online Pharmacy
Media Contact: Lauren-Jei McCarthy, (240) 702-3940
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/04/12/fda-dea-warn-online-pharmacies-illegally-selling-adderall-consumers/ | 2022-04-12T16:20:07Z |
Batting average dips slightly, power way down across MLB
By JAKE SEINER
AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — The Major League Baseball batting average this April was a lousy .231, once again on pace to fall under the record low of .237 set in The Year of the Pitcher in 1968. After several years of surging home run totals, batters are slugging a measly .369 and averaging 4.03 runs per game, both lows for baseball since the strike-altered 1981 season. Ripple effects from labor strife are a suspect in this year’s offensive downturn. So, too, is the baseball, of course, along with caveats about cold weather and small samples. There’s one area of universal agreement, and it’s that pitching has become exceptionally good. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/05/01/batting-average-dips-slightly-power-way-down-across-mlb/ | 2022-05-02T02:22:26Z |
- LG Energy Solution diversifies its supply chain of raw materials by joining forces with the leading provider of essential minerals, in its first arrangement with a U.S.-based lithium provider
- LGES would be supplied with as much as 40% of Compass Minerals' planned lithium carbonate and hydroxide production for 7 years starting 2025
SEOUL, South Korea, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Energy Solution (LGES; 373220) is branching out in its efforts to secure supply chain of materials as it ramps up its battery production to satiate the growing market demand.
LGES today announced that it has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Compass Minerals (NYSE: CMP), a leading provider of essential minerals, critical to producing battery-grade lithium.
Under the terms of the MoU, Compass Minerals would supply LGES with lithium carbonate and hydroxide. The MoU states that LG Energy Solution would be supplied with as much as 40% of Compass Minerals' planned annual phase-one lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide production for 7 years starting in 2025. LGES and Compass Minerals have committed to continuing good-faith negotiations toward a binding supply agreement.
Compass Minerals is widely known to deliver essential minerals like Sulfate of Potash, Sodium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride and is currently pursuing development options available to service growing U.S. market demand for battery-grade lithium.
The battery manufacturer added that this is the first lithium producer, based in the U.S., to partner up with the company as it looks to solidify its supply chain in the U.S. and cater to the growing market demand for EVs in North America.
"Securing key raw materials has become critically important, in order to maintain our lead position in the global battery market," said Dongsoo Kim, Senior Vice President of Procurement Center at LG Energy Solution. "LGES will make sure to support establishment of steady supply chain in North America, while it continues to seek and acquire environmentally friendly produced battery-grade lithium worldwide."
LG Energy Solution has been at the forefront in securing key raw materials for EV battery production. Apart from the MoU with Compass Minerals, LGES signed an MoU with SQM of Chile as the two firms agree to commit to investigate and develop joint investment projects of electro-mobility industry value chain.
LGES also executed an offtake agreement with Liontown Resources Limited for the supply of spodumene concentrate from the Kathleen Valley Lithium Project. The deal states that LGES be supplied of up to 150,000 dry metric tonnes per annum of spodumene concentrate, starting 2024.
The battery manufacturer signed a binding lithium hydroxide offtake agreement with Germany's Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd. earlier this year for at least 41,000 tonnes of battery grade lithium chemicals over the 5 years starting 2025.
Previously, LGES had agreed to purchase up to 150,000 tonnes a year of battery-grade lithium as part of a six-year "take-or-pay" agreement from the Vancouver-based Sigma Lithium in October of last year.
About LG Energy Solution
LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a split-off from LG Chem, is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT, and energy storage systems. With 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development (R&D), the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world with over 24,000 patents. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers such as General Motors, Stellantis N.V. and Hyundai Motor Group. At the forefront of green business and sustainability, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2050, while embodying the value of shared growth and promoting diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solution's ideas and innovations, visit https://www.lgensol.com.
View original content:
SOURCE LG Energy Solution | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/lg-energy-solution-partners-with-compass-minerals-enhance-steady-flow-supply-chain/ | 2022-06-29T12:38:52Z |
Which model boat kits are best?
Building model boats is a great way for hobbyists of any age to learn patience, engineering and dexterity in a single assembly kit. These challenging models can come in a wide variety of different shapes and sizes, from 18th century galleons to modern warships.
Whether you want a fun activity to keep you occupied for a day or a month, a model boat kit is a worthwhile investment. The Tamiya Models US Navy PBR31 Mk.II is the top pick because it’s detailed, expertly crafted and historically accurate.
What to know before you buy a model boat kit
Types of model boat kits
There are several different types of model boat kits to choose from. Some child-friendly kits feature pieces that are easily clipped together without glue, while others have laser-cut pieces made of sharp metal or wood.
