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JD Vance said in 2016 the Republican Party’s three-decade strategy was antagonizing Black voters
By Andrew Kaczynski and Drew Myers, CNN
Campaigning for the Senate in Ohio in recent weeks, J.D. Vance has ridiculed claims that advocates of a border-wall were “racist.” But in multiple appearances in 2016, he made a similar argument to the one he is currently ridiculing — including saying that Republican electoral strategy had been to antagonize Black voters and minorities for three decades.
Vance was a critic of Donald Trump at the time, agreeing he was a “total fraud” who didn’t care about people and used issues like “the great Mexican wall” to give voters something to latch onto instead of policy solutions. Vance also told a New York City public radio host that many White working-class voters who supported Trump did not attend church regularly, making them susceptible to the sense of community in a Trump rally. At the same time, Vance argued racism did play a role in support for Trump, but not the biggest.
Now, the GOP hopeful strikes a different tone, mirroring rhetoric he once said was bad for the country to become more aligned with Trump in hopes of winning over those same supporters.
Vance released a video last week saying advocates of the border wall were falsely branded as “racist” for supporting building the wall and last month shared an ad from a PAC backing him that advocated for focusing on building a wall on the southern border — “JD Vance will finish the wall.”
Vance told CNN host Don Lemon in October 2016 during a discussion on minority voters that he believed the Republican Party had been “actively antagonizing” Black Americans to win elections for three decades.
“It’s not just that Donald Trump doesn’t speak to issues of special concern of minority voters or Black voters, it’s that he seems to like actively antagonizing a lot of the Black voters,” Vance told Lemon during a panel discussion. “Unfortunately, that’s been the Republican Party strategy for 30 years. I say that as a Republican who wants the party to get more Black voters. And Trump seems to be taking that strategy just to the next level. It shows in the polls, right? He’s not going to do especially well on Election Day.”
Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesman for Vance’s campaign, said in a statement, “JD has been up front about being wrong about President Trump and strongly supported him in 2020. President Trump’s policies rose millions of Americans, of all colors, out of poverty.”
Vance was a CNN contributor from March 2017-2018.
A March 2022 Fox News poll has investment banker Mike Gibbons leading the crowded field of candidates competing in the GOP primary with 22%, followed by Josh Mandel, former state treasurer, with 20%. Vance is currently polling at 11%, while former state GOP Chair Jane Timken and State Sen. Matt Dolan are at 9 and 7%, respectively.
Vance also argued in 2016 that if White working-class people attended church, they would not be as attracted to Trump.
“I think Trump provides that sense of community that many in the white working class would have, if they actually went to church,” Vance told New York public radio. “I think if folks went to church a little bit more they may not be as excited or as attracted to the sort of social experience that Trump provides.”
Vance said racism played a role in supporting Trump
During the heat of 2016 presidential election, Vance was even more specific in diagnosing the role racism and xenophobia he said played into Trump’s electoral support. Though he said it was not the largest element or reason for his support, Vance did say racism played an element in support for Trump.
“There is definitely an element of Donald Trump’s support that has its basis in racism, xenophobia, but a lot of these folks are just really hardworking people who are struggling in really important ways,” Vance said in a September 2016 PBS Newshour Interview. He also said in another interview, that “race is definitely a part of the Trump phenomenon” and that Trump’s exploitation of racial resentments
In a July 2016 interview with American Conservative, a right-leaning publication, he added Trump was making the problem of racial resentment “worse” by talking about “rapist immigrants and banning all Muslims” as part of his message.
But Vance went further than identifying race as a part of Trump’s appeal by claiming some voters were attracted to his racial rhetoric because they were racist.
“Definitely some people who voted for Trump were racist and they voted for him for racist reasons,” Vance said in a one-on-one at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. In a separate 2016 radio interview Vance said that some Trump supporters “obviously don’t have views about race that a lot of us would be comfortable with.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2022/04/15/jd-vance-said-in-2016-the-republican-partys-three-decade-strategy-was-antagonizing-black-voters/ | 2022-04-15T17:40:34Z |
LOS ANGELES, June 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Respect My Region (RMR), a Seattle-based: award-winning media, music, and cannabis company, is pleased to debut the second annual North American Weed Tour (NAWT.) The company will host 250 podcast episodes and Instagram Live Streams showcasing cannabis products, retailers, farms, labs, kitchens, ancillary services, and technology.
From July 10 to December 15, 2022, the North American Weed Tour will review 500+ products and showcase brands across every category in select recreational markets. Respect My Region will feature more than 100 industry leaders on the company's YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Twitch.
"After last year's overwhelmingly successful tour, we're excited to scale the campaign to include more than just product reviews and podcast interviews. This year, we've added 420 University, an educational series with Betty Krocker Bakes and myself, the Legacy Cannabis Podcast hosted by Adam Ill, and the Gas or Trash Instagram Live Stream and Podcast series hosted by Mistah Cannabis. Additionally, our team is launching the Canadian Cannabis Podcast, Northeast Cannabis Podcast, and the Midwest Cannabis Podcast," said Joseph Brabo, Co-owner of Respect My Region.
"Scaling the tour with these new series will allow us to magnify the stories of new brands and businesses across North America even more. This year, the tour has been specially crafted to have a greater impact on cannabis brands in emerging markets while also amplifying the success of industry leaders and innovators," said Respect My Region CEO and Founder, Mitch Pfeifer.
Media and PR partnerships for the 2022 North American Weed Tour include 40 Tons, AZ Cannabis News, Beard Bros Pharms, The Bluntness, The Cannabis Library, The Cannigma, Ganjapreneur, Heady NJ, Honeysuckle Magazine, Illinois News Joint, Puf Creativ, and Skunk Magazine.
About Respect My Region: Since 2011, Respect My Region has provided a community-centric platform that connects real people to local culture. RMR is currently servicing music and cannabis markets in the United States and Canada. The brand offers custom content creation, marketing and management services, SEO, targeted advertising, influencer campaigns, event promotion, content distribution, and PR services.
Past Tours: respectmyregion.com/westcoastweedtour
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Contact Information:
Elana Cohen
Publicist @ Respect My Region
Email: Elana@elanacohenpublicrelations.com
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SOURCE Respect My Region | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/20/respect-my-region-launches-2nd-annual-north-american-weed-tour-highlighting-legal-cannabis-us-canada-mexico/ | 2022-06-20T18:04:03Z |
‘I’d do anything to get it back’: Jeweler gives woman’s wedding ring to the wrong person
MUHLENBERG CO., Ky (WFIE/Gray News) - A Kentucky woman is on the hunt for her wedding ring after she says her jeweler mistakenly gave it away to the wrong person.
Jessica Piper had a lot to smile about this past Mother’s Day.
She spent it with her family, the sun was shining, but something was missing. Her wedding ring.
Piper told WFIE she took it into her jeweler for a small repair and never saw it again.
“My husband went in and said, ‘I’m here to pick up my wife’s ring,’ Piper said. “And they said, ‘We don’t have a ring. Someone picked it up.’”
They filed a report with Kay Jeweler’s and got the local authorities involved.
“After the investigation through the jewelry store, we figured out one of the employees just made a mistake,” Piper said.
A $6,200 mistake, leaving Piper without her most special piece of jewelry, and a stranger a whole lot richer.
“They gave our ring to someone trying to pick up their own ring,” Piper said.
Instead of bringing the ring back in to correct the mistake, Piper says the man kept it and sold it off.
“We were told that he took the ring home, and I guess he and his wife separated or divorced, and he sold it through Snapchat,” she said.
Piper said she didn’t even know what or how to feel next.
“Shocked, and nervous, scared thinking someone’s done us wrong,” Piper said.
So she took to social media trying to spread the word. With over 1,000 shares on her Facebook post, she’s hoping someone may find it.
“Everyone’s devastated, and everyone’s always asking me about it,” Piper said. “Social media’s been my biggest supporter.”
Her left ring finger feels extra bare without it this month, as this weekend was her and her husband Cody’s anniversary.
13 years together, four years married.
“We’ve been together since I was in eighth grade,” Piper said. “We got together when I was 13, so we’ve been together half my life.”
Her ring was a symbol of their many years growing up together, and she hoped to have it until they grew old.
“I would love to get it back. It means so much to me,” Piper said. “I said our vows over it, and I intended to have it until I was no longer on this earth, so I’d love to get it back. I’d do anything to get it back.”
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/09/id-do-anything-get-it-back-jeweler-gives-womans-wedding-ring-wrong-person/ | 2022-05-09T23:21:34Z |
For the first time since the pandemic began, Texas public schools will be rated based on how students score on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness — more commonly known as the annual STAAR test.
It’s the latest big step toward normalcy for the state’s 8,866 public schools — which includes 782 charter schools — since the COVID-19 pandemic forced school closures in early 2020.
But this year’s ratings come with a few changes. For this year only, schools will receive an A-C rating. Districts and schools that score D or F will receive a “Not Rated” label instead. Schools who fall in those bottom tiers will also evade possible sanctions from the Texas Education Agency during the 2022-2023 school year.
The news comes as thousands of students in grades 3 through 12 are taking the exam this spring. Last year, students had the option to take the STAAR test and results were not held against them or the district.
The ratings, those letter grades affixed on school buildings across the state, are typically released by the Texas Education Agency in August. But when the coronavirus began appearing in the United States more than two years ago, schools were shut down and as a result, standardized testing school testing was canceled for the year.
The new A-C rating this year will allow districts that still have a D or F from 2019 to have a shot of getting a better grade.
Schools and districts are graded on three criteria: student achievement, student progress and how well the school is closing its learning gaps. Student achievement and progress weigh the most and STAAR results are how the agency measures progress. Students are tested on different subjects: reading, math, science and social students.
“STAAR results allow parents, teachers and schools to see how individual students are performing so they can better support those students moving forward,” Frank Ward, a TEA spokesperson said. “There is extensive evidence that the process of setting reasonable goals for schools and publicly reporting on progress towards those goals improves the kinds of academic supports our students receive.”
Last year, STAAR results showed that the pandemic had a significant impact on student learning with far lower scores than before the pandemic, especially when it came to math. Also, schools that relied more heavily on online class instruction had students who scored significantly lower than those school that were able to open and offer in-person instruction.
There’s fear that this year’s test scores may be impacted again because of pandemic-related school closures and teacher absences that occurred during surges in infection caused by the delta and omicron variants of the coronavirus.
Even though the rating system has been changed this year, not everyone is a fan of the school rating system to begin with.
Matthew Gutierrez, superintendent of the Seguin Independent School District, near San Antonio, believes the STAAR will be helpful to gauge students’ academic level, but the letter grades should’ve been postponed this school year as well because of the continued COVID-19 distruptions. Seguin, along with other districts, had teachers and substitutes out with COVID-19 during the omicron surge this past winter.
“We had students who went days without support from their certified teacher,” he said. “You had situations where you were combining classrooms and having really creative staffing, so it’s not optimal for learning.”
Gutierrez is also concerned about the “Not Rated” label. He said if a district scored an F in 2019 and then a D this school year, that district won’t get credit for that progress.
Monty Exter, a lobbyist with the Association of Texas Professional Educators, said the accountability system coupled with the STAAR test incentivizes schools to teach for the test instead of taking a holistic approach to teaching.
“Teaching people how to test is frankly a completely worthless skill,” Exter said.
Lawmakers and teacher unions called on the state to scrap the exam again for this spring, citing that teachers and administrators are still feeling the effects of the pandemic and the STAAR would put added pressure during another tumultuous year.
“The STAAR test administration is cumbersome and time-consuming,” Zeph Capo, president of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, said earlier this year in a written statement. “Parents and educators share concerns about learning loss and the need to support our children after two years of disruption.”
Disclosure: Association of Texas Professional Educators has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism.
This story was first published at www.texastribune.org by The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/article_3ab5adb2-d7c1-11ec-a508-5b3f7a90ffaf.html | 2022-05-19T23:52:09Z |
Gil Hodges’ family cherishing long-awaited Hall selection
By JERRY BEACH
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Their 50-year wait over, the family of Gil Hodges is as relieved to see the patriarch selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as they are grateful for the opportunity it provides kin he never met to understand the impact he made on baseball in New York City. Hodges was finally elected to the Hall of Fame in December by a special committee, ending half a century of waiting that included several close calls. Hodges hit 370 homers and made eight All-Star teams for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers and Mets. He is best known for leading the Mets to a World Series title in just his second year as their manager in 1969. | https://localnews8.com/news/2022/04/16/gil-hodges-family-cherishing-long-awaited-hall-selection/ | 2022-04-16T21:12:20Z |
Disciplined underwriting and reinsurance program distinguish Centauri, as many coastal carriers face significant financial stress and downgrades
OMAHA, Neb., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As insurers and consumers in Florida and all along the coasts face insurance availability and pricing problems as hurricane season looms, at least one insurer has strengthened its operations and management to weather the marketplace's financial stability storm.
Mr. Steve Menzies, Chairman of Applied Underwriters, speaking on behalf of its sister companies, Centauri Specialty Insurance Co. and Centauri National Insurance Co., leading property insurers in Hawaii with additional writings along many of the coastal states, including Florida and Louisiana, today announced that the Centauri companies have had their 'A' (Exceptional) rating affirmed by Demotech, the ratings organization that is central to homeowners insurers in hurricane exposed areas, their agents and consumers: "We are committed to sustaining our profitable position in the coastal states, including the Florida market, where we have managed to do better than the weather, including Hurricane Ida and other serious loss events."
Mr. Menzies further announced that Centauri had completed the transition of its operations to Omaha, Nebraska, while maintaining a local office in Sarasota: "Our restructuring and relocating of Centauri operations in Omaha adds another advantage to our agents and their customers: should a catastrophic event take place in any coastal state where we have a presence, our desk adjusters and claims staff are safely out of the fray and able to communicate with on the ground service resources with little stress on the central operations group." Mr. Menzies noted that Applied's national operations platforms based in Omaha are among the most sophisticated in the world: "Applied's approach in supporting all of our insurance programs across the globe, including Centauri, is bolstered by our operational expertise and technical capabilities."
Mr. Rick Espino, CEO of Centauri, indicated that "Agents are advised to submit renewals and policy applications as early as possible. We are meeting our quarterly new premium targets very quickly. As the marketplace suffers disruption and lack of availability, we find ourselves receiving a very large increase in submissions." He continued, "While our business in Florida is mostly in the commercial BOP sector, having moved gradually away from the troubled homeowners market there, we nonetheless continue to grow our core homeowners business on the coasts and remain ready to serve our agents and their clients' needs."
Commenting on the condition of the market in Florida and some other coastal states, Mr. Menzies stated that the market is beset by three basic problems: first, there is now limited commercial reinsurance available to insurers for hurricane risk; second, an aggressive, legislatively enabled trial bar has "played" the laws and the legal system using incredibly unfair and unreasonable mechanisms for their exploitation, such as public adjusters and the assignment of benefits; and third, given all of this, inadequate retail rates have persisted for many years, mispricing the actual risks underwritten.
Mr. Menzies continued, "Many insurers, especially the smaller, monoline property carriers, face off in lopsided, almost rigged battles against a trial bar which has become monstrously sophisticated in its use of data technology and unduly influential in creating manipulated legislation. This has placed Demotech, the primary rating agency for property insurers in the coastal regions, in a difficult position of having to report an inconvenient financial truth and has dragged it unwittingly into being a protagonist for an unlikely reform process in the Florida legislature and in other states."
Mr. Menzies concluded: "Demotech as scorekeeper is not the problem in Florida, Louisiana, or elsewhere; it is the trial bar's hegemony over state legislatures and the claims process in general, all leading to a now broken system with untenable economics."
For further information contact: Ryan Gerding, Public Relations, at +1 (913) 602-8531 or at press@auw.com.
Centauri Specialty Insurance Company and Centauri National Insurance Company are rated 'A' (Exceptional) by Demotech. Formed in 2006 and based in Sarasota, FL, Centauri Insurance is a property and casualty insurance company licensed to serve policyholders in 10 states including Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. Centauri is well known for providing catastrophe coverage and for its ability to provide financial protection to its policyholders through innovative solutions and personalized service.
Applied Underwriters® is a global risk services firm that helps businesses and people manage uncertainty through its business services, insurance and reinsurance solutions. As a company, Applied Underwriters has been distinguished by its innovative approaches to client care and by its strong financial strength. Applied Underwriters operates widely throughout the US, UK, EU and Middle East. Its operational headquarters is located in Omaha, Nebraska.
Demotech, Inc. is a financial analysis firm specializing in evaluating the financial stability of regional and specialty insurers. Since 1985, Demotech has served the insurance industry by assigning accurate, reliable and proven Financial Stability Ratings® (FSRs) for Property & Casualty insurers and Title underwriters. FSRs are a leading indicator of financial stability, providing an objective baseline of the future solvency of an insurer. Demotech's philosophy is to review and evaluate insurers based on their area of focus and execution of their business model rather than solely on financial size. Demotech was the first to review and rate independent regional and specialty insurers. Demotech's consistently increasing list of accreditations and acceptances has resulted in rating and reviewing more than 400 insurers operating in the US.
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SOURCE Applied Underwriters | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/applied-underwriters-strengthens-centauri-its-a-rating-is-affirmed-transition-omaha-operations-center-is-completed/ | 2022-08-03T17:41:30Z |
The change will combine the Morningstar Analyst Rating with the Morningstar Quantitative Rating, making it even simpler for investors to research and select best-in-class managed investments
CHICAGO, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, today announced plans to unite its two forward-looking managed investment ratings—the Morningstar Analyst Rating™ (Analyst Rating) and the Morningstar Quantitative Rating™ for funds (Quantitative Rating)—into a single rating: The Morningstar Medalist Rating™ (Medalist Rating). This change is slated to take place in the second quarter of 2023.
"Over the last decade, the Morningstar Analyst Rating and Morningstar Quantitative Rating have empowered investor success by accurately sorting funds based on future performance relative to a benchmark or its peers. By combining these two ratings, we are building on that strength while also simplifying the way we present information to investors," said Lee Davidson, head of manager and quantitative research at Morningstar. "This should make it easier for investors to analyze, select, and monitor managed investments amid an ever-expanding sea of choices."
Currently, Morningstar conducts forward-looking assessments of managed investments in two ways: Manager research analysts qualitatively assess managed investments they cover, with those assessments culminating in the Analyst Rating, which takes the form of Gold, Silver, Bronze, Neutral and Negative. Morningstar uses algorithmic techniques to assess managed investments that analysts do not cover. Those quantitative assessments underpin the Quantitative Rating, which takes the form of GoldQ, SilverQ, BronzeQ, NeutralQ, and NegativeQ.
By uniting the Analyst Rating and Quantitative Rating under the Medalist Rating banner, Morningstar will move to a common ratings scale of Gold, Silver, Bronze, Neutral and Negative, removing the superscript "Q" designation from the ratings of managed investments assessed quantitatively.
The Analyst Rating and Quantitative Rating methodologies will not change and the three pillars—People, Process, and Parent—will continue to form the basis for the ratings. However, to help investors distinguish between pillars assessed by analysts and those assessed quantitatively, Morningstar will continue to apply the superscript "Q" designation to pillar ratings assigned quantitatively.
Morningstar does not expect any impact to the ratings it assigns to managed investments as a result of this change.
"The united ratings system not only reflects our confidence in the efficacy and quality of the two rating systems, but also, better reflects how the Quantitative Rating and Analyst Rating have been joined at the hip," said Davidson. "We designed the Quantitative Rating to mimic the way manager research analysts assign ratings. Put another way, we can't generate the Quantitative Rating without the analysts' ongoing input."
By the end of the second quarter of 2023, Morningstar Medalist Ratings will be available in all Morningstar products and platforms globally that currently carry the Morningstar Analyst Rating and the Morningstar Quantitative Rating. This includes Morningstar.com, Morningstar DirectSM, Morningstar® Advisor WorkstationSM, Morningstar OfficeSM, data feeds, as well as other products and platforms such as Analyst® Research CenterSM.
A publicly available Frequently Asked Questions is available here.
About Morningstar, Inc.
Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The Company offers an extensive line of products and services for individual investors, financial advisors, asset managers and owners, retirement plan providers and sponsors, and institutional investors in the debt and private capital markets. Morningstar provides data and research insights on a wide range of investment offerings, including managed investment products, publicly listed companies, private capital markets, debt securities, and real-time global market data. Morningstar also offers investment management services through its investment advisory subsidiaries, with approximately $253 billion in assets under advisement and management as of June 30, 2022. The Company has operations in 29 countries. For more information, visit www.morningstar.com/company. Follow Morningstar on Twitter @MorningstarInc.
Morningstar's Manager Research Group consists of various wholly owned subsidiaries of Morningstar, Inc. including, but not limited to, Morningstar Research Services LLC. Morningstar's Manager Research Group produces various ratings and assessments including the Morningstar Analyst Rating and the Morningstar Quantitative Rating. The Morningstar Analyst Rating is derived from a qualitative assessment process performed by a manager research analyst, whereas the Morningstar Quantitative Rating uses a machine-learning model based on the decision-making processes of Morningstar's analysts, their past ratings decisions, and the data used to support those decisions. In both cases, the ratings are forward-looking assessments and include assumptions of future events, which may or may not occur or may differ significantly from what was assumed. The Morningstar Analyst Ratings and Morningstar Quantitative Ratings are statements of opinions, subject to change, are not to be considered as guarantees, and should not be used as the sole basis for investment decisions. This press release is for informational purposes only; references to securities should not be considered an offer or solicitation to buy or sell the securities.
©2022 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
MORN-R
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SOURCE Morningstar, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/morningstar-unite-two-forward-looking-rating-systems-into-one-morningstar-medalist-rating/ | 2022-08-31T14:07:33Z |
The Momentus Capital family of companies is a founding member of the new coalition dedicated to addressing economic disparities and accelerating economic opportunities.
ARLINGTON, Va. and SAN DIEGO, July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Momentus Capital is honored to serve as one of the founding members of newly created Economic Opportunity Coalition (EOC).
Vice President Kamala Harris announced today historic efforts to catalyze and align both public and private investments — including formation of the new EOC — to address economic disparities and accelerate economic opportunity in communities of color and other underserved communities.
The EOC is made up of 23 companies and foundations, including 14 companies ranked in the Fortune 500. Their goal is to focus commitments in a few areas that will move the needle — aligning their major investments in communities of color with investments made by the Biden-Harris Administration.
"Momentus Capital is uniquely positioned to serve a significant role representing mission-driven financial institutions on the Economic Opportunity Coalition," said Ellis Carr, president and CEO of the Momentus Capital family of companies, which includes Capital Impact Partners, CDC Small Business Finance, and Ventures Lending Technologies. "Our team has extensive experience with small business and community development, and the ability to offer a continuum of capital at every growth stage to support economic mobility and wealth creation."
"We are thankful to the Biden-Harris Administration for its support of the Economic Opportunity Coalition. Working together in this public-private partnership will help create social and economic justice in disinvested communities," Mr. Carr added. "This coalition will bolster the work that Momentus Capital is doing to provide communities with the opportunities they deserve to succeed and thrive. We can accomplish much more, and much faster, by combining our efforts strategically than we would by acting separately."
The founding members of the EOC include Ariel Investments, Bank of America, BNY Mellon, Capital One, Citi, Discover, Ford Foundation, Goldman Sachs, Google, Key Bank, Kresge Foundation, Mastercard, McDonald's, McKinsey & Company, Micron, Momentus Capital, Moody's, Netflix, PayPal, PNC, The Rockefeller Foundation, TIAA, and Upstart.
The EOC will coordinate across public, private and social sector organizations. It will develop and deploy products that solve challenges in getting resources where they are needed most, and it will drive toward outcomes for meaningful action.
The coalition members have made significant commitments across each of the four focus areas, including a number of investments since the group formed earlier this year:
- Investing in community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and minority depository institutions (MDIs)
- Supporting entrepreneurship and minority-owned businesses
- Expanding inclusive and equitable access to credit and other financial services facilitating financial health
- Making infrastructure investments that create more community wealth
These commitments, which represent only a small fraction of total commitments from the EOC, show the immense resources these founding members bring to the table, but they acknowledge they must do more.
Over the coming months, the EOC will build on investments the Biden-Harris Administration has made and develop new solutions that reimagine how capital, technology, and talent are deployed in underserved communities. They will be built with and for the community, leveraging existing strengths and assets to address the root causes of economic inequality.
The Momentus Capital family of companies is already working to transform how investments and capital flow into communities. This includes:
- Financial capital: a range of flexible debt and equity products to meet Momentus Capital's partners' needs, as well as access to new markets and potential investors
- Knowledge capital: business advising, assistance, and training to develop the skills and insights that can help partners advance their enterprises
- Social capital: connections to networks and people that can help Momentus Capital's partners succeed
Among the recent programs and initiatives from the Momentus Capital family of companies:
- Launching an Impact Investing group to jumpstart growth-stage businesses that will impact their communities. Equity investments make up less than 2% of CDFI portfolios in the United States. This will fill a crucial gap for companies like this that need more than traditional debt products.
- Coming Soon! Momentus Capital is developing a first-of-its kind mission-driven investment bank to better connect investors with community organizations through community-centric securities offerings.
- Activate Detroit, a new loan product that is empowering Black entrepreneurs by focusing on character-based evaluations, rather than credit scores.
- Impower, which helps business owners who have been denied a commercial real estate loan, assisting them with the opportunity to build wealth, create jobs and stay in the communities they serve.
- The Equitable Development Initiative, Housing Equity Accelerator Fellowship, and Growing Diverse Housing Developers, all of which provide training, mentorship, connections, and pathways to financing for developers of color, helping them overcome racial barriers and systemic issues.
- Expanding access to Ventures+, a proprietary loan processing and portfolio management tool that has become one of the top resources for small business and community lenders. This has helped other local lenders create an impact in their communities by providing access to high-level services they would otherwise be unlikely to manage on their own.
Leveraging 80 years of combined experience, a portfolio of nearly $3 billion, and strong community engagement, the Momentus Capital family of companies has delivered more than $23 billion in financing, created and preserved 250,000 jobs, and served 12,000 small businesses and five million people across their history.
More information is available on the Momentus Capital fact sheet (PDF).
Momentus Capital is transforming how capital and investments flow into communities to provide people access to the capital and opportunities they deserve.
Through our family of mission-driven organizations including Capital Impact Partners, CDC Small Business Finance, and Ventures Lending Technologies, we are working to reinvent traditional financial systems that have failed to address systemic issues of inequality, economic empowerment, and the widening racial wealth gap.
Each organization under the Momentus Capital brand will continue operating as a separate entity committed to serving its key market and clients, albeit with additional resources and product offerings.
We offer a continuum of financial, knowledge, and social capital to help local leaders build inclusive and equitable communities and create generational wealth. This includes a comprehensive package of loan products, impact investment opportunities, training and business advising programs, and technology services that advance locally-led solutions.
Leveraging 80 years of combined experience, a portfolio of nearly $3 billion, and strong community engagement, the family of companies has delivered more than $23 billion in financing, created and preserved 250,000 jobs, and served 12,000 small businesses and five million people across their history.
With headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and San Diego, California, Momentus Capital operates nationally with a focus on larger urban areas and cities in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Washington, D.C.
Learn more at momentuscap.org.
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SOURCE Momentus Capital | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/28/momentus-capital-commends-biden-harris-administration-supporting-economic-opportunity-coalition-committing-address-economic-disparities-communities-color/ | 2022-07-28T20:39:15Z |
NEW YORK, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Apyx Medical Corporation (NASDAQ: APYX) between May 12, 2021 and March 11, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important August 5, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Apyx 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 Apyx class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6835 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) a significant number of Apyx's Advanced Energy products were used for off-label indications; (2) such off-label uses led to an increase in the number of medical device reports filed by Apyx reporting serious adverse events; (3) as a result, Apyx was reasonably likely to incur regulatory scrutiny; (4) as a result of the foregoing, Apyx's financial results would be adversely impacted; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about Apyx's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Apyx class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6835 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
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/29/apyx-final-deadline-august-5-rosen-top-ranked-investor-counsel-encourages-apyx-medical-corporation-investors-with-losses-excess-100k-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-apyx/ | 2022-07-29T21:03:25Z |
TEMPE, Ariz., June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- E&E ExhibitSolutions® has been creating award-winning designer trade show exhibits. E&E was honored to receive the top award for Best Island Exhibit, in fewer than 800 square feet. The award recognizes design excellence and out of several hundred entries, E&E won for an island booth trade show display rentals designed for Vectorworks, Inc.
"It is such an amazing honor to be recognized for our design elements, especially by the leader in trade show and corporate event marketing," said Daniel Chaddock, President. "The past two years have been a challenge for our industry, and to be singled out for work we designed and produced for one of our amazing customers is nothing short of spectacular."
In order to be eligible for consideration in the Portable/Modular Awards, the entries must be primarily comprised of prefabricated portable and/or modular exhibit systems. Additionally, the entries must be completely built rather than just a rendered drawing.
The competition was determined by a panel of ten marketing and design experts in the exhibit industry. The judges determined the winners in 12 different categories, including Portable Modular Award for Best Island Exhibit, fewer than 800 square feet, which was won by E&E Exhibit Solutions.
"We are thrilled to be recognized for our ingenuity, creativity and hard work," said Cynthia Chaddock Marketing Director. "It is an honor to be recognized for the quality work we provide for all of our customers and in this case, for Vectorworks, Inc.
Since 1995, the one-stop trade show displays and corporate event professionals at www.ExhibitsUSA.com and www.RentExhibitsUSA.com have been working with businesses to create award-winning, memorable and effective solutions for exhibits, events and environments.
Contact Information: 800-709-6935 info@ExhibitsUSA.com.
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SOURCE E&E Exhibit Solutions | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/eampe-exhibit-solutions-wins-top-award-exhibitor-magazines-ninth-annual-portablemodular-awards/ | 2022-06-16T20:15:37Z |
After the second-warmest June on record, western Europe is bracing for its second dangerous heat wave of the summer.
The UK, Portugal, Spain and France are facing record-breaking temperatures this week, with little relief in sight.
Hot conditions will continue to worsen ongoing wildfires in southwestern Europe. Level 3 heat alerts, the highest level possible, are in place for 14 states within Portugal and in eastern Spain through the end of the week.
Record heat in the United Kingdom
On Monday, the UK Met Office issued a "rare" Amber Extreme Heat Warning for Sunday, July 17, as hot temperatures look to build later this week for much of England and Wales.
"Heat-health alerts have now been issued to the majority of the country, with temperatures set to remain consistently high throughout the duration of this week," reported Dr. Agostinho Sousa, head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at the UK Health Security Agency.
The UK's record high temperature is 38.7 degrees Celsius (101.7 degrees Fahrenheit), which could be surpassed as soon as this weekend, according to the met office.
"Some models have been producing maximum temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the UK over the coming weekend and beyond," the met office's Rebekah Sherwin said.
As the country prepares, officials are warning about the dangers to vulnerable communities.
"Population-wide adverse health effects are likely to be experienced, not limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to potential serious illness or danger to life," the met office said. "Significantly more people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes and rivers leading to increased risk of water safety incidents."
The UK could also experience road closures due to melting surfaces, as well as delays to rail and air travel in the thick of the extreme heat.
Spain, Portugal, France and Italy
Before the heat advances into the UK, it will bring blistering heat to Spain and Portugal, where "extreme" heat alerts, the highest level, were issued for 14 states across both countries. Lisbon and Santarém could see temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) as soon as Wednesday.
The heat wave is expected to continue until at least the end of the week on the Spanish mainland, Spain's national weather service said on Monday.
It's not just the Iberian Peninsula sweltering in the heat. France will remain hot through the end of the week as well, reaching temperatures in the mid 30s. Heat alerts cover parts of eastern France, including Toulouse and Bordeaux.
The European region is all too familiar with this. Last month Europe reached record high temperatures and their second-warmest June on record.
"Daily maximum temperatures in Spain, France, and Italy soared above 40 °C and the extreme heat exacerbated the ongoing drought conditions in the Po River basin," Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service said.
Much of Italy has also been experiencing a summer heat wave. Verona will see highs reaching 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) by Friday.
Eleven died on July 3 following an ice avalanche on the Marmolada glacier in the Italian Alps. Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, blamed the collapse on the "deterioration of the environment and the climatic situation."
The Italian government last week declared a state of emergency for five northern regions of Italy under extreme drought conditions.
"Most of us can enjoy the hot weather when it arrives, but it is also important to keep yourself hydrated and to find shade where possible when UV rays are strongest, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.," Dr. Sousa said. "If you have vulnerable family, friends and neighbors, make sure they are aware of how they can keep themselves protected from the warm weather."
The threat of wildfires
Thirty-five wildfires in Portugal have left 29 people injured so far, the Portuguese Civil Protection department said in a news conference on Saturday.
The European Commission has mobilized its firefighting fleet to help Portugal, and according to CNN Portugal, more than 80 municipalities in 10 districts are at maximum risk of fire for the next few days.
The Ourém fire, 80 miles north of Lisbon, Portugal, has torn through nearly 5,000 acres since July 7. It is currently the largest in the region, while hundreds of firefighters are working to contain it.
The heat will increase the risk for fires with progressing dry conditions. The Portuguese government declared a "state of contingency" to reinforce emergency services ahead of the heat wave. Most of the country has "extreme" to "very extreme" fire danger throughout the week, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.
Coruche, Santarém could see a 48-degree high (118 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday, which would break an all-time record for Portugal, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).
The IPMA also said more than 96 percent of the country is experiencing "severe" to "extreme" drought, the highest two levels, which creates a dry environment that can easily spark wildfires.
Portugal's Critical Fire Period runs from July 1 to September 30. During extreme fire risk, burning recreational bonfires, waste piles, fireworks or fires of any kind is prohibited. Some forest spaces may also be restricted to unauthorized persons.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/dangerous-extended-heat-wave-threatens-millions-in-western-europe-as-highest-level-of-heat-alerts/article_7e1d89a6-d73d-5658-8653-f73a7230b586.html | 2022-07-12T18:29:17Z |
NEW YORK, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Bakkt Holdings, Inc. ("Bakkt" or the "Company") f/k/a VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings ("VIH") (NYSE: BKKT; BKKT WS) (NASDAQ: VIHAU; VIH; VIHAW) and certain of its former officers and directors. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York and docketed under 22-cv-02283, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired: (a) Bakkt securities between March 31, 2021 and November 19, 2021, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"); and/or (b) Bakkt Class A common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the Offering Documents issued in connection with the business combination between the Company and Bakkt Holdings, LLC ("Legacy Bakkt") completed on or about October 15, 2021 (the "Business Combination"). Plaintiff pursues claims against the Defendants under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act").
If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Bakkt securities during the Class Period, or Bakkt Class A common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the Offering Documents issued in connection with the Business Combination (defined above), you have until June 20, 2022 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.
Bakkt was formerly known as "VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings" and operated as a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), also called a blank-check company, which is a development stage company that has no specific business plan or purpose or has indicated its business plan is to engage in a merger or acquisition with an unidentified company or companies, other entity, or person.
On January 11, 2021, the Company and Legacy Bakkt announced entry into a definitive agreement for the Business Combination that would result in Legacy Bakkt becoming a publicly traded company with an enterprise value of approximately $2.1 billion.
On March 31, 2021, the Company filed a registration statement on Form S-4 with the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") in connection with the Business Combination, which, after several amendments, was declared effective by the SEC on September 17, 2021 (the "Registration Statement"). Also on September 17, 2021, the Company filed a proxy statement and prospectus on Form 424B3 with the SEC in connection with the Business Combination, which formed part of the Registration Statement (the "Proxy" and, together with the Registration Statement, the "Offering Documents").
On or about October 15, 2021, the Company and Legacy Bakkt completed the Business Combination pursuant to the Offering Documents. Thereafter, the Company changed its name to "Bakkt Holdings, Inc." and began operating a digital asset platform that enables consumers to buy, sell, convert, and spend digital assets.
The complaint alleges that the Offering Documents were negligently prepared and, as a result, contained untrue statements of material fact or omitted to state other facts necessary to make the statements made not misleading and were not prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations governing their preparation, and that throughout the Class Period Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, the Offering Documents and Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company had defective financial controls; (ii) as a result, there were errors in the Company's financial statements related to the misclassification of certain shares issued prior to the Business Combination; (iii) accordingly, the Company would need to restate certain of its financial statements; (iv) the Company downplayed the true scope and severity of these issues; (v) the Company overstated its remediation of its defective financial controls; and (vi) as a result, the Offering Documents and Defendants' public statements throughout the Class Period were materially false and/or misleading and failed to state information required to be stated therein.
On May 17, 2021, Bakkt—then still operating as VIH—notified the SEC of its inability to timely file its quarterly report for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. Specifically, the Company advised that, as a result of a statement issued by the SEC, "the Company reevaluated the accounting treatment of its public warrants and private placement warrants" and "is currently determining the extent of the SEC Statement's impact on its financial statements[.]"
On this news, the Company's share price fell $0.13 per share, or 1.26%, to close at $10.18 per share on May 18, 2021.
Then, on October 13, 2021, the Company disclosed in an SEC filing that it had also previously failed to properly account for the classification of its Class A ordinary shares and "adjust[ed] . . . the initial carrying value of the Class A ordinary shares subject to possible redemption with the offset recorded to additional paid-in capital (to the extent available), accumulated deficit and Class A ordinary shares." Notably, the Company revised its balance sheet as of December 31, 2020, including, among other changes, additional paid-in capital that was reduced from $9,860,338 to nil, an accumulated deficit that ballooned from $4,861,190 to $29,250,419, and total shareholders' equity of $5,000,009 that swung to a total shareholders' deficit of $29,249,901.