- Clip assembly: These model boat kits typically use pieces of metal or plastic that can be easily clipped together without glue. These kits are perfectly suited for young model hobbyists or beginners.
- Glue assembly: These kits are often very challenging and can feature hundreds of small parts that need to be painted and glued together. This type of kit can be time-consuming but is very satisfying to complete.
- Wooden assembly: Perhaps the most difficult type of model boat kit to tackle, wooden assembly kits are uncommon and often require additional skill beyond normal assembly, like wood carving or intricate paintwork.
Model boat building tips
- Read the instructions. A piece of advice that can’t be stressed enough, reading the instruction manual could be the sole deciding factor between a successful model and an unsuccessful one. Many experienced hobbyists read through the entire manual before they even start the build.
- Use a workspace with plenty of light. The pieces in a model boat kit can be extremely small and detailed, so naturally you’ll need to assemble them in a space with lots of light. If your workspace doesn’t get sufficient natural light, consider purchasing a lamp with an adjustable neck that can be pointed at particular spots on your model.
- Consider a model tool kit. Many of the pieces in certain model boat kits are too small to precisely attach or paint without assistance. Model tool kits can be helpful because they contain smaller versions of commonly used tools like screwdrivers, pliers and tweezers.
What to look for in a quality model boat kit
Radio-controlled
Model boats can be either static or radio-controlled. Similar to the technology found in drones, radio-controlled boats are actually built to be placed and maneuvered on the water. These models usually use some kind of small, battery-powered motor and are more expensive than static model kits.
Size
Some model boats are only a few inches long, while others can take up an entire dining room table. Check out the model’s dimensions before purchasing and consider where you plan to display the boat once it’s assembled.
Parts
Certain model boats feature moving parts like revolving turrets and adjustable sails. Look for this feature if you want a particularly realistic finished product.
Other accessories
Look closely at each model boat kit before settling on a particular product. Many kits come with a ton of accessories, like display cases, miniature figurines and even LED lights to make your model boat feel extra authentic.
How much you can expect to spend on a model boat kit
The price of a model boat kit can vary dramatically depending on the quality of the parts and the type of assembly. Most models dwell in the $20-$100 range, but many particularly elaborate and radio-controlled kits can be $100 or more.
Model boat kit FAQ
What age range are model boat kits suitable for?
A. Many kits come with a suggested age range. If your kit doesn’t, look at the amount of parts included and read customer reviews to determine if it’s the right kit for you.
What kind of paint and glue should I use for my model boat kit?
A. Acrylic is a commonly used paint for models, and many hobbyists use a combination of white glue and superglue, depending on the part. If your vessel is seaworthy, make sure that the paint and glue are waterproof.
What’s the best model boat kit to buy?
Top model boat kit
Tamiya Models US Navy PBR31 Mk.II
What you need to know: This detailed kit comes with moveable parts, figurines and a display stand.
What you’ll love: Modeled after a Vietnam-era patrol boat, this model boat kit comes with loads of accessories and enough detail to satisfy both novices and experienced hobbyists. The boat is 11 inches long at a 1/35 scale.
What you should consider: Some users felt that the instructions were difficult to understand.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top model boat kit for the money
Revell USS Missouri Battleship
What you need to know: This affordable model boat is detailed yet straightforward enough for beginners.
What you’ll love: Modeled after a historical World War II-era battleship, this model kit is loaded with moving parts, including elevating guns, moveable turrets and two seaplanes. The kit also comes with a display stand and nameplate.
What you should consider: The parts aren’t particularly durable, according to some users.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Academy R.M.S. Titanic Centenary Edition
What you need to know: This model of the famously doomed passenger ship comes pre-painted.
What you’ll love: This 1/700 scale model of the R.M.S. Titanic is loaded with intricate details for heightened realism. All the pieces come pre-painted for convenience and the model boat kit comes with authentic decals and a high-quality display stand.
What you should consider: The pieces are incredibly small, so a model tool kit is strongly recommended.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Patrick Farmer writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://cw33.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/hobby-collectibles-br/best-model-boat-kit/ | 2022-06-26T12:29:32Z |
Sephora’s bestselling eye masks
When outlining how to have glowing and smooth skin, the first tip dermatologists and skin care experts always offer is to get more sleep and drink water. While there’s no replacement for staying hydrated, there is a way to look like you got eight hours of sleep, even after spending all night in the office or out with friends.
Under-eye masks are no longer the beauty industry’s best-kept secret. Whether you have puffy eyes, dark circles or dehydrated skin, eye masks offer a miracle solution in just 15 minutes. If you’re wondering which choice is best for you, here are the eight most popular eye masks at Sephora.