Following these additional disclosures, the Company's share price fell $0.47 per share, or 4.73%, to close at $9.46 per share on October 14, 2021.
Finally, on November 22, 2021, Bakkt disclosed in another SEC filing that the Company's management "has re-evaluated . . . the accounting classification of the Class A ordinary shares . . . of [VIH] . . . and has identified errors in the historical financial statements of VIH . . . related to the misclassification . . . of the Class A Ordinary Shares prior to the [Business Combination]." Specifically, the Company found that, as a result of errors in its condensed consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, and the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2021, June 30, 2021 and September 30, 2021, Bakkt should "restate certain of VIH's condensed consolidated financial statements from" those periods.
On this news, Bakkt's stock price fell $2.70 per share, or 13.69%, to close at $17.02 per share on November 22, 2021.
As of the time the complaint was filed, Bakkt's Class A common stock was trading between $4 to $5 per share and continues to trade below its initial value from the Business Combination, damaging investors.
Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com
CONTACT:
Robert S. Willoughby
Pomerantz LLP
rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
888-476-6529 ext. 7980
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SOURCE Pomerantz LLP | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/11/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-reminds-shareholders-with-losses-their-investment-bakkt-holdings-inc-fka-vpc-impact-acquisition-holdings-class-action-lawsuit-upcoming-deadline-bkkt-bkkt-ws-vihau-vih-vihaw/ | 2022-05-12T06:34:02Z |
Reports reveal details on grandmother accused of torturing, murdering grandson
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Arizona’s Family/Gray News) - Reports show a grandmother in Arizona who is accused of torturing and murdering her grandson was investigated multiple times by the state before the boy’s death.
According to Arizona’s Family, the Arizona Department of Child Safety shared reports about the department’s interactions with Stephanie Davis and her two grandsons dating back to 2017 that showed a pattern of abuse.
According to one of the reports, Davis’ grandson Chaskah Davis Smith had a severe black eye in May 2017. The boy told DCS officials that Davis, who he referred to as his mom, hit him and kicked him in the face. Her husband, Thomas Desharnais, reportedly told DCS that no one in the home used physical discipline. Officials then closed the investigation, with caseworkers determining the claims were unsubstantiated.
Chaskah later died in a hotel room in Scottsdale in January of this year. Authorities said he was sharing a room with his younger brother, Davis and Desharnais.
“There seem like there were a lot of missed opportunities here to protect this child,” David Lujan with Children’s Action Alliance said. “DCS’s priority is always to keep children with the family or with family members.”
According to court documents, authorities found a shock collar for a dog in the room, but the family didn’t have a dog. A paring knife and wrench were also recovered that had blood on them. Chaskah was found with cuts and bruises in various stages of healing. Court documents also showed he was starved.
Attorney Michael Girgenti, who specializes in family law, said investigators are looking for evidence to present in court.
“These investigators can’t just plow ahead. They want to have some kind of evidence to point to move forward in court,” Girgenti said. “The DCS took the third claim more seriously, but the case was closed because the family moved back to Minnesota.”
According to court documents, Davis had an active arrest warrant from 2016 out of Minnesota.
“There were at least three governmental agencies across two states who looked into this family and closed the cases out,” Darcy Olsen, the CEO of Gen Justice, a child advocacy group, said.
Davis was eventually taken into custody by Scottsdale police and is facing murder and child abuse charges. Her husband has also been arrested in the case.
Copyright 2022 Arizona’s Family via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/06/02/reports-reveal-details-grandmother-accused-torturing-murdering-grandson/ | 2022-06-02T22:25:09Z |
Although President Joe Biden would surely rather be talking about gas prices going down, he's now targeting drivers' key concerns about buying electric vehicles so they can avoid high prices at the pump entirely. On Thursday, the Biden administration proposed a rule to standardize about 500,000 electric vehicle chargers across the US so they can work with any electric vehicle -- similar to the way a gas pump works with any car or truck.
Here's what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
(You can get "5 Things You Need to Know Today" delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)
1. January 6
The House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol held its first prime-time hearing Thursday, detailing the findings of the panel's investigation and playing new disturbing video of the riot. The panel showed some never-before-seen material, including bird's-eye view footage from security cameras that showed the enormous pro-Trump mob as it started swarming the Capitol grounds. The footage also showed how the crowd took its cues directly from Trump, with one rioter reading a Trump tweet over a megaphone for the other rioters to hear. In addition to other closed-door depositions of members of Trump's team, the committee also revealed testimony from Trump White House officials who said the former President did not want the attack to stop, angrily resisted his own advisers who were urging him to call off the rioters, and thought his own vice president "deserved" to be hanged as the violent crowd chanted "Hang Mike Pence."
2. Coronavirus
A team of scientists responsible for determining the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic released its first report Thursday, saying that all hypotheses remain on the table -- including a possible laboratory incident. The 27-member advisory group convened by the World Health Organization said available data suggests the virus jumped from animals to humans, but there are still gaps in "key pieces of data." The most closely genetically related viruses were found in bats in China and Laos, according to the report, but a "spill-over event to humans" has not been identified. The preliminary report also said that it is important to evaluate the possibility that Covid-19 was introduced into the human population through a laboratory incident because lab leaks have happened in the past. And since there is no new data available, the group said the lab-leak theory cannot be ruled out.
3. Ukraine
As Ukraine tries to hold on to key frontline cities, Russia is struggling to provide basic public services to civilian populations in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, according to a British intelligence report published today. The report claims that access to drinking water, internet connectivity and phone services remain inconsistent, while the Ukrainian city of Kherson "likely faces a critical shortage of medicines" and Mariupol runs the risk of a cholera outbreak. Last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted that many occupied areas remained without electricity, water or sewage services. The report also comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin compared himself favorably to Peter the Great, a Russian monarch from the late 17th century, using the likening to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
4. Maryland shooting
A 23-year-old man shot four coworkers -- three fatally -- at a manufacturing plant in western Maryland Thursday before fleeing the scene and exchanging gunfire with state police, authorities said. A trooper and the suspect were wounded and hospitalized, according to Lt. Col. Bill Dofflemyer of the Maryland State Police. Investigators have not yet established a motive for the shooting. The incident is the 254th mass shooting this year, as the country is on pace to match or surpass last year's total, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Separately, a man was shot and killed by a police officer outside of an Alabama elementary school Thursday after an altercation with a school resource officer, Etowah County Sheriff Jonathon Horton said during a news conference. At least 34 students were inside Walnut Park Elementary School when the man tried to get inside, Gadsden City School Superintendent Tony Reddick told CNN.
5. India
India is facing a firestorm after some of the country's ruling party officials made derogatory comments about Islam. The United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Oman, and Iraq are among at least 15 Muslim-majority nations to have condemned the remarks made by India's ruling party spokeswoman Nupur Sharma, which were described as "Islamophobic," with several countries summoning India's ambassadors. The incident sparked protests in neighboring Pakistan and prompted calls from around the region to boycott Indian goods. Sharma, who is now suspended, later withdrew her remarks and said it was never her intention to "hurt anyone's religious feelings."
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Mystery creature is caught on camera and authorities need help ID'ing it
Texas officials are asking the public to help identify this mystery "wolfman" creature. What do you think it is?
Britney Spears wedding
And they lived happily ever after! The pop superstar and her partner Sam Asghari are embarking on an exciting new chapter.
Two people rescued after falling in a tank full of chocolate
Thankfully, the people were rescued. (Did you think of the scene from "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" too? I can't be the only one...)
Perseverance rover has made a friend on Mars
The rover has a new pet on the red planet! But it's probably not the type of pet you're thinking of.
11-year-old gets plucked from audience and stuns judges on 'America's Got Talent'
And just like that, a star is born.
QUIZ TIME
According to a recent California ruling, which insect can legally be considered a fish and have the same protections?
A. Spider
B. Ladybug
C. Bumblebee
D. Butterfly
Take CNN's weekly news quiz to see if you're correct!
TODAY'S NUMBER
17
That's how many professional golfers were suspended from playing in PGA Tour tournaments due to their participation in the controversial Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf series. PGA Tour golfers were previously warned that they were not authorized to participate in the Saudi-backed tour because it violated PGA regulations. Despite the warning -- and Saudi Arabia's record of human rights abuses -- several famed golfers including past major winners Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia still opted to participate, largely because Saudi Arabia's breakaway tour has pledged to award $250 million in total prize money.
TODAY'S QUOTE
"It's outrageous that oil and gas companies are able to take advantage and make four times the profits that they made when there wasn't a war."
-- White House official Bharat Ramamurti, criticizing Big Oil for banking huge profits in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which the Biden administration has blamed for soaring gas prices. He pointed out that the top five oil companies raked in $35 billion in profits during the first quarter alone as energy prices spiked during the onset of Russia's war. Major oil companies are, in fact, ramping up supply, but just not quickly enough to drive down prices.
TODAY'S WEATHER
AND FINALLY
Honey in space
As this astronaut says, strange things happen when you remove gravity! (Click here to view)
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/news/5-things-to-know-for-june-10-january-6-covid-19-ukraine-maryland-shooting-india/article_54d467c8-4ba5-5582-a07f-ff69924b3e3f.html | 2022-06-10T12:09:08Z |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Winner-winner chicken dinner if you eat less greasy food you’ll get thinner! That was a fun rhyme, right? Well, soon someone will be singing that song after they claim their Texas Lottery win.
The lottery says a $25,000 winning Texas Lottery ticket was sold outside of DFW from Cash Five’s Thursday night drawing. That ticket matched all five of the winning numbers from the June 9 drawing.
It was sold at Aledo Shell at 401 FM 1187 South in Aledo. There were also 115 secondary prize winners who matched four of the five winning numbers to win $350 each.
The wins just keep pouring in from the Cash Five game as this June 9 drawing marks the fifth in a row and the sixth on the month. | https://cw33.com/news/texas/25000-winning-texas-lottery-ticket-sold-outside-of-dallas-fort-worth/ | 2022-06-10T17:21:33Z |
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) — J. Joseph “Joe” Grandmaison, a larger-than-life Democratic operative who ran numerous campaigns and served as an appointee under three presidents, has died. He was 79.
Grandmaison died from the effects of Parkinson’s disease Saturday at Wentworth Senior Living, his brother said.
“With the passing of Joe Grandmaison, New Hampshire has lost a political legend,” said U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.
Grandmaison led a number of campaigns and was an informal adviser on others. He was credited with counseling Democrat Bill Clinton to declare victory early in the evening in the New Hampshire primary. Clinton declared himself the “comeback kid” by taking second place, and went on to the first of two terms in the White House.
He grew up on working class neighborhood known as Crown Hill in Nashua, which shaped him.
“He never stopped believing that not everybody in life gets dealt a fair hand, and that government needs to be there in order to deal with the adversity or unfairness that most people experience at some time,” said his brother, Phil Grandmaison. “That’s why he was a Democrat.”
Grandmaison got his political start working on the campaign of Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern in 1972, then managed Michael Dukakis’ successful campaign for Massachusetts governor two years later. That was just the start of many campaigns with his fingerprints on them.
Phil Grandmaison described his brother as a political fighter who made fast friends, even across party lines.
“He was easy to meet. You were apt to know him for a lifetime, once you got to know each other. But in politics, he was a rough competitor,” he said.
Later, Grandmaison served as President Jimmy Carter’s co-chair of the New England Regional Commission and Clinton’s director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. He twice served on the board of the Export-Import Bank under Republican President George W. Bush
“Joe was one of a kind,” said George Bruno, who preceded Grandmaison as state party chair. “He was as comfortable campaigning the streets of Nashua or Berlin as he was with the president in the White House.” | https://cw33.com/news/politics/ap-politics/prominent-democratic-operative-joe-grandmaison-dies-at-79/ | 2022-06-13T17:45:50Z |
Gov. Greg Abbott and his Democratic opponent, Beto O’Rourke, have agreed to a Sept. 30 debate in the Rio Grande Valley.
Abbott announced last month that he had accepted an invitation to the debate, which will be hosted by Nexstar Media Group at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg. O’Rourke responded at the time by saying he would be happy to debate Abbott in the Valley but did not commit to the specific event — and pushed for more debates. On Thursday morning, O’Rourke’s campaign revealed it had committed to the Sept. 30 debate while announcing he had also accepted invitations for four other town hall-style debates hosted by news organizations.
Abbott’s campaign has indicated the Sept. 30 debate is the only one he is willing to do before the November election.
“Beto is looking forward to these four town hall-style debates where he can continue taking questions directly from voters in English and Spanish while also holding Governor Abbott fully accountable for his indefensible record of incompetence and extremism,” O’Rourke spokesperson Chris Evans said in a statement.
Among the invitations O’Rourke accepted is a debate hosted jointly by The Texas Tribune, the Austin American-Statesman, The Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, the San Antonio Express-News and KVUE-TV.
Abbott’s campaign responded to O’Rourke’s announcement Thursday by appearing to confirm that the Sept. 30 debate is the only one the governor will do.
“In between television appearances in New York and fundraising in Hollywood, we are pleased Beto O’Rourke is taking the time to debate Governor Abbott in the only statewide televised debate,” Abbott spokesperson Mark Miner said in a statement.
Abbott’s campaign has said the Sept. 30 will be in the evening and will be an hour long. It will be available in every media market, including on Spanish-language channels, according to the campaign. It will be moderated by Britt Moreno of KXAN in Austin, with a panel of journalists including Sally Hernandez of KXAN, Gromer Jeffers of The Dallas Morning News and Steve Spriester of KSAT in San Antonio.
This story was first published at www.texastribune.org by The Texas Tribune. This story has been edited for length. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/article_23507dd6-2a3d-11ed-82f4-9700a4793506.html | 2022-09-01T23:10:44Z |
Arizona man helping single mothers, children escape his hometown in Ukraine
By Briana Whitney
Click here for updates on this story
PHOENIX (KTVK, KPHO) — As the war continues in Ukraine, an Ahwatukee man is stepping in to try to help his friends trying to escape — single mothers with children. As a native of Ukraine, he said he couldn’t sit back and do nothing, but the financial burden is so high he’s asking the community for help.
Dima Tratyek has been sent pictures from his friends, feeling the heartbreak from thousands of miles away. “They don’t have anywhere to go, they don’t have financial support to do anything on their own, and they’re scared,” Tratyekl said.
They are trying to escape his hometown of Melitopol, Ukraine, a city that was taken over by Russian forces early on in the war. His friend Marina and her two kids have made it one step further. “She should be crossing Poland border today,” Tratyek said.
Ukrainian family escapes war, finds refuge in Phoenix But his friend Ksenya has been unable to escape despite multiple tries with her 2-year-old. She’s an ex-wife of a Ukrainian soldier, which has put a target on her back. “She’s making another attempt on Monday. She has a good feeling about the next one,” he said.
Tratyek has already helped multiple family members get out of Ukraine and to safety at his home but felt he couldn’t sit back and watch his friends suffer, so he’s agreed to help Marina and Ksenya with everything once they get past the polish border. “I’ll do logistics, I’ll do paperwork,” Tratyek said. “I’ll find money or plane ticket; I’ll bring you here; you’ll be safe,” he said.
The thing is: this is a lot on Tratyek while he tries to provide for his own young family too. “I just can’t do it all on my own,” Tratyek said.
Group rallies in Phoenix, supporting loved ones trying to survive in Ukraine He’s hoping the community can help raise money toward his cause, all funds going to Marina and Ksenya’s family’s escape.
While he sees the faces of concern from his friends in the photos, the littlest faces make him that much more motivated to help and guarantee they have a home here. “You’re safe; your kids are safe. Most important, because as kids, you don’t get to choose,” said Tratyek.
If you’d like to help Dima Tratyek with finances to help these refugees, donate here:
gofundme.com/f/help-me-save-more-ukrainian-lives
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://localnews8.com/cnn-regional/2022/04/29/arizona-man-helping-single-mothers-children-escape-his-hometown-in-ukraine/ | 2022-04-29T21:09:20Z |
JOPLIN, Mo., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kinston Railroad (KNR), a wholly owned subsidiary of Jaguar Transport Holdings (Jaguar), began rail operations on Aug. 1. KNR acquired leasehold rights to approximately 6 miles of track owned by the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT). The railroad will interchange with Norfolk Southern in Kinston, N.C., and terminates at North Carolina Global TransPark, a 2,500-acre multi-modal industrial and business park.
"We are excited for the opportunity to establish our second operation in North Carolina and grow our partnership with NCDOT," said Stu Towner, CEO of Jaguar. "Connected to a modern industrial park and located in close proximity to multiple deep-water ports, we think this railroad will allow us to provide excellent service to current and future customers and earn the right to grow alongside them and the local community."
Kinston is the ninth shortline railroad for Jaguar, who has partnered with OPTrust, one of Canada's largest pension plans. Other Jaguar railroads include Charlotte Western Railroad, Missouri Eastern Railroad, Cimarron Valley Railroad, Southwestern Railroad, Washington Eastern Railroad, Oregon Eastern Railroad, Texas Eastern Railroad, and West Memphis Base Railroad.
Jaguar is a transportation and logistics company headquartered in Joplin, MO. Since 2018, Jaguar has focused on safety, team culture, service to customers, and innovation to help drive its growth. Jaguar operates nine short line railroads and multiple other rail served sites across the United States. Jaguar is partnered with OPSEU Pension Plan Trust Fund ("OPTrust"), which invests and manages one of Canada's largest pension funds and has significant experience investing in the surface transportation and logistics space. For more information, please visit www.jag-transport.com.
With net assets of over $25 billion, OPTrust invests and manages one of Canada's largest pension funds and administers the OPSEU Pension Plan (including OPTrust Select), a defined benefit plan with over 100,000 members. OPTrust is a global investor in a broad range of asset classes including Canadian and foreign equities, fixed income, real estate, infrastructure and private markets, and has a team of highly experienced investment professionals located in Toronto, London and Sydney.
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SOURCE Jaguar Transport Holdings | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/03/kinston-railroad-commences-rail-operations/ | 2022-08-03T22:15:26Z |
Avian Flu Fast Facts
CNN Editorial Research
Here’s a look at avian flu.
Avian influenza, also called avian flu or bird flu, is an illness that usually affects only birds.
There are many different strains of avian flu: 16 H subtypes and 9 N subtypes. Only those labeled H5, H7 and H10 have caused deaths in humans.
The most commonly seen and most deadly form of the virus is called “Influenza A (H5N1),” or the “H5N1 virus.”
Diagnosis/Treatment
Most cases of human bird flu infections are due to contact with infected poultry or surfaces that are contaminated with infected bird excretions: saliva, nasal secretions or feces.
Symptoms of avian flu include fever, cough, sore throat and sometimes severe respiratory diseases and pneumonia.
The CDC recommends oral oseltamivir (brand name: Tamiflu), inhaled zanamivir (brand name: Relenza) and intravenous permavir (brand name: Rapivab) for the treatment of human illness associated with avian flu.
The mortality rate is close to 60% for infected humans.
Timeline
Early 1900s –The avian flu is first identified in Italy.
1961 – The H5N1 strain is isolated in birds in South Africa.
December 1983 – Chickens in Pennsylvania and Virginia are exposed to the avian flu and more than five million birds are killed to stop the disease from spreading.
1997 – Eighteen people are infected by the H5N1 strain in Hong Kong, six die. These are the first documented cases of human infection. Hong Kong destroys its entire poultry population, 1.5 million birds.
1999 – Two children in Hong Kong are infected by the H9N2 strain.
February 2003 – Eighty-four people in the Netherlands are affected by the H7N7 strain of the virus, one dies.
February 7, 2004 – Twelve thousand chickens are killed in Kent County, Delaware, after they are found to be infected with the H7 virus.
October 7, 2005 – The avian flu reaches Europe. Romanian officials quarantine a village of about 30 people after three dead ducks there test positive for bird flu.
November 12, 2005 – A one-year-old boy in Thailand tests positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza.
November 16, 2005 – The World Health Organization confirms two human cases of bird flu in China, including a female poultry worker who died from the H5N1 strain.
November 17, 2005 – Two deaths are confirmed in Indonesia from the H5N1 strain of avian influenza.
January 1, 2006 – A Turkish teenager dies of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in Istanbul, and later that week, two of his sisters die.
January 17, 2006 – A 15-year-old girl from northern Iraq dies after contracting bird flu.
February 20, 2006 – Vietnam becomes the first country to successfully contain the disease. A country is considered disease-free when no new cases are reported in 21 days.
March 12, 2006 – Officials in Cameroon confirm cases of the H5N1 strain. The avian flu has now reached four African countries.
March 13, 2006 – The avian flu is confirmed by officials in Myanmar.
May 11, 2006 – Djibouti announces its first cases of H5N1 – several birds and one human.
December 20, 2011 – The US Department of Health and Human Services releases a statement saying that the government is urging scientific journals to omit details from research they intend to publish on the transfer of H5N1 among mammals. There is concern that the information could be misused by terrorists.
July 31, 2012 – Scientists announce that H3N8, a new strain of avian flu, caused the death of more than 160 baby seals in New England in 2011.
March 31, 2013 – Chinese authorities report the first human cases of infection of avian flu H7N9 to the World Health Organization. H7N9 has not previously been detected in humans.
December 6, 2013 – A 73-year-old woman infected with H10N8 dies in China, the first human fatality from this strain.
January 8, 2014 – Canadian health officials confirm that a resident from Alberta has died from H5N1 avian flu, the first case of the virus in North America. It is also the first case of H5N1 infection ever imported by a traveler into a country where the virus is not present in poultry.
April 20, 2015 – Officials say more than five million hens will be euthanized after bird flu was detected at a commercial laying facility in northwest Iowa. According to the US Department of Agriculture, close to eight million cases of bird flu have been detected in 13 states since December. Health officials say there is little to no risk for transmission to humans with respect to H5N2. No human infections with the virus have ever been detected.
January 15, 2016 – The US Department of Agriculture confirms that a commercial turkey farm in Dubois County, Indiana, has tested positive for the H7N8 strain of avian influenza.
January 24, 2017 – Britain’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs releases a statement confirming that a case of H5N8 avian flu has been detected in a flock of farmed breeding pheasants in Preston, UK. The flock is estimated to contain around 10,000 birds. The statement adds that a number of those birds have died, and the remaining live birds at the premises are being “humanely” killed because of the disease.
February 12, 2017 – A number of provinces in China have shut down their live poultry markets to prevent the spread of avian flu after a surge in the number of infections from the H7N9 strain. At least six provinces have reported human cases of H7N9 influenza this year, according to Chinese state media, Xinhua.
March 5-7, 2017 – The USDA confirms that a commercial chicken farm in Tennessee has tested positive for the H7N9 strain of avian flu, but says it is genetically different from the H7N9 lineage out of China. The 73,500-bird flock in Lincoln County will be euthanized, according to Tyson Foods.
February 14, 2018 – Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection announces that a 68-year-old woman has been treated for the H7N4 strain. This is the first case of this strain in a human.
December 2019 – The United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs confirms that a case of H5N1 avian flu has been detected at a poultry farm in Suffolk. 27,000 birds are humanely killed because of the disease.
April 9, 2020 – The USDA confirms that a commercial turkey flock in Chesterfield County, South Carolina has tested positive for the H7N3 strain of avian flu.
January 2021 – India culls tens of thousands of poultry birds after avian influenza is detected in ducks, crows and wild geese in at least a dozen locations across the country.
February 18, 2021 – Russian authorities notify WHO that they have detected H5N8 in humans. “If confirmed, this would be the first time H5N8 has infected people,” a WHO Europe spokesperson says in a statement.
June 1, 2021 – China’s National Health Commission announces the first human case of H10N3.
February 2022 – The USDA confirms that wild birds and domestic poultry in the United States have tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian flu. By mid April, the CDC reports there are 31 states with infected wild birds and 25 states with poultry outbreaks.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/health/cnn-health/2022/04/14/avian-flu-fast-facts/ | 2022-04-14T15:25:07Z |
Complete College America releases a new playbook to help colleges benchmark for equity, implement strategies proven to improve equity in student outcomes
INDIANAPOLIS, June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Complete College America (CCA), a national non-profit organization working to raise postsecondary attainment in the United States, released a new report that urges colleges to take a stronger stance on addressing the root causes of inequity in higher education, based on race, income and other factors. Entitled "No Middle Ground: Advancing Equity through Practice'', the report draws on more than a decade of research and evidence-based practice to provide a toolkit with reform strategies that colleges can use to advance equity in higher education and improve outcomes for historically excluded students.
"Now is the time to take a bold stance on equity–there is no room to stay on the sidelines. The only way for states and higher educational institutions to achieve the ambitious attainment goals laid out over the past decade is to sharpen their focus on students who are being left behind," said Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, president of Complete College America, and a veteran educator and higher education administrator. "This publication will help colleges first identify the structural factors that contribute to equity in student outcomes—and then implement the reforms needed to make them a reality on more campuses."
Study after study continues to find significant disparities in student outcomes based on race, income, gender and other demographics. Fully 71% of Black first-time students are enrolled in remedial courses compared to 54% of their White peers. Three in four first-generation students and students from under-resourced families do not start a job related to their studies or enter graduate school when they leave college. More than 90% of students from under-resourced families do not graduate within six years–let alone four. Although there is no reliable source of data on four-year college completion rates disaggregated by race and ethnicity, 6-year graduation rates for Black and Latinx students stand at 51.5%, lower than graduation rates for White students.
To help improve college completion rates for students from historically underserved backgrounds, the publication calls on states, systems of higher education and institutions to implement targeted strategies proven to eliminate disparities in student outcomes. The report lays out four "pillars" of success–Purpose, Structure, Momentum, and Support—that are essential to building a more equity-focused system of higher education. As an evolution of the organization's widely-adopted Game Changer strategies, the report offers institutions a cohesive set of equity reforms using strategies that have been rigorously tested by Complete College America Alliance members over the last decade.
"At a time when an ever-growing number of jobs require some level of education and training beyond high school, strengthening higher education opportunities for all is a workforce, economic and civic imperative," said Dr. Maria Markham, director of the Arkansas Division of Higher Education. "This report presents a compelling case for state and institutional leaders to act with greater urgency to ensure that students from every background have the opportunity to access and complete college or a workforce-relevant credential."
The release of the new report builds on a series of ambitious new initiatives recently launched by Complete College America focused on improving equity in higher education outcomes for students from under-resourced and historically excluded backgrounds. In May 2022, Complete College America announced the selection of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Montana as members of its Policy, Equity & Practice Network, a program funded by Ascendium Education Group which convenes 34 institutions of higher education to help eliminate college completion disparities among students from historically underserved communities.
For more on Complete College America's work and to read the entire "No Middle Ground" report, visit https://completecollege.org/resource/nomiddleground/.
About Complete College America: Complete College America (CCA) builds movements for scaled change and transforms institutions through data-driven policies, student-centered perspectives, and equity-driven practices. Since its founding in 2009, CCA connects a national network of forward-thinking state and higher education leaders and introduces bold initiatives to help states and institutions confront inequities, close institutional performance gaps, and increase college completion rates, especially for marginalized and historically excluded students. For more information, visit http://www.completecollege.org.
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SOURCE Complete College America | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/new-report-urges-no-middle-ground-equity-higher-education-policy-practice/ | 2022-06-16T13:39:43Z |
Farmers who implement an integrated control program can stay ahead of Colorado potato beetle and other insects that challenge their high yield goals.
GREENSBORO, N.C., June 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- An insect with a penchant for potato plants continues to be a challenge as it exhibits tolerance or resistance to multiple modes of action.
"If you want to categorize insects in terms of importance for potato growers, Colorado potato beetle is at the top of the list," says Kiran Shetty, Ph.D., a technical development lead for potatoes at Syngenta. "The insect can be devastating – destroying a crop in as little as a few days if the outbreak is severe. Colorado potato beetle overwinters in the previous year's crops and particular weeds of its fancy and can be very dynamic, with two and even three generations possible in a given season."
To add to the beetle's historic reputation for causing an economic impact in potato fields, Colorado potato beetle (CPB) has shown levels of resistance to multiple modes of action. Colorado potato beetle also is increasingly difficult to control, showing overlapping generations in recent years rather than the distinct first and second generations growers saw in past years. Shetty says this shift in behavior can impact insecticide efficacy on beetle populations, increasing the risk for negative impacts on potato plant health and overall yield potential.
Using cultural practices and scouting methods, along with a robust pest management program, can help keep Colorado potato beetle populations down. Shetty recommends growers pay close attention to the generational cycles of CPB in their given geography and prioritize thorough, early scouting to help ensure early-season populations are as low as possible to establish healthy plants.
Shetty recommends a three-step, integrated approach with a focus on products that are most effective against Colorado potato beetle:
- At plant: "To establish a high-quality, high-yielding potato crop, growers should start with a neonicotinoid like CruiserMaxx Vibrance seed treatment," Shetty says.
- Early season: "After planting, follow up with an application such as Minecto Pro insecticide, which complements a foundational neonic program," Shetty says. "Minecto Pro can knock the population down low enough to offer an advantage for the rest of the season. Remember, you're targeting CPB, but an integrated approach with broad-spectrum control is key to managing an array of insects."
- Mid-season: "For good resistance management, finish up the season with different modes of action not already applied to the field. Adopting an integrated pest management program that includes scouting, using historical information on a field relating to pesticide use, rotating crops and record-keeping is crucial," Shetty says.
Ultimately, Shetty says, "A strong integrated pest management program helps achieve a stronger crop stand, higher quality potatoes and, ultimately, better yield."
For more information on managing Colorado potato beetle, visit Syngenta-us.com/Spud-Doctor. Join the conversation online – connect with Syngenta at Syngenta-us.com/social.
Syngenta Crop Protection and Syngenta Seeds are part of Syngenta Group, one of the world's leading agriculture companies. Our ambition is to help safely feed the world while taking care of the planet. We aim to improve the sustainability, quality and safety of agriculture with world class science and innovative crop solutions. Our technologies enable millions of farmers around the world to make better use of limited agricultural resources.
The content of this release is for information purposes only. This release is not, and should not be construed as, an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or other property interests.
To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Syngenta, www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/syngenta.
Web Resources:
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Syngenta Newsroom
Syngenta U.S.
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This document may contain forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as 'expect', 'would', 'will', 'potential', 'plans', 'prospects', 'estimated', 'aiming', 'on track' and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. For Syngenta, such risks and uncertainties include risks relating to legal proceedings, regulatory approvals, new product development, increasing competition, customer credit risk, general economic and market conditions, compliance and remediation, intellectual property rights, implementation of organizational changes, impairment of intangible assets, consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops and organisms or crop protection chemicals, climatic variations, fluctuations in exchange rates and/or commodity prices, single source supply arrangements, political uncertainty, natural disasters, and breaches of data security or other disruptions of information technology. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors.
© 2022 Syngenta, 410 S. Swing Road, Greensboro, NC 27409. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration status. Minecto Pro is a Restricted Use Pesticide. Do not apply this product or allow it to drift onto blooming plants while bees are foraging adjacent to the treatment area. CruiserMaxx®, Minecto®, Vibrance® and the Syngenta logo is a registered trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
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SOURCE Syngenta | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/14/three-steps-defeat-beetle-with-numerous-ways-resist/ | 2022-06-14T15:55:47Z |
VALCOURT, QC, June 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - BRP Inc. (TSX: DOO) (NASDAQ: DOOO) held earlier today its annual meeting of shareholders in a virtual-only format. The meeting was broadcasted via live webcast. The webcast will be available shortly on BRP's website at www.brp.com.
During the meeting, the Company acknowledged the departure from the Board of Directors of Mr. Michael Hanley and thanked him for his many years of contribution to the success of the Company. Mr. Hanley sat on the Board of Directors of BRP for the last ten years, nine years as Chairman of its Audit Committee and three years as Lead Independent Director.
At the meeting, all of the nominees for directors listed in the Company's management proxy circular dated April 27, 2022 were elected by a majority of the votes cast by shareholders present or represented by proxy. Voting results for each nominee were as follows:
Mrs. Barbara Samardzich was appointed as Lead Director of BRP to replace Mr. Hanley, and Mrs. Samardzich ceased to be a member of the Nominating, Governance and Social Responsibility Committee. Mrs. Estelle Métayer joined the Nominating, Governance and Social Responsibility Committee, while Nicholas Nomicos became Chairman of the Audit Committee and Mr. Ernesto M. Hernández joined the Audit Committee. As a result of the foregoing changes, the composition of the Board committees is now as follows:
To learn more about BRP's Board members, click here.
Certain statements included in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian and United States securities laws, including statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terminology such as "may", "will", "would", "should", "could", "expects", "forecasts", "plans", "intends", "trends", "indications", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "outlook", "predicts", "projects", "likely" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words or other comparable words or phrases. Forward-looking statements, by their very nature, involve inherent risks and uncertainties and are based on a number of assumptions, and are subject to important risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, made by the Company in light of its experience and perception of historical trends. Forward-looking statements cannot be relied upon due to, amongst other things, changing external events and general uncertainties of the business. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous factors, many of which are beyond BRP's control, including the risk factors disclosed previously and from time to time in BRP's filings with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada and the United States, available on SEDAR at sedar.com or EDGAR at sec.gov, respectively. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent BRP's expectations as of the date of this press release (or as of the date they are otherwise stated to be made), and are subject to change after such date. However, BRP disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities regulations.
We are a global leader in the world of powersports products, propulsion systems and boats built on 80 years of ingenuity and intensive consumer focus. Our portfolio of industry-leading and distinctive products includes Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft and pontoons, Can-Am on and off-road vehicles, Alumacraft and Quintrex boats, Manitou pontoons and Rotax marine propulsion systems as well as Rotax engines for karts and recreational aircraft. We complete our lines of products with a dedicated parts, accessories and apparel portfolio to fully enhance the riding experience. With annual sales of CA$7.6 billion from over 120 countries, our global workforce includes close to 20,000 driven, resourceful people.
Ski-Doo, Lynx, Sea-Doo, Can-Am, Rotax, Alumacraft, Manitou, Quintrex, and the BRP logo are trademarks of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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SOURCE BRP Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/03/brp-announces-election-directors-board-committee-composition/ | 2022-06-03T22:19:56Z |
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Creature Hunters is a blockchain-based online defensive game based on the original animation created by Hitoshi Mogi and Chstudio in Seoul, Korea. Create your greatest team, combat other players, and users can have multiple ways to easily and efficiently earn rewards with your NFTs!
The first Airdrop NFT event in Creature Hunters took place on June 14th, 2022. Each member of the Creature Hunters NFTs Community group must complete all tasks on Telegram and be the most active on Telegram and Discord to be eligible for the top 10,000 winners.
1. 10,000 NFT MUSIC HIT GIVE-AWAY EVENT
NFTs aren't just cat GIFs and JPEGs of cartoon apes, they can also represent immutable ownership of music clips too.
This is what a music NFT's "non-fungible" section really means. While fungible tokens (such as Bitcoin (BTC) or a dollar coin) are mass-produced and extremely liquid, non-fungible tokens cannot be instantly exchanged for an asset of agreed-upon equivalent value.
The first Airdrop NFT event in Creature Hunters took place on June 14th, 2022. Each member of the Creature Hunters NFTs Community group must complete all tasks on Telegram and be the most active on Telegram and Discord to be eligible for the top 10,000 winners.
Step-by-step instructions : We'll retweet this event if you follow our Twitter page: Join Telegram and Discord communities to learn a lot of things. Then, join Facebook and Instagram as a fan. You also have a YouTube subscription.
Visit our official website at: https://creaturehunters.world/ to get in touch with us.
Timeline of event has opened: 1:00 a.m, June 14th, 2022 (UTC) and Close: 23:00 p.m, July 11th, 2022 (UTC). Winners will be revealed later on our official global Telegram and Discord channels.
2. OPEN BETA TEST GAME
The event will be held from June 28th to July 25th, 2022 with reward is $10,000 in prize money. Read detail about Prize Pool, Regular, Top Ranking more and more at: https://creaturehunters.medium.com/testing-campaign-creature-hunters-6ecc1042c628
Become a member with 4 steps:
Step 1: To take part in our campaign, please fill out the following form: Fill out the form and submit it.
Step 2: Participate in the Close Beta Test
Step 3: Look for bugs and report them using this form.
Step 4: Stay active and check Telegram channels frequently. Following your submission, our staff will examine your responses more closely. Spreadsheet allows you to keep track of the progress and outcomes.
You can participate in the weekly Creature Hunter event while searching for bugs. We'll compile the results and rankings at the end of the four weeks.
● GAME MODE
Creature Hunters challenges users every day with a range of game modes based competition. It offers consumers a new NFT gaming experience, as well as rewards form.
Physical strength, speed, defense, and attack power are the four basic attributes of any robot, with the character displaying power based on the value of each skill. There are three skill options to choose from and the player's skill level can be improved by purchasing items for each skill.
Creature Hunters provides a variety of incentives and giveaways to players Free Token campaigns abound at Creature Hunters, with a total prize pool of thousands of CHTS drawing a large attendance. Players will get the nicest feelings if they participate in appealing projects.
Website | Telegram | Discord | Medium | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | Tiktok | Linkedin
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SOURCE Creature Hunters | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/16/10000-music-nfts-give-away-bump-ground-airdrop-event-creature-hunters/ | 2022-06-16T08:05:29Z |
DALLAS (KDAF) — When looking for the best, normally doing it on your own you’ll have to make your way through the rest to find the one to put on the pedestal, especially when it comes to the best of any food category.
Today, we’re talking pasta, and arguably everyone’s favorite food at any time of the year can be found from price points low to ultra-high. If you’re into linguine Wednesday, Sept. 15 was made for you as it is National Linguine Day!
NationalToday explains, “For pasta lovers who also deal with the harsh symptoms of heartburn, linguine and its typical dishes are a godsend. Replacing tomato-based sauces and red meat with white wine, cream, garlic, or pesto sauces means you can eat heartily, but spare the heart.”
So, Eat This, Not That! put out a report earlier in the year of the best pasta dish in every state across the country and Texas’ pick is nothing short of spectacular. Enter in, Houston’s Paulie’s with its Canestri alla Fungi.
The report touted, “Tossed with crimini and shiitake mushrooms, garlic, sage, and folded into rich marsala cream, our stomachs are grumbling just talking about this entree. One word of warning—the size of this dish is said to be enough to “feed an army.” Come hungry or leave with ample leftovers!”
Be sure to click here to get your mouth watering for the best pasta dishes around the U.S.! | https://cw33.com/news/texas/where-can-you-eat-the-best-pasta-dish-in-texas-2022-report-has-the-answer/ | 2022-09-15T17:24:52Z |
Multiple people hurt in Memphis hospital shooting, police say
Published: Aug. 16, 2022 at 5:50 AM CDT|Updated: 41 minutes ago
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC/Gray News) - Multiple people were injured overnight after a shooting at a Memphis hospital.
Memphis Police Department confirmed the shooting happened at Methodist North Hospital on Covington Pike around 12:47 a.m. Tuesday. It is unclear if it happened inside or outside the hospital.
Dispatch also couldn’t specify how many victims were shot.
A vehicle was seen at the hospital riddled with bullet holes.
Other media reports indicate that a second crime scene was at a gas station, where a rifle could be seen on the ground, the Associated Press reported.
No suspect information is available at this time.
Copyright 2022 WMC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/16/multiple-people-hurt-memphis-hospital-shooting-police-say/ | 2022-08-16T11:31:28Z |
The new exchange will compete with the big global competitors and bring the innovative universe of cryptocurrencies to the traditional financial market.
SÃO PAULO, May 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2013, Rodrigo Batista founded Brazil's first cryptocurrency exchange, Mercado Bitcoin, and was its CEO and controller until 2019, when he sold the company with 1.5 million customers.
After the sale, he began building his new venture, Digitra.com, a global exchange, built with a focus on technology, compliance, and governance - compiling Rodrigo and his team's experience in the financial and cryptocurrency markets.
In his search for partners for the new venture, Rodrigo met Ricardo Villela Marino. Ricardo is a shareholder and had an international executive career at Itaú, the largest bank in Latin America, founded by his great-grandfather. He is currently a board member at Valor Capital and has as his professional background the participation in global financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
With Ricardo's financial and international experience and Rodrigo's global ambition, the executives decided to join together in building the new company.
In doing so, the Profitus fund, controlled by Ricardo, made a $5 million investment in the group created by Rodrigo. The funds will be used to accelerate the operations of Digitra.com, which is already born global, serving customers in all countries that do not restrict trading in digital currencies. The startup hopes to grow by joining the innovative universe of cryptocurrencies in the traditional financial market.
In addition to the cryptocurrency exchange, the investment will also be used in the expansion of other projects of the same group: in the development of the Real's stablecoin developed by company nTokens, in the creation of a new stock exchange of startups - already authorized by CVM (Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission) in partnership with SMU investments - and of Atris, a technology company specialized in creating new exchanges of various assets, such as energy, carbon credits, among others.
"We have created a business model that is disruptive to the crypto market globally and will simultaneously encourage financial inclusion through digital assets. Digitra.com has everything to lead the innovations in this market in the coming years," says Marino.
The new company wants to take some space occupied by companies like Binance, a global leader created in 2017, and FTX, launched less than three years ago and recently valued at $30 billion.
"I don't see why a company created in Brazil cannot aspire to be in this group of global companies. We are working hard, and Brazil is a reference when it comes to governance and security in the financial market," says Rodrigo.
Digitra.com aims to reach 1 million customers in the first year of operation. The application is now available for advance registration to customers worldwide, and trading is scheduled to launch in July 2022.
About Digitra.com
Digitra.com is a global trading exchange for bitcoins, cryptocurrencies, and digital assets founded in 2021. The company is betting on the convergence of the crypto world with the traditional trading world.
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SOURCE Digitra | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/19/profitus-fund-owned-by-ricardo-villela-marino-controlling-partner-ita-bank-has-invested-5-million-dollars-digitracom-cryptocurrency-platform/ | 2022-05-19T18:40:10Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Katten announced today that HFM recognized the firm for its industry-leading hedge fund client offerings during the 2022 HFM US Services Awards ceremony in New York. Awardees were chosen based on rigorous judging by a panel of top hedge fund chief operating officers, chief financial officers, general counsels and others.
"Receiving this distinction underscores what clients and others have told us they appreciate about Katten: That we provide excellent and sophisticated counsel in a business-savvy manner that takes into account the practical aspects of our clients' business; that we analyze complex market and legal issues and close investments and transactions, navigating regulatory issues quickly and comprehensively; and that we quickly see the big picture, to name just some of what we hear," said Lance Zinman, Global Chairman of Katten's Financial Markets and Funds (FMF) group, which encompasses the firm's Investment Management and Funds practice.
"We are thoroughly pleased and quite honored to receive this award," said Zinman, whom American Lawyer named a "Trailblazer" for his pioneering legal work in the fields of proprietary, quantitative and algorithmic trading. "We are deeply appreciative of the opportunity to serve captains of the hedge fund industry and in the field of finance generally."
Accepting the Katten award during the HFM ceremony at a historic midtown Manhattan restaurant on Tuesday were Wendy Cohen and Allison Yacker, co-chairs of the firm's Investment Management and Funds practice.
Katten has garnered several top HFM honors. Last year, the firm was named "Best Law Firm" during the 2021 HFM US Quant Services Awards virtual ceremony. There, Katten was spotlighted for its many years of providing top-of-class, business-savvy counsel to scores of asset managers, the largest quant funds, most of the industry's major proprietary trading firms, including pioneers of these strategies and other market participants deploying them. The year before, HFM named Katten "Top Onshore Law Firm for Start-ups."
A long-established leader in the financial services industry known for its 360-degree counsel, Katten's FMF practice spans the full breadth of the dynamic and ever-evolving finance industry — global investment banks, a wide range of investment managers, hedge funds, private equity and other alternative funds as well as prop trading firms, global exchanges and trading platforms.
The FMF practice continually grows as it attracts top legal talent. Last year, this included Daniel Davis, formerly general counsel at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and Jonah Roth, who previously served as general counsel and chief compliance officer at a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)- and CFTC-registered quantitative hedge fund manager and proprietary trading firm. A few years prior, Susan Light, who had been a senior leader and regulatory officer at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), joined FMF.
This year, Stephen Morris, formerly in-house counsel at multinational investment bank Morgan Stanley, joined as did Ilene Froom, who was a partner at two other top law firms and served for many years as in-house counsel for JP Morgan Chase bank before joining Katten.
Katten is a full-service law firm with nearly 700 attorneys in locations across the United States and in London and Shanghai. Clients seeking sophisticated, high-value legal services turn to Katten for counsel locally, nationally and internationally. The firm's core areas of practice include corporate, financial markets and funds, insolvency and restructuring, intellectual property, litigation, real estate, structured finance and securitization, transactional tax planning, private credit and private wealth. Katten represents public and private companies in numerous industries, as well as a number of government and nonprofit organizations and individuals.
For more information, visit katten.com.
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SOURCE Katten | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/katten-named-best-onshore-law-firm-hedge-fund-client-services/ | 2022-09-14T23:40:03Z |
Howard scores 16 points in debut, Dream beat Wings 66-59
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rhyne Howard scored 16 points in her debut for Atlanta, Cheyenne Parker had 10 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks and the Dream beat the Dallas Wings 66-59 in the season opener for both teams. Nia Coffey added 11 points and nine rebounds for Atlanta, Erika Wheeler also scored 11 points and Monique Billings six points to go along with 14 rebounds. Dallas shot just 24.3% (17 of 70) from the field. It marked the first time the Dream have held their opponents below 25% shooting and just the 26th time in WNBA history. Marina Mabrey led the Wings with 20 points and Allisha Gray added 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/05/07/howard-scores-16-points-in-debut-dream-beat-wings-66-59/ | 2022-05-08T05:08:03Z |
Relativity highlights ethical AI, new product capabilities, and data privacy and security
CHICAGO, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Relativity, a global legal and compliance technology company, today announced at its EMEA-focused annual conference, Relativity Fest London, several new product capabilities to enhance productivity in RelativityOne. The conference will showcase how Relativity is leveraging AI ethically, optimizing key workflows, and empowering customers to navigate the changing data privacy and security landscape.
Breaking Free from Bias with AI
Relativity remains steadfast in its commitment to deliver the cutting-edge solutions that will help its customers thrive in an increasingly dense and complex data landscape. It is investing in AI and machine learning technologies, advancing integration with Text IQ to deepen capabilities, and developing and cultivating the people and skills required to innovate on those technologies.
"We're energized by the vast benefits of AI and the innovative ways in which our customers are leveraging it to solve key data challenges. We also recognize the risks of deploying AI without putting the proper safeguards in place, and it's something we're taking seriously," said Mike Gamson, CEO of Relativity. "Optimizing the potential of AI will require deeply invested, highly skilled subject matter experts who recognize its benefits, clear the way for its adoption, and put guardrails in place to ensure that it's used safely and ethically."
The topic of ethical AI will be explored in further depth during the closing keynote session moderated by broadcast journalist Fiona Bruce, with Gamson, Text IQ CEO and Co-founder Apoorv Agarwal, and Text IQ COO and Co-founder Omar Haroun.
New Product Capabilities Built for Productivity
Relativity unveiled several key product updates across AI, key workflows and security and privacy at the event built to enhance productivity.
"The Relativity EMEA community is grappling with pressing challenges including evolving security and data privacy legislation, data increasing in volume and complexity, and an influx of requests for information," said Chris Brown, Chief Product Officer at Relativity. "To meet these needs, we're building an engine of innovation within Relativity, where we continually bring new product capabilities to market — particularly in the areas of AI and machine learning — that can dramatically improve our customers' productivity in RelativityOne."
Leveraging AI for Automatic Translation
Relativity will incorporate AI machine translation directly in RelativityOne. Out-of-the-box, users will be able to translate large batches of documents in more than 100 languages and 12,000 language combinations. Relativity is integrating Microsoft Translator Text API, part of Microsoft Cognitive Services, which returns some of the highest quality machine translation results in the original format of the document enabling a best-in-class review experience. An early access trial with select groups will kick off this month and will be refined for general availability later this year.
"Today, we struggle with the speed of third parties turning around translations," said Raju Patel Associate Director, Digital Forensic Group at Grant Thornton. "Integrated machine translation will be well used by our team given the opportunity to save all this time and improve our efficiencies."
Scaling the Value of Automated Workflows
On average, each RelativityOne customer using Automated Workflows has saved 164 hours and 5,780 clicks in just the past six months alone. These time savings enable RelativityOne customers to deliver improved business outcomes for their clients and stakeholders. For example, a law firm customer automating analytics reported seeing greater lawyer adoption of AI as a result. Additionally, a corporate customer that has made Automated Workflows a key part of their templates now feels empowered to bring more responsibility in-house.
To help further increase efficiency, Relativity is introducing parallel execution which will allow users to run multiple actions at the same level in their workflow at the same time. Additionally, Relativity will introduce a "Copy to Workspaces" feature, allowing users to easily create copies of their workflow across one or more workspaces. Soon, Relativity will also create opportunities for even more innovation by adding APIs for Automated Workflows that will enable users to build their own actions and triggers.
AI-Powered Sentiment Analysis
The AI-powered Sentiment Analysis feature is now in Advanced Access and will be available to RelativityOne users later this year. Sentiment Analysis will allow users to identify positive and negative sentiment in their data. The analysis is conducted on a sentence-by-sentence basis so that even if negative sentiment is buried within a longer conversation, users will not miss that key information.
"Sentiment Analysis enables us to look at our data from a new perspective, helps prioritize our review, and allows our teams to make smarter and more strategic decisions," said Michallyn Demiter, eDiscovery Expert at Bayer. "Currently, we're using Sentiment Analysis on a few of our internal investigations, but we're already seeing the value and look forward to expanding use across other areas of the business."
Continued Momentum with Collect
Over the past year, the number of Collect jobs has more than tripled. The types and number of platforms used to communicate and store data continue to expand, which is why Relativity is continuously adding new sources. Later this year, Relativity will add iManage, SharePoint, Smarsh and Enterprise Vault (for Relativity Trace) to its list of platforms users can collect data from.
Relativity will also extend data transfer capabilities to all users and enable easy data sharing with web-based tools. By end of year, users will be able to seamlessly upload, quickly create processing jobs, and easily share and export data – all while minimizing risk.
Management Console for RelativityOne is Now Available
Management Console for RelativityOne is now available globally. The Management Console provides better transparency and visibility within the cloud and has the power to boost productivity within the whole value chain with clear insights into a customer's consumption and drive action to maximize value for its matters. Users can set clear expectations and do business across the ecosystem through slicing and dicing usage, exporting data for downstream billing workflows, and leveraging RelativityOne Data Tiers.
EMEA's Security and Privacy Evolution
While technology advances with elements like AI and machine learning, two issues facing the region today are security and privacy. Organizations must not only stay up to date on security and privacy regulations and policies, but actively adjust protocols when regulations shift. Relativity offers its customers the ability to create customized and repeatable processes to comply with local privacy regulations all while keeping data secure.
"As data sovereignty concerns continue to rise, RelativityOne's global availability allows organizations to securely operate where they need to, providing more data center locations to allow for compliance with local standards," said Steve Couling, Managing Director and VP of Sales of EMEA at Relativity. "Our incredible global team is set up to ensure customers are properly supported from all ends of the security and data privacy spectrum."
To further boost security capabilities for customers, earlier this year Relativity launched Security Alerts, a new threat monitoring, detection and response service. This service gives customers the ability to identify and resolve potential threats in a centralized location in real time. Relativity also provides automated redaction capabilities fully integrated in RelativityOne at no additional cost with Redact to help users protect personally identifiable information. Relativity is continuing to improve the Redact user experience with updates coming soon like, spreadsheet enhancements, façade redactions and Find + Redact allowing users to draw markups onto search hits.
There will be three sessions at Relativity Fest London with a data privacy focus:
- Pull Up a Chair - Let's Talk About Data Privacy: Relativity security and legal experts, Siân John, MBE, Director of Security Business Development and Strategic Growth at Microsoft, and Ashley Winton Partner at Mishcon de Reya will discuss how to handle the challenge of differentiated approaches to data protection around the world and the effects of these differences on data flows.
- Data Privacy Is the New Data Security: Putting People at the Centre of Everything: In this special recording of the Security Sandbox podcast, live from Relativity Fest London, Amanda Fennell, Chief Security Officer and Chief Information Officer at Relativity will chat with Zachary Faruque, Director in Deloitte's Cyber practice specializing in data privacy and protection on how to build a global-first data privacy program.
- Tackle Data Privacy and Sensitive Data Workflows in RelativityOne: Relativity's AI experts will discuss how AI can help tackle the increasingly complex data privacy requirements that EMEA organizations face.
About Relativity
Relativity makes software to help users organize data, discover the truth and act on it. Its SaaS product RelativityOne manages large volumes of data and quickly identifies key issues during litigation and internal investigations. The AI-powered communication surveillance product, Relativity Trace proactively detects regulatory misconduct like insider trading, collusion and other non-compliant behavior. Relativity has more than 300,000 users in approximately 40 countries serving thousands of organizations globally primarily in legal, financial services and government sectors, including the U.S. Department of Justice and 198 of the Am Law 200. Relativity has been named one of Chicago's Top Workplaces by the Chicago Tribune for 10 consecutive years. Please contact Relativity at sales@relativity.com or visit http://www.relativity.com for more information.
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SOURCE Relativity | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/17/relativity-explores-ethical-ai-unveils-new-product-capabilities-enhance-productivity-relativity-fest-london/ | 2022-05-17T09:59:09Z |
Rayo’s winless run extended after draw with Valencia in Liga
MADRID (AP) — Rayo Vallecano’s winless streak in the Spanish league has reached 12 matches after a 1-1 draw at home against Valencia. Valencia opened the scoring through Carlos Soler in the 57th minute and the hosts equalized thanks to Sergi Guardiola in the 83rd at Vallecas Stadium. Rayo hasn’t won in the league since a home game against last-placed Alavés in December. Valencia had its unbeaten run in the league extended to six matches. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/04/11/rayos-winless-run-extended-after-draw-with-valencia-in-liga/ | 2022-04-11T22:13:47Z |
Toddler hospitalized in critical condition after coyote attack
DALLAS (WFAA) - A 2-year-old boy was critically injured after being attacked by a coyote on the front porch of his Dallas home, police say.
Anthony Divenuti lives directly across the street from where a 2-year-old boy was attacked by a coyote. It happened about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in Dallas’ Lake Highlands neighborhood.
“It’s gut-wrenching,” Divenuti said. “That little boy was sitting on his front porch, and that animal came right up to the porch, unfazed whatsoever, and attacked him.”
The 2-year-old was rushed to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
Even after the attack, Divenuti says the coyote showed no fear.
“[It] came out across the street and stood there, staring in the direction of where the EMTs and the parents were,” he said.
Police say an officer saw the coyote near a park after the attack and shot at it before it ran into the woods. It’s not clear if the animal was hit by a bullet.
Around 3 p.m., Dallas Animal Services said the coyote had been located, isolated in a wooded area.
During an investigation into the attack, animal services says it was revealed that the coyote was well-known in the neighborhood, and residents had been feeding and petting it.
“This tragic incident shows why it is critical that residents treat all wildlife as wild animals,” said animal services in a statement.
Some neighbors say they’ve been calling the city and complaining about the coyote.
Clark Collier says he saw the animal on Easter hanging out near the park at White Rock Elementary School. He says it locked eyes with a child.
“It looked like it wanted to attack a kid,” Collier said.
Coyotes are generally reclusive animals who prefer to avoid human contact, but they still creep into North Texas neighborhoods.
Animal services says anyone who sees a coyote should call 911 and not approach it. Making loud noises, such as banging pots and pans, should help scare it off.
Copyright 2022 WFAA via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/04/toddler-hospitalized-critical-condition-after-coyote-attack/ | 2022-05-04T18:31:21Z |
CALGARY, AB, July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Today, Parkland Corporation ("Parkland", "we", the "Company", or "our") (TSX: PKI) released its 2021 Sustainability Report (the "2021 Report"). The 2021 Report highlights our progress on our Drive to Zero, including our goals of achieving zero safety incidents and spills, upholding zero tolerance for racism, discrimination, corruption, bribery, and unethical behaviour, and supporting our governments' goals of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
2021 was a landmark year for Parkland in which we formalized our enterprise-wide sustainability strategy. This marked a step change in how our organization is approaching key strategic Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues and established baselines and set targets upon which we can continuously improve.
"When we launched our enterprise-wide sustainability strategy last year, we set ambitious and measurable targets to help ensure long-term success," said Christy Elliott, Chief Sustainability Officer. "Our pillars of People, Environment, Partners, and Responsible Growth are the foundation that allows us to continuously improve and expand our sustainability practices. We are excited to share the work we've done over the past several months as we continue to Drive to Zero."
Key highlights from the 2021 Report include:
- Continued to strengthen our safety culture and delivered strong performance with 2021 Total Recordable Injury Frequency of 1.14. This represents an almost 55 percent improvement since 2017.
- In 2021, we co-processed a record 86 million litres of bio-feedstocks at our Burnaby Refinery. This had the equivalent environmental effect of taking over 70,000 cars off the road.
With our 2021 Report, we have set a new annual cadence for publishing future sustainability reports which more closely aligns with our annual reporting calendar.
For an overview of Parkland's sustainability efforts and to read the 2021 Report, visit: https://www.parkland.ca/en/sustainability/overview
About Parkland
Parkland's purpose is to Power Journeys and Energize Communities. We serve essential needs in our communities, providing our customers with the fuels they depend on to get around, quality foods and convenience items, while helping them achieve their goals of lowering their environmental impact. Through our portfolio of trusted and locally relevant brands, we serve well over one million customers per day across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean region, and Central and South America.
In addition to leveraging our supply and storage capabilities to provide the fuels our diverse customers depend on; we are leading our customers through the energy transition. From electric vehicle charging, renewable fuels, solar energy and compliance and carbon offset trading, we are leaders in helping our customers lower their environmental impact.
Parkland's proven strategy is centred around organic growth, our supply advantage, acquiring prudently, and integrating successfully. We are focused on developing our existing business in resilient markets, growing, and diversifying our retail business into food, convenience, and renewable energy solutions and helping our commercial customers decarbonize their operations. Our strategy is underpinned by our people, as well as our values of safety, integrity, community, and respect, which are deeply embedded across our organization.
Forward-Looking Statements & Note on Specified Financial Measures
Certain statements contained herein constitute forward-looking information and statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). When used the words "expect", "will", "could", "would", "believe", "continue", "pursue" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to among other things: Parkland's business, objectives and strategies, including Parkland's enterprise-wide sustainability strategy and its goals, targets and plans relating thereto, including without limitation, Parkland's 'Drive to Zero' and supporting our governments' goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050; Parkland publishing sustainability reports in the future and the frequency, timing and release thereof; and Parkland's energy transition strategy, including with respect to developing, diversifying and decarbonizing its business, and its goals and plans with respect thereto.
These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this presentation should not be unduly relied upon. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this presentation. Parkland does not undertake any obligations to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by securities law. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of numerous risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, general economic, market and business conditions, including the duration and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict; Parkland's ability to execute its business strategies, including with respect to sustainability and energy transition; Parkland's ability to achieve its goals and targets relating to its sustainability and energy transition strategies; industry capacity; competitive action by other companies; refining and marketing margins; the ability of suppliers to meet commitments; actions by governmental authorities and other regulators including but not limited to increases in taxes or restricted access to markets; changes and developments in environmental and other regulations; and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Parkland. See also the risks and uncertainties described in "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information" and "Risk Factors" included in Parkland's Revised Annual Information Form dated March 17, 2022 and in "Forward-Looking Information" and "Risk Factors" included in the Q1 2022 Management's Discussion and Analysis dated May 4, 2022, each as filed on SEDAR and available on the Parkland website at www.parkland.ca.
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SOURCE Parkland Corporation | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/12/parkland-releases-2021-sustainability-report-continues-its-drive-zero/ | 2022-07-12T22:47:17Z |
Severe storms pummel South killing at least 2 in Florida
(AP) - A line of severe storms packing isolated tornadoes and high winds ripped across the Deep South overnight — killing at least two in the Florida Panhandle, toppling trees and power lines and leaving homes and businesses damaged as the vast weather front raced across several states.
In Florida, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday morning that two were killed and two injured when a tornado touched down in the western Florida Panhandle.
The sheriff’s office also said the tornado destroyed homes there. Its Facebook page showed at least one home that was obliterated, as well as trees down on another home. No other details were immediately available.
At least two confirmed tornadoes injured several people Wednesday, damaged homes and businesses and downed power lines in Mississippi and Tennessee after earlier storm caused damage in Arkansas, Missouri and Texas.
The worst of the weather Thursday morning appeared to be at the southern end of the storm front, which was expected to bring heavy rain and high winds all along the U.S. East Coast later in the day. Much of the Florida Panhandle was under a tornado watch, according to the National Weather Service in Tallahassee.
Widespread damage was reported in the Jackson, Tennessee, area as a tornado warning was in effect. “Significant damage” occurred to a nursing home near Jackson-Madison County General Hospital and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office in Jackson, said Madison County Emergency Management Director Jason Moore.
In Nashville, Tennessee, paneling fell five stories from the side of a downtown hotel Wednesday evening and onto the roof of a building below. The fire department warned that debris could become airborne as high winds continued, and some hotel guests were moved to other parts of the building due to concerns the roof would become unstable. No injuries were immediately associated with the collapse.
Daylight revealed widespread wind damage across Alabama.
One person was hurt when a storm hit the University of Montevallo campus south of Birmingham, damaging a dormitory, officials said, and a woman was injured when a manufactured home rolled over in rural Bibb County. A school bus was flipped at a high school in south Alabama, and part of the roof was missing from a church in northwest Alabama.
Elsewhere, a warehouse roof collapsed as the storms moved through Southaven, Mississippi, near Memphis, police said. The building had been evacuated and no injuries were reported.
The Mississippi Senate suspended its work Wednesday as weather sirens blared during a tornado watch in downtown Jackson. Some employees took shelter in the Capitol basement.
Rander P. Adams said he and his wife, Janice Delores Adams, were in their home near downtown Jackson when severe weather blew through during a tornado warning Wednesday afternoon. He said their lights flashed and a large window exploded just feet from his wife as she tried to open their front door.
“The glass broke just as if someone threw a brick through it,” he said. “I advised her then, ‘Let’s go to the back of the house.’”
Adams said the storm toppled trees in a nearby park, and a large tree across the street from their house split in half. “We were blessed,” he said. “Instead of falling toward the house, it fell the other way.”
Earlier Wednesday, a tornado that struck Springdale, Arkansas, and the adjoining town of Johnson, about 145 miles (235 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock, shortly after 4 a.m. injured seven people, two critically, according to Springdale Mayor Doug Sprouse.
Sprouse said in a statement that one of those critically injured had improved and was in stable condition and the other five were released from a hospital.
“Our first responders have completed door-to-door searches, and we believe everyone has been accounted for,” Sprouse said.
The National Weather Service in Tulsa said Thursday that the tornado has been rated an EF-3, up from an initial assessment of EF-2, with wind speeds between 136-165 mph (219-265 kph). The tornado reached a peak speed of about 145 mph (233 kph) and 5 miles (8 kilometers) while on the ground for about eight minutes, according to the weather service.
In northwest Missouri, an EF-1 tornado with wind speeds around 90 mph (145 kph) struck St. Joseph on Tuesday night, damaging two homes.
A small tornado also touched down briefly on the eastern edge of Dallas, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. The tornado struck just after 4:30 a.m. Wednesday near McClendon-Chisolm with top winds of about 100 mph (161 kph) and damaged homes, but no injuries were reported, according to the weather service.
The storms come a week after a tornado in a New Orleans-area neighborhood carved a path of destruction during the overnight hours and killed a man.
Strong winds in Louisiana overturned semitrailers, peeled the roof from a mobile home, sent a tree crashing into a home and knocked down power lines, according to weather service forecasters, who did not immediately confirm any tornadoes in the state.
Firefighters, meanwhile, have been trying to get handle on a wildfire spreading near Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, amid mandatory evacuations as winds whipped up ahead of the approaching storm front.
The fire, which was not contained, had expanded to about 250 acres (more than 100 hectares) as of Wednesday afternoon. One person was injured, and a plume of smoke rose above one community not far from where 2016 wildfires ravaged the tourism town of Gatlinburg, killing 14 people and damaging or destroying about 2,500 buildings.
Copyright 2022 WWSB. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/03/31/severe-storms-pummel-south-killing-least-2-florida/ | 2022-04-02T09:20:49Z |
Where to park in Canton for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival
CANTON – As visitors flock to the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival this week, they can enjoy music, food and high-profile events such as the Hall of Fame Game.
But they shouldn't expect to find on-site parking for all events.
News: What to know before the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival
Lots near the Hall's campus will be closed to the public Thursday for the Hall of Fame Game and Saturday for the Enshrinement Ceremony and Concert for Legends. The closures make it easier to accommodate media and operations personnel for those events, said Rich Desrosiers, chief communications and content officer at the Hall.
Attending Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, Enshrinement Ceremony or Concert for Legends? Park at Stark County Fairgrounds
Attendees to those events will be able to find parking at the Stark County Fairgrounds, 305 Wertz Ave. NW. A shuttle system will then transport visitors to the campus from 8 a.m. Thursday to 4 a.m. Friday, as well as from 8 a.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday.
A sign at the entrance of Lot A near the Hall on Monday indicated the shuttles would arrive in 10- to 15-minute increments.
News:Community Parade kicks off Hall of Fame festivities in Canton
"That is really the only way to get to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium ... as far as local parking is concerned," Desrosiers said. "There is some parking in the neighborhoods that people are used to finding and utilizing, but by and large most of our guests on both Thursday and Saturday will be utilizing the fairgrounds parking lot and the shuttle service."
Most Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week attendees will use SARTA shuttle system
Desrosiers said he expects about 45,000 attendees among those three events, most of whom will utilize the shuttle system. The shuttles are operated by the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority, which has partnered with the Hall for more than 20 years.
SARTA will use all of the available vehicles in its fleet during the Enshrinement Festival, CEO Kirt Conrad said, including charter-style buses and smaller buses with capabilities to transport people with ADA-recognized disabilities. SARTA has also contracted with a school bus provider to transport overflow passengers.
No more paper tickets:SARTA debuts tap-to-pay SCORE card
Conrad emphasized SARTA's priority is keeping its fixed-routes operational, despite its partnership with the Hall.
Though there is no parking on Thursday or Saturday at the Hall, Desrosiers added there will be an increased number of golf carts to transport visitors with mobility issues to and from the shuttle drop-off location.
Parking available on Wednesday and Friday, or in neighbors' yards
On-campus parking will be available on Wednesday and Friday for the Hall's other events, like the First Play football toss and Fun Fest, Desrosiers said.
Nearby homeowners also often charge people to park in their yards during the festivities.
Polly Rose, who lives on Clarendon Avenue near the Hall, started charging people to park in her yard in 2000. At that time, she lived closer to the Hall in a house that had a bigger yard, she said. However, she can fit about 12 cars at one time in her yard at her current house. She normally charges about $10 to $15 per car.
News:Canton council approves $5 million loan to Hall of Fame Village
A lot of people choose to park in yards close to the Hall because they dislike the shuttle system, Rose said. She's a football fan, and she empathizes with other football fans' desires to have easy access to the Hall's festivities without having to get on a bus.
"It's part of the neighborhood," Rose said. "(People) have to park out farther and get bused, which a lot of people don't care for. I think that's why a lot of neighbors try to help out."
More parking to be available at HOF in future years
Anne Graffice, executive vice president of public affairs at the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Co., said construction plans for the Hall of Fame Village include adding parking spaces near the Village's attractions. During future enshrinement festivals, she said, those spots may be used for visitors.
However, the shuttle system used this year is similar to the one last year, Graffice said. She added that she believes construction at the Hall of Fame Village hasn't impeded anyone's ability to park on campus, and her company has worked closely with the Hall and SARTA to utilize creative measures to transport visitors.
"The reality of it is everybody wants to park right next to wherever it is that they're going," Graffice said. "We're continuing to look at ways in which we can make (parking) a convenient and wonderful experience when folks come to visit."
Pro Football Hall of Fame:What's your favorite Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival memory?
She also highlighted the walkability of the Hall's campus and the sidewalks built specifically for pedestrian traffic.
Desrosiers said he looks forward to some of the issues with parking near the Hall being alleviated as future lots are built. Though it may be frustrating now, he said, the shuttle system is the ideal parking strategy.
"We know it's challenging and we appreciate folks' patience and understanding," Desrosiers said. "It's a system that's been in place for a few years now — utilizing the fairgrounds and the shuttles — and they've got it down to a pretty good system."
Contact Ryan via email at rmaxin@gannett.com, on Twitter at @ryanmaxin or by phone at 330-580-8412. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2022/08/03/parking-half-fame-limited-during-enshrinement-pro-football-hall-of-fame/10201772002/ | 2022-08-03T15:50:14Z |
PHOENIX, Sept. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dr Ankita Singh Scholarship for Future Doctors of America is a recently launched scholarship program by the namesake backer, Dr Ankita Singh, that is primarily aimed at students who wish to pursue a career in medicine as a doctor. The scholarship is opening its application to students who are currently enrolled in university and taking up studies that involve medicine and intend on becoming a doctor in the future. Applicants aren't only limited to just university students but it is also accepting applications from high school students who are graduating and intend on going to university with plans of becoming a doctor. Prize money of $1000 will be awarded to the scholar that will be chosen through a 1000-word scholarship essay that answers the question: "Having a degree in medicine is a powerful responsibility. How will you use your degree in medicine to give back to your community?"
No matter the kind of career you wish to pursue, education plays a central role in all of them. Attending university trains you to do your job properly as well as equips you with the necessary skills and knowledge to overcome any challenges that get thrown your way. Dr Ankita Singh understands this and hopes that her scholarship program will also bring awareness not only to the struggles of students studying to become a doctor but also to the rising costs of education which can be difficult for some families to realistically keep up. She sees this scholarship as a fair opportunity she can provide to all students as well as a reward for any deserving student with the opportunity to pursue their dream career without worrying about the financial side
Students who are keen on applying for the scholarship should go over to the Dr Ankita Singh Scholarship website. This website will allow you to learn more about the woman herself as well as any information you need about the scholarship. The website contains everything you need to know from updates on the scholarship as well as any additional requirements you might need to accomplish besides the essay. It will also allow you to send in your complete application together with your essay and other requirements.
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SOURCE Dr Ankita Singh Scholarship | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/12/dr-ankita-singh-scholarship-aspiring-medical-doctors-still-accepting-applications/ | 2022-09-12T18:20:03Z |
- AstraZeneca granted exclusive worldwide licence to develop, manufacture and commercialise RQ Bio's existing early-stage monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 and right to exclusively licence additional mAbs against SARS-CoV-2
- RQ Bio launched to develop treatments and preventative therapies based on potent broad spectrum mAbs to provide instant and long-lasting immunity for vulnerable people at risk of severe disease or death from existing, emerging and new viral infections
- Hugo Fry, CCO at Imbria and former Sanofi Executive, appointed CEO
- Supported through continued deep collaborations with the University of Oxford and LifeArc
- LifeArc is co-founder and sole funder of RQ Bio and has provided resources and expertise from across the charity, working collaboratively with the other founders.
LONDON, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LifeArc today announced that RQ Biotechnology Ltd (RQ Bio), a company it co-founded, has signed a licensing agreement with AstraZeneca PLC (AZN). Under the terms of the agreement, RQ Bio has granted AstraZeneca an exclusive worldwide licence to develop, manufacture and commercialise RQ Bio's existing early-stage mAbs against SARS-CoV-2 and a right of first refusal to take an exclusive licence in respect of any additional mAbs against SARS-CoV-2.
RQ Bio will receive upfront and milestone payments of up to $157 million and will be eligible to receive single digit royalties on sales. The successful licensing deal was supported by Oxford University Innovation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the University of Oxford that manages the University's technology transfer and consulting activities, who worked efficiently and creatively with all parties on the corresponding technology licences and the filing of intellectual properties.
RQ Bio today emerges from stealth mode announcing its launch as a new UK-based biotechnology company. The company, which is headquartered in London, is dedicated to developing treatments and preventative therapies based on potent broad spectrum mAbs to provide instant and long-lasting immunity for vulnerable people at risk of severe disease or death from existing, emerging and new viral infections.
"LifeArc is committed to backing leading UK academics and scientists, and we were inspired to fund RQ Bio because of the exceptional group of founders who are so passionately dedicated to finding new treatments and preventative therapies for viral infections in areas of high unmet patient need," said Clare Terlouw, Head of LifeArc Ventures. "LifeArc provided a wide range of support to help RQ Bio execute on its business plan, including financial backing from our venture team, scientific expertise and access to its world-class laboratory facilities. We look forward to further supporting RQ Bio as it becomes a world-leading infectious disease company."
The RQ Bio executive team is composed of biotech and pharmaceutical industry leaders with proven expertise in end-to-end antibody generation. Key appointments include:
- Hugo Fry, CCO at Imbria and former Sanofi Executive, appointed Chief Executive Officer
- Mike Westby, co-founder of RQ Bio, CSO of Centauri Therapeutics and former Pfizer R&D Executive, remains a key Scientific Advisor
- Paul Kellam, co-founder of RQ Bio, Professor of Virus Genomics at Imperial College London and Vice President of Infectious Diseases & Vaccines at Kymab UK, remains a key Scientific Advisor
- Jane Osbourn OBE, co-founder of RQ Bio, CSO of Alchemab and previous Chair of the UK Bioindustry Association (BIA), remains a key Scientific Adviser.
To maximise and accelerate patient impact, the company will continue to be supported by its collaborations with its scientific co-founders, the University of Oxford and leading UK medical research charity LifeArc. Professor Gavin Screaton, Head of the Medical Sciences Division at the University of Oxford, will continue to advise in his capacity as scientific and medical co-founder, as will Clare Terlouw, Head of LifeArc Ventures and UK BIA board member, as a member of the Board of Directors.
"Our vision is to build on our successful debut with neutralising antibody therapy for SARS-CoV-2 and develop innovative medicines to address current and evolving unmet needs in other viral infectious diseases," said Hugo Fry, CEO of RQ Bio. "By combining our expertise and innovative excellence in core areas we have created a smarter approach to antibody generation making us uniquely positioned to deliver fast patient impact."
Contacts:
Notes to Editors:
About LifeArc
LifeArc is a self-funded medical research charity. Our mission is to advance translation of early science into health care treatments or diagnostics that can be fully developed and made available to patients. We have been doing this for more than 25 years and our work has resulted in a diagnostic for antibiotic resistance and four licensed medicines.