Eye mask considerations
Styles of eye masks
There are several styles of eye masks. The most popular is an under-eye patch, which is usually soaked in a serum full of quality ingredients. The patches themselves are made from paper, cloth, fibers or gel and don’t provide too much benefit. The most important part of an eye mask patch is the serum it’s soaked in.
Some eye masks come with dry patches and a separate gel or serum. In this case, you apply the gel or serum and place the mask on top. There are also eye masks in the form of a cream or a balm that are used without a patch, similar to an eye cream.
When using the patch style, the thinner, tapered end is the side that goes next to the inner corner of your eye. This leaves the thick end to wrap around the outer side of your eye and target any fine lines. While some hydrating masks can be used every day, masks with actives and powerful ingredients may only be recommended for use once or twice a week.
Benefits of eye masks
Eye masks can have numerous benefits, which are primarily dependent on the ingredients. For example, some eye masks are targeted toward those with puffy eyes, while others are designed to brighten or smooth fine lines and wrinkles. Some of the most common ingredients used in eye masks include:
- Caffeine: One of the most popular ingredients found in eye masks is caffeine. Caffeine is known to restrict blood vessels, which can significantly reduce puffiness.
- Hydrating ingredients: Some under-eye issues like fine lines and texture are caused by a lack of moisture, which can be improved by using a hydrating eye mask. A few hydrating ingredients found in eye masks include hyaluronic acid, ceramides and squalane.
- Antioxidants: One of the primary ways to brighten the under-eye area is by using ingredients rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin K and niacinamide.
- Actives: Actives are powerful ingredients that go deeper into your skin to address a specific issue. A few actives include retinol, which targets fine lines and wrinkles, and chemical exfoliants like BHAs and AHAs that encourage skin cell turnover.
Most popular eye masks at Sephora
Best eye masks with retinol
Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask
Packed with retinol, these powerful eye masks brighten and smooth the under-eye area in as little as 15 minutes. Over time, the active ingredients also target fine lines around the eyes. As a bonus, these masks can also be used for laugh lines around the mouth.
Sold by Sephora
Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask
Those who prefer a cream instead of a patch will love this sleeping mask formulated with encapsulated retinol and avocado. The encapsulated retinol is gentler around the eyes than other forms because it releases smaller amounts at a time. This cream is also packed with antioxidants that help to brighten and de-puff.
Sold by Sephora
Best gold eye masks
Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Eye Masks
After seeing shiny gold masks on celebrities around the world, this eye mask became a skin care favorite. It doesn’t just look pretty but also contains peptides, amino acids and hyaluronic acid. Together, these ingredients work to hydrate, diminish the appearance of fine lines and improve the texture of your skin.
Sold by Sephora
Peter Thomas Roth 24-Karat Gold Pure Luxury Lift and Firm Hydra-Gel Eye Patches
Everyone loves a gold mask, and they’re even better if they work. These luxurious eye patches are infused with 24K and colloidal gold to lift and firm the under-eye area. The formula also includes caffeine and hyaluronic acid to reduce the look of puffiness and deliver hydration.
Sold by Sephora
Best eye masks for puffiness and bags
Peace Out Puffy Under-Eye Patches
With powerhouse ingredients like caffeine, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid working together, your sleepy eyes don’t stand a chance. If you want to reduce puffiness and brighten and hydrate your under-eye area, put these patches on for just 15 minutes. They’re also vegan and free of parabens, mineral oil, sulfates, and gluten and contain less than 1% synthetic fragrance.
Sold by Sephora
Tarte SEA Pack Your Bags Under-Eye Patches
Those looking for eye masks with unique ingredients will appreciate these clear, contoured patches that use jellified algae and coconut to brighten and hydrate. They’re also vegan and hypoallergenic and, most importantly, won’t slide around your face. The pack includes four sets of two patches.
Sold by Sephora
Best visibly hydrating eye masks
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Eye Treatment Mask
Estee Lauder has been creating top skin care for years, and these eye masks are no different. The patches are soaked in an intensely concentrated treatment that delivers effective and powerful results. It’s so effective that it’s only recommended to use these eye masks once a week.
Sold by Sephora
Dior Backstage Eye Reviver Patches
If you want to look fancy, these eye patches with the iconic Dior logo printed all over them are the way to go. Unlike most eye masks, the serum and eye patches are separate. After smoothing the eye serum on your under-eyes, place the patches on for 10 minutes. If you run out of patches before serum, you can use other patches and get the most bang for your buck.
Sold by Sephora
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Bre Richey writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://cw33.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/eye-care-br/8-most-popular-eye-masks-at-sephora/ | 2022-04-13T14:34:50Z |
Capitol Records signs first AI virtual rapper FN Meka
(CNN) – A robot rapper that has over 10 million followers on TikTok has signed with Capitol Records.