Our model is built on collaboration, and we partner with a broad range of groups including medical research charities, research organisations, industry and academic scientists. Our Early Ventures investment team invests in seed and Series A stage companies and is able to scale our investments further into later funding rounds. The ventures strategy focuses on investing in novel translational science and technology with a dual goal of generating financial returns to the charity and positive impact for patients.
Find out more about our work on www.lifearc.org or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter (@lifearc1).
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SOURCE LifeArc | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/17/lifearc-co-founded-company-rq-bio-signs-licensing-agreement-with-astrazeneca-worth-up-157m-plus-royalties-monoclonal-antibodies-against-sars-cov-2/ | 2022-05-17T07:31:19Z |
First Quarter Revenue of $158 million, up 33% Year-Over-Year
Annual Recurring Revenue of $684 million, up 33% Year-Over-Year
IRVINE, Calif., May 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Alteryx, Inc. (NYSE: AYX), the Analytics Automation company, today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2022.
"Alteryx delivered an exceptional quarter with ARR growth accelerating to 33% year-over-year, driven by global demand tailwinds and increased adoption by large enterprise organizations," said Mark Anderson, CEO of Alteryx, Inc. "The company is off to a great start in 2022, with strong financial results, an expanded portfolio of cloud offerings, and the completion of our game changing Trifacta acquisition. We are well-positioned to continue driving democratization of data analytics for all in this massive market opportunity."
First Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights
- Revenue: Revenue for the first quarter of 2022 was $157.9 million, an increase of 33%, compared to revenue of $118.8 million in the first quarter of 2021.
- Gross Profit: GAAP gross profit for the first quarter of 2022 was $133.7 million, or a GAAP gross margin of 85%, compared to GAAP gross profit of $107.9 million, or a GAAP gross margin of 91%, in the first quarter of 2021. Non-GAAP gross profit for the first quarter of 2022 was $139.5 million, or a non-GAAP gross margin of 88%, compared to non-GAAP gross profit of $110.2 million, or a non-GAAP gross margin of 93%, in the first quarter of 2021.
- Loss from Operations: GAAP loss from operations for the first quarter of 2022 was $(99.7) million, compared to GAAP loss from operations of $(28.8) million for the first quarter of 2021. Non-GAAP loss from operations for the first quarter of 2022 was $(29.8) million, compared to non-GAAP loss from operations of $(1.1) million for the first quarter of 2021.
- Net Loss: GAAP net loss attributable to common stockholders for the first quarter of 2022 was $(105.6) million, compared to GAAP net loss attributable to common stockholders of $(40.7) million for the first quarter of 2021. GAAP net loss per diluted share for the first quarter of 2022 was $(1.56), based on 67.8 million GAAP weighted-average diluted shares outstanding, compared to GAAP net loss per diluted share of $(0.61), based on 66.9 million GAAP weighted-average diluted shares outstanding for the first quarter of 2021.
Non-GAAP net loss and non-GAAP net loss per diluted share for the first quarter of 2022 were $(27.3) million and $(0.40), respectively, compared to non-GAAP net loss of $(3.3) million and non-GAAP net loss per diluted share of $(0.05) for the first quarter of 2021. Non-GAAP net loss per diluted share for the first quarter of 2022 was based on 67.8 million non-GAAP weighted-average diluted shares outstanding, compared to 66.9 million non-GAAP weighted-average diluted shares outstanding for the first quarter of 2021.
- Balance Sheet and Cash Flow: As of March 31, 2022, we had cash, cash equivalents, and short-term and long-term investments of $598.3 million, compared to $1.0 billion as of December 31, 2021. This reflects a $389.8 million cash outflow, net of cash acquired, related to the acquisition of Trifacta Inc. Cash provided by operating activities for the first three months of 2022 was $8.8 million, compared to cash provided by operating activities of $26.0 million for the first three months of 2021.
A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures has been provided in the tables included in this press release. An explanation of these measures is also included below under the heading "Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Operating Measures."
First Quarter 2022 and Recent Business Highlights
- Ended the first quarter of 2022 with $683.6 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), an increase of 33% year-over-year.
- Achieved a dollar-based net expansion rate (annual contract value based) of 119% for the first quarter of 2022.
- Ended the first quarter of 2022 with 8,195 customers, a 14% increase from the first quarter of 2021. Added 259 net new customers in the first quarter of 2022.
- Completed the acquisition of Trifacta Inc., further advancing Alteryx's journey to provide an integrated end-to-end, low code/no code analytics automation platform in the cloud.
- Introduced Alteryx Analytics Cloud, an end-to-end analytics automation platform that incorporates Designer Cloud, Alteryx Machine Learning, Alteryx Auto Insights, and Alteryx Trifacta in one unified platform.
- Announced an updated partner program powering a partner-centric growth strategy built around an ecosystem of solution providers, global system integrators, technology partners, and original equipment manufacturers.
- Strengthened the leadership team with the promotion of Paula Hansen to President and Chief Revenue Officer, as well as the additions of Keith Pearce as Chief Marketing Officer and Lucas Moody as Chief Information Security Officer.
Financial Outlook
We provide the financial guidance below based on current market conditions and expectations. Our guidance is subject to various important cautionary factors described below. Based on information available as of May 3, 2022, guidance for the second quarter of 2022 and full year 2022 is as follows:
- Second Quarter 2022 Guidance:
- Full Year 2022 Guidance:
The financial outlook above for non-GAAP loss from operations and non-GAAP net loss per share excludes estimates for stock-based compensation and related payroll tax expense and acquisition-related adjustments. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial guidance measures to corresponding GAAP measures is not available on a forward-looking basis primarily because of the uncertainty regarding, and the potential variability of, stock-based compensation and related payroll tax expense and acquisition-related adjustments. In particular, stock-based compensation and related payroll tax expense is impacted by our future hiring and retention needs, as well as the future fair market value of our Class A common stock, all of which is not within our control, is difficult to predict, and is subject to constant change. The actual amount of these expenses during 2022 will have a significant impact on our future GAAP financial results. Accordingly, a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial guidance measures to the corresponding GAAP measures is not available without unreasonable effort.
Quarterly Conference Call
Alteryx will host a conference call today at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the company's financial results and financial guidance. To access this call, dial 877-407-9716 (domestic) or 201-493-6779 (international). A live webcast of this conference call will be available on the "Investors" page of the company's website at https://investor.alteryx.com.
Following the conference call, a telephone replay will be available through May 10, 2022, at 844-512-2921 (domestic) or 412-317-6671 (international). The replay passcode is 13728428. An archived webcast of this conference call will also be available on the "Investors" page of the company's website at https://investor.alteryx.com.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Operating Measures
Non-GAAP Financial Measures. To supplement our condensed consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we use the following non-GAAP financial measures: non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP income (loss) from operations, non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss) per diluted share, and non-GAAP weighted-average diluted shares outstanding. The presentation of these financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP.
We use non-GAAP measures to internally evaluate and analyze financial results. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide investors with useful supplemental information about the financial performance of our business, enable comparison of financial results between periods where certain items may vary independent of business performance, and enable comparison of our financial results with other public companies, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures. We exclude the following items from one or more of our non-GAAP financial measures:
Stock-based compensation expense. We exclude stock-based compensation expense, which is a non-cash expense, from certain of our non-GAAP financial measures because we believe that excluding this item provides meaningful supplemental information regarding operational performance. In particular, companies calculate stock-based compensation expense using a variety of valuation methodologies and subjective assumptions.
Payroll tax expense related to stock-based compensation. We exclude employer payroll tax expense related to stock-based compensation to present the full effect that excluding stock-based compensation expense has on operating results. These expenses are tied to the exercise or vesting of underlying equity awards and the price of our common stock at the time of vesting or exercise, which may vary from period to period independent of the operating performance of the business.
Acquisition-related adjustments. We exclude amortization of intangible assets, which is non-cash and related to business combinations, from certain of our non-GAAP financial measures. In addition, we exclude acquisition and integration expenses, such as transaction costs and costs associated with the applicable retention, restructuring and successful integration of operational activities of the acquired company, as they are related to a business combination and have no direct correlation to the operation of our business.
Convertible senior notes adjustments. Prior to the adoption of Accounting Standards Update 2020-06, Debt - Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entity's Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity's Own Equity, or ASU 2020-06, effective as of January 1, 2022, we excluded the portion of amortization of debt discount and issuance costs that relate to the equity component of our convertible notes, which are non-cash, from certain of our non-GAAP financial measures. We excluded such expenses as they are non-cash and have no direct correlation to the operation of our business. Upon adoption of ASU 2020-06, we removed the equity component of our convertible notes and the associated amortization and therefore, this adjustment is no longer applicable.
Impairment of long-lived assets. We exclude non-cash charges for impairment of long-lived assets from certain of our non-GAAP financial measures. Impairment charges can vary significantly in terms of amount and timing and we do not consider these charges indicative of our current or past operating performance.
Income tax adjustments. We utilize a fixed annual projected long-term non-GAAP tax rate in order to provide better consistency across reporting periods by eliminating the effects of items such as changes in the tax valuation allowance, excess tax benefits associated with stock options, and tax effects of acquisition-related costs, since each of these can vary in size and frequency. When projecting this rate, we exclude the direct impact of the following non-cash items: stock-based compensation expenses, amortization and impairment of purchased intangibles, and the amortization of debt discount and issuance costs. The projected rate also assumes no new acquisitions, and considers other factors including our expected tax structure, our tax positions in various jurisdictions and key legislation in major jurisdictions where we operate. We used a projected non-GAAP tax rate of 20% for both 2022 and 2021. The non-GAAP tax rate could be subject to change for a variety of reasons, including the rapidly evolving global tax environment, significant changes in our geographic earnings mix including due to acquisition activity, or other changes to our strategy or business operations. We will re-evaluate our long-term rate as appropriate.
Investors are cautioned that there are material limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial measures as an analytical tool. In particular, we exclude stock-based compensation and related payroll tax expense and amortization of intangible assets which are recurring and will be reflected in our financial results for the foreseeable future. The non-GAAP measures we use may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies, limiting their usefulness for comparison purposes. We compensate for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP items excluded from these non-GAAP financial measures.
Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). Annual recurring revenue, or ARR, represents the total annual contract value for active customer subscription contracts as of the measurement date. We also use ARR as one of our operating measures to assess the health and trajectory of our business. ARR should be viewed independently of revenue and deferred revenue as ARR is a performance metric and is not intended to be a substitute for, or combined with, any of these items.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding our guidance for the second quarter and full year 2022, our ability to execute our long-term growth strategy and transformation efforts, our mission regarding the democratization of data and the related market opportunity, the anticipated benefits of and innovation resulting from our acquisitions, our non-GAAP tax rate for 2022, and other future events. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual results due to a variety of factors including, but not limited to: our ability to manage our growth and the investments made to grow our business effectively; our ability to expand and retain our talent base, particularly our sales force and software engineers, and increase their productivity; risks and uncertainties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic; our ability to develop, release, and gain market acceptance of product and service enhancements and new products and services to respond to rapid technological change in a timely and cost-effective manner; the impact of our Trifacta acquisition; our history of losses; our dependence on our software platform for substantially all of our revenue; our ability to attract new customers and retain and expand sales to existing customers; intense and increasing competition in our market; the rate of growth in the market for analytics products and services; our ability to establish and maintain successful relationships with our channel partners; our dependence on technology and data licensed to us by third parties; risks associated with our international operations; our ability to develop, maintain, and enhance our brand and reputation cost-effectively; litigation and related costs; security breaches; and other general market, political, economic, and business conditions. Additionally, these forward-looking statements, particularly our guidance, involve risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Many of these assumptions relate to matters that are beyond our control and changing rapidly, including, but not limited to, the timeframes for and severity of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our customers' purchasing decisions and the length of our sales cycles, particularly for customers in certain industries highly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additional risks and uncertainties that could affect our financial results are included under the caption "Risk Factors" in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, which are available on the "Investors" page of our website at https://investor.alteryx.com and on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. Additional information will also be set forth in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022. All forward-looking statements contained herein are based on information available to us as of the date hereof and we do not assume any obligation to update these statements as a result of new information or future events.
About Alteryx, Inc.
Alteryx, the Analytics Automation company, is focused on enabling every person to transform data into a breakthrough. Alteryx unifies analytics, data science and business process automation in one, end-to-end platform to accelerate digital transformation and shape the future of analytics automation. Organizations of all sizes, all over the world, rely on Alteryx to deliver high-impact business outcomes and the rapid upskilling of their modern workforce. For more information visit http://www.alteryx.com.
Alteryx is a registered trademark of Alteryx, Inc. All other product and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Alteryx, Inc.
Other Business Metrics
(unaudited)
Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). ARR represents the annualized recurring value of all active subscription contracts at the end of a reporting period and excludes the value of non-recurring revenue streams, such as certain professional services. Both multi-year contracts and contracts with terms less than one year are annualized by dividing the total committed contract value by the number of months in the subscription term and then multiplying by twelve (in millions).
Dollar-Based Net Expansion Rate. Our dollar-based net expansion rate is a trailing four-quarter average of the annual contract value, or ACV, which is defined as the subscription revenue that we would contractually expect to recognize over the term of the contract divided by the term of the contract, in years, from a cohort of customers in a quarter as compared to the same quarter in the prior year. To calculate our dollar-based net expansion rate, we first identify a cohort of customers, or the Base Customers, in a particular quarter, or the Base Quarter. A customer will not be considered a Base Customer unless such customer has an active subscription on the last day of the Base Quarter. We then divide the ACV in the same quarter of the subsequent year attributable to the Base Customers, or the Comparison Quarter, including Base Customers from which we no longer derive ACV in the Comparison Quarter, by the ACV attributable to those Base Customers in the Base Quarter. Our dollar-based net expansion rate in a particular quarter is then obtained by averaging the result from that particular quarter with the corresponding result from each of the prior three quarters. The dollar-based net expansion rate excludes contract value relating to professional services from that cohort.
Number of Customers. We define a customer at the end of any particular period as an entity with a subscription agreement that runs through the current or future period as of the measurement date. Organizations with free trials have not entered into a subscription agreement and are not considered customers. A single organization with separate subsidiaries, segments, or divisions that use our platform may represent multiple customers, as we treat each entity that is invoiced separately as a single customer. In cases where customers subscribe to our platform through our channel partners, each end customer is counted separately.
Remaining Performance Obligations. Remaining performance obligations represent amounts from contracts with customers allocated to unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied performance obligations that are not yet recorded in revenue in our condensed consolidated statements of operations (in millions).
Contract Assets. Contract assets primarily relate to unbilled amounts for contracts with customers for which the amount of revenue recognized exceeds the amount billed to the customer. Contract assets are transferred to accounts receivable when the right to invoice becomes unconditional in our condensed consolidated balance sheets (in millions).
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SOURCE Alteryx, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/03/alteryx-announces-first-quarter-2022-financial-results/ | 2022-05-03T20:40:47Z |
FORT WORTH, Texas, April 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kimbell Royalty Partners, LP (NYSE: KRP) ("Kimbell"), a leading owner of oil and natural gas mineral and royalty interests in more than 122,000 gross wells across 28 states, today announced that the Board of Directors of Kimbell Royalty GP, LLC, Kimbell's general partner, approved a cash distribution payment of 75% of projected cash available for distribution for the first quarter of 2022, or $0.47 per common unit. The distribution will be payable on May 9, 2022 to common unitholders of record at the close of business on May 2, 2022. Kimbell intends to utilize the remaining 25% of Q1 2022 projected cash available for distribution to pay down a portion of the outstanding borrowings under Kimbell's credit facility. Since May 2020 (excluding the expected upcoming pay down from the remaining 25% of Q1 2022 projected cash available for distribution), Kimbell has paid down approximately $52.5 million of outstanding borrowings under its credit facility from allocating a portion of its cash available for distribution for debt pay down.
About Kimbell Royalty Partners
Kimbell (NYSE: KRP) is a leading oil and gas mineral and royalty company based in Fort Worth, Texas. Kimbell owns mineral and royalty interests in approximately 16 million gross acres in 28 states and in every major onshore basin in the continental United States, including ownership in more than 122,000 gross wells with over 46,000 wells in the Permian Basin. To learn more, visit kimbellrp.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the tax treatment of Kimbell's distributions. These and other forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including risks and uncertainties relating to Kimbell Royalty Operating, LLC's realized income and depletions deductions and production from the mineral and royalty interests owed by Kimbell Royalty Operating, LLC, Kimbell's business and the securities markets generally and other risks described in Kimbell's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. When considering these forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in Kimbell's filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, Kimbell undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after this news release.
Contact:
Rick Black
Dennard Lascar Investor Relations
krp@dennardlascar.com
(713) 529-6600
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SOURCE Kimbell Royalty Partners, LP | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/04/22/kimbell-royalty-partners-declares-first-quarter-2022-distribution/ | 2022-04-22T22:32:13Z |
BDO USA confirms HIPAA compliance for Sinch security over voice, fax and UCaaS services
CHICAGO, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sinch, a leading provider of cloud communications platform solutions for voice, messaging, and emergency services, today announced it has successfully achieved third-party validation of its compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for its security over voice, fax and UCaaS services. HIPAA accreditation was gained through an in-depth security assessment completed by BDO USA.
Achieving this compliance milestone demonstrates that Sinch's administrative, physical, and technical safeguards meet the required standards of control and security for their cloud and remote solution infrastructure, network protection, and operational practices.
HIPAA has established regulatory standards governing the security, privacy and integrity of data requiring vendors encountering this sensitive data to be HIPAA-compliant. The goal of an assessment is to evaluate how compliant an entity is with HIPAA rules and regulations protecting customers by keeping their data safe, protecting providers from data breaches to uphold their reputations, and helping providers invest their time and resources most effectively to assure maximum security.
"We have a solid track record of protecting client data and security to safeguard against potential data breaches," said Maher Rahman, vice president of information security, Voice Business Unit, Sinch. "Completing the security assessment with BDO allows us to continue to maintain the highest standards of cybersecurity and data integrity."
Rahman added, "Achieving this compliance certification allows us to further enhance the security provided to partners and clients who utilize our extensive voice solutions including SIP trunking, voice termination, UCaaS, and fax services. It also expands our current compliance suite related to ISO 27001, ISO 9001, PCI-DSS and SOC 2 Type II reporting across these product offerings."
BDO's rigorous process to evaluate firms for HIPAA certification required Sinch experts to host over a dozen workshops and provide extensive documentation of policies and procedures that decisively attest to HIPAA maturity. The BDO auditors and principals were highly impressed with Sinch process, procedure and documentation, related to handling electronic personal health information (ePHI), and awarded overall rating and individual domain scores among the highest they have issued in past years.
BDO is the fifth largest global public accounting, tax and audit firm internationally employing over 8,500 consultants in the U.S. across 70+ locations. BDO has been performing HIPAA security and privacy assessments for several years with qualified engagement resources that have experience managing HIPAA compliance requirements.
Sinch's leading cloud communications platform lets businesses reach everyone on the planet, in seconds or less, through mobile messaging, email, voice and video. More than 150,000 businesses, including many of the world's largest companies and mobile operators, use Sinch's advanced technology platform to engage with their customers. Sinch has been profitable and fast-growing since its foundation in 2008. It is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and has local presence in more than 60 countries. Shares are traded at NASDAQ Stockholm: XSTO:SINCH. Visit us at sinch.com.
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SOURCE Sinch | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/sinch-secures-hipaa-compliance-validation-security-voice-fax-ucaas/ | 2022-06-29T12:04:50Z |
Community clinics offer novice drivers important tips to ensure a safe ride as they head back to school
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As novice teenage drivers head back to school this year to begin an exciting new chapter in their academic and social lives, particularly with a newly minted independence of a driver's license, AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:AN), America's most admired automotive retailer, will host complimentary one-hour Teen Driver Safety Clinics at AutoNation USA stores coast to coast, to help promote a safe ride.
"The top risks for new teen drivers range from distractions from their phone to inexperience, speeding, and nighttime driving," said Marc Cannon, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Experience Officer for AutoNation. "Education is key to helping young new drivers stay safe on the road, which is why we are partnering with local organizations to host clinics around the country that will teach teens safety skills, along with some essential car care tips. We are proud to offer this complimentary community service for the first time this year."
AutoNation's Back to School Teen Driver Safety Clinics are one hour and taught by a community expert on the topic. Driver safety curriculum includes a range of topics such as distracted and impaired driving, proper driving positioning, and seatbelt usage, as well as instruction on what to do when pulled over for a traffic violation or when faced with a field sobriety test.
A local AutoNation Service Associate will also be present at each location to share hands-on car care tips such as jumpstarting a battery, proper tire inflation, changing a flat tire, checking vehicle fluids and safety items to store in a car in case of an emergency. Students and parents who participate will have opportunities to ask questions and will receive a mini car care kit with essential items to support their safety and car care journey.
Parents and or guardians are encouraged to participate with their teen(s). Registration is required to attend. To find the nearest AutoNation USA store and register a teen for a complimentary session, visit https://www.facebook.com/pg/autonation/events/ .
About AutoNation, Inc.
AutoNation, a provider of personalized transportation services, is driven by innovation and transformation. As one of America's most admired companies, AutoNation delivers a peerless Customer experience recognized by data-driven consumer insight leaders, Reputation and J.D. Power. Through its bold leadership and brand affinity, the AutoNation Brand is synonymous with "DRVPNK" and "What Drives You, Drives Us." AutoNation has a singular focus on personalized transportation services that are easy, transparent, and Customer-centric.
Please visit www.autonation.com, www.investors.autonation.com, and www.twitter.com/AutoNation, where AutoNation discloses additional information about the Company, its business, and its results of operations. Please also visit www.autonationdrive.com, AutoNation's automotive blog, for information regarding the AutoNation community, the automotive industry, and current automotive news and trends.
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SOURCE AutoNation, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/28/autonation-usa-stores-host-back-school-teen-driver-safety-clinics-coast-coast/ | 2022-07-28T20:35:35Z |
Lone surviving attacker in Paris massacre guilty of murder
PARIS (AP) — The lone survivor of a team of Islamic State extremists was convicted Wednesday of murder and other charges and sentenced to life in prison without parole in the 2015 bombings and shootings across Paris that killed 130 people in the deadliest peacetime attacks in French history.
The special court also convicted 19 other men involved in the assault following a nine-month trial.
Chief suspect Salah Abdeslam was found guilty of murder and attempted murder in relation to a terrorist enterprise. The court found that his explosives vest malfunctioned, dismissing his argument that he ditched the vest because he decided not to follow through with his attack on the night of Nov. 13, 2015.
Abdeslam, a 32-year-old Belgian with Moroccan roots, was given France’s most severe sentence possible.
Of the defendants besides Abdeslam, 18 were given various terrorism-related convictions, and one was convicted on a lesser fraud charge. They were given punishments ranging from suspended sentences to life in prison.
During the trial, Abdeslam proclaimed his radicalism, wept, apologized to victims and pleaded with judges to forgive his “mistakes.”
For victims’ families and survivors of the attacks, the trial has been excruciating yet crucial in their quest for justice and closure.
For months, the packed main chamber and 12 overflow rooms in the 13th century Justice Palace heard the harrowing accounts by the victims, along with testimony from Abdeslam. The other defendants are largely accused of helping with logistics or transportation. At least one is accused of a direct role in the deadly March 2016 attacks in Brussels, which also was claimed by the Islamic State group.
The trial was an opportunity for survivors and those mourning loved ones to recount the deeply personal horrors inflicted that night and to listen to details of countless acts of bravery, humanity and compassion among strangers. Some hoped for justice, but most just wanted tell the accused directly that they have been left irreparably scarred, but not broken.
“The assassins, these terrorists, thought they were firing into the crowd, into a mass of people,” said Dominique Kielemoes at the start of the trial in September 2021. Her son bled to death in one of the cafes. Hearing the testimony of victims was “crucial to both their own healing and that of the nation,” Kielemoes said.
“It wasn’t a mass — these were individuals who had a life, who loved, had hopes and expectations,” she said.
France was changed in the wake of the attacks: Authorities declared a state of emergency and armed officers now constantly patrol public spaces. The violence sparked soul-searching among the French and Europeans, since most of the attackers were born and raised in France or Belgium. And they transformed forever the lives of all those who suffered losses or bore witness.
Presiding judge Jean-Louis Peries said at the trial’s outset that it belongs to “international and national events of this century. " France emerged from the state of emergency in 2017, after incorporating many of the harshest measures into law.
Fourteen of the defendants have been in court, including Abdeslam, the only survivor of the 10-member attacking team that terrorized Paris that Friday night. All but one of the six absent men are presumed to have been killed in Syria or Iraq; the other is in prison in Turkey.
Most of the suspects are accused of helping create false identities, transporting the attackers back to Europe from Syria or providing them with money, phones, explosives or weapons.
Abdeslam was the only defendant tried on several counts of murder and kidnapping as a member of a terrorist organization.
The sentence sought for Abdeslam of life in prison without parole has only been pronounced four times in France — for crimes related to rape and murder of minors.
Prosecutors are seeking life sentences for nine other defendants. The remaining suspects were tried on lesser terrorism charges and face sentences ranging from five to 30 years.
In closing arguments, prosecutors stressed that all 20 defendants, who had fanned out around the French capital, armed with semi-automatic rifles and explosives-packed vests to mount parallel attacks, are members of the Islamic State extremist group responsible for the massacres.
“Not everyone is a jihadi, but all of those you are judging accepted to take part in a terrorist group, either by conviction, cowardliness or greed,” prosecutor Nicolas Braconnay told the court this month.
Some defendants, including Abdeslam, said innocent civilians were targeted because of France’s policies in the Middle East and hundreds of civilian deaths in Western airstrikes in Islamic State-controlled areas of Syria and Iraq.
During his testimony, former President François Hollande dismissed claims that his government was at fault.
The Islamic State, “this pseudo-state, declared war with the weapons of war,” Hollande said. The Paris attackers did not terrorize, shoot, kill, maim and traumatize civilians because of religion, he said, adding it was “fanaticism and barbarism.”
During closing arguments Monday, Abdelslam’s lawyer Olivia Ronen told a panel of judges that her client is the only one in the group of attackers who didn’t set off explosives to kill others that night. He can’t be convicted for murder, she argued.
“If a life sentence without hope for ever experiencing freedom again is pronounced, I fear we have lost a sense of proportion,” Ronan said. She emphasized through the trial that she is “not providing legitimacy to the attacks” by defending her client in court.
Abdeslam apologized to the victims at his final court appearance Monday, saying his remorse and sorrow is heartfelt and sincere. Listening to victims’ accounts of “so much suffering” changed him, he said.
“I have made mistakes, it’s true, but I am not a murderer, I am not a killer,” he said.
___
Surk contributed from Nice, France.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/06/29/french-court-convicts-20-deadly-2015-paris-attacks/ | 2022-06-29T19:37:26Z |
Which keyboard tray is best?
Many people spend a great deal of time in front of a computer, whether for an office job or a hobby such as writing or gaming. Often, it’s difficult to find a comfortable angle when typing on top of your desk. Or perhaps you don’t have the space for the keyboard you want.
Many people turn to keyboard trays — such as the 3M Easy Adjust Sit/Stand Keyboard Tray, with its extreme adjustability — to fix these issues.
What to know before you buy a keyboard tray
Keyboard tray type
There are three types of keyboard trays.
- Under-desk trays are the most common. They use a range of systems to attach to either the lip or the underside of the desk.
- Chair-mounted trays connect to either the arms or the central post of your chair. These are best for those who like to lean back when at their desk. If you plan on using this type, you should use wireless keyboards and mice.
- Wall-mounted trays are best used in conjunction with non-standard desk situations. Think circular or standing desks, or even areas with no desks at all.
Size and fit
Ensure that the tray matches the keyboard first, then check to see if it can be installed in the location you want. Keyboard trays come in as wide a range of sizes and shapes as keyboards and desks, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.
Mouse zone types
Many keyboard trays include a separate area meant to hold a mouse. These typically come in one of three types.
- Fixed zones are just that, fixed. They attach directly and aren’t movable or adjustable.
- Detachable zones can be attached and detached at will, usually to many possible sections of the tray.
- Swivel zones usually attach to one spot of the tray, but can also be adjusted or at the very least moved out of the way.
What to look for in a quality keyboard tray
Adjustability
The best keyboard trays are adjustable in one or many ways.
- Drawers: This adjustment lets you slide your keyboard forward and back, both to match the distance of your chair and to stash the tray away when not needed.
- Knobs: Knobs are the most common methods for adjusting the tray. Most have knobs for the height and one or more angles.
- Lift-and-lock: This system replaces the height knob with the ability to, well, lift and lock the tray where you want it. It still uses knobs for angle adjustments.
- Sit/stand: This is a special adjustment that lets you radically change the height for use while sitting or standing. These trays don’t come cheap.
Wrist support
Better keyboard trays offer padding stuffed with foam or gels for you to rest your wrists on when not typing. Keep in mind that it may get in the way if your keyboard already has wrist support.
How much you can expect to spend on a keyboard tray
Keyboard trays typically cost $20-$300. Basic options typically cost $30 or less while midrange models go for roughly $50-$100. The best, and especially most adjustable, trays can cost up to $300.
Keyboard tray FAQ
Why should I use a keyboard tray?
A. The most common reason for using a keyboard tray is to fix the kinds of pain caused by having your body placed in an unnatural position for extended periods of time. By placing the keyboard below your desk, you’re able to keep your elbows at 90 degrees and your wrists straight. This can alleviate pain everywhere from your wrists up to your shoulders, and even help with inflammation.
How hard is it to install a keyboard tray?
A. That depends on the method of installation and how hard the initial assembly is. The easiest trays include the tools you need to assemble them and use twist knobs to tighten against the lip of the desk. The hardest trays use a sizable collection of pieces and parts and require you to drill holes into your desk.
What’s the best keyboard tray to buy?
Top keyboard tray
3M Easy Adjust Sit/Stand Keyboard Tray
What you need to know: This tray is packed with every feature you could want.
What you’ll love: It has an adjustable height and tilt — both with angle indicators — that make it workable for use while standing or sitting. A 23-inch track makes it easy to stow away, and the mouse pad and keyboard zones each have wrist rests.
What you should consider: It’s extremely expensive. A few consumers were unhappy with the mouse pad attachment. Others found the tray difficult to adjust.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Staples
Top keyboard tray for the money
Fellowes Office Suites Underdesk Keyboard Drawer
What you need to know: It’s surprisingly comfortable and adjustable for its low cost.
What you’ll love: It can adjust to three heights, and the mouse area can be placed on the left or right side of the tray, or even kept underneath the tray if not needed. The tray can be pushed underneath the desk for storage.
What you should consider: A few customers found it difficult to install. The mouse area is lower than the keyboard tray, which takes some getting used to.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Staples
Worth checking out
Stand Steady Easy Clamp-On Keyboard Tray
What you need to know: This is good if you don’t want to put holes in your desk or if you move between the office and home.
What you’ll love: Instead of using mounting brackets and screws, this tray uses twist knobs that tighten against the underside of the desk — this means you can attach and detach in a minute or two. It’s also completely flat and extra-wide, big enough for a keyboard, mouse and even a small notepad.
What you should consider: The twist knobs aren’t nearly as stable as screw-in trays are. Its height and angle aren’t adjustable. Some minor assembly is still required.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://cw33.com/reviews/br/electronics-br/computer-accessories-peripherals-br/best-keyboard-tray/ | 2022-05-27T01:49:42Z |
VANCOUVER, BC, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Virginia Graham, the key witness for Vincent Bugliosi against Charles Manson in the infamous Tate/LaBianca "Helter Skelter" murders that terrorized Los Angeles in 1969, has died. She passed away at age 89 of natural causes on April 17, 2022, at her residence in Phoenix, AZ, surrounded by friends.
Virginia's autobiography Manson, Sinatra and Me details her life as a Hollywood party girl and her encounters with former politicians and celebrities, including Frank Sinatra.
When Virginia found herself in trouble with the law, she ended up in jail. While there she met Susan Atkins, her cellmate, who confessed to Virginia about how she had butchered Sharon Tate and her unborn child. Atkins also told how she and her friends, all members of the Manson Family, were involved in what has become known as the Tate/LaBianca murders.
In her memoir Virginia revealed the true story behind Susan Atkins' prison confession about the Manson Murders, what led to her becoming a key witness for District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi in the Helter Skelter case, and that she went into hiding after the trial ended due to death threats against her life by Manson's followers. Virginia's testimony helped save the lives of many Hollywood celebrities, and she received recognition from Elizabeth Taylor for doing so.
The late Vincent Bugliosi wrote, "Virginia Graham had a heck of a run in her life as a party girl, and has told of her rollicking story very well in this poignant and sometimes very funny memoir of hers. She also happened to be a star witness of mine in helping me bring the Manson Family killers to justice, something for which I will always be very grateful to her."
Virginia Graham was born Virginia Kathleen Browne on Dec. 10, 1932, in Philadelphia, PA, to her parents William and Naomi Browne. Virginia's death was confirmed by her Publisher, Paul Rabinovitch, of CCB Publishing.
After Virginia went into hiding she later was a salon owner and managed a gallery in Hawaii where she sold celebrity art before she retired in Phoenix, AZ. She also rescued many cats and dogs throughout her life. Donations in her memory may be made to the Jerome Humane Society in Jerome, AZ. Virginia is survived by two sons.
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SOURCE CCB Publishing | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/virginia-graham-key-witness-vincent-bugliosi-against-charles-manson-dies/ | 2022-06-29T09:14:56Z |
(NerdWallet)- Inflation is a nightmare for the many Americans who already stretch their dollars to cover basic needs. What happens when these dollars lose value?
Their choice is probably not about whether to cut streaming services or opt for store-brand groceries. Instead, they may have to pick between buying enough food and paying rent.
The families hit hardest by inflation typically have little in savings and other resources. And that lack of access to wealth can be rooted in a history of inequality, says Phuong Luong, a Massachusetts-based certified financial planner and founder of Just Wealth, a financial education and consulting firm.
For example, say generations of your family have been underpaid or limited in where they can live, due in part to racist policies. Then inflation causes everything to become more expensive.
You may have to scrape together cash to support not just yourself, but also family or community members. Perhaps you have to spend money and time traveling across town to the grocery store or doctor’s office.
“Your proximity to people with resources and people with wealth is going to be different depending on where you live and who you are,” Luong says. “There’s a larger context than just expenses and budgeting.”
Whatever context describes your situation, here’s how to combat inflation if money is already tight.
Prioritize essentials
Aim to pay for expenses that enable you to live safely: housing (mortgage or rent), utilities and food. Also try to cover costs that help you work, such as transportation, cell phone and child care.
Next-level priorities are those that trigger major consequences if you don’t pay: taxes, child support and insurance.
For credit cards, aim to pay your minimum at least, because you may need that credit access.
Tap local resources
If you’re struggling to pay bills, find support. Luong suggests Findhelp.org, which lists local programs designed to cut costs across many categories.
Calling 211 or visiting 211.org can also help you find assistance related to housing, health, food and emergency costs.
Pick up the phone
You may also save money by calling credit card and insurance companies, lenders, banks, cell phone providers and other businesses you pay.
With the pandemic affecting so many consumers, these companies “are a little more empathetic than they have been,” says Emlen Miles-Mattingly, co-founder of Onyx Advisor Network, a Sacramento, California-based support platform for underrepresented financial advisors.
They may pause or lower payments, for example, or forgive overdue bills. Or they could lower your interest rate.
But you have to ask. And often a patient phone call with customer service yields quicker, more effective results than an email or online form.
Connect with your community
To overcome financial struggles, “community is going to be major,” says Dasha Kennedy, Atlanta-based financial activist and founder of The Broke Black Girl Facebook community.
Leaning on — or supporting — your family members, friends and neighbors can take many forms. For example, Kennedy points out how temporarily living with others can lower housing expenses. Or you can pool resources by sharing a vehicle or splitting a large expense.
To connect with supportive locals you’ve yet to meet, look to libraries, religious organizations and recreation centers. Or use virtual platforms like Facebook and Nextdoor.
In these in-person and online spaces, you may find free or inexpensive goods and services. Maybe someone will give away secondhand clothes or walk your dog while you work.
Or seek guidance. Your neighbors may point you toward free, nearby health resources, for example, or describe what’s helped them stretch their money.
Profit from your skills
Of course, making more money helps, too. If you’re already working, Kennedy recommends first trying to increase earnings through your employer. Consider working overtime or negotiating raises and role changes, she says.
Or explore side work — with caution. Plenty of online gigs could waste your time, take your money or misuse your personal information.
“It’s high time for frauds and scams,” Kennedy says. Trust your gut, and read reviews. Also check the Federal Trade Commission and Better Business Bureau websites for tips to avoid scams.
The most effective way to make money? “Monetize skills you already have,” Kennedy says. These could include anything from cleaning and organizing to writing and designing.
Assuming you start without clients, she suggests tapping your community once again.
“You may not have the time to build trust and reputation, so you’re going to have to rely on personal relationships,” she says. Ask friends, neighbors and family members to promote and vouch for you.
Mind your mental health
Money struggles are exhausting. So regularly “connect with yourself,” Miles-Mattingly says. Identify what makes you feel better, whether it’s walking outside, calling a friend, meditating or reading.
If time is tight, make your activity quick, and consider Miles-Mattingly’s point: “People, when stressed, don’t have the best decision-making abilities.” And hard times mean hard decisions. It pays to feel centered before negotiating a lower bill or agreeing to a side job.
To avoid feeling overwhelmed during times of financial stress, Kennedy tries not to overthink the unpredictable future. Instead, she suggests “focusing on getting through the day.” | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/what-if-you-cant-out-budget-inflation/ | 2022-07-17T17:28:52Z |
EcoBuggy provides longer, safer, all-natural protection.
FREEHOLD, N.J., June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Independence Day weekend is the kick-off to summer, and millions of Americans will be celebrating the holiday with family and friends. Nearly 50 percent of Americans are more concerned about mosquitoes and ticks this season than ever before, based on a survey conducted by EcoBuggy®.
More than 60 percent of survey respondents said mosquitoes are what they dislike most about summer followed by mowing the lawn at 31 percent and getting tan lines at 24 percent.
Not only are mosquitoes disliked, they are also the most feared bug, according to 45 percent of survey respondents, followed by flies at 17 percent, wasps at 14 percent and bumble bees at 14 percent.
According to the survey, 90 percent of consumers who are seeking protection from mosquitoes are most concerned with the finding an all-natural, long-lasting, plant-based repellent.
EcoBuggy is a breakthrough natural, 100 percent plant-based mosquito and tick repellent that provides up to six hours of continuous protection – up to three times longer than many other mosquito repellents. It is developed with 100 percent plant-based ingredients, and does not contain DEET or Picaridin, making it safe for fabrics, pets, children and the environment.
EcoBuggy uses hydrogel-time-release™ (HTR) Technology – a scientific breakthrough that enhances nature's own protective elements, gradually releasing the active ingredients over time, ensuring long-lasting performance. EcoBuggy is dermatologist tested and approved.
"EcoBuggy is the only repellent on the market that offers longer, safer, all-natural protection and allows you to enjoy the outdoors without compromise," said Calvin Johnston, Chief Executive Officer, EcoBuggy. "As families gather to celebrate Independence Day, it's a perfect time to try EcoBuggy. We also offer a money back guarantee. That's 100 percent peace of mind. And no compromise."
EcoBuggy is available as a repellent spray in the Mosquito Family Formula, lasting up to three hours, or Mosquito Max formula, lasting up to six hours. Both products provide up to eight hours of tick repellency. EcoBuggy also offers Bed Bug Killer Spray and Bed Bug Traps. The products retail from $9.99 to $24.99, and are available nationwide at EcoBuggy.com. EcoBuggy is sourced and manufactured in the U.S. The packaging is domestically sourced and recyclable.
EcoBuggy provides Longer, Safer, All-Natural Protection. EcoBuggy is 100 percent plant-based, and uses HTR™ patent-pending technology. It is sourced and manufactured in the U.S. EcoBuggy is owned by VCM Products, a leading pest repellent manufacturer and wholesaler that owns Grandpa Gus's™ and BuggyBeds® — sold nationally at major retailers and online. The company is headquartered in Freehold, N.J., was founded in 2011, and featured in a 2012 episode of "Shark Tank."
About the survey: Nationally representative of U.S., adults 18+, n=500, margin of error is +/- 4 points at 95%
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SOURCE EcoBuggy | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/27/mosquitoes-are-most-feared-bug-summer-according-ecobuggy/ | 2022-06-27T11:36:02Z |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule said backup quarterback Sam Darnold and kicker Zane Gonzalez both suffered “significant” injuries in the 21-0 win over the Buffalo Bills on Friday night.
Darnold has a high ankle sprain, which is normally a four-to-six week injury. But Rhule said doctors haven’t determined how much time he’ll miss, adding that putting him on short-term injured reserve is a possibility.
The Panthers will enter the season with Baker Mayfield as their starter and P.J. Walker as his backup.
“We’re not sure of the exact length of that injury,” Rhule said Saturday on a videoconference call. “We sent those images to a specialist to gauge it, but it does look like a significant injury that could take some time.”
Gonzalez’s injury appears even worse, and there is a possibility it could be season-ending. He will see a specialist to determine the degree of injury.
Rhule wouldn’t specify what Gonzalez did to his groin while practicing kicks into the net on the sideline. But he said the Panthers will be looking to sign a kicker before the Sept. 11 regular-season opener against the Cleveland Browns.
“We are bringing guys in and figuring out our options,” Rhule said.
Gonzalez finished last season 20 of 22 on field goals after joining the Panthers in Week 2 of the regular season and making 22 of 23 extra points. The Panthers re-signed Gonzalez to a two-year, $4.5 million contract after he made his final 17 field goals last season.
Rhule said fullback Gio Ricci was getting an MRI on his groin, but said it doesn’t appear to be as significant as the injuries to Darnold and Gonzalez. Tight end Ian Thomas and center Bradley Bozeman are expected to return from injuries next week and play in the season opener against the Browns.
___
More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/ap-panthers-darnold-gonzalez-sustain-significant-injuries/ | 2022-08-28T18:49:50Z |
Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts launches new study on blended travel, accelerating plans to build 107 hotels in the next three years and renovate 50 percent of its existing estate globally.
- As competition for talent intensifies, a new study from Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts reveals that Millennial (65%) and Gen Z (59%) consumers are more inclined to work for a company that offers frequent travel or flexible (work + leisure) travel possibilities as a perk
- Today's consumer (54%) believes flexibility in working hours is just as important as a high salary (56%) or a four-day work week (36%)
- The brand's 'Blended Travel' white paper says that four in five business executives worry that, unless they increase business travel, their professional (80%) and personal lives (80%) will suffer*
ATLANTA, July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With the arrival of the first peak travel season since the beginning of the pandemic, a new survey commissioned by Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts - part of IHG Hotels & Resorts and one of the world's largest premium hotel brands - which polled over 1,200 US consumers, reveals Millennials (25 to 44 years old) (65%) and Gen Z (18 to 24 years old) (59%) consumers are more inclined to work for a company that offers frequent travel or flexible (work + leisure) blended travel possibilities as a perk.
As many US businesses struggle to find and retain workers, employees are in a stronger bargaining position. Employers looking to retain or attract talent must act to harness this increased desire for blended travel as, despite the cost-of-living crisis, YouGov research reveals that today's consumer views flexibility in working hours as equal importance when choosing where to work (54%), to high salary (56%).
The evolution of remote work, as a result of the pandemic, combined with the renewed ability to connect in person is adding to this trend and speeding up Crowne Plaza's plans for further hotel openings to keep up with demand. The brand looks to extend its stronghold, building 107 new hotels (27,342 rooms) in the next three years alongside renovating 50% of its existing portfolio consisting of over 400 hotels.
Of those surveyed by YouGov, 31% believe that combining work travel and leisure would allow them to progress further in their career and also 39% said that it would increase their happiness levels. Meanwhile, the brand's 'Blended Travel' white paper says four in five* business executives worry that, unless they increase business travel, their professional (80%) and personal lives (80%) will suffer.
The survey reveals that 35% of US consumers believe that it would be beneficial to them, and allow them greater flexibility, to combine work with a leisure trip abroad. Nearly two-fifths (36%) would add on average two to three more leisure days on to future business trips and feel a bit to more confident in traveling this summer if their holiday was blended into a work trip.
Top reasons for wanting to travel for work amongst consumers include to discover new places, countries, and cultures (48%). Crowne Plaza has reported an uplift in business travel stays at its hotels, with leading hotels for combined travel and work being Crowne Plaza HY36 Midtown Manhattan, Crowne Plaza North Augusta, Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia, Crowne Plaza Phoenix – Chandler Golf Resort, and Crowne Plaza Asheville.
'As US employers struggle to fill vacancies, there is pressure on them to attract and retain the best talent. We've been playing in this space for many years, and we closely monitored evolving work and leisure trends. The shift since the pandemic has accelerated dramatically. Across our hotels and resorts, we've seen an uplift in those who blend work travel with leisure, and with 107 new hotels in the pipeline during the next three years, Crowne Plaza has already laid the groundwork by creating spaces and a service style that are specifically catering to these desires. People want in-person connections, and they also want the space to satisfy demands outside of the traditional 9-5 to enhance their well-being,' said Ginger Taggart, Vice President, Brand Management, Global Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts.
To explore the changing needs of its guests in relation to the uplift in demand for combined work and leisure travel, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts and one of the world's largest premium hotel brands, has launched the first 'Blended Travel' white paper by a hospitality brand: The Future of Blended Travel.
The 'Blended Travel' white paper, developed in partnership with global trends and insights business, Stylus, identifies four emerging sub-trends that speak to guest's evolving needs:
Travel for both leisure and work are back – but it's different now. Guests of Crowne Plaza are rediscovering what's special about the brand: it's the only premium hotel offering with purposefully designed service and spaces which lend themselves to a blended lifestyle. From Plaza Workspace, a grouping of work and relaxation areas including the private, creative Studio zones that enable guests to work, eat and play, to the signature bar, providing a dynamic environment to socialize, work, and relax, Crowne Plaza's design is purposely built to promote connections and encourage informal gatherings. The brand's perfectly balanced and patented WorkLife Room offers a combination of comfort, connectivity and flexibility with distinct zones that maximize space for work, relaxation and sleep.
With premium hotels currently based in more than 409 locations in city, airport, leisure & suburban destinations, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts has properties spanning across 63 countries - everywhere the modern business traveler wants to stay for blended travel to recharge and refuel.
Images: https://bit.ly/3bX5lqq
* About the Whitepaper Research
Crowne Plaza Blended Travel survey, targeting 3,000 IHG One Rewards members, conducted February 2022.
About YouGov data
The research was conducted by research company YouGov between 1st – 4th July 2022 with a sample of 1281 adults in the US. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18+).
About IHG Hotels & Resorts
IHG Hotels & Resorts (LON: IHG) (NYSE: IHG) (ADRs) is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.
With a family of 17 hotel brands and IHG One Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in over 100 countries, and more than 1,800 in the development pipeline.
- Luxury & Lifestyle: Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo
- Premium: voco hotels, HUALUXE Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, EVEN Hotels
- Essentials: Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, avid hotels
- Suites: Atwell Suites, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Candlewood Suites
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales.
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1858456/Crowne_Plaza_Hotels_and_Resorts.jpg
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SOURCE Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/crowne-plaza-hotels-amp-resorts-launches-new-study-blended-travel-pressure-is-employers-adopt-flexible-working-conditions-blended-travel-attract-retain-talent/ | 2022-07-13T15:35:12Z |
BERLIN (AP) — The German government confirmed Friday that families of 11 Israeli athletes killed by Palestinian militants at the 1972 Munich Olympics will receive a total of 28 million euros (dollars) in compensation.
The figure — which includes payments already made — had previously been reported by German and Israeli media but not officially communicated by the government.
It’s a significant increase from the initial 10 million-euro offer to the families ahead of the 50th anniversary of the attack, which will be commemorated on Monday.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz “is very glad about the agreement achieved with the families of the victims,” government spokesman Steffen Hebesteit told reporters in Berlin.
“Germany is emphasizing its responsibility for the mistakes that were made there in 1972, but also in the decades that followed,” he added.
As part of an agreement with the families, Germany has agreed to acknowledge failures that authorities made at the time and to allow German and Israeli historians to review the events surrounding the attack.
Members of the Palestinian group Black September broke into the Olympic Village, killed two athletes from Israel’s national team and took nine more hostage on Sept. 5, 1972. The attackers hoped to force the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel as well as two left-wing extremists in West German jails.
All nine hostages and a West German police officer died during a rescue attempt by German forces. Relatives of the athletes accuse Germany of failing to secure the Olympic Village, refusing Israeli help and then botching the rescue operation.
Immediately after the attack, Germany made payments to relatives of the victims amounting to about 4.19 million marks (about 2 million euros or dollars), according to the country’s interior ministry. In 2002, the surviving relatives received an additional 3 million euros, Germany’s dpa news agency reported.
Asked whether Germany would welcome an apology for the attack from the current Palestinian leadership, Hebestreit said: “Yes, I would.”
He said the issue was not discussed at a recent meeting in Berlin with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who dismissed questions about a possible apology and accused Israel of committing “50 Holocausts” against Palestinians, sparking outrage in Germany and beyond. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/ap-germany-confirms-28m-settlement-with-munich-attack-families/ | 2022-09-03T02:53:51Z |
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- Two Central Texas men charged in Bell online sting
- UPDATE: Temple Police apprehend two juveniles and a man in armed robbery | https://www.tdtnews.com/news/business/article_c6b4bf46-1e76-11ed-aabc-0399bc3e407e.html | 2022-08-18T01:14:53Z |
BCBS of MN's Anti-Competitive Actions Risk Minnesotans' Lives During Pandemic By Creating Illegal Barriers To COVID-19 Testing
MINNEAPOLIS, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GS Labs, a leading provider of COVID-19 rapid tests in Minnesota and across the nation has filed new counterclaims in the company's ongoing legal battle against multi-billion-dollar insurance giant Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota.
The June 29th filing in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota flatly denies all prior allegations made by BCBS of Minnesota against GS Labs. GS Labs has also alleged 21 counterclaims against BCBS of Minnesota detailing a scheme to harm competition in violation of the federal antitrust laws, resulting in COVID testing shortages in Minnesota, by conspiring with other Blue insurance companies in a cartel to fix prices and illegally boycott quality testing labs. The countercomplaint also sets forth factual allegations showing that BCBS of Minnesota committed consumer fraud by misleading Minnesotans in need of COVID testing, tortiously interfered with GS Labs' business relationships, and violated the CARES Act by refusing to reimburse GS Labs for thousands of COVID tests for its insureds.
In October 2020, BCBS of Minnesota and its affiliate Blues agreed to pay $2.67 billion to settle a class action alleging collusion among the Blue affiliates in violation of federal antitrust laws. That settlement agreement included operational changes meant to enhance competition among Blue insurers. However, BCBS of Minnesota's conduct raises new concerns that it and its sisters Blues continue to engage in anticompetitive behavior.
"Throughout the pandemic, GS Labs has been there to provide fast and accurate testing for more than 300,000 Minnesotans," said Jen Rae Wang, a representative for the company. "While insurance companies across the U.S. have paid GS Labs for these services, BCBS of Minnesota has colluded with other Blues to suppress testing, boycott GS Labs, and price-fix across the state and the nation. That anti-competitive act of greed has made it harder for residents to get critical medical information and has dangerously impacted public health."
The filling alleges that BCBS of Minnesota, "joined forces with other BCBS affiliates to exchange competitively sensitive information and fix the purchase price of COVID-19 diagnostic testing services at unsustainable cut-rates, and to boycott providers like GS Labs that do not accede to the BCBS cartel's fiat prices." The countersuit additionally details how the Blues worked together through the BCBS Association and their joint participation in the American Health Insurance Plans ("AHIP"), a national trade association for health insurance companies which counts among its Board of Directors eight members who are senior executives of BCBS affiliates.
The filing describes BCBS's, "concerted and willful actions to exclude and suppress output and reduce the quality of testing capacity by fixing prices, engaging in a boycott to withhold reimbursement, and spreading disinformation to steer subscribers away from GS Labs takes Minnesota in the opposite direction, harming competition, consumers, and GS Labs in the process. In other words, the reason for the long lines and broken testing regime is Blue Cross."
"The countersuit demonstrates Blue Cross and Blue Shield's greed and deception amidst a massive public health emergency," said Wang. "BCBS of Minnesota has violated the law, deceived Minnesota residents, and banded together with other Blues to spike profits and suppress testing capacity at the expense of their members and the public's health. These disgraceful, unethical and illegal actions should never be tolerated."
David Leibowitz, a GS Labs spokesperson, also highlighted an irony regarding BCBS' original lawsuit against GS Labs: On the very day that BCBS of Minnesota sued GS Labs for fraud and abuse, it also extended an invitation to GS Labs to become an in-network participating provider.
"Only a mega-billion-dollar insurance company would sue for fraud a legitimate testing business that's helped over one million people with life-saving medical information, then in the same breath ask that provider to become an in-network partner," said Leibowitz. "Apparently, BCBS of Minnesota would have been all too happy to work with GS Labs, but only at cut-rate price that would have bankrupted the provider while the insurance company got fatter and happier."
The CARES Act makes clear that insurance carriers must pay for COVID-19 testing for insured members. Section 3202(a) states: "If the health plan or issuer does not have a negotiated rate with such provider, such plan or issuer shall reimburse the provider in an amount that equals the cash price for such service as listed by the provider on a public internet website, or such plan or issuer may negotiate a rate with such provider for less than such cash price."
GS Labs is seeking full payment for unpaid bills that currently total tens of millions of dollars, plus legal fees, investigative fees and compensation for lost goodwill. The company also seeks three times the actual damages for each of Blue Cross' antitrust violations, together with costs and disbursements, including reasonable attorneys' fees, compensatory damages, interest and legal fees.
"The BCBS buyers' cartel for COVID-19 diagnostic testing has obtained its intended and predictable effect: namely, depressed reimbursements rates for COVID-19 diagnostic services provided by GS Labs have boosted Blue Cross' profits," the counterclaim explains. "The victims of this scam, however, are the suppliers of the testing who stood ready to provide additional output in order to alleviate national shortage, as well the pubic and patients who suffered severe documented testing shortages."
GS Labs began offering COVID-19 rapid tests in October 2020. Many communities directly requested assistance from GS Labs, due to a lack of testing resources. By keeping testing centers open 12 hours a day during the height of the pandemic – and paying above-market salaries to hire experienced registered nurses and other medical professionals – GS Labs to date has safely and effectively tested more than 1.3 million Americans.
# # #
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SOURCE GS Labs | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/gs-labs-countersues-blue-cross-blue-shield-minnesota-federal-court-filing-accuses-insurer-antitrust-violations-conspiring-with-cartel-bcbs-affiliates-violating-cares-act-false-advertising-consumer-fraud/ | 2022-06-29T22:58:57Z |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. split from Great Britain is history, but the monarchy still has a hold on its former colony’s heart.
Two specials about Queen Elizabeth II and the celebration of her 70th year on the throne broke into last week’s top 20 highest-rated programs in prime time, according to Nielsen figures out Tuesday.
ABC’s “Party at the Palace,” a star-laden concert that included Elton John, Diana Ross and Queen with Adam Lambert, ranked No. 15. The CBS News documentary “Her Majesty the Queen,” hosted by Gayle King, came in at No. 18.
A skit of the queen taking tea with an animated Paddington Bear charmed the throng of spectators at the Platinum Jubilee pop concert outside Buckingham Palace. The pre-taped video also proved widely irresistible online.
The first two games of the Golden State Warriors-Boston Celtics NBA finals topped the ratings, but viewers also had time for a special prime-time episode of “The Price Is Right” honoring first responders.
Powered by basketball, ABC led the week in prime time, averaging 4.4 million viewers. CBS had 3.1 million, NBC had 2.5 million, Fox had 1.5 million, Univision had 1.3 million, Telemundo had 890,000 and Ion Television had 870,000.
ABC’s “World News Tonight” won the evening news competition with an average of 7.2 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” had 6.1 million and the “CBS Evening News” tallied 4.3 million.
The weekly cable network averages were not available Tuesday.
For the week of May 30 to June 5, the 20 most-watched shows, their networks and viewerships:
1. NBA Finals Game 2: Boston at Golden State (Sunday), ABC, 11.9 million.
2. NBA Finals Game 1: Boston at Golden State, (Thursday), ABC, 11.4 million.
3. “60 Minutes Presents,” CBS, 6.8 million.
4. “America’s Got Talent, (Tuesday)” NBC, 6.3 million.
5. NBA Finals Post-Game 2, ABC, 6.27 million.
6. “FBI,” CBS, 4 million.
7. “The Price is Right,” CBS, 3.98 million.
8. “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 3.9 million.
9. NBC Countdown Game 1, ABC, 3.8 million.
10. “Equalizer,” CBS, 3.6 million.
11. “Let’s Make a Deal,” CBS, 3.5 million.
12. “FBI: International,” CBS, 3.45 million.
13. “20-20 (Friday),” ABC, 3.44 million.
14. “Party at the Palace,” ABC, 3.44 million.
15. “FBI: Most Wanted,” CBS, 3.4 million.
16. “NCIS,” CBS, 3.2 million.
17. “Chicago Fire,” NBC, 3.14 million.
18. “Her Majesty the Queen,” CBS, 3.13 million.
19. “United States of Al,” CBS, 3.12 million.
20. “Jimmy Kimmel Live: NBA Finals Game Night,” ABC, 3.11 million. | https://cw33.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/queen-elizabeths-jubilee-celebration-takes-a-ratings-bow/ | 2022-06-08T17:30:52Z |
StoneX Digital continues StoneX's expansion into the digital assets class
NEW YORK, June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- StoneX Group Inc. ("StoneX"), a diversified global financial services firm providing execution, risk management and advisory services, market intelligence, and clearing services across multiple asset classes and markets around the world, today announced the launch of StoneX Digital LLC ("StoneX Digital"), a subsidiary dedicated to providing institutional clients with access to multiple products and services for digital assets. Brian Mulcahy, who joined StoneX in 2021 as Managing Director of Multi-Asset Business Development, will lead the StoneX Digital entity.
StoneX Digital seeks to provide clients the flexibility and tools to interact with markets on their terms and enable them to trade and custody cryptocurrencies. StoneX Digital's path for innovative expansion is expected to include a scope of products and services for multi-asset coverage, staking, margin, and cross-asset lending. This new product offering further enhances StoneX's ability to connect clients to the global financial markets and offer a broad array of financial products and institutional-grade platforms.
Brian Mulcahy, Head of StoneX Digital, commented on the news, "StoneX is committed to providing our clients access to a wide array of markets, diverse asset classes, and the tools necessary to interact with those markets effectively. We are thrilled that StoneX Digital will give institutional investors the ability to execute and custody cryptocurrencies just as they would any other asset class, with a company that has the resources and a client-first approach to help them achieve their goals. As our clients' needs change in this developing market, StoneX Digital will continue to strive to meet those needs with innovative products and services."
The establishment of StoneX Digital comes shortly after StoneX's registered swap dealer, StoneX Markets LLC, executed its first BTC-Cash Settled Swap on behalf of one of its longtime institutional clients. It is the next step for StoneX Group Inc. as it seeks, through its subsidiaries, to offer its commercial, institutional, and retail clients a comparable level of access to digital asset markets as they have to other asset classes through StoneX.
Mr. Mulcahy concluded, "StoneX has worked hard to create an environment where our clients have stable and reliable access to a wide variety of asset classes. We will bring that same ethos to the digital asset space as we work to provide our customers with the tools they need to thrive in today's markets."
About StoneX Group Inc.
StoneX Group Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates a global financial services network that connects companies, organizations, traders, and investors to the global market ecosystem through a unique blend of digital platforms, end-to-end clearing and execution services, high touch service and deep expertise. The Company strives to be the one trusted partner to its clients, providing its network, product, and services to allow them to pursue trading opportunities, manage their market risks, make investments and improve their business performance. A Fortune-500 company headquartered in New York City and listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (NASDAQ:SNEX), StoneX Group Inc. and its approximately 3,300 employees serve more than 52,000 commercial, institutional, and global payments clients, and more than 370,000 retail accounts, from more than 40 offices spread across five continents.
For further information about StoneX, please visit: https://www.stonex.com/
Media Contact
Jay A. Morakis
M Group Strategic Communications (for StoneX Group Inc.)
+1 646 859 5951
jmorakis@mgroupsc.com
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SOURCE StoneX Group Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/stonex-group-launches-stonex-digital-llc/ | 2022-06-08T13:14:02Z |
Record revenue of $40.5 million increased 30% over Q2 2021, with organic revenue growth of 44% and biopreservation media revenue growth of 46%
Updating 2022 revenue guidance to $160 million to $166 million, reflecting year-over-year growth of 34% to 39% and higher organic growth expectations of 37% to 43%
Sequential improvement in adjusted gross margin; on track for continued improvement in 2022
Positive adjusted EBITDA in Q2 2022 of $1.5 million
BOTHELL, Wash., Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BioLife Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLFS) ("BioLife" or the "Company"), a leading developer and supplier of class-defining bioproduction products and services for the cell and gene therapies ("CGT") and the broader biopharma markets, today announced financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022.
Mike Rice, Chairman and CEO, commented, "Our team delivered another quarter of very strong business performance, with substantial revenue growth, and, importantly, sequential gross margin and adjusted EBITDA improvements as we continued to address operational issues with our ultra-low temperature ("ULT") freezer product line."
"Our high margin biopreservation media line continues to deliver exceptional growth, with the second quarter being another quarter of 40%+ year over year growth. As we move past ULT freezer issues, we are now recognizing a non-cash impairment charge against these assets. This adjustment does not limit our view of the unique differentiation of the technology that will be a catalyst for growth with innovative ULT freezer product launches in 2023."
Troy Wichterman, CFO, added, "The second quarter of 2022 was noteworthy for continued strong growth performance alongside significant fundamental improvements and operational progress in our ULT freezer business. Demand for our portfolio is strong, as evidenced by record revenue, strong organic growth, improved gross margin and positive $1.5mm in adjusted EBITDA this quarter, compared to negative $814,000 for the first quarter of 2022. As such, we are tightening our full year 2022 full year revenue guidance."
Operational Highlights
- For the second quarter of 2022, we gained 202 new direct customers sites including 17 now using biopreservation media, 10 using ThawSTAR® systems, 11 now using evo® cold chain management services, 10 now using CBS cryogenic freezers and accessories, 110 new sites now using Stirling ULT freezers and accessories, 30 now using SciSafe® biologic storage services and 14 now using Sexton cell processing products.
- For the second quarter of 2022, we processed 23 new U.S. FDA Drug Master File cross-reference requests, indicating the planned use of CryoStor® or HypoThermosol® in pending cell and gene therapy clinical trials. To date, our biopreservation media products have been used or are planned to be used in more than 550 customer clinical applications, including 10 approved cell and gene therapies, and in at least 10 additional therapies for which regulatory filings are expected to be submitted in 2022 and 2023. We estimate potential annual biopreservation media revenue per approved commercial application to range from $500,000 to $2 million.
- Use of evo cold chain by CGT end customers continued to increase in Q2 2022, with courier partner shipment volume up nearly 100% over Q2 2021. Our evo cold chain platform is currently used to store and transport two approved CAR T-cell therapies and we anticipate two additional global pharma companies will commence use of evo this year for the storage and shipment of an additional four approved CAR T-cell therapies. By mid-2023, we expect the evo platform will be used for all six currently approved CAR T-cell therapies. This adoption validates our belief that the evo platform will increasingly be selected as a class-defining temperature-controlled shipping container and related cloud app by the leading CGT companies.
- Biological storage services revenue increased significantly in Q2 2022 as we onboarded 30 new customers. We expect to commence construction and validation of a nearly 60,000 square foot US-based Center of Excellence Biorepository by the end of 2022 to meet anticipated demand for our high growth, highly profitable biologic storage services.
- ULT freezer quality continued to improve in Q2 2022 and product lead times were reduced from twelve weeks to less than two weeks despite continued supply chain disruptions.
Second Quarter and First Half 2022 Financial Results
BioLife Solutions is presenting various financial metrics under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and as adjusted (non-GAAP). A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP metrics appears at the end of this news release.
REVENUE
- Total revenue for the second quarter of 2022 was $40.5 million, an increase of 30% from $31.2 million for the second quarter of 2021, with organic revenue growth of 44%. COVID-19 related revenue accounted for approximately 9% of total revenue.
- Total revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was $76.8 million, an increase of 60% from $48.1 million for 2021, with organic revenue increase of 45%. COVID-19 related revenue accounted for approximately 9% of total revenue.
GROSS MARGIN
- Gross margin (GAAP) for the second quarter of 2022 was 33% compared with 39% for the second quarter of 2021. Adjusted gross margin (non-GAAP) for the second quarter of 2022 was 36% compared with 43% for the second quarter of 2021 and 33% in the first quarter of 2022.
- Gross margin (GAAP) for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was 31% compared with 43% for the six months ended 2021. Adjusted gross margin (non-GAAP) for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was 34% compared with 47% for the six months ended 2021.
- The decline in gross margin in both periods was primarily due to a shift in product mix after the acquisition of Global Cooling, Inc. (Stirling Ultracold), which has lower gross margin than the remainder of BioLife's portfolio. The sequential quarter improvement in GAAP and non-GAAP gross margin was primarily due to improvement on our ULT platform as well as favorable product mix.
OPERATING EXPENSE
- Operating expense (GAAP) for the second quarter of 2022 was $116.8 million compared with $35.8 million for the second quarter of 2021. Adjusted operating expense (non-GAAP) for the second quarter of 2022 was $20.0 million compared with $13.3 million for the second quarter 2021.
- Operating expense (GAAP) for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was $160.6 million compared with $53.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021. Adjusted operating expense (non-GAAP) for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was $39.8 million compared with $22.2 million for 2021.
- The increase in GAAP operating expense was primarily due to a non-cash impairment charge of $69.9 million related to the acquired intangible assets of Global Cooling, Inc. (Stirling Ultracold). Adjusted operating expenses (non-GAAP) increased due to the full period of ownership from the acquisition of Global Cooling, Inc. on May 3, 2021, and the acquisition of Sexton Biotechnologies, Inc. on September 1, 2021. In addition, operating expenses increased due to increased accounting costs related to becoming a Large Accelerated Filer and additional headcount to support our growth.
OPERATING INCOME/(LOSS)
- Operating loss (GAAP) for the second quarter of 2022 was $76.3 million compared with operating loss of $4.6 million for the second quarter of 2021. Adjusted operating loss (non-GAAP) for the second quarter of 2022 was $5.4 million compared with adjusted operating income of $65,000 for the second quarter of 2021.
- Operating loss (GAAP) for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was $83.9 million compared with operating loss of $5.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021. Adjusted operating loss (non-GAAP) for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was $13.4 million compared with adjusted operating income of $560,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2021.
NET INCOME/(LOSS)
- Net loss (GAAP) for the second quarter of 2022 was $72.6 million compared with net income of $7.9 million for the second quarter of 2021. Adjusted net loss (non-GAAP) for the second quarter of 2022 was $5.5 million compared with adjusted net loss of $56,000 for the second quarter of 2021.
- Net loss (GAAP) for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was $79.6 million compared with net income of $6.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021. Adjusted net loss (non-GAAP) for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was $13.5 million compared with adjusted net income of $422,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2021.
EARNINGS/(LOSS) PER SHARE
- Loss per share (GAAP) for the second quarter of 2022 was $1.71 compared with earnings per diluted share of $0.19 for the second quarter of 2021. The non-cash intangible impairment charge accounted for a $1.65 loss per share.
- Loss per share (GAAP) for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was $1.89 compared with earnings per diluted share of $0.17 for the six months ended June 30, 2021. The non-cash intangible impairment charge accounted for a $1.65 loss per share.
ADJUSTED EBITDA
- Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, for the second quarter of 2022 was $1.5 million compared with $3.7 million for the second quarter of 2021.
- Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was $679,000 compared with $6.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021.
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND MARKETABLE SECURITIES
- Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of June 30, 2022 were $46.6 million compared to $59.5 million as of March 31, 2022. The use of cash in the second quarter was primarily related to changes in working capital of $12.4 million, which includes a $7.0 million increase in accounts receivable and a $3.1 million increase in inventories. In addition, capital expenditures were $2.0 million in the second quarter of 2022, primarily related to build outs of our biorepository facilities.
2022 Revenue Guidance
Management is updating 2022 revenue guidance, which is based on expectations for our existing business.
Total revenue for 2022 is expected to range from $160 million to $166 million, reflecting year-over-year growth of 34% to 39% and organic growth of 37% to 43%. COVID-19 related revenue is expected to account for approximately 8% of total revenue.
Total revenue expectations for 2022 include the following platform contributions:
- Cell Processing platform: $67.0 million to $69.5 million, an increase of 49% to 55% over 2021 and organic growth of 42% to 47%. This includes biopreservation media and Sexton products.
- Freezers and Thaw Systems platform: $70.0 million to $71.5 million, an increase of 24% to 26% over 2021 and organic growth of 31% to 34%. COVID-19 related revenue is expected to account for less than 5% of the freezer and thaw systems platform revenue in 2022. This includes ThawStar thawing devices, cryogenic liquid nitrogen freezers and ULT Stirling freezers.
- Storage and Storage Services platform: $23.0 million to $25.0 million, a total and organic increase of 31% to 42% over 2021. COVID-19 related revenue is expected to account for approximately 41% to 45% of the storage and storage services platform revenue. COVID-19 related storage revenue is primarily generated from contracts, including contracts that extend beyond 2022.
Although the Company does not provide guidance below the revenue line, we expect positive 2022 full year adjusted EBITDA.
Conference Call & Webcast
Management will discuss the Company's financial results and provide a general business update on a conference call and live webcast today at 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT).
To access the webcast, log onto the Investor Relations page of the BioLife Solutions website at https://www.biolifesolutions.com/earnings. In addition, the conference call will be accessible by dialing toll-free (800) 715-9871 for domestic callers and (646) 307-1963 for international callers. The conference ID number is 2389359. A webcast replay will be available approximately two hours after the call and will be archived on https://www.biolifesolutions.com/ for 90 days.
About BioLife Solutions
BioLife Solutions is a leading supplier of class-defining bioproduction tools and services for the cell and gene therapy and broader biopharma markets. Our tools portfolio includes our proprietary CryoStor® and HypoThermosol® biopreservation media for shipping and storage, the ThawSTAR® family of automated, water-free thawing products, evo® cold chain management system, high capacity cryogenic storage freezers, Stirling Ultracold mechanical freezers, SciSafe biologic storage services, and Sexton Biotechnologies cell processing tools. For more information, please visit www.biolifesolutions.com, www.scisafe.com, www.stirlingultracold.com, or www.sextonbio.com and follow BioLife on Twitter.
Cautions Regarding Forward Looking Statements
Except for historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the expected financial performance of the Company following the completion of its 2019, 2020 and 2021 acquisitions and giving effect to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company's ability to implement its business strategy and anticipated business and operations, in particular following its recent acquisitions and the construction and validation of a center of excellence biorepository, the expected synergies between the Company and the companies and products that it has recently acquired, the Company's ability to realize all or any of the anticipated benefits associated with its recent acquisitions, the Company's ability to address and resolve ULT freezer issues, the potential utility of and market for the Company's products and services, including the adoption of evo cold chain services by all six currently approved CAR T-cell therapies, and the Company's ability to cross sell its products and services, guidance for financial results for 2022, including regarding revenue of its recently acquired products, and potential revenue growth and changes in gross margin, adjusted gross margin and adjusted EBITDA margin, and potential market expansion, including with consideration to our recent acquisitions and giving effect to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company's anticipated future growth strategy, including the acquisition of synergistic cell and gene therapy manufacturing tools and services or technologies, regulatory approvals and/or commercial manufacturing of our customers' products, and potential customer revenue. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including among other things, unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from our recent acquisitions, market adoption of the Company's products (including the Company's recently acquired products), the ability of our recent acquisitions to be accretive on the Company's financial results, the ability of the Company to continue to implement its business strategy, uncertainty regarding third-party market projections, market volatility, competition, litigation, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues, and those other factors described in our risk factors set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. We undertake no obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained herein or to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof, other than as may be required by applicable law.
Non-GAAP Measures of Financial Performance:
To supplement our financial statements, which are presented on the basis of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the following non-GAAP measures of financial performance are included in this release: adjusted gross profit and gross margin, adjusted operating expenses, adjusted operating income/(loss), adjusted net income/(loss), earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), and adjusted EBITDA. A reconciliation of GAAP to adjusted non-GAAP financial measures is included as an attachment to this press release. When analyzing the Company's operating results, investors should not consider non-GAAP measures as substitutes for the comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.
Media & Investor Relations
At the Company
Troy Wichterman
Chief Financial Officer
(425) 402-1400
twichterman@biolifesolutions.com
Investors
LHA Investor Relations
Jody Cain
(310) 691-7100
jcain@lhai.com
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SOURCE BioLife Solutions, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/biolife-solutions-reports-second-quarter-2022-financial-results-updates-full-year-2022-revenue-guidance/ | 2022-08-09T21:17:17Z |
Hackers stole $100 million, crypto company says
Published: Jun. 24, 2022 at 11:55 AM CDT|Updated: 14 minutes ago
(CNN) - Hackers have stolen $100 million from California-based cryptocurrency firm Harmony, the company said Thursday.
The thieves hit a “bridge,” a program that allows the transfer of cryptocurrency.
It’s unclear who’s behind the heist.
Harmony tweeted Thursday night that they’re “working around the clock” in their investigation alongside the FBI and multiple cyber security firms.
Harmony joins a long list of cryptocurrency firms that have been plundered by hackers for millions of dollars at a time.
A tracking firm said hackers have stolen over $1 billion from cryptocurrency bridges this year alone.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/06/24/hackers-stole-100-million-crypto-company-says/ | 2022-06-24T17:10:55Z |
Investigators find flies, rotting bodies at funeral home after family complaints
LOS ANGELES (KCAL) - Decaying bodies and remains not properly identified were what allegedly found at a California funeral home.
Even though there was a state investigation underway in 2020, the home was only shut down last year.
When a group of investigators arrived at the Mark B. Allen Mortuary in Sun Valley in April 2021, court documents state they noticed a swarm of flies circling the property.
And the odor of decomposing bodies was foul and overwhelmingly strong, according to investigators.
“When officials went to this location because of complaints from family members about the disposition of their loved one’s bodies, the odor from inside the facility was so great that officials could detect it outside,” said Mike Feuer, Los Angeles city attorney.
Feurer is running for mayor and announced that his office has filed 22 misdemeanor charges against the owner of the funeral home, Mark Bruce Allen.