FN Meka is the world’s first augmented reality – or “AR” – artist to sign with a major label. He has over one billion views on TikTok as the platform’s top “virtual being.”
His debut single “Florida Water” was released this week. The song is a collaboration between billboard chart-topper Gunna - who’s currently facing charges in a RICO case alongside Atlanta rapper Young Thug - and professional Fortnite player Clix.
While technically FN Meka is voiced by a human, everything else about his music is based in A.I.
Capitol Records said the project is a mix of music, technology and gaming culture.
The label said the signing is part of the evolution of the music giant’s 80-year history, calling it “a preview of what’s to come.”
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/08/21/capitol-records-signs-first-ai-virtual-rapper-fn-meka/ | 2022-08-21T23:13:03Z |
HOPEWELL, N.J., May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital Health recently earned recognition from the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners® (IBLCE®) and International Lactation Consultant Association® (ILCA®) for excellence in lactation care. For the third consecutive time, Lactation Services at Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell received the IBCLC Care Award for its work to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding through staff education and training, and for staffing professionals who hold the prestigious International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC®) certification. Additionally, Capital Health's designation as a Baby-Friendly Hospital further demonstrates its commitment to providing the highest level of breastfeeding care.
Supporting our new families as they learn how to feed their babies is a unique privilege," said Melanie Miller, Lactation Services Coordinator at Capital Health and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. "Our goal at Capital Health is to provide compassionate and comprehensive support and education to all of our families. This international recognition demonstrates that our staff meets the highest standards in lactation and clinical breastfeeding care. From the prenatal period through their hospital stay and beyond our families can feel confident we are prepared to support them in meeting their individual goals.
IBLCE Chair of the Board Annabelle Mack said, "The IBCLC Care Award honors lactation programs dedicated to making expert assistance available when breastfeeding families need it. Thank you to the IBCLCs around the world advancing global public health by promoting breastfeeding through professional and compassionate care, advocacy and training."
The IBCLCs at Capital Health focus on preventive care, so they are available during pregnancy to assess and provide information on how to successfully initiate breastfeeding. They continue that assistance after the baby is born by helping families overcome breastfeeding challenges, providing accurate information, and continuing to support them as their baby grows. Capital Health IBCLCs are available seven days a week for inpatient care, phone support after discharge, and outpatient visits.
Capital Health's Lactation Center is part of Maternity Services at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell, the most comprehensive maternity program in the area. From routine deliveries to high-risk needs, services at the Josephine Plumeri Birthing Center provide a full range of prenatal, obstetrical, postpartum, and neonatal care options so newborns have the greatest chance for a healthy start. In addition, the Regional Perinatal Center at Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell provides neonatal care, including Mercer County's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for at-risk births. To learn more, visit capitalhealth.org/maternity.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Capital Health | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/capital-health-earns-third-consecutive-honor-excellence-lactation-services/ | 2022-05-18T13:42:50Z |
Earnings Call Scheduled for 8:00 a.m. ET on August 22, 2022
GUANGZHOU, China, Aug. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viomi Technology Co., Ltd ("Viomi" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: VIOT), a leading IoT @ Home technology company in China, today announced that it will report its second quarter 2022 unaudited financial results on Monday, August 22, 2022, before the open of the U.S. markets.
The Company's management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on August 22, 2022 (8:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong time on August 22, 2022).
Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.viomi.com.
A replay of the conference call will be accessible by phone one hour after the conclusion of the live call at the following numbers, until August 29, 2022:
About Viomi Technology
Viomi's mission is to redefine the future home via the concept of IoT @ Home.
Viomi has developed a unique IoT @ Home platform consisting an ecosystem of innovative IoT-enabled smart home products, together with a suite of complementary consumable products and value-added businesses. This platform provides an attractive entry point into the consumer home, enabling consumers to intelligently interact with a broad portfolio of IoT products in an intuitive and human-like manner to make daily life more convenient, efficient and enjoyable, while allowing Viomi to grow its household user base and capture various additional scenario-driven consumption events in the home environment.
For more information, please visit: http://ir.viomi.com.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
Viomi Technology Co., Ltd
Cecilia Li
E-mail: ir@viomi.com.cn
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Emilie Wu
Tel: +86-21-6039-8363
E-mail: viomi@tpg-ir.com
In the United States:
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: viomi@tpg-ir.com
View original content:
SOURCE Viomi Technology Co., Ltd | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/08/viomi-technology-co-ltd-report-second-quarter-2022-financial-results-monday-august-22-2022/ | 2022-08-08T10:14:53Z |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.