“Each time an individual body wasn’t cared for properly, as we allege, there is a potential for one year in jail and thousands of dollars in fines,” Feurer said.
There are 11 deceased victims named in the complaint; at least one is a child under 10 years old.
The state’s Cemetery and Funeral Bureau reportedly first sent an inspector to the funeral home in July 2020 after family members claimed the mortuary wasn’t releasing the remains of their loved ones.
According to court documents, the inspector observed an “unpermitted, makeshift cold storage unit” that was 20 degrees warmer than the industry standard.
About seven months later, that same inspector went back and noticed the smell of rotting bodies.
But no action was taken against the funeral home for another two months when the state learned that police were also investigating.
At that point, the state determined that Allen “posed a serious and immediate threat to the public.”
His license was suspended in June 2021 and revoked a month later.
Allen has reportedly left the state as the state’s investigation continues.
Copyright 2022 KCAL via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/04/30/investigators-find-flies-rotting-bodies-funeral-home-after-family-complaints/ | 2022-05-01T08:32:30Z |
LOS ANGELES, June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Musick Peeler announced that three of its attorneys, Geoffrey Brethen, Gabriel Duarte, and Lisa Hsiao, are named to the 2022 edition of Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars for their exemplary legal talent.
To be featured in this selective list, which includes no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state, individuals are identified as the top, up-and-coming attorneys in each market who are either 40 years of age or under or who have been practicing law for ten or fewer years.
Geoffrey Brethen is a Partner in the firm's Costa Mesa office. He represents clients in commercial, labor and employment, trademark, financial, and real estate litigation matters.
Gabriel Duarte, a Partner in the firm's Ventura County office advises high-net-worth individuals and families on the planning and administration of multimillion-dollar trusts and estates by providing strategic counsel to preserve clients' legacies and honor their wishes on transferring wealth to the next generation.
Lisa Hsiao is a Partner in the firm's Orange County and Los Angeles offices. Hsiao is an experienced trial attorney and focuses her practice on transportation, product liability, premises liability, real estate and employment. She represents Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and individuals in tort-based litigation with an emphasis on products liability, business litigation and transportation law. She has obtained favorable results for her clients through early mediation, dispositive motions, pre-trial motions, and jury and court trials.
Selections are made by the research team at Super Lawyers, an affiliate of Thomson Reuters. The multi-phase selection process includes a statewide survey of lawyers, independent evaluation of candidates by the attorney-led research staff, and a peer review. For more information, visit superlawyers.com.
Founded in 1954, Musick Peeler has offices in five major commercial centers across California, with over 100 attorneys practicing in 16 disciplines. For more information, visit MusickPeeler.com.
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SOURCE Musick Peeler | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/musick-peeler-attorneys-named-2022-southern-california-rising-stars/ | 2022-06-08T18:13:09Z |
- First-in-human study of DISC-0974 establishes inhibition of hemojuvelin (HJV) co-receptor as a novel approach to target hepcidin, the master regulator of iron homeostasis
- Data demonstrate robust increases in serum iron and improvements in markers of erythropoiesis including statistically significant increases of hemoglobin at the highest dose
- Disc plans to initiate separate clinical studies in patients with myelofibrosis and in patients with non-dialysis dependent chronic kidney disease mid-2022
WATERTOWN, Mass., June 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Disc Medicine, a biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapeutic candidates for serious and debilitating hematologic diseases, today presented the results from its phase 1 clinical study of DISC-0974, a first-in-class, monoclonal antibody designed to suppress hepcidin production by inhibiting hemojuvelin (HJV), at the European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress being held in Vienna, Austria. The study data demonstrated robust increases in serum iron and markers of erythropoiesis, decreases in hepcidin levels, and that DISC-0974 was well-tolerated in healthy volunteers, consistent with the mechanism of action.
"We are very excited by the robust activity and encouraging initial safety profile of DISC-0974 observed in this study and which provide strong validation for our approach to targeting the hepcidin axis," said John Quisel, J.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer. "Having established clinical proof-of-mechanism, we intend to develop DISC-0974 across a wide range of anemias caused by elevated hepcidin, beginning with studies in patients with myelofibrosis and in patients with non-dialysis dependent chronic kidney disease, both of which we plan to initiate this year."
The phase 1 study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-ascending trial in healthy volunteers to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of DISC-0974. In the study, 34 healthy, adult subjects received either a single dose of DISC-0974 at escalating dose levels (7 mg IV, 14 mg SC, 28 mg SC, or 56 mg SC) or placebo. The study included endpoints to assess pharmacodynamic activity including serum hepcidin, serum iron and transferring saturation, ferritin levels, and measures of erythropoiesis.
Key data presented:
- Rapid, dose-dependent and sustained decrease in serum hepcidin and a corresponding, robust increase in measures of circulating iron, including more than a doubling of transferrin saturation from baseline at the highest dose level
- Changes in serum iron also corresponded with markers of iron mobilization and erythropoiesis, including decreased ferritin levels, increased reticulocyte hemoglobin, and increased mean corpuscular hemoglobin
- At the 56 mg SC dose level, a single administration of DISC-0974 resulted in a statistically significant improvement in hemoglobin compared to placebo (+1.1 g/dL, p=0.009) at Day 42 and a marked increase in red blood cell count
- DISC-0974 was well-tolerated at all dose levels with no serious or severe adverse events, no adverse events leading to study withdrawal, and no adverse event greater than Grade 1
- Plasma exposure was dose-related in the 14 to 56 mg SC range and effects were observed through 28 days post-dose, indicating a sustained and clinically meaningful duration of action
"Hepcidin has long been known as the master regulatory hormone of systemic iron homeostasis. However, despite its clear biological importance and role in driving anemia across a host of diseases, no agents that primarily target excess hepcidin have been successfully developed," said Elizabeta Nemeth, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Director of the UCLA Center for Iron Disorders. "The dramatic effects of DISC-0974 on iron and erythropoiesis in this study of healthy volunteers are encouraging and I look forward to following its progress in future clinical trials."
These data were presented at the European Hematology Association Annual Congress in Vienna and the poster is available on the EHA Congress platform at www.ehaweb.org.
About DISC-0974
DISC-0974 is an investigational, first-in-class monoclonal antibody designed to suppress hepcidin production by inhibiting the hemojuvelin (HJV) co-receptor, a highly selective and critical target of the hepcidin pathway with biological activity that has been validated by human genetic evidence. Hepcidin is the primary regulatory hormone of iron homeostasis and plays a central role by restricting iron absorption and preventing deployment from internal iron stores. DISC-0974 is currently being studied in a phase 1 clinical study of healthy volunteers and is being developed as a potential treatment for anemia of inflammation by suppressing hepcidin and enhancing iron availability for erythropoiesis.
DISC-0974 is an investigational therapy that is not approved for any use in any country. Disc obtained global rights to DISC-0974 and related molecules under a license agreement from AbbVie in October 2019.
About Disc Medicine
Disc Medicine is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is dedicated to transforming the lives of patients with hematologic disorders. We are building a portfolio of innovative, first-in-class therapeutic candidates that affect fundamental pathways of red blood cell biology. Disc Medicine is committed to developing treatments that empower and bring hope to the many patients who suffer from hematologic disease. For more information, please visit www.discmedicine.com.
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SOURCE Disc Medicine | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/10/disc-medicine-presents-positive-results-phase-1-clinical-study-disc-0974-healthy-volunteers-2022-eha-annual-congress/ | 2022-06-10T17:23:22Z |
NEW YORK, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for ROKU, BABA, CVX, PG, and NOC.
Click a link below then choose between in-depth options trade idea report or a stock score report.
Options Report – Ideal trade ideas on up to seven different options trading strategies. The report shows all vital aspects of each option trade idea for each stock.
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- ROKU: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=ROKU&prnumber=072920227
- BABA: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=BABA&prnumber=072920227
- CVX: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=CVX&prnumber=072920227
- PG: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=PG&prnumber=072920227
- NOC: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=NOC&prnumber=072920227
(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)
InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
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SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/29/thinking-about-trading-options-or-stock-roku-alibaba-chevron-procter-amp-gamble-or-northrop-grumman/ | 2022-07-29T15:58:36Z |
RIO DE JANEIRO, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Until 2019, Frank Hasset was VP of EU Data Center Infrastructure at Equinix (formerly IXEurope) for more than 20 years. In addition to being Advisor to Elea Digital, Frank is also board and advisory member to several successful data center projects around the world including Europe, Africa and Eastern Europe. Frank is currently working on a total 157MW of IT load construction projects.
Before joining Elea Digital, Crislaine Corradine was Head of Procurement in Equinix Latam, were she gained unparalleled continent-wide knowledge in technology, communications and data center infrastructure and services. Prior to her 10 years tenure at Equinix, Crislaine served the supply chain department of UOL Diveo (currently Scala Data Center).
Elea Digital continued effort to deepen market knowledge of its team follows the clear path that the solid foundation of its edge data center ecosystem is based on experienced and committed people.
Especially when expanding in its existing markets like Porto Alegre, Curitiba and Brasilia, all which sit just outside or at the edge of the São Paulo central cloud region, Elea leadership's foundation and belief is that digital infrastructure is best managed and operated by a team with experience and a successful track record.
Frank and Crislaine will help Elea Digital to deliver on time its current multi-city data center expansion and improvement projects, increasing standardization and automation of operational processes, as well as to support the company in its plan for further growth.
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SOURCE Elea Digital | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/elea-digital-announces-two-key-additions-its-executive-team-frank-hasset-will-be-senior-advisor-board-directors-crislaine-corradine-will-be-supply-chain-director/ | 2022-06-23T13:08:45Z |
(NEXSTAR) — In the week since pop music superstar Justin Bieber announced he has Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, a condition that occurs when a shingles outbreak affects facial nerves, the diagnosis has been co-opted by anti-vaccine advocates online.
Bieber, 28, said in an Instagram video last Friday that he was unable to move half of his face. The singer said he had to cancel his North American tour while getting treatment.
“It is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis,” said Bieber. “As you can see this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face; this nostril will not move. So there’s full paralysis on this side of my face.”
The condition is somewhat similar to the better-known Bell’s palsy, though Ramsay Hunt’s effects are more severe. In the wake of the announcement, several anti-vaccine personalities and social accounts have misattributed the cause of Bieber’s condition to the COVID-19 vaccine. Some had also attempted to tie vaccinations to a mini-stroke that Bieber’s wife Hailey Bieber suffered in March after a blood clot traveled to her brain.
One of the now-flagged-as-misinformation posts read: “Hailey Bieber had a blood clot in her brain. Justin Bieber now has Ramsey Hunt Syndrome. Both issues have been linked to [needle emoji]. The media thinks we are stupid but everyone knows.”
In addition to it being unknown whether or not the Biebers are vaccinated, a roster of medical experts have weighed in to debunk the fake social media rumors.
The Poynter Institute’s Politifact fact-checker discussed one of the reports being used to tout anti-vaccine claims online with one of its co-authors, University of Hong Kong professor Bernard Man Yung Cheung.
Some online have pointed to Cheung’s report as evidence of a link between Ramsay Hunt and COVID-19 vaccines, Poynter explains. But both Cheung and another co-author, Oscar Hou In Chou, say the report — which mentioned one 37 year-old man who developed RHS days after vaccination — doesn’t prove one caused the other. Rather, the report, published in January in the Postgraduate Medical Journal, elaborates that researchers considered that the vaccine could have triggered the syndrome based on timing.
No conclusive evidence is given in the report and both Cheung and Hou propose the vaccine could simply have lowered the man’s immunity to types of herpes viruses already present, causing re-activation of the dormant virus and triggering facial paralysis.
Both researchers say they firmly believe in vaccines.
Cheung told Poynter all vaccines come with risks of side effects, “some of which are frequent but harmless, and some of which are rare but harmful.”
Meanwhile, epidemiologist Dr. Katrine Wallace, of the University of Illinois at Chicago’s School of Public Health, took to TikTok to topple the unproven vaccination claims. Instead, @epidemiologistkat, as she’s known on the video site, says Bieber’s RHS actually serves as a reminder of why you should get vaccinated.
“I’m here to tell you that this problem is a perfect example of why vaccines are important. Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is basically the varicella virus that causes the chickenpox. It can lay dormant in your nervous system for decades and then remerge as shingles. And that is what happened to Justin Bieber. He’s got shingles in his ear and the nerves in his face that control the movement of his eye and his mouth. Vaccinating children for chickenpox will protect against shingles in children and later in their lives as adults… Go get your children vaccinated for chickenpox.”
Dr. Katrine Wallace
Wallace also reiterates that vaccines don’t cause shingles, either. It’s a fact supported by Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
“Shingles has rarely been reported post-vaccination, but has been reported post-COVID, post-influenza, post-rabies, post-hepatitis A and post-Japanese encephalitis vaccination,” Adalja told Poynter.
Is it fake news?
Cornell University Library has an entire section with resources on how to identify fake news, propaganda and misinformation.
Tips are:
- Does the statement or post include a link (or links) to credible sources for its claim? Do other credible news outlets you recognize by name report the same thing?
- Look for Unusual URLs. If they end in I-o or .com/co, it’s likely they aren’t legitimate.
- Dissect the Layout. Look for grammatical errors, incorrect dates, bold claims with no sources and sensationalist images. These are red flags.
- Dig Deeper. Who wrote the article? Who hosts/supports the website?
- Cross Check. Use fact checking sites to confirm information.
- Try a reverse image search. If the same photo shows up in unrelated stories, be suspicious.
Additionally, it’s important to assess your own biases and the biases of the people sharing information you see. And as always, it’s important to fact check before sharing anything. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/no-evidence-justin-biebers-facial-paralysis-tied-to-covid-19-vaccine-experts-say/ | 2022-06-17T22:18:12Z |
A look at what’s happening around the majors today:
___
SHOHEI AND THE RANGERS
Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani pitches at Texas again a month after allowing six runs over 3 2/3 innings in a 10-5 loss to the Rangers at Globe Life Field. Ohtani has been stellar on the mound since that second consecutive loss to open the season — after he lost just twice in 23 starts last year. He is 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA and 32 strikeouts in four starts covering 24 innings since that visit to his AL West rival. Speaking of division foes, Ohtani’s 4.56 ERA against the Rangers is the second-highest of any team he has faced at least twice. The highest is Houston (4.75).
MISSOURI MAX
Mets ace and St. Louis-area native Max Scherzer (4-1, 2.66 ERA) makes his 15th career start against the Cardinals, one of three teams against which he has a losing record — he’s 4-6 with a 2.55 ERA versus his hometown club.
He got a no-decision in St. Louis last month despite striking out 10 over seven scoreless innings at Busch Stadium. He’ll face hard-throwing Cardinals right-hander Jordan Hicks (1-3, 4.15) in the third game of a four-game set.
OCTOBER CONTENDERS
Atlanta and Milwaukee, both NL division winners last season, wrap up their playoff rematch when Braves lefty Max Fried (4-2, 3.14 ERA) faces reigning Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes (1-2, 1.77) in the finale of a three-game series.
Atlanta reliever Tyler Matzek went on the injured list Tuesday, retroactive to May 14, with left shoulder inflammation — but star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. returned to the lineup in a 3-0 victory after missing five games with a sore groin.
WELCOME BACK
Blake Snell returns from a groin injury to make his first start of the season for the San Diego Padres (23-13). Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, pitches in Philadelphia against Zack Wheeler (1-3, 4.26 ERA) — runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award last year.
Snell was 7-6 with a 4.20 ERA in 27 starts last season, his first with the Padres.
Bryce Harper could return to the Phillies’ lineup — or he could miss at least one more game as he recovers from a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow. The two-time MVP is expected back Wednesday or Thursday. He is batting .305 with nine home runs, 14 doubles, 27 RBIs, and an NL-best .634 slugging percentage.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/leading-off-ohtani-on-mound-scherzer-faces-hometown-team/ | 2022-05-19T08:54:25Z |
NYRA suspends Baffert 1 year; eligible to return in January
(AP) – The New York Racing Association suspended trainer Bob Baffert for one year Thursday for repeated medication violations.
A panel credited Baffert for time served from an initial suspension that makes the two-time Triple Crown-winner eligible to saddle horses in New York again Jan. 26. The final decision marks the end of a protracted back and forth about Baffert’s status in the state that began in May 2021.
“This was an impartial and deliberative process that has resulted in a lengthy suspension of the sport’s most prominent trainer,” NYRA President and CEO Dave O’Rourke said in a statement. “However, this is not simply about Bob Baffert or any one individual but about protecting the integrity of the sport here in New York. Today’s decision advances that goal.”
The ban is shorter than the two years Churchill Downs sidelined Baffert after Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit tested positive for a substance that is not allowed on race day. Retired New York State Supreme Court Justice O. Peter Sherwood, who was serving as the NYRA hearing officer, previously recommended a two-year suspension.
Baffert’s camp asked for a stay of the NYRA suspension that was immediately denied. A message seeking comment from Baffert or his attorney was not immediately returned.
The panel’s decision cannot be appealed through NYRA’s process, which was developed last year after Baffert successfully sued in federal court to get his initial suspension in the state of New York lifted. Baffert is also fighting in federal court against the Churchill Downs ban that made him ineligible to run horses in the Derby in 2022 and ‘23.
Under the terms of the suspension agreed to by the panel made up of Saratoga attorney John J. Carusone, New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association executive director Will Alempijevic and New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America leader the Rev. Humberto Chavez, Baffert would be able to be a part of the Belmont Stakes next year.
The panel in its 14-page ruling disagreed with Sherwood over the matter of Baffert “doping” his horses, saying, “The drugs for which use Baffert was cited in three jurisdictions are allowed and commonly used but are nevertheless performance enhancing in the sense that they may suppress injuries and may allow the horse to perform at a normal level in spite of the injury if they are found to be at a level above the allowable threshold.”
Medina Spirit tested positive for the corticosteroid betamethasone, which is not allowed in Kentucky on race day, and was later disqualified. The colt finished third in the Preakness two weeks after the Derby.
Medina Spirit collapsed and died in December in California. An exam found no definitive cause of death.
Baffert-trained Cruel Intention, Eclair, Charlatan, Gamine and Merneith also tested positive for a substance not allowed at that level on race day. Those violations occurred in California, Arkansas or Kentucky; none happened in New York.
Baffert, 69, is a Hall of Fame trainer who has become the face of the sport. He won the Triple Crown twice: in 2015 with American Pharoah and in 2018 with Justify.
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/06/23/nyra-suspends-baffert-1-year-eligible-return-january/ | 2022-06-23T23:44:51Z |
SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntkey, as a power supply partner for manned spaceflight technology, provided air purification services and stable charging equipment to participate in space experiments. Six volunteers participated in experiments that lasted for a month and was initiated by Space Science and Technology Institute (Shenzhen).
Background
Space Science and Technology Institute (Shenzhen) is a new research and development institution mainly engaged in popular science education and international cooperation of related technologies in the field of manned spaceflight. Huntkey is a leading power supply and consumer electronics brand in China. Huntkey had reached a partnership with Space Science and Technology Institute (Shenzhen).
This experiment further expanded the understanding of the laws of human sleep and psychological changes in the simulated aerospace closed environment, and provided reference data for subsequent deep space exploration to ensure astronauts' long-term flight on-orbit sleep and mental health.
Air Quality: Oucica Offers Air Purification Solutions
Oucica is a sub-brand of Huntkey. Oucica air purifier KJ380 adopts MaSSC photocatalyst technology, which basically has no consumables and does not produce secondary pollution, which effectively avoids the pollution caused by human beings in space. It is the innovation of Huntkey air purification technology, the important practice of Huntkey's low carbon technology theme for many years, and also the technological progress of the air purification industry. Oucica can efficiently remove a variety of common indoor bacteria and viruses, including influenza A H1N1 virus, with a removal rate of up to 99.99%. It can provide a safe breathing environment for astronauts to work in space-closed cabins for a long time.
Charging Efficiency: Huntkey Delivers Safe and Fast Charging
Aerospace equipment has strict technical requirements for electrical equipment. Under the "six core safety technologies", Huntkey's safe and fast chargers can provide a guarantee for electricity consumption in the special environment of space. These chargers use precise glue filling process and the heat dissipation effect is better.
At present, Huntkey has mass-produced aerospace-quality charging equipment for the market. As a manufacturer with a 27-year experience in power supply industry, Huntkey will continue to develop more useful products. Just like Huntkey's vision, to become a respectable company by providing branded products and services of superior quality.
About Huntkey
Founded in 1995, Huntkey is a leading provider of PC power supplies, power strips, surge protectors, laptop adapters, phone chargers, monitors and air purifiers. Huntkey is a member of Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA) and China Power Supply Society (CPSS). Covering approximately 1,000,000 square meters added up from three industrial parks, Huntkey is one of the most famous brands and largest companies in mainland China. It is headquartered in Shenzhen. By 2022, Huntkey has been practicing low-carbon economy for more than ten years. Practicing a low-carbon lifestyle with Huntkey.
Website: http://www.huntkey.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntkeyGlobal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huntkey_global
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/huntkey
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SOURCE Huntkey | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/huntkey-provided-air-purification-power-solutions-space-experiments/ | 2022-08-30T01:07:15Z |
Which outdoor sectional dining set is best?
Dining outdoors on a balmy evening is one of life’s simple pleasures, but what if you want outdoor seating that is also comfortable for relaxing and lounging? An outdoor sectional dining set gives you the best of both worlds. It’s great for outdoor dining and for kicking back.
While some people opt for separate outdoor seating and dining areas, the sectional setup saves space and money, like this Wade Logan Cueva Polyethylene Wicker 9-Person Seating Group. If you want versatility, an outdoor sectional with a dining-height table is the ideal solution.
What are outdoor sectional dining sets?
These sets consist of an outdoor sectional and a dining table. Some also come with stools for additional seating. While it’s common for outdoor sectionals to come with low coffee tables, those with dining-height tables are rarer occurrences. They’re great for anyone who wants the comfort of a sectional while still being able to dine outside without needing a separate al fresco dining area.
What to look for in an outdoor sectional dining set
Seating capacity
Seating capacity ranges from around five to 12 or more people. However, some manufacturers include the corner seat of the sectional when calculating how many people it can seat. The corner isn’t the most comfortable place to eat, so it’s worth not counting this spot. That said, the beauty of sectional seating is that you can usually fit an extra body or two if you don’t mind getting up close and personal.
While some sets include just a sectional and a table, many come with two to four stools to make use of the sides of the table that aren’t reachable from the sectional. If you don’t get stools included, you can fit extra people around the table on outdoor dining chairs.
Size
After checking a sectional’s seat capacity, you should look at its exact dimensions. This gives you an idea of how roomy it is and ensures you have space for it. This is especially important if you only have a small deck or patio, and there’s a chance that it might not fit. In this case, you should also carefully measure where you want to put it so that there’s no chance of error.
Don’t forget to factor in the space between the couch and the table and any extra space you’ll need to fit stools around the other side of the table.
Table height
What sets a sectional dining set apart from any other outdoor set is the table’s height. While standard sets have coffee tables, these have taller dining-height tables. The table may not be the exact height you’d expect a dining table to be, but it should be in proportion to the sectional so that it’s a comfortable height for eating.
You can also find a handful of offerings with height-adjustable tables. You can lower them to coffee table height when you’re not eating and raise them to dining height for mealtimes.
Materials
Consider the materials that make up the frame of the sectional and the table. Some are better suited to year-round outdoor use than others.
- Polyurethane rattan: PE rattan or PE wicker looks like natural rattan but is made from plastic. It’s not the most eco-friendly choice, but it stands up to the elements well and is affordable.
- Wood: Solid wood sectional frames and tables look great, but they need maintenance. If you intend to leave a wooden table or sectional out all year, you usually need to treat it annually to prevent damage over time. Some woods, such as cedar, don’t need treating, but they visibly weather, which is an issue for some.
- Metal: While it’s uncommon to find sectionals with all-metal bases, some PE rattan is woven around a metal frame. Plus, you can find sets with metal tables. Metal is strong and doesn’t rust if it’s treated correctly, but not everyone likes the look of metal garden furniture.
- Glass: Some rattan tables have glass tabletops. This gives you a smoother surface to dine on and it’s easier to clean if you spill food or drink.
Cushions
You might assume the cushions on an outdoor sectional are waterproof, but this isn’t always the case. Most are somewhat water-resistant or made from quick-drying material, but few are fully waterproof. This can be frustrating if you live in an area where it regularly rains. You can buy covers for outdoor furniture. Otherwise, you must remember to take the cushions in when rain is forecast.
Best outdoor sectional dining sets
Wade Logan Cueva Polyethylene Wicker 9-Person Seating Group
This sectional seats up to six, with three ottomans for additional seating and a wipe-clean glass tabletop. You can choose from a brown or gray frame with red, gray or ivory cushions.
Where to buy: Sold by Wayfair
Rattaner Outdoor Wicker Sectional Couch Set
Seating up to nine, you can configure this outdoor sectional in many ways. The glass-topped PE rattan table has storage in the base to hold pillows or other accessories.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
The sectional seats up to six, plus you have two stools to accommodate extra diners. The cushions are comfortable and have removable seat covers that are easy to keep clean.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Latitude Run Polyethylene Wicker 6-Person Seating Group with Cushions
Thanks to the height-adjustable table, this versatile sectional set is great for dining at or having more relaxed gatherings. It comfortably seats six, though you could squeeze an extra couple of people on the sectional.
Where to buy: Sold by Wayfair
Lviden Wicker Patio Furniture Set
You can arrange this sectional in one large U-shape or an L-shape with two spare ottoman sections to use as stools. The cushions are water-resistant and have a non-slip underside to keep them from sliding off the couch frame.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://cw33.com/reviews/br/office-br/furniture-br/how-to-choose-the-best-outdoor-sectional-dining-set/ | 2022-08-01T23:24:08Z |
Three Topeka men arrested for aggravated robbery Saturday afternoon
Published: Aug. 28, 2022 at 10:48 AM CDT|Updated: 27 minutes ago
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Three Topeka men were arrested Saturday after TPD officers responded to a report of an aggravated robbery.
On Saturday just before 4:30 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 800 block of SE 15th St. As a result of the investigation, three Topeka men were arrested for aggravated robbery.
Michael Carpenter, 60, James Harvey, 39, and Dalton Hall, 23, were booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on Saturday for charges of aggravated robbery.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/08/28/three-topeka-men-arrested-aggravated-robbery-saturday-afternoon/ | 2022-08-28T16:16:05Z |
NEW YORK, June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stroock is pleased to announce that the firm's Small Business Legal Relief Alliance won in the "Community Theme" at the 2022 Managing Partners' Forum Awards, which spotlight excellence in management of professional services firms. The "Community Theme" recognizes efforts that enable a firm's community to flourish.
Stroock launched the SBLRA in 2020 to provide front-line, substantive legal counsel to the New York-based small businesses and non-profits most directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A multi-organization alliance, the SBLRA draws on the knowledge of lawyers and financial professionals across more than 30 law firms, public interest legal service organizations, and one large financial services firm. It provides expert consultations and other supports to distressed entities and individuals on an emergency basis regarding issues including, among others, commercial lease disputes, bankruptcy, taxes, employment, contracts, and intellectual property rights.
"This recognition is a testament to Stroock's focus on providing legal assistance to underserved and under-resourced communities. Public service has long been a hallmark of our firm's commitment to community engagement, and we are proud to have provided quality representation for enterprises in these challenging times," said Alan Klinger, Stroock's Co-Managing Partner.
"The peak of a national crisis is the most difficult time to lead and mobilize teams effectively," said Kerry Cooperman, Director of Stroock's pro bono program, the Public Service Project. "But such moments are also when vulnerable organizations and individuals most urgently need help. Our ability to work rapidly and decisively is key to our service of the underserved, especially in times of crisis, and it is an honor to be recognized for these efforts."
Stroock's longtime commitment to serving the public interest began with the civic reform efforts led by the firm's founders more than a century ago. In 2001, Stroock launched the PSP — one of the first such practices to be led by a full-time pro bono partner — to offer a multidisciplinary approach to delivering comprehensive legal services focused on disaster recovery, innovative collaborations, and underserved and under-resourced communities.
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SOURCE Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/17/stroocks-small-business-legal-relief-alliance-wins-best-community-program-2022-managing-partners-forum-awards/ | 2022-06-17T20:43:26Z |
MEXICO CITY, July 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FIBRA Prologis (BMV:FIBRAPL 14), a leading owner and operator of Class-A industrial real estate in Mexico, declared today a cash distribution of Ps. 527.7 million (US$ 25.7 million), or Ps. 0.6162 per Certificado Bursátil Fiduciario Inmobiliario ("CBFI") (US$ 0.0300 per CBFI) related to the results of the second quarter ending June 30, 2022.
The distribution is payable July 29, 2022 to CBFI holders with an ex-dividend date of July 27, 2022, and a record date of July 28, 2022.
ABOUT FIBRA PROLOGIS
FIBRA Prologis is a leading owner and operator of Class-A industrial real estate in Mexico. As of June 30, 2022, FIBRA Prologis was comprised of 227 logistics and manufacturing facilities in six industrial markets in Mexico totaling 43.4 million square feet (4.0 million square meters) of gross leasable area.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The statements in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the industry and markets in which FIBRA Prologis operates, management's beliefs and assumptions made by management. Such statements involve uncertainties that could significantly impact FIBRA Prologis financial results. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. All statements that address operating performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future — including statements relating to rent and occupancy growth, acquisition activity, development activity, disposition activity, general conditions in the geographic areas where we operate, our debt and financial position, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Although we believe the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained and therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. Some of the factors that may affect outcomes and results include, but are not limited to: (i) national, international, regional and local economic climates, (ii) changes in financial markets, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates, (iii) increased or unanticipated competition for our properties, (iv) risks associated with acquisitions, dispositions and development of properties, (v) maintenance of real estate investment trust ("FIBRA") status and tax structuring, (vi) availability of financing and capital, the levels of debt that we maintain and our credit ratings, (vii) risks related to our investments (viii) environmental uncertainties, including risks of natural disasters, (ix) risks related to the coronavirus pandemic, and (x) those additional factors discussed in reports filed with the "Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores" and the Mexican Stock Exchange by FIBRA Prologis under the heading "Risk Factors." FIBRA Prologis undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements appearing in this release.
Non-Solicitation - Any securities discussed herein or in the accompanying presentations, if any, have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 or the securities laws of any state and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements under the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws. Any such announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities discussed herein or in the presentations, if and as applicable.
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SOURCE FIBRA Prologis | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/20/fibra-prologis-declares-quarterly-distribution/ | 2022-07-20T14:03:17Z |
SAN MATEO, Calif., Sept. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SaaStr Annual 2022 - Trustero, an innovator in Compliance as a Service (CaaS) for emerging enterprises, announced a complete bundle for startups to get SOC ready and complete a SOC 2 report. This offering provides one place to get audit ready, conduct a SOC 2 audit, and receive a final SOC 2 report.
Completing a SOC 2 audit can be time-consuming and costly. Not having the internal resources to support an effective SOC 2 effort can make compliance even more challenging. With the combination of the Trustero Compliance as a Service for Startups and support from experienced auditor partners, Trustero takes the complexity out of gaining a SOC 2 certification.
"White Glove" Service Removes All Audit Complexities
Trustero Compliance as a Service (CaaS) is cloud-based, easy-to-use compliance automation software. It is designed to simplify SOC 2 audit readiness and enable continuous compliance. The Trustero customer success team leverages the platform to support customers quickly and effectively and take them through the entire SOC 2 audit process to a final report. Auditors have trained the Trustero team to take the guesswork out of what is needed for SOC 2 compliance. In addition, the team works with our auditor partners to ensure the path to a SOC 2 report is seamless.
"We are excited to be an auditor partner of Trustero to make SOC 2 reachable and affordable for startups," said Felipe Saboya Gomez, partner, technology risk assurance and tax for Insight Assurance. "Removing the hurdles to complete a SOC 2 will open the door to many companies without internal resources or time."
Quicker Time to SOC 2
With this new offering, Trustero can take a company from readiness to report in as little as half the time required with other approaches. Trustero Compliance as a Service increases the efficiencies for our auditor partners. This reduces the time needed to get "audit-ready" and complete an audit. Our auditor partners are trained on our platform, which increases overall efficiencies.
The Trustero solution includes auditor-approved controls and auditor-vetted policy templates. In addition, the Trustero platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically map controls, policies, and evidence. The platform then makes AI-powered evidence suggestions based on what has been accepted in previous peer audits. This reduces the back and forth with an auditor required with manual evidence discovery and collection and the time spent guessing what will be accepted.
Simple, Affordable SOC 2 Compliance
With Trustero Compliance as a Service for Startups, there is a single, affordable cost for an entire audit, including the actual exam and report. This means no surprises or "showstoppers" on the path to SOC 2 compliance. Additionally, for startups that already have auditors or have completed a previous SOC 2 audit, simple migration and attractive pricing for Trustero Compliance as a Service are available.
"For startups that don't have the internal resources to dedicate to SOC 2 readiness, Trustero's 'White Glove' service, in concert with the AI-powered features of our platform, will eliminate the hurdles of becoming SOC 2 compliant," said Phil Liu, founder and CEO of Trustero.
For more information on Trustero Compliance as a Service for Startups, visit Trustero at Booth 257 during SaaStr Annual 2022. To schedule a demo, please book here or e-mail sales@trustero.com.
Trustero delivers the solutions and services that enable demonstrable, sustainable trustworthiness for emerging enterprises. Trustero Compliance as a Service establishes and manages regulatory compliance by undertaking vulnerability assessments, security risk analyses, and other measures to ensure that all business processes and systems remain fully compliant. Artificial intelligence (AI) and other modern technologies mean you have the visibility needed to gain actionable insights into your compliance across the extended enterprise. More transparency means increased trust by your customers and partners and greater operational efficiencies for your business. To learn more, visit https://www.trustero.com.
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SOURCE Trustero | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/12/trustero-compliance-service-offering-startups-includes-complete-soc-2-report/ | 2022-09-12T15:51:28Z |
A record-breaking heat wave has baked the West for days -- fueling destructive wildfires and threatening rolling power shutoffs in California -- and it could last even longer due to the effects of a strengthening hurricane along Mexico's Pacific Coast.
Sacramento hit 116 degrees Tuesday, the hottest day on record for the state capital, according to the National Weather Service. Records were also broken all over the Bay Area, with some cities shattering previous daily records by more than 10 degrees.
"We are now heading into the worst part of it -- the risk of outages is real," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a tweet Tuesday, adding that the temperatures in the state are "unprecedented."
The heat wave will be the hottest and longest on record in September for California, he said.
California residents have for days been urged to set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher -- despite the heat -- as well as avoid using major appliances, and turn off all unnecessary lights between the hours of 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.
That continued Wednesday, as the California Independent System Operator, which manages most of the state's power grid, issued a Flex Alert for the 8th consecutive day, calling on residents to conserve power as operators anticipate peak demand to reach 51,211 megawatts.
Pacific Gas & Electric, the nation's largest utility, has notified about 525,000 customers to prepare for potential rotating outages.
The California Independent System Operator issued an emergency alert for Tuesday evening, saying grid conditions had worsened and energy supplies were insufficient to cover demand. The alert was lifted hours later and the operator thanked "consumer conservation."
While relief was expected Thursday, the oppressive heat is now expected to last through at least Friday.
Hurricane Kay will bring strong rains and high winds to the Mexican coast, but far from its center, the storm will also dictate the weather pattern for Southern California.
Kay will still be about 220 miles south of San Diego on Friday, according to the National Weather Service in Los Angeles, but the flow around the storm will bring easterly winds to the area, which could bring extreme heat all the way down to the beaches.
The weather service in San Diego extended the excessive heat warning for the region through Friday to account for the possibility of high temperatures well into the 90s to 100 reaching the coast.
California's 'new normal'
The human-caused climate crisis is amplifying extreme weather in California, climate and weather experts told CNN, pushing temperatures to unprecedented levels this month.
And the ongoing heat wave may, in fact, be one of the worst on record for any month, not just September, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said in a Twitter Spaces discussion Tuesday.
"This will be essentially the worst September heat wave on record, certainly in Northern California and arguably for the state overall," Swain said. "By some metrics, it might be one of the worst heat waves on record, period, in any month, given its duration and its extreme magnitude, especially in Northern California and especially in the Sacramento region."
Jan Null, a California meteorologist and owner of Golden Gate Weather Services, pointed to San Jose, which hit 109 degrees Tuesday, breaking an all-time high temperature record. Nine of the city's top 10 hottest days have occurred in the 21st century, he said -- a sign the climate crisis is stoking extreme heat. "And all the modeling is showing that we are going to see more frequent heat waves and longer heat waves," Null said.
"In some ways," he said, "this is the new normal."
Scorching hot temperatures shatter records
Numerous heat records have been set across the West, according to the weather service.
In California, San Francisco airport hit 97 degrees Monday, breaking a daily record. Salinas hit 103 degrees, shattering the previous record of 92 degrees set in 2004. Livermore hit a record high of 116.
Salt Lake City hit 104 Monday, the hottest September day on record and also the 32nd day this year with temperatures reaching at least 100 degrees, beating the previous record by 11 days.
Temperatures in Billings, Montana, reached 100 degrees Monday, which tied a previous record. This was the first time Billings has hit 100 degrees twice in the same September.
Scientists say searing heat is part of a global pattern of rising temperatures, and climate change is making heat waves hotter and more frequent.
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities have heated the planet by about 1.2 Celsius since pre-industrial times and that warmer baseline means higher temperatures can be reached during extreme heat events, scientists say.
Wildfires ignited throughout the West
The hot and dry conditions also mean that fires will spread more quickly, rage more intensely and burn for longer.
Several destructive wildfires erupted over the past week, with at least four people dying in two California blazes that also burned homes and thousands of acres of land.
The fires, burning simultaneously in parched drought-stricken lands, have choked the hot atmosphere with smoke, bringing unhealthy air quality to parts of the Western states.
The thick smoke, billowing from numerous wildfires, is visible from space, according to images released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The fires have also displaced thousands of residents as the flames advanced on communities, slashing through dry vegetation, and burning homes and cars.
Two people were killed as the fast-moving Fairview Fire swelled rapidly over parched vegetation in Southern California on Monday, forcing hundreds of residents to flee. The blaze had burned 4,500 acres by Tuesday and was 5% contained.
To the north, in Siskiyou County, two women, ages 66 and 73, died in the Mill Fire that burned 4,263 acres and destroyed 98 structures as of Tuesday night.
Nearby, the Mountain Fire, also burning in Siskiyou County, tore through 11,690 acres.
In Oregon, the Cedar Creek Fire had consumed 17,625 acres in five days after being sparked by lightning, authorities said.
Meanwhile, the Ross Fork Fire in Idaho that ignited in mid-August continues to burn and has engulfed 26,020 acres. Firefighters had it 2% contained Tuesday.
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NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Hach & Rose, LLP, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Adult Survivors Act (ASA) into law on May 24, 2022. The ASA creates a one-year lookback window for sexual assault survivors to bring a lawsuit against their abusers, provided the sexual assault occurred when they were 18 or older.
During the one-year lookback window, the time limit established by the statute of limitations on sex abuse claims will be lifted, allowing survivors to sue no matter how long ago the alleged sexual abuse occurred. The statute of limitations establishes a timeline of three years for civil sexual abuse claims. Still, many survivors cannot or do not report sexual abuse or assault within that time. Survivors might initially be hesitant to sue their abusers for various reasons, including shame, fear of retaliation, fear that police won't help, and fear of telling friends and family.
Survivors of sex crimes that occurred when the victim was at least 18 years old can begin filing lawsuits in November 2022, six months from the date the governor signed the legislation into law. The one-year lookback window will officially close in November 2023. The language in the ASA also ensures that the courts prioritize survivors' cases and that the courts adjudicate these civil actions in a timely manner.
The ASA applies to about 20 sex crimes listed in Penal Law Article 130. Crimes include sexual misconduct, rape, forcible touching, persistent sexual abuse, aggravated sexual abuse, female genital mutilation, and predatory sexual assault.
"We're very excited to stand with adult survivors and support them through their journey of reclaiming their voice through litigation. We know how emotional the process can be, and are looking forward to vigorously prosecuting their claims," said Hillary Nappi, a lawyer at Hach & Rose.
The ASA is modeled after the Child Victims Act (CVA), another piece of legislation passed by the Legislature and signed into law in 2019. The CVA also created a one-year lookback window (which was extended to two years due to COVID-19) for survivors of childhood sexual assault.
Under the CVA, any person who was sexually assaulted or abused as a minor was allowed to sue their abuser during the lookback window, regardless of when the assault or abuse occurred. The act also revised the statute of limitations on civil child sex abuse claims, allowing survivors of child sexual abuse to take legal action in civil court up until age 55.
Another notable feature of the ASA includes a provision for civil actions against institutions or employers who may have been partly liable if a lawsuit had been brought within the statute of limitations. Survivors of sexual assault that occurred in the workplace or within the scope of their employment will be legally entitled to name employers as defendants in lawsuits.
While it remains to be seen how many adult survivors of sexual abuse will come forward and take legal action, the passage of the ASA is undoubtedly a notable victory for survivors.
At Hach & Rose, LLP, our New York sexual abuse lawyers are committed to protecting victims of sexual abuse. We will be ready to investigate your case and work to uncover whether the perpetrator or negligent third party could be held accountable through criminal charges, a civil lawsuit, or both. If you or a loved one suffered any form of sexual abuse, don't wait until it is too late to get justice. Call us at (646) 969-3383 or reach out to us online for a 100% free and confidential consultation.
Media Contact: Hach & Rose, LLP , (646) 663 - 3012
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SOURCE Hach & Rose, LLP | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/16/hach-amp-rose-llp-adult-survivors-act-officially-signed-into-law/ | 2022-08-16T17:09:33Z |
Portion sizes of some of your favorite foods have been getting bigger and bigger.
Ultraprocessed foods and beverages, including chocolate, french fries, fast-food hamburgers and soda, are being sold in sizes up to five times larger than when they were first introduced, according to a December 2021 study in the American Journal of Public Health. Ultraprocessed foods are industrial formulations that typically contain five or more ingredients, and may contain, for example, hydrogenated oils, dyes or flavor enhancers that are not found in other processed foods, according to the Nova food classification system designed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies in Health and Nutrition at University of São Paulo's School of Public Health.
Hershey's chocolate bars range in size from about a half an ounce to 7 ounces. (The 7-ounce bar, labeled as 8 servings, delivers close to 1,000 calories.)
The original McDonald's burger patty -- from 1955 -- had 1.6 ounces. While the original patty size has not changed, today the chain offers two 4-ounce patties in its Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese for a total of 8 ounces of beef in a single order. And the fast-food company introduced in 2020 a Double Big Mac burger with four patties and more than 700 calories.
If that calorie count gives you pause, consider Burger King's triple Whopper with cheese, which has nearly 1,300 calories. "It's enough calories for an entire day for some people," registered dietitian and lead study author Lisa Young said.
Even though smaller sizes are still offered, the availability of larger beverage sizes has also increased. Coca-Cola drinks are now sold in different sizes ranging from 7.5 fluid ounces to 24 fluid ounces. The original bottle had 6.5 fluid ounces, according to the study.
"It's no surprise so many of us are overweight because it is so easy to be that way," said Young, who is also an adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University. "It is hard to stick to normal portions when you are bombarded with these ridiculous sizes."
Consuming very large portions on a regular basis, beyond your individual calorie needs, can lead to obesity and its related health consequences including heart disease and Type 2 diabetes as well as other conditions such as sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and gallbladder disease. Some 74% of the US population is overweight or has obesity, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Food and beverage ingredients are cheap relative to other expenses, such as rent, staff, equipment, production and marketing, so it doesn't cost manufacturers much to offer a bigger portion of food, Young explained.
"Consumers are happy because even though they pay a little more for a big portion, they get much more food. So, it appears like a win-win, except big portions are not good for your waistline," Young said.
Food companies stress that customers can choose from a wide range of options.
"Hershey has always offered a wide variety of portioned sizes and more permissible options," said Jeff Beckman, spokesperson for The Hershey Company, in response to the study's findings, via email. "Over the years, we have expanded our offerings, including ... small snack-size bars introduced in the 1970s and more recently, our many 'thins' offerings, which gives consumers a way to enjoy their favorite Hershey brands in portioned pieces."
"By offering more drinks ... in different packaging sizes, we are giving more choice to our consumers to pick beverages that fit their lifestyles and needs," said Ann Moore, a spokesperson for The Coca-Cola Company.
Burger King and McDonald's both say they offer a variety of portion sizes across their product portfolios and include nutrition information for menu items.
"When we tell our Guests 'Have it Your Way' -- we mean it ... and nutrition information for all menu items is readily accessible and easy to digest -- our online nutrition tool allows Guests to search, filter and identify menu options quickly and easily," a Burger King spokesperson said via email.
McDonald's also offers a variety of portion sizes across its portfolio of choices to customers, according to a company statement emailed to CNN. "McDonald's USA is committed to transparency and providing customers the information they need to make choices that are right for them." The company posts calories on menu boards and provides ingredient and nutrition information on the company's website, app and in-restaurant kiosks.
Portion distortion
When you are served larger portions or purchase foods in larger sizes, you might assume that the amount you are getting is the amount that you should eat.
"We think (the amount we are given) is a reasonable amount because 'this is what I bought' or 'this is what I was presented with,'" Young said.
This thinking puts you at risk for overriding your internal fullness cues, which intuitively help you determine when you've had enough food. In fact, when people are offered larger portions, they consistently consume more food and beverages than when offered smaller offerings, research has revealed. Psychologists call this overeating behavior the portion-size effect.
"If you have 100 calories of your favorite chocolate each day, nothing is going to happen," Young said. "It's when you have tremendous portions of meals and snacks and drinks ... that can easily lead to weight gain. It's why we have an obesity crisis in our country. You don't have to look any further than these portion sizes of unhealthy foods."
And the bigger the portion, the more calories, sodium, saturated fat and sugar you end up consuming, too.
Mastering portion control
Here are some tips to help you downsize your portions and improve your health:
Limit portions of ultraprocessed foods, which are some of the most common culprits when it comes to oversize portions, according to Young's study.
Here are additional ways to combat portion distortion according to Young:
Chocolate: When possible, always buy the smallest size. "You can get the half-ounce Halloween size all year long," Young said. If you buy a bigger size, treat yourself to one or two squares a day.
French fries: Get the smallest menu offering or share an order and get a vegetable as an additional side dish.
Soda: When you are out, get the smallest size available. If you are at home, pour the beverage in an 8-ounce glass -- or if you have a 20-ounce tumbler, fill it halfway with ice.
Cereal: Avoid eating directly out of the box. Scoop cereal with a 1-cup measuring cup, then pour the cereal into a bowl. This can help you visualize how much 1 cup looks like.
Hamburgers: "Make that your meat for the day and make your dinner plant-based, like a quinoa bowl, a salad or a veggie bowl," Young advised.
Potato chips: Single-serving packages are best for portion control. You can also use a measuring cup to portion out bigger bags, but be sure to put the bag away after you are done.
Bagels and muffins: "These things are tremendous; a typical bagel is 5 ounces, a typical muffin is 7 ounces," Young said. Try cutting one in half and heat the leftovers in the toaster oven the next day.
Visual cues
Fill your plate with more fiber-rich foods, especially fruits and vegetables. They increase satiety and offer beneficial nutrients.
Order half portions at restaurants, especially with pasta dishes.
Don't assume that a single bottle or bag is the amount you should consume. "A soda should be 8 ounces. If you have a quart-size soda, you are having four sodas," Young said.
Still having trouble determining proper portion sizes? Consider these size equivalents as a visual guide:
Baseball: 1 cup fruits or vegetables; 1 cup cereal, pasta or rice
Hockey puck: 1⁄2 cup legumes, hummus, cooked oatmeal or grains, or tomato sauce
Deck of cards: 3 ounces salmon, chicken, or meat
4 dice: 1 ounce cheese
Cap on a 16-ounce water bottle: 1 teaspoon oil, gravy, sugar or honey
Golf ball: 1⁄4 cup nuts or seeds
Shot glass: 2 tablespoons oil or salad dressing
Dental floss container: 1 ounce chocolate or a cookie
Source: "Finally Full, Finally Slim" by Lisa Young
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.albanyherald.com/features/health/what-you-should-know-to-master-portion-control-according-to-an-expert/article_9be672d5-57c8-5b4a-bb54-d3a59b0f8fb1.html | 2022-05-18T09:31:36Z |
They got illicit Covid-19 vaccine doses — and say they’d do it again in a heartbeat
By Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent
Last July, Andrea Ogg stood outside a pharmacy in Castle Rock, Colorado, fully prepared to lie to get herself a Covid-19 vaccine.
Her stomach knotted in anxiety, Ogg was ready to say she was getting her first shot when actually she was getting her third. At the time, government rules didn’t allow for third shots, even for immune-compromised people like her who failed to develop antibodies after two doses.
“I was very nervous, because I am typically an honest person, but I wasn’t going to tell them the truth if they asked me. There was just no way,” said Ogg, 55, who was born with a cardiac defect and takes medicine to suppress her immune system so she won’t reject the heart transplant she received four years ago.
Many of them didn’t want to talk publicly last year for fear of being shamed, or even criminally prosecuted, but immune-compromised people tell CNN they lied — or were prepared to lie, or at the very least misled — pharmacists and other healthcare providers to get unauthorized doses of Covid-19 vaccine.
A senior physician at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells CNN that the agency knew about these unauthorized doses as they were happening, and that the government’s decision to later allow booster doses for this group rested largely on data generated by the very doses the government told people not to get.
The immune-compromised patients say they are allowing CNN to use their names because they want to tell their stories without shame, and want to hold the government accountable for, in their view, taking an inordinately long time to grant official approval for extra doses after studies had shown such doses were safe and possibly helpful to immune-compromised people.
“People sought [unauthorized] third shots because they feared for their life. We feared we were going to die if we contracted Covid,” said Janet Handal, a kidney transplant recipient who received her third shot in New York City in April of last year, months before the US Food and Drug Administration and the CDC gave their official OK to such shots.
It wasn’t until August 12 that the FDA amended its emergency use authorizations for Pfizer and Moderna to include a third dose for certain immune-compromised people. The next day, the CDC recommended third doses for people who are moderately to severely immune compromised.
“The CDC was not protecting me,” Handal said. “I don’t know why it took them so long to act.”
A CDC spokesperson did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
FDA spokeswoman Abigail Capobianco said, “vaccine providers should administer COVID-19 vaccines in accordance with the current EUA.”
‘I’m a rule follower’
About 7 million American adults have moderately to severely compromised immune systems, either because they have certain diseases or take certain drugs or both, according to the CDC.
When the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines rolled out in December 2020, no one knew if immune-compromised people would benefit from them.
Dr. Dorry Segev, a transplant surgeon then at Johns Hopkins University, decided to find out.
That month, Segev and his colleagues started what he calls a “real world observational study” to see how well the vaccine worked in people with compromised immune systems.
They found that many transplant patients weren’t getting antibodies after two vaccine shots, that third shots often did elicit antibodies, and that the extra dose did not seem to cause any safety problems.
The Hopkins team’s first study, published as a research letter in the medical journal JAMA on March 15, 2021, found that only 17% of 436 transplant patients had developed detectable antibodies a few weeks after a first dose of the vaccine.
That study, along with others that had similar findings for cancer patients in France, Israel and the UK, were enough to convince French health authorities to start recommending third shots for the immune-compromised on April 6.
All of that was enough to convince Handal to get her unauthorized third shot at the end of April.
On May 5, another Hopkins research letter published in JAMA showed that out of 658 transplant patients, 46% did not have measurable antibodies after two shots.
More transplant patients started to take matters into their own hands.
The Hopkins team followed 30 patients who got no or very low antibody levels after two shots and decided on their own to get third shots.
Those third shots produced antibodies for nearly half of the 30 study participants: 12 had high levels of antibodies after the third dose, 2 had low antibody levels, and 16 had none, according to a letter published by the Hopkins researchers June 15 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Steven Weitzen, a heart transplant patient who lives in New Jersey, is a Hopkins study participant who got antibodies only after an unauthorized third dose.
“I’m a rule follower — that’s how I’m built,” Weitzen said. “But we had every reason to do this to save our lives.”
Weitzen and the other immune-compromised people interviewed for this story also noted that by late spring of last year, there was plenty of vaccine to go around, so they weren’t taking the shot from someone else.
On June 2, Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, noted that the vaccines weren’t working as well for immune-compromised people as for the rest of the population.
Fauci told CNN that the Hopkins study showed people on immune-suppressant drug regimens “make very poor immune responses” following vaccination, and that those patients “may feel they need an extra boost [but] we haven’t scientifically proven that that works.”
He added that the National Institutes of Health would soon start studying the best approach to protecting immune-compromised people. CNN asked Fauci if he could understand why immune-suppressed people were getting third shots ahead of those studies.
“Of course I can understand,” Fauci answered. “They know that they’re immunosuppressed, so they’re trying on their own before studies [are done] to see if they can do something about it.”
If someone had decided to wait for those study results, they would still be waiting.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where Fauci is the director, is sponsoring four studies on the immune-compromised and Covid-19 vaccines, and none of them has published its findings yet, according to Anne Oplinger, a NIAID spokeswoman.
Crossing state lines to get unauthorized vaccine shots
Weitzen said he didn’t have to lie to get his third dose last May. He made an appointment, showed up at a pharmacy near his home in New Jersey, rolled up his sleeve, and was given the injection.
Others, however, say it wasn’t quite so straightforward.
Phil Canuto, a kidney transplant recipient who lives in Ohio, got his third shot on August 15, two days after the CDC recommended them for immune-compromised people.
A blood test a few weeks later showed he still had only minimal antibody levels against the virus. Over the next few months, as the Delta variant raged across the country, Canuto grew more fearful that he would contract Covid-19.
“I felt basically unprotected,” he said.
In October, the CDC updated its guidelines to say the immune-compromised could start getting fourth doses. But the agency recommended a six-month interval between third and fourth doses and only two months since Canuto’s third dose.
October passed. Winter was approaching, and with it the expectation that cases would get even higher. Canuto decided he had to act to protect himself.
“I was obviously worried and not quite sure what to do. Ohio has a pretty good database, so if I’d gone in Ohio, they would have picked up” that he was getting a fourth shot earlier than allowed under CDC guidelines.
So, two days after Thanksgiving, while visiting family in Pennsylvania, Canuto went to a pharmacy and said he was there to get his first shot.
He intentionally sought out a Moderna vaccine, which has been shown to be slightly more effective than Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson. Moderna cut its dosage in half for its third shot, which is another reason Canuto told the pharmacist he was there for his first shot, so he would get the full-strength version.
After his first three shots, Canuto had felt fine. But the day after his fourth shot, he developed a fever, chills and a headache.
“I was ecstatic,” he said. “I never felt so happy to feel crappy.”
A blood test two weeks later showed he had high levels of antibodies.
“I was nervous when I got my fourth shot because I don’t like to lie or misrepresent myself,” Canuto said. “But the risk of getting caught and thrown out and embarrassed was worth the possibility of getting an antibody response. I’m absolutely glad I did it.”
Ogg and Handal also said their antibodies shot up after their unauthorized doses.
Around the time that Ogg got her unauthorized third shot on July 1, the Delta variant started to rage in the US. While she stayed home as much as possible, she still had to go out to doctors’ appointments and lab tests for her heart condition.
“There was a chance I could have gotten Covid, and if I had gotten it, there was a really high chance I would have died,” she said. “I don’t like to not be honest, but I did it to save my life and I would do it again.”
High anxiety
All of the patients interviewed for this story were ahead of the CDC and the FDA.
Months after Handal and Weitzen got their unauthorized third shots, and weeks after Ogg got hers, the FDA authorized them.
Canuto got his fourth dose in November, a little more than three months after his third, even though at the time the CDC recommended a six-month wait. Then in February, the CDC shortened the time interval between third and fourth doses from six months to three months.
But immune-compromised people say this doesn’t take away the anxiety they felt when they had to break the rules.
“Everybody felt anxiety. I don’t know anyone who didn’t feel anxiety,” said Handal, co-founder of the Transplant Recipients and Immunocompromised Patient Advocacy Group. “Some people thought it was a crime, and we had to tell them it’s not a crime.”
Legal experts say she’s essentially correct. CDC guidelines are just that — guidelines, not laws — and the FDA’s emergency use authorizations direct health care providers, not patients, about what they can and cannot do.
Even if a patient were at a government vaccine distribution site and falsely attested to something on a written form, “there’s still no material fraud against the United States,” said Lawrence Gostin, director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown Law. “And even if you could construe this as a crime, no one would prosecute it.”
Gostin said after what the immune-compromised have been through — getting vaccines that often didn’t produce antibodies, staying isolated at home for far longer than others – “to criminalize this would be a moral outrage.”
He said the FDA and the CDC “should have acted much more quickly in protecting the immunocompromised” and that “if anyone abdicated responsibility it was our agencies, not the frightened individual.”
Robert Field, a professor of law and public policy at Drexel University, was more sympathetic to the federal agencies, saying the pandemic presented “a brand new challenge for the regulatory apparatus” because the vaccines and the rules around them were developed so quickly.
“It is really new public health terrain,” Field said. “I don’t think you can put this all on regulators. They have to balance safety and potential benefits of the vaccines in the face of limited knowledge.”
Field added that legally, it made sense that the FDA had to first authorize additional doses before the CDC could recommend them.
“I don’t think [the CDC] can encourage people to do something that is not in compliance with an FDA authorization,” he said.
He added that he understood why immune-compromised people chose to get the doses without a green light from any government agency.
“From a public health point of view, it certainly made sense for people to get the booster dose,” he added. “It’s an unfortunate bureaucratic contradiction, and we’ve seen a lot of those under Covid because the public health threat and the application of the laws are so new. This is largely uncharted territory.”
CDC knew about illicit doses
It turns out the CDC knew the whole time that people were breaking the rules, according to a senior physician there.
“We were aware of the phenomenon,” the CDC doctor said. “We actually monitor it — for those states that share their vaccine registry with us, we could see that people were engaging in this practice.”
And of course, CDC scientists read the Hopkins studies. In fact, the CDC doctor said the government’s okay for extra doses relied to a great extent on the Hopkins data on people who broke the rules and got unauthorized shots — something Segev, who led the Hopkins study calls “a strange irony.”
The CDC physician was asked what he told immune-compromised friends last year who wanted to know if they should get unauthorized doses.
“As a federal official, I cannot officially endorse that,” the doctor answered. “But as a human being, I understand that. If it’s going to allow you to take care of something personal and you’re ok with it ethically and there are no medical contraindications, I would endorse it.”
The doctor asked not to be identified based on longstanding norms about government employees speaking to the media.
Segev, the transplant surgeon who led the Hopkins research and is now at NYU Langone Health, said he understands why the initial vaccine clinical trials excluded immune-compromised people. He said it was known that the vaccines might not work well in this group, and their poor results could skew the results for everyone else.
But he wonders why there weren’t separate clinical trials done early on with immune-compromised participants.
“That wasn’t done, and it put everyone in a bind,” he said.
He thinks back to the participants in his study who went against FDA and CDC rules last spring and summer and got extra doses, making every effort to protect themselves just before and during the Delta wave.
He shudders to think what would have happened if they’d followed along with government guidance and not gotten those additional shots, going unprotected as Delta spread.
“It would have been a disaster,” he said. “An absolute disaster.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Danielle Herman contributed to this report. | https://localnews8.com/health/cnn-health/2022/04/07/they-got-illicit-covid-19-vaccine-doses-and-say-theyd-do-it-again-in-a-heartbeat/ | 2022-04-07T15:43:39Z |
Plans underway to ramp up monkeypox testing if outbreak grows quickly
By Jacqueline Howard and Michael Nedelman, CNN
As more cases are uncovered in a global monkeypox outbreak, biotech companies and health officials are looking to make PCR testing for the virus more widely available in the US.
Dozens of public health labs across the country now use a more generalized test for orthopoxvirus, a larger category that includes monkeypox, smallpox and other viruses. Two biotechnology companies, Roche and Abbott, have announced plans to roll out monkeypox PCR tests, although right now, their test kits are for research only.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it’s exploring ways to get monkeypox-specific testing out to states.
There are already 74 labs across 46 states — part of a network known as the Laboratory Response Network — that are “using an FDA-cleared test for orthopoxviruses,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Thursday.
Current capacity is around 7,000 of these tests weekly, with the potential to expand if needed.
Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, said a lot of that capacity “was set up in response to the threat of biological weapons, and smallpox is the most worrisome orthopoxvirus.”
The testing that CDC does is more specific to the monkeypox virus, and the agency can genetically sequence samples, as well. For example, it was by looking at the viral genetic code of the first US patient — a man in Massachusetts who had recently traveled to Canada — that researchers were able to see that his case of monkeypox closely matched that of a case in Portugal.
However, Dr. Jennifer McQuiston, a veterinarian and deputy director of the CDC’s Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, underscored that the testing that goes on at CDC isn’t really necessary for patient care.
“The orthopox test that’s in place is an actionable test,” she said.
Experts say that action may include isolating patients, making treatments and vaccines available, and contact tracing to determine who else might have been exposed to the virus.
Because other orthopoxviruses aren’t spreading in countries where they aren’t endemic like the US, one can assume that a positive orthopox test here is indeed monkeypox, according to Adalja.
Countries like Spain have shifted to include orthopox-positive cases as confirmed monkeypox cases in their counts. The CDC’s tracker of US cases lists “total confirmed monkeypox/orthopoxvirus cases.”
“I think that more diagnostic tests closer to patients is better. Commercial assays are even better,” Adalja said. “But the fact is, there are no other orthopoxviruses out there right now.”
He doesn’t believe that a lack of monkeypox-specific testing is hindering the public health response “because an orthopox-positive [case] is going to be monkeypox until proven otherwise in this scenario that we’re in right now.”
He added that this is a very different situation from the Covid-19 testing stumbles of 2020, when the world was dealing with a novel coronavirus without a major testing alternative, meaning it was often difficult to tell Covid-19 apart from other respiratory viruses like the flu. Monkeypox, on the other hand, we’ve known about for decades, and there’s a plan in place.
“It’s not the same as Covid,” Adalja said.
Identifying monkeypox
Monkeypox is rare outside endemic countries, and it isn’t as transmissible as a virus like Covid-19, according to the CDC. Humans may be infected by animals, but people can also infect each other through skin-to-skin contact; large respiratory droplets, which tend to travel no more than a few feet; or contact with things contaminated by skin lesions, such as bedding.
Monkeypox symptoms can include fever, headache, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes. A characteristic of the disease is a rash that results in lesions or pustules. This can happen anywhere on the body, often on places like the face, hands and feet. In the current outbreak, some cases have caused lesions in the genital or groin area, according to health officials.
The process for identifying a monkeypox case in the United States begins with a person noticing possible symptoms and seeking medical care. Their provider can contact a local or state health department to collect a specimen for orthopox testing, said Chris Mangal, director of public health preparedness and response at the Association of Public Health Laboratories.
At this time, the CDC is recommending the collection of two specimens — swabs of lesions.
“When they run that test, and if that test comes back positive, they will report presumptive positive for non-variola orthopoxvirus. And that presumptive positive is actually good enough — that, combined with what you’re seeing in terms of the patient presentation — to give them a sense that ‘we should take public health actions here,’ ” Mangal said.
The second specimen and the test result are sent to the CDC for its own testing.
“The CDC and the public health labs actually work closely, hand-in-hand, on this testing,” Mangal said.
During the monkeypox outbreak, the process for confirmatory testing has been “good enough for the phase we’re in right now” because there has not been a high number of cases, she said.
“If we get into the scenario where we’re seeing a significantly higher number of cases of monkeypox, it is my belief that CDC will then work with the [US Food and Drug Administration] and the public health labs to ensure they have this confirmatory capability,” she said, adding that there are a few scenarios that could play out if that happens.
“We can have public health labs developing their own lab-developed tests,” Mangal said. “If this rose to an emergency scenario, similar to Covid, laboratories could work through the FDA to obtain an emergency use authorization for confirmatory tests.”
But overall, Mangal said, she does not see the current outbreak developing into a major emergency. For the general public, “it’s my opinion that they should not be overly concerned,” she said.
The current capacity for monkeypox testing is “not a major public health concern” in general, Adalja said, but there is still room for it to move faster or be more widely available.
“It would be great if Quest and LabCorp could do it. It’d be great if there were kits that people could put in sexually transmitted infection clinics to definitively diagnose,” he said. “But I don’t think right now you’re hampering the public health response, just because there’s no other orthopoxvirus circulating.”
Even if the CDC shifts monkeypox-specific testing to state public health labs, getting confirmatory results could take time, Adalja added.
“Even though we’re talking about state public health labs and members of the CDC’s Laboratory Response Network being able to do orthodox PCR, it’s still a step — it still involves paperwork, it still involves making phone calls, that dissuades people from doing it, that has a lag built into it,” Adalja said.
“If you work in an STD clinic in some city and you have that kit there, or you have a lab that’s right in your town that does it, that makes it so much easier,” he said.
Plans for monkeypox PCR tests
Roche and Abbott’s planned monkeypox PCR tests are separate from the CDC’s plans.
None has received a green light from the FDA, and both companies said last week that their tests are intended for “research use” — though they are leaving the door open to tackle future testing needs.
Even if it doesn’t become necessary to expand testing in countries like the US, these moves could benefit other countries, including those in Western and Central Africa where the monkeypox virus has long been endemic.
“Some of the resource-poor countries where these diseases are endemic sometimes have a clearer path to getting these tests in people’s hands than in the United States, where there’s so much regulation and it’s so hard to do a point-of-care test,” Adalja said.
“I do think there’s an advantage to having these tests in endemic countries so that people can get diagnoses quickly,” he added. “You can find outbreaks much faster. You can deploy the smallpox vaccine faster for monkeypox.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/health/cnn-health/2022/05/30/plans-underway-to-ramp-up-monkeypox-testing-if-outbreak-grows-quickly/ | 2022-05-30T13:04:03Z |
Researchers are hunting down information to learn more about alligator tendencies
DURANT, Okla. (KXII) - The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is partnering with Southeastern Oklahoma State University and Southwestern Adventist University to conduct a two-year research project on one JAWsome creature.
The researchers are looking all over the state, as this animal is a good naviGATOR when it comes to the area they call home.
“We have a small population of alligators in Oklahoma. They’ve been in Oklahoma for a long time, there’s historical records going back into the 1800s,” Communication Specialist with ODWC Jena Donnell said.
The American Alligator is known to be located in the southern United States, and for us Texomans, that means our neighborhood.
“We just want to know more about this population, we want to know how many are there, what kind of ratios males to females we wanna know size structure and just the health of the population,” Donnell said.
Associate professor of biological sciences at SOSU, Jake Pruett, said this research has been a dream of his since he saw his first alligator as a kid.
“It’s surreal at times to see that you’re living a dream and watch it kinda unfold in front of you and I have to pinch myself and remember that this is actually real that I made this work, I made this goal,” he said.
Researchers will be tracking the gators’ movements; the reproductive efforts at Red Slough Wildlife Management Area - especially the female gators as they build their nests to defend their young from predators.
“This is part of Oklahoma’s natural heritage and in a time where we see more species at risk of extinction I think we need to all care about our natural heritage and do what we can to preserve it, including alligators,” Pruett said.
Students at SOSU will also be tracking.
“It is a challenging and also rewarding part of the job and to train people who were once in my shoes and give them the opportunity to learn and grow and get involved,” Pruett said.
The research will be done in the state of Oklahoma and once the alligators are captured, the measurements and research will be taken right there and then minutes later, the gator will be released back into the water.
“Our next big trip is actually next week where we will go out and try to find nests, the females it’s their time of year right now where they are going to start building nests and laying eggs, so we’ll do nests counts, we’ll GPS nests locations and we’ll continue to monitor them to make sure that those nests are protected and survive,” Pruett said.
The program started back on July 1, and will go until June 2024.
Copyright 2022 KXII. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/07/08/researchers-are-hunting-down-information-learn-more-about-alligator-tendencies/ | 2022-07-08T23:39:06Z |
NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AllianceBernstein L.P. ("AB") and AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. ("AB Holding") (NYSE: AB) today announced that preliminary assets under management decreased to $647 billion during June 2022 from $687 billion at the end of May. The 6% decrease was primarily attributed to negative markets, coupled with modest firm-wide net outflows. By channel, net inflows to Private Wealth were offset by net outflows from Retail and Institutions. June month-end AUM reflected $0.5 billion of outflows resulting from AXA S.A's ongoing redemption of certain low-fee fixed income mandates, of which approximately $4.0 billion remains outstanding and is expected to be redeemed by year-end. Excluding these AXA outflows, Institutional net flows were positive for the month of June.
Certain statements provided by management in this news release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The most significant of these factors include, but are not limited to, the following: the performance of financial markets, the investment performance of sponsored investment products and separately-managed accounts, general economic conditions, industry trends, future acquisitions, integration of acquired companies, competitive conditions, and government regulations, including changes in tax regulations and rates and the manner in which the earnings of publicly-traded partnerships are taxed. AB cautions readers to carefully consider such factors. Further, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made; AB undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements. For further information regarding these forward-looking statements and the factors that could cause actual results to differ, see "Risk Factors" and "Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in AB's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 or form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022. Any or all of the forward-looking statements made in this news release, Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, other documents AB files with or furnishes to the SEC and any other public statements issued by AB, may turn out to be wrong. It is important to remember that other factors besides those listed in "Risk Factors" and "Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements", and those listed above, could also adversely affect AB's financial condition, results of operations and business prospects.
AllianceBernstein is a leading global investment management firm that offers high-quality research and diversified investment services to institutional investors, individuals and private wealth clients in major world markets.
As of June 30, 2022, including both the general partnership and limited partnership interests in AllianceBernstein, AllianceBernstein Holding owned approximately 35.7% of AllianceBernstein and Equitable Holdings, Inc. ("EQH"), directly and through various subsidiaries, owned an approximate 65.0% economic interest in AllianceBernstein.
Additional information about AB may be found on our website, www.alliancebernstein.com.
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SOURCE AllianceBernstein | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/12/ab-announces-june-30-2022-assets-under-management/ | 2022-07-12T21:11:28Z |
CHONGQING, China (AP) — China says it will try to protect its grain harvest from record-setting drought by using chemicals to generate rain, while factories in the southwest waited Sunday to see whether they would be shut down for another week due to shortages of water to generate hydropower.
The hottest, driest summer since the government began recording rainfall and temperature 61 years ago has wilted crops and left reservoirs at half their normal water level. Factories in Sichuan province were shut down last week to save power for homes as air conditioning demand surged, with temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).
The coming 10 days are a “key period of damage resistance” for southern China’s rice crop, said Agriculture Minister Tang Renjian, according to the newspaper Global Times.
Authorities will take emergency steps to “ensure the autumn grain harvest,” which is 75% of China’s annual total, Tang said Friday, according to the report.
Authorities will “try to increase rain” by seeding clouds with chemicals and spraying crops with a “water retaining agent” to limit evaporation, Tang’s ministry said on its website. It gave no details of where that would be done.
The disruption adds to challenges for the ruling Communist Party, which is trying to shore up sagging economic growth before a meeting in October or November when President Xi Jinping is expected to try to award himself a third five-year term as leader.
A smaller Chinese grain harvest would have a potential global impact. It would boost demand for imports, adding to upward pressure on inflation in the United States and Europe that is running at multi-decade highs.
Also Sunday, thousands of factories in Sichuan province that make solar panels, processor chips and other industrial goods waited for word on whether last week’s six-day shutdown would be extended.
A document that circulated on social media and said it was from the Sichuan Economic and Information Industry Department said the closure would be extended through Thursday, but there was no official confirmation.
Phone calls to the economic agency and provincial government weren’t answered. A woman who answered the phone at the Sichuan branch of the government-owned power utility State Grid Ltd. said she had seen no notice about extending the shutdown. She wouldn’t give her name.
The governments of Sichuan and neighboring Hubei province say thousands of hectares (acres) of crops are a total loss and millions have been damaged.
Hubei’s government declared a drought emergency Saturday and said it would release disaster aid. The Sichuan government said 819,000 people face a shortage of drinking water.
Sichuan has been hardest hit by drought because it gets 80% of its power from hydroelectric dams. The provincial government says reservoirs are at half of normal water levels. It earlier called on manufacturers to “leave power for the people.”
Offices and shopping malls in Sichuan were ordered to turn off lights and air-conditioning. The subway in Chengdu, the provincial capital, said it turned off thousands of lights in stations.
Meanwhile, other areas have suffered deadly flash floods.
Flooding in the northwestern province of Qinghai killed at least 26 people and left five missing, state television reported Sunday, citing local authorities.
Mudslides and overflowing rivers late Thursday hit six villages in Datong county, according to earlier news reports. Some 1,500 people were forced out of their homes.
___
AP video producer Olivia Zhang contributed. | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/china-plans-cloud-seeding-to-protect-grain-crop-amid-drought/ | 2022-08-21T21:25:54Z |
BENSALEM, Pa., Aug. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces that investors with substantial losses have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit against Missfresh Limited ("Missfresh" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: MF).
Class Period: June 2021 IPO
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: September 12, 2022
Investors suffering losses on their Missfresh investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in this class action at 888-638-4847 or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com.
The complaint filed alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Missfresh provided false financial figures in its Registration Statement; (2) Missfresh would need to amend its financial figures; (3) Missfresh, among other things, had lesser net revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2021; and (4) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020, by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com, or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
Contacts
Law Offices of Howard G. Smith
Howard G. Smith, Esquire
215-638-4847
888-638-4847
howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com
www.howardsmithlaw.com
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SOURCE Law Offices of Howard G. Smith | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/05/mf-investors-have-opportunity-lead-missfresh-limited-securities-fraud-lawsuit/ | 2022-08-05T18:16:47Z |
PITTSBURGH, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "We wanted to create a simple and strain-free means of collecting pet waste from the ground," said one of three inventors, from Chandler, Ariz., "so we invented the SCOOP- N- CHUTE. Our design would simplify the task of picking up pet waste from a variety of surfaces like grass and pavement."
The patent-pending invention provides an easier way to pick up and dispose of pet waste. In doing so, it eliminates the need to bend or touch pet waste. As a result, it enhances sanitation and convenience and it reduces odors and messes. The invention features a portable design that is easy to use so it is ideal for pet owners, kennels, etc.
The original design was submitted to the Phoenix sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-PBT-170, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/inventhelp-inventors-develop-pet-waste-collection-tool-pbt-170/ | 2022-06-22T18:51:13Z |
New York City declares monkeypox a public health emergency
NEW YORK (AP) — Officials in New York City declared a public health emergency due to the spread of the monkeypox virus Saturday, calling the city “the epicenter” of the outbreak.
The announcement Saturday by Mayor Eric Adams and health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said as many as 150,000 city residents could be at risk of infection. The declaration will allow officials to issue emergency orders under the city health code and amend code provisions to implement measures to help slow the spread.
In the last two days, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency declaration and the state health department called monkeypox an “imminent threat to public health.”
New York had recorded 1,345 cases as of Friday, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. California had the second-most, with 799.
“We will continue to work with our federal partners to secure more doses as soon as they become available,” Adams and Vasan said in the statement. “This outbreak must be met with urgency, action, and resources, both nationally and globally, and this declaration of a public health emergency reflects the seriousness of the moment.”
The World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global health emergency on July 23. The once-rare disease has been established in parts of central and west Africa for decades but was not known to spark large outbreaks beyond the continent or to spread widely among people until May, when authorities detected dozens of epidemics in Europe, North America and elsewhere.
To date, there have been more than 22,000 monkeypox cases reported in nearly 80 countries since May, with about 75 suspected deaths in Africa, mostly in Nigeria and Congo. On Friday, Brazil and Spain reported deaths linked to monkeypox, the first reported outside Africa. Spain reported a second monkeypox death Saturday.
The virus spreads through prolonged and close skin-to-skin contact as well as sharing bedding, towels and clothing. In Europe and North America, it has spread primarily among men who have sex with men, though health officials emphasize that the virus can infect anyone.
The type of monkeypox virus identified in this outbreak is rarely fatal, and people usually recover within weeks. But the lesions and blisters caused by the virus are painful.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/07/31/new-york-city-declares-monkeypox-public-health-emergency/ | 2022-07-31T00:22:25Z |
Video shows Russian soldiers killing 2 civilians before they ransack a business
EXCLUSIVE by Sara Sidner, Sandi Sidhu, Vasco Cotovio, Kostyantyn Gak and Oleksandra Titorova, CNN
Russian soldiers shot two unarmed civilians as they walked away after an encounter in the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
CNN has obtained surveillance video of what is now being investigated as a war crime by Ukrainian prosecutors.
Both civilians died after the heartless shooting that goes against the so-called rules of war that outlaw the targeting of civilians. CNN has identified the victims. One was the owner of the vehicle dealership that was looted, whose family does not want to be named. The other was Leonid Oleksiyovych Plyats, a 68-year-old grandfather who worked as a guard there.
His daughter, Yulia, cannot bear to watch the video of the day her father died, but she is saving it to one day show her children, so they don’t forget how savage the invaders were.
“They are executioners,” she told CNN. “It’s awful because my father was a civilian, he was 68, a peaceful unarmed man.”
Killing caught from multiple angles
The images from security cameras capture the initial Russian attempt to take Kyiv in March. On the main road to the capital, the fighting was fierce as Ukrainian forces battled Russian troops and tankers to stop the advance.
But what happened outside the car dealership on March 16 was not a battle between soldiers or even soldiers and armed civilians.
The video has been verified by CNN. It is compiled from a number of cameras around the property and, while it has no sound, its pictures are clear. It was a cowardly, cold-blooded killing of two unarmed men.
Five Russian soldiers arrive and try to break into the businesses — firing at locks and smashing glass.
As the owner approaches with hands raised, they stop him and appear to search him for weapons. Plyats then arrives and is also frisked. There seems to be some conversation before the soldiers turn away and the two civilians begin to walk back to their guard post.
Then at least two of the soldiers come up behind the men and open fire. Both civilians drop to the ground.
CNN has requested comment from Russia’s defense ministry but has not had a response.
A top Ukraine prosecutor says the incident is being investigated as a war crime after viewing the video CNN obtained.
In addition to the killing, the video shows plenty more unprofessional behavior by the group of five soldiers, identified as members of the invading force by their uniforms, analysis of who controlled what area at the time and witness statements.
The men are seen inside the dealership removing their body armor and looking through drawers and desks. One man grabs a bobble hat from a shelf and puts it on. Two men get drinks and apparently toast each other.
The grandfather tried to save himself
While the soldiers were ransacking the businesses, Plyats was still alive. The video shows him struggle to his feet, tie what looks like a tourniquet around his thigh and hobble back to his guard post.
There, he gets a phone to call for help.
That call went to his compatriots, more Ukrainian citizens who stayed to defend their neighborhoods.
The ragtag force of volunteers tried to rescue Plyats, exchanging fire with Russian forces as they struggled to reach him, said the group’s commander who did not want to be identified to protect his safety.
The surveillance footage shows Plyats slumped inside the guard hut as the Ukrainians make it to him. They drag him out, leaving a wide swath of blood. He died there outside the guard shack. The commander said he bled out as the civilian fighters initially had to retreat, they simply did not have the firepower to take on the tanks and guns the Russians had in the area.
The civilian commander said Plyats and the dealership owner had been warned that the Russians were getting closer but chose to stay. Plyats’ daughter said he believed in fulfilling his duty so he went to work. Neither man seemed to have any idea how they would be treated as they approached the soldiers.
The volunteer fighter said what happened has generated hatred toward those Russian troops who killed for no reason and others like them.
“It’s a war crime for sure,” he said. “If there is any possibility to reach and catch them, I think they deserve a death penalty.”
Plyats’ daughter asked for his remains to be cremated, as a proper burial was impossible amid the fighting. His ashes still await her at the morgue and she hopes she will, one day, be able to bury them in her mother’s grave. All she can do now is remember her “very cheerful” father and hope for a measure of justice.
“They need to be judged,” she said of his killers. “I hope for an international court. I hope that not only Ukraine but the whole world will learn about their crimes.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/news/national-world/cnn-europe-mideast-africa/2022/05/11/video-shows-russian-soldiers-killing-2-civilians-before-they-ransack-a-business-2/ | 2022-05-12T04:50:33Z |
Los Angeles sheriff appears to back down after signaling he was investigating reporter
By Oliver Darcy, CNN Business
A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter. You can sign up for free right here.
LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is the subject of national scrutiny right now.
On Tuesday he alarmed press freedom advocates by lashing out at a press conference and indicating that a Los Angeles Times reporter was under criminal investigation. Later in the day, he attempted to walk back his alarming comments, but it’s important to understand the background, including Villanueva’s highly controversial behavior and his attacks against the media.
Villanueva has repeatedly singled out LA Times reporter Alene Tchekmedyian, who is just doing her job by covering his department. Tchekmedyian has published a series of stories about an incident in which a deputy kneeled on an inmate — including an article on Monday regarding an allegation that Villanueva was implicated in a cover-up.
At Tuesday’s press conference, Villanueva displayed and pointed to a photo of Tchekmedyian, plus one of his political rivals and the sheriff’s inspector general. Arrows implied a connection between all three. Villanueva referred to video of the incident that Tchekmedyian had obtained as “stolen property.” And he declared that he was investigating “all parties” involved in the matter. When repeatedly asked whether Tchekmedyian was specifically under investigation, Villanueva responded that “all parties to the act” were being probed.
But after widespread condemnation and a warning from the paper’s general counsel, Villanueva sort of walked back his remarks. “Resulting from the incredible frenzy of misinformation being circulated, I must clarify at no time today did I state an LA Times reporter was a suspect in a criminal investigation,” the LA County Sheriff’s Department tweeted Tuesday night. “We have no interest in pursuing, nor are we pursuing, criminal charges against any reporters.”
Notably, Villanueva appears to have set up a straw man here. There is a difference between being the subject of an investigation and a suspect in an investigation where criminal charges can be brought against the person. The former was reported by news organizations, not the latter…
“An abuse of your official position”
Hours before the department’s tweet, LA Times general counsel Jeff Glasser wrote the sheriff a scathing note. Glasser described Villanueva’s remarks as a “thinly veiled attempt to intimidate” to intimidate Tchekmedyian “for reporting unflattering (but entirely accurate) information about the conduct of individuals in your department and allegations of a cover-up by you and other officials.”
Glasser said it was “an abuse of your official position that risks subjecting you and the county to legal liability.” He demanded that the department “preserve all documents related to any ‘investigation’ of Ms. Tchekmedyian or any other LA Times employee in this matter.” You can read the full letter here…
A history of going after the press
This is far from the first time that Villanueva has made the press a target, as LA Mag’s Ian Spiegelman wrote earlier this month. He has objected to Tchekmedyian before. The LA Times recalled an incident last year in which the sheriff’s department refused to talk with her. “The department suggested it would answer questions from ‘any other’ Times reporter,” the story said. “The Times declined to assign a new reporter to the story.”
Widespread denunciation
>> LA Times exec editor Kevin Merida said Villanueva’s “attempt to criminalize news reporting goes against well-established constitutional law…”
>> Robert Garcia, the mayor of Long Beach City, which is in LA County, said it was “a clear attack on the free press and incredibly dangerous” and called on other elected officials to “denounce this behavior and stand up to these actions by the Sheriff…”
>> The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press described Villanueva’s move as “beyond the pale” and a violation of the First Amendment, condemning it in the “strongest terms…”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/money/cnn-business-consumer/2022/04/26/los-angeles-sheriff-appears-to-back-down-after-signaling-he-was-investigating-reporter/ | 2022-04-27T09:51:17Z |
Alliance area real estate transfers Aug. 6-12
Alliance
Allen Saprina Trustee from Berardi Robert T, 964 S Freedom Ave, $12,000.
Alliance Ventures Inc from Greater Alliance Development Corporation, 1495 Freshley Ave, $52,000.
Ammon Properties LLC from Harding Lawrence E Jr & Flo J Trustees, 1094 N Union Ave, $225,000.
Deerfield Investment Properties LLC from Brunt Barbara, parcel 111196 Seneca Ave S, $1,200.
FP Alliance LLC from D&L Ferguson LLC, 2500 State St W, $5,000,000.
Gross Charles L & Catherine A from Goodwin Gilbert K & Mary E, 1670 Charl-Ann Dr, $200,000.
Jordan Nathan E & Tara L Fka Tucker Tara from Warner Amanda L, 2540 Crestview Ave, $125,000.
Magnus Julie C from Dennis Chris & Meyers Nick, 2467 S Linden Ave, $142,700.
Nicholson Demetrius from Marsili Eric, 435 W Market St, $77,000.
Santonastasso John & Kathleen from Carlile Adam M & Amy J, 2041 Watson Ave, $124,000.
Warren Spencer R & Lauren N from Klein Mary Jane, 68 W Grant St, $95,000.
Warren Spencer R & Lauren N from Klein Mary Jane, parcel 105385 Grant St W, $95,000.
Williams Joseph & Brooke from Johnston Charlene M & Ring Jennifer L, 2364 Miller Ave, $34,000.
Lexington Township
Dowler Tom & Amanda from Bussie Sharon, 12177 Rockhill Ave NE, $25,000.
Dowler Tom & Amanda from Bussie Sharon, parcel 2801910 Northlynn St NE, $25,000.
Mcdonald Michael & Amanda from Roose Gerald L, 11844 Walnut Ave NE, $140,000.
Louisville
DRL Rental Property LLC from JBF Realty LLC, 310 Beechwood St, $129,900.
Frere Calla from Haines Rebecca A, 921 E Gorgas St, $117,000.
Frere Calla from Haines Rebecca A, parcel 3600861 Gorgas St E, $117,000.
Haydu Henry A & Pamela J from Swartz Judy A Trustee of the Lee R and M, 505 Bellaire St, $217,000.
Louisville 44 Dohp LLC from Keister John, 215 Enterprise Cir, $200,000.
Miller Josie A from JBF Realty LLC, 412 Beechwood St, $129,000.
Sanner Theodore from JBF Realty LLC, 2109 Ashbrook St, $130,000.
Sanner Theodore from JBF Realty LLC, 2115 Ashbrook St, $137,000.
Marlboro Township
Papoi Michael Thomas & Catherine Lee from Smith Joan F Trustee, 14247 Sharonbrook Ave NE, $260,000.
Nimishillen Township
Devisser John II & Ashley M from Shiepis Alfredos G & Brenda M, 5525 Grove St, $220,000.
Paris Township
Bridges David L from the Marino Family Trust, 2200 Robertsville Ave SE, $30,700.
Knight Kristian M from Kerr Jeffrey L & Linda v, 16360 Bonnieview St SE, $143,500.
Mayle Mark from Ware Bryan, 4384 Robertsville Ave, $21,000.
Warne Dennis O from Bartlett Verlin D & Sandra L., 12901 Baywood St SE, $90,500.
Sandy Township
Foringer Keith A & Bobbie S from Conde Karen Sue Successor Tte, 624 Smith Ave, $255,000.
Huffman Amanda S from Mcdougal Walter R, 8709 Elmfort Ave SE, $25,000.
Huffman Amanda S from Mcdougal Walter R, parcel 6100955 Broadford St SE, $25,000.
Huffman Amber from Critchley Helen K, 8815 Mapledale Dr SE, $40,000. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2022/09/02/alliance-area-real-estate-transfers-aug-6-12/65462222007/ | 2022-09-02T11:20:13Z |
GRAPHIC: Parents say officer used excessive force against middle schooler
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT/Gray News) - The parents of a middle school student in Tennessee filed a lawsuit against the Knoxville Police Department and a specific officer after they say body cam video shows the officer used excessive force against their son.
The parents of the former Northwest Middle School student filed the lawsuit against the department and Officer David Lee, according to court documents obtained by WVLT.
On April 19, 2021, the eighth-grade student, who remains unnamed to protect his identity as a juvenile, was on his way to the bathroom when Lee detained him by grabbing his backpack and not letting go, according to the documents.
The documents allege that Lee threatened to arrest the teen if he did not give him his backpack, with Lee claiming he could smell an odor of marijuana coming from the backpack.
A later search of the backpack and student did not yield any drugs or drug paraphernalia.
The student was confused by Lee’s command to search his backpack, but rather than get a teacher involved in the situation, Lee aggressively grabbed the student’s arms and forcefully restrained him, according to the documents.
The documents say that Lee then swept the student’s legs and slammed him face-first into the ground without his arms to brace for the impact.
Lee then placed his knee on the student’s neck, making it difficult for him to breathe, the documents say.
The officer then took the student into a room without cameras, where he forced him into a chair.
The documents say that Lee lifted the handcuffed, underweight student off of his feet by his arms and slammed his face into the hardwood table with the totality of his strength and weight, causing him to “scream in agonizing pain.”
The actions of the officer caused the student to sustain multiple injuries, the documents allege, including a large laceration on the boy’s chin, as well as emotional and mental trauma, according to the documents.
Another officer showed up to take the student to jail and asked him if he needed an ambulance. Lee said that he would call one for the boy’s injured chin.
The student was charged with resisting arrest, which was later dismissed in juvenile court, the documents say.
The boy’s family sued the Knoxville Police Department for two civil rights violations: using excessive force and unreasonable seizure and failure to train and supervise.
The family sued Lee for using excessive force and unreasonable seizure, assault and battery and outrageous conduct/intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The family requested that the student be awarded compensation for all injuries caused by the incident as well as compensatory and punitive damages not to exceed $1 million for either.
“The family hopes and expects that during the course of this lawsuit that an actual and meaningful investigation into the actions taken by the officer is opened,” a lawyer representing the family said. “The family also feels that Northwest Middle School and its administrators should be made to answer for their role in this traumatic experience.”
When asked, a spokesman with the police department declined to comment on the case due to pending litigation, but did confirm that Lee is a student resource officer working at West High School.
Copyright 2022 WVLT via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/05/10/graphic-parents-say-officer-used-excessive-force-against-middle-schooler/ | 2022-05-10T22:23:12Z |
Around 1,500 expected to rally for affordable housing at JUMP meeting
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Around 1,500 people are expected to gather to rally for affordable housing at Washburn University’s Lee Arena for Topeka JUMP’s annual assembly, which is back after a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Topeka JUMP says at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 9, it will host the annual Nehemiah Action Assembly in Washburn University’s Lee Arena, 1901 SW Mulvane St. It said in 2019, the last time the assembly was held, 1,200 people converged on the sanctuary of Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church to address rising gun violence in the capital city.
Then, JUMP said the pandemic shut everything down. However, it said work toward justice continued.
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization said it managed to win an expansion of Oxford Houses in Topeka - valued at $261,000. It said the expansion will create 100 new beds to help residents break free from addiction.
As of Wednesday, May 4, JUMP said about half of the new beds in the facility have been created. It said the program is on track to meet 100 new beds by 2023.
This spring, JUMP said it came back to in-person meetings and expects to have over 1,500 attendees at the May 9 assembly. It said the meeting is expected to be the largest non-partisan civic gathering in the Sunflower State.
The organization noted that the assembly’s agenda will focus on long-term planning to address the need for more affordable housing for those who make less than $50,000 per year.
JUMP indicated that Mayor Mike Padilla and Deputy Mayor Spencer Duncan will also attend the meeting.
The group also said it will propose that Valeo Behavioral Health Care make a long-term plan to expand its crisis care services.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/04/around-1500-expected-rally-affordable-housing-jump-meeting/ | 2022-05-04T22:07:29Z |
Oklahoma governor seeks massive incentives to lure company
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Monday asked state lawmakers to approve a massive package of financial incentives, including tapping into the state’s reserve funds, to help lure an unnamed company to the state.
The first-term Republican said he was prohibited by a non-disclosure agreement from naming the company or outlining the total cost of the package. But he hinted that the incentives targeted a company associated with the electric-vehicle industry.
“Tens of billions of dollars are going to be invested over the next five to seven years in this space, and we want Oklahoma to be the spot that these folks land,” Stitt said.
He said the unnamed company planned to build one of the largest manufacturing facilities in the country, a “humongous factory with billions and billions of dollars worth of investment, thousands and thousands of jobs.”
Japanese broadcaster NHK, citing unnamed sources, reported last month that Panasonic Corp. was looking at both Kansas and Texas as a potential location for a factory to produce electric-vehicle batteries for Tesla and other vehicle makers. Kansas earlier this year authorized more than $1 billion in state incentives in hopes of attracting a $4 billion project.
Panasonic did not immediately respond to a message left Monday seeking comment.
Oklahoma reportedly was in the running for the new Tesla assembly plant near Tulsa, and its CEO Elon Musk visited the city, but the company ultimately selected Austin, Texas. After the competition to land the Texas plant, Oklahoma launched a new effort to lure the automotive industry to the state.
Stitt wants lawmakers to expand the state’s Quality Jobs Act, which provides quarterly cash payments up to 5% of new payrolls for up to 10 years for qualifying companies, to payments of up to 7.5% for major projects.
Stitt also wants to raise the cap on a separate investment tax-credit package, which provides tax credits to manufacturers based on either investment in property or the addition of employees, from 2% to 3%.
Speaker of the House Charles McCall and Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat both indicated their support of Stitt’s proposal, and a joint budget committee was expected to consider several bills outlining the incentives late Monday afternoon.
House Democratic Leader Rep. Emily Virgin said her members had been briefed by Stitt’s Secretary of Commerce Scott Mueller on the general components of the plan, but was hesitant to offer her support without more information.
“The governor has not spoken to us about the bill, and it’s very concerning he would ask us to support something without giving us the bill number or language,” said Virgin, D-Norman.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/04/18/oklahoma-governor-seeks-massive-incentives-lure-company/ | 2022-04-18T23:12:10Z |
Award recognizes fleet operators who show true leadership in clean transportation
LOS ANGELES, May 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) is honored to announce it took home the "Leading Private Fleet Award" at the 2022 Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, North America's largest advanced transportation and clean fleet event. This year, there were more than 250 nominees across all award categories. Finalists in the Leading Private Fleet category included Genentech, Iron Mountain, McAbee Trucking Incorporated, Sysco, and United Natural Foods Incorporated. The award recognizes leadership that goes above and beyond what is required to achieve sustainability in a company's fleet operations.
The award specifically acknowledges SoCalGas' critical investments towards its ASPIRE 2045 sustainability goals which includes working to replace 50% of its over-the-road fleet with clean fuel vehicles by 2025 and operate a zero-emission fleet by 2035. Currently, a third of SoCalGas' fleet already operates on clean fuels.
"This is exciting news for SoCalGas as we continue to make strides to decarbonize one of the hardest to abate sectors of the economy," said Jawaad Malik vice president of strategy and sustainability, and chief environmental officer. "We continue to invest in a diverse set of innovative and advanced fleet technology such as hydrogen fuel cell, electric, and renewable natural gas-powered vehicles. Adopting new, cleaner technologies and leading the fleet industry with our closed-loop recycling program will help SoCalGas and California reach our shared climate and air quality goals."
"We had a record-breaking number of submissions this year and it was difficult to choose just one winner per category given the impressive initiatives we saw from each nominee," said Erik Neandross, CEO at Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA), a clean transportation firm and energy consulting firm and the host of ACT Expo.
The company's efforts to replace 50% of its over-the-road fleet with clean fuel vehicles by 2025, includes an announcement back in March that SoCalGas plans to install 1,500 electric vehicle chargers at 67 company facilities by the end of 2024. This year, the company plans to purchase Ford F-150 Lightning electric trucks and E-Transit electric vans to be serviced by the new chargers.
Also this year, SoCalGas purchased 50 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCEV), making SoCalGas among the first utilities in the nation to start transitioning to hydrogen-powered vehicles. And last year, SoCalGas converted 200 new Ford F-250 service pickup trucks to run on renewable natural gas (RNG). The service trucks are outfitted with the newest Landi Renzo Eco Ready™ equipment, a California Air Resource Board certified ultra-low emissions vehicles system.
The SoCalGas fleet also participates in a closed-loop automotive oil and antifreeze recycling program, which prevents the incineration of the waste and helps reduce air pollution. Last year, SoCalGas recycled more than 15,000 gallons of oil and antifreeze as a result.
SoCalGas manages a fleet of more than 5,000, which includes, light, medium, and heavy-duty vehicles as well as trailers and equipment. The utility has been at the forefront of fleet sustainability with early implementation of natural gas as a vehicle fuel more than 40 years ago. And for over 30 years, SoCalGas has supported the alternative fuel transportation industry by offering public compressed natural gas refueling stations at its operating bases. Since September 2020, SoCalGas refueling stations have been supplied with carbon negative RNG.
This year SoCalGas announced its ASPIRE 2045 sustainability strategy to further integrate sustainability across our business. This strategy builds upon our aim to have net zero greenhouse gas emissions in our operations and delivery of energy by 2045. Read more at socalgas.com/aspire2045.
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million consumers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. Gas delivered through the company's pipelines will continue to play a key role in California's clean energy transition—providing electric grid reliability and supporting wind and solar energy deployment.
SoCalGas' mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy company in America. In support of that mission, SoCalGas is committed to the two goals of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045 and replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply to core customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills, and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for customers. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.
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SOURCE Southern California Gas Company | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/12/socalgas-wins-leading-private-fleet-award-2022-act-expo/ | 2022-05-12T18:12:03Z |
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA and Rice University in Houston will host multiple events in September to celebrate the 60th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's historic speech at Rice Stadium, rallying the nation to land astronauts on the Moon before the end of the decade and bring the crew safely back to Earth.
The agency will provide live coverage of the final event at noon EDT (11 a.m. CDT) on Monday, Sept. 12, commemorating the speech on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will be the keynote speaker, and the program will include other agency officials, dignitaries, and local and national elected officials.
Gates to the stadium will open to the public at 9 a.m. CDT Monday. The event will feature exhibits from NASA, Space Center Houston, Rice University, and space industry partners, who will commemorate Kennedy's historic challenge and unprecedented commitment of resources that set a young space agency on the path to achieve the goal with the successful landing of Apollo 11 astronauts on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
Today, NASA is ready to launch the agency's Artemis I test flight to the Moon, a major step forward in a new era of human deep space exploration. NASA is targeting no earlier than Monday, Aug. 29, for the launch of the Space Launch System rocket to send the Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I flight test around the Moon and back to Earth.
"In 1962, President Kennedy delivered a historic speech at Rice University on his groundbreaking plans for the new frontier and sending the first humans to the Moon. Sixty years later, we choose to go to the Moon – and on to Mars," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "We are gearing up for the first test flight of the most powerful rocket in the world for Artemis I. This time, we're going to the Moon with the goal of establishing a human presence to learn how to live and work in deep space to prepare for the first human missions to Mars. We continue to build on the legacy of the Apollo program as the Artemis Generation prepares to go farther into the cosmos than ever before."
Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before for the benefit of all. In collaboration with commercial and international partners, NASA will establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. Then, humanity will use what it learns on and around the Moon to begin the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.
"We look forward to welcoming the community to Rice University to commemorate President Kennedy's historic speech and the important role Houston has played in shaping our nation's space program," said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center. "NASA's Apollo Program captured the world's attention and demonstrated the power of America's vision and technology to ignite generations of great achievements, exploration, and scientific discovery. Our leadership in space continues, as we move forward to the Moon once more and inspire the next generation of explorers, who will carry us to even greater heights."
Additional events and activities include:
Saturday, Sept. 10
- 10 a.m. CDT (11 a.m. EDT) – NASA pavilion and Industry and Research exhibits open to the public, free of charge.
- 6:30 p.m. CDT (7:30 p.m. EDT) -- Commemorative football game between the Rice University Owls and the McNeese State University Cowboys in Rice Stadium
Sunday, Sept. 11
- 10 a.m. CDT (11 a.m. EDT) – Community Day: NASA and industry exhibits open to the public
Monday, Sept. 12
- 11 a.m. CDT (Noon EDT) – As noted above, NASA will provide live coverage of the main event. Participants will include:
Rice University will provide details for media accreditation at its venue soon. Get additional information about the event, exhibits, and related activities online at:
https://external.jsc.nasa.gov/jfk-60th-anniversary/
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SOURCE NASA | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/nasa-rice-university-mark-60th-anniversary-john-f-kennedy-speech/ | 2022-08-23T22:50:31Z |
Monthly Robocall Volume Jumps 17.4%, As Robocallers Go Back To Work
IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans received just under 4.5 billion robocalls in August, marking a massive 17.4% increase from July, both on a monthly and daily basis. Specifically, August averaged 144.4 million calls/day and 1,672 calls/second, compared to 123.1 million calls/day and 1,424 calls/second in July. This is the highest volume of robocalls in a single month since March 2021.
So far this year, US consumers have received some 32.6 billion robocalls, and the country has continued on a pace to exceed 48 billion robocalls for the year, roughly the same as last year.
"It was unexpected to see such a large jump in robocalls in August, despite all the efforts to address the problem," said YouMail CEO Alex Quilici. "It suggests that there continues to be a need to step up enforcement, improve technology, and see more changes in consumer behavior."
These latest figures are provided by YouMail, a totally free robocall blocking app and call protection service for mobile phones. These figures are determined by extrapolating from the robocall traffic attempting to get through to YouMail's millions of active users.
August's most unwanted robocall campaign was the same tax scam campaign from July that continues to make tens of millions of robocalls every week from thousands of different numbers. As in this example, the callers are pushing tax debt reduction services. Like many other illegal telemarketing or scam calls, they appear to be violating a variety of telemarketing regulations, as they do not identify the entity making the call, do not provide a call back number, and appear to be calling people who did not give prior consent. Here is the call transcript:
"This is a notification call from our Department of Tax and Financial Settlement Services. The purpose of this call is to inform all US citizens who may owe back taxes about the new back taxes compromise program. This program is part of the American rescue plan put into effect by the new administration and is now open for enrollment. The new compromise program will allow you to significantly reduce or eliminate your back taxes that can now be considered temporarily non-collectible. However, you must select to enroll into the program now it is only open for a limited time. If you have over $10,000 on your back taxes, please press one. If you want us to put your number on our Do Not Call list, please press two."
Together, there were roughly 2.3 billion unwanted scam and telemarketing calls in August, up from roughly 1.9 billion in July. This heavy calling volume was driven by a 32% increase in telemarketing calls and an 8% increase in scam calls. However, we also saw a roughly 15% increase in both notifications and payment reminders, the types of robocalls which are generally acceptable to consumers.
It's likely that some calls initially viewed as telemarketing will eventually be recognized as illegal telemarketing or scam calls, so it's important to measure the overall quantity of scam and spam calls combined. A scam call is one that has clearly illegal or fraudulent behavior, such as a call from an enterprise imposter, or one that has a spoofed caller ID. Stir/Shaken continues to reduce the number of robocall campaigns based on spoofed IDs, which drives down the number of obvious scam calls by making them harder to detect, since they appear to be telemarketing campaigns unless there is other evidence of fraud.
There were a few changes to the cities, area codes, and states getting the most robocalls. Macon, Georgia, replaced Washington, DC, as the 3rd highest robocalled city, with a 25% increase in robocall volume month over month. Houston's 832 area code jumped ahead of Dallas's 214 area code as the 2nd most robocalled area code. And Tennessee replaced Alabama as the state with the 3rd most robocalls per person, with a 25% increase.
These data points are provided by YouMail, a free call protection app for mobile phones. YouMail recently won the American Business Awards' Gold Stevie Award for Technical Innovation of the Year, and the YouMail app was named the nation's best robocall-blocking solution in a competition organized by Geoffrey Fowler of the Washington Post.
YouMail blocks unwanted robocallers by making sure the user's phone doesn't ring, and then plays an out-of-service message that leads them to think they dialed an invalid number. YouMail identifies problematic numbers and robocalls using a combination of its recently patented audio fingerprinting technology, call patterns, and consumer feedback.
YouMail provides the YouMail Robocall Index to estimate robocall volume across the country and for specific area codes every month. This estimate is formed by extrapolating from the behavior of the billions of calls YouMail has handled for its users, and these statistics are regularly cited by the FCC as a definitive source for national data trends.
For a full ranking of cities, states and area codes, as well as details on the behavior of robocallers in each area code, please see http://robocallindex.com. To listen to actual voice messages left by robocallers, please visit the YouMail Directory. To join the YouMail Robocall Index mailing list, please write to RobocallIndex@YouMail.com.
YouMail protects consumers, enterprises, and carriers from harmful phone calls. YouMail provides US and UK consumers app-based call protection services through the YouMail, Another Number, and HulloMail apps. These solutions answer over a billion live calls per year across well over 10 million registered users, powering America's most robust telephone sensor network in identifying and providing zero-hour protection against illegal calling campaigns and cyberattacks. YouMail Protective Services leverages this sensor network to protect consumer-facing enterprises by detecting and helping shut down imposter traffic that can lead to financial or brand damage, as well as to protect carriers with robocall mitigation services that detect and help stop bad traffic originating, traversing, or terminating on their networks. This sensor network is also used to provide the YouMail Robocall Index™ is the nation's definitive source on telephone network activity and attacks. YouMail, Inc. is privately funded and based in Irvine, California.
Rohan Notaney for YouMail
Lumina Communications
YouMailPR@luminapr.com
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SOURCE YouMail Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/07/us-phones-received-just-under-45-billion-robocalls-august-says-youmail-robocall-index/ | 2022-09-07T13:28:19Z |
NEW YORK, June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for AAPL, HD, ZEN, COST, and CVX.
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InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
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SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/09/thinking-about-trading-options-or-stock-apple-home-depot-zendesk-costco-or-chevron/ | 2022-06-09T15:37:18Z |
With Three-Year Revenue Growth of 2143.537 Percent, WHITTLEY AGENCY Named Among America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies
NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Inc. revealed that WHITTLEY AGENCY, a culture-powered global business management, creative and communications consulting agency is No. 252 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy's most dynamic segment—its independent businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.
"The team at Whittley Agency has worked hard to build an unparallel legacy of success and growth. We are honored to receive this national recognition and most proud of the impact we have made for and alongside of our clients. Our growth into international emerging markets working with small to mid-size businesses continues as we continue to expand" said Dora Whittley, Founder and CEO of Whittley Agency.
The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful, but have also demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of Covid-19. Among the top 500, the average median three-year revenue growth rate soared to 2,144 percent. Together, those companies added more than 68,394 jobs over the past three years.
Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. The top 500 companies are featured in the September issue of Inc. magazine, which will be available on August 23.
"The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. "Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today."
"This award is a hallmark for the culture globally as it is a testament to the hard work put forth by our agency for our clients and global community. We are thrilled to receive this award for our remarkable growth and look forward to celebrating more achievements in 2022 and beyond" said Mike Whittley, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Whittley Agency.
Whittley Agency (WA) is a culture-powered global business management, creative and communications consulting firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (United States) with offices in Paris, France (Europe), and Yaoundé, Cameroon (West Africa). WA speaks to demographics authentic to and representative of diverse culture and communities. We work as an Agency of Record for a multitude of small to mid-size businesses across entertainment, CPG, beauty, health and government industries. This is achieved through synergistic vertical alignment with clients on strategy, corporate communications, influencer engagement, branded content, and creative marketing consulting yielding an organic connection to consumer base, increased brand awareness and accelerated scale power. Our team has over twenty years of international experience and relationships that leave best in class imprints and results with our clients.
CONTACT:
Candice Bynum
Hello@whittleyagency.com
(919) 408-1370
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SOURCE The Whittley Agency | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/16/whittley-agency-ranks-no-252-2022-inc-5000-annual-list/ | 2022-08-16T12:04:14Z |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The mass shooting that police say was a gun battle between rival gangs that left six dead and 12 wounded earlier this month shook the downtown core of California’s capital — and created another challenge for a city trying to redefine itself as a destination for more than just government workers.
In recent years, downtown Sacramento has benefited from billions of dollars of development but has been rattled by rising crime, protests resulting in property damage and an economic drubbing caused by the pandemic. Now, the city is reeling from the aftermath of the April 3 shooting, when at least five gunmen fired 100 shots as people left bars and nightclubs.
The violence just blocks from the Capitol highlights the successes and challenges many U.S. urban centers are facing as struggles with crime and homelessness persist despite revitalization efforts.
Though Sacramento is home to more than 500,000 people, it’s considered sleepy by California standards. The derisive nickname “Cowtown” grew out of its agricultural roots.
Today, downtown is at the center of the city’s efforts to become an entertainment and food destination. Local officials have worked to rebrand the city as “America’s Farm to Fork Capital,” a nod to a large number of well-regarded restaurants that get ingredients from the region’s many farms.
A major part of the revitalization is a six-block strip of K Street anchored by a renovated convention center and the Golden 1 Center, home to the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and a regular stop for major concert tours. The shooting happened on a block that’s home to high-end nightclubs but also dotted by vacant buildings that once housed coffee shops and restaurants.
Police have made two arrests connected to the shootings, but no one has been charged with homicide. The violence “came at a really pivotal moment for downtown,” said Sacramento City Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela, who represents the area.
“It’s causing me to sort of reflect on where we go from here — and as a city, not just as downtown,” she said.
A century ago, K Street was a bustling, diverse center of activity. But the strip struggled as people moved into the suburbs — giving way to decades of failed revival efforts, including the construction of a mall in the late 1960s and the launch of a light rail commuter line in the 1980s.
A fresh wave of investment came to the area about a decade ago, with new businesses opening on K Street as part of an effort to revive downtown after the financial crisis. The Golden 1 Center’s 2016 opening sought to build on that, helping generate $6.7 billion in nearby investment and spurring the opening of 150 new businesses, according to the Downtown Sacramento Partnership business group.
Then the pandemic hit, sending many of downtown’s 100,000 workers home and forcing some businesses to close. Now about 45,000 people work downtown daily, according to the partnership.
As employment fell, crime rose. Aggravated assaults, burglaries and vandalism were up in 2020 and 2021 compared to the five previous years for a roughly 100-square block area that includes the Capitol and the arena, according to Sacramento police crime data.
The city’s central hub has also served as the epicenter for protests focusing on racial justice and police misconduct. Protesters in 2018 shut down a downtown freeway entrance and blocked fans from entering the arena after Sacramento police shot and killed a young Black man. Then demonstrations in 2020 over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis swept the city. Many downtown properties were vandalized and some were ransacked.
“We’ve had a lot of different realities kind of hit downtown in different waves,” said Dion Dwyer, director of public space services for the business partnership.
Now Sacramento is among the ranks of cities recovering from recent mass shootings. Since 2017, there have been 133 mass shootings in the U.S., according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.
Dayton, Ohio, in 2019 was shaken when a gunman killed nine people and wounded 17 just after midnight at a bar in the main entertainment district for the city of 140,000. Sandy Gudorf, president of the Downtown Dayton Partnership, said officials mounted an “intentional strategy to reclaim the district” after the shooting.
Within three weeks of the violence, there was a free performance by Dave Chappelle, who lives outside the city. The community rallied to support local businesses, but it took time for people to feel comfortable returning to nightlife. The pandemic hit just as that activity was rebounding, Gudorf said.
“In people’s minds and hearts they knew that this did not define who we are. It was an incident, it was a tragic incident where we lost lives and people were injured,” she said. “I think it just took time to process all of that.”
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg repeatedly said people should continue to feel comfortable going downtown.
“It’s not one or the other” when it comes to enjoying the city’s entertainment offerings and feeling safe, he said last week.
Rachel Muro, a manager at the locally owned Capital Books several storefronts away from the shooting, said downtown has problems like any city but that people should not avoid it. The bookstore’s owners recently opened a board game cafe just around the corner.
“We believe in this part of town enough to continue to help make it thrive,” Muro said.
Elsewhere on the block, the area’s troubles are obvious, with many office and restaurant spaces vacant. Homelessness downtown and elsewhere in Sacramento has been a vexing problem.
Last week the City Council voted to place a measure on the November ballot requiring the city build to more shelter beds and ban encampments on public land. Valenzuela, the councilwoman, opposed the plan and said it was inappropriate to debate that proposal so soon after the tragedy.
Crystal Sanchez, president of the Sacramento Homeless Union, said homeless people live downtown because the area has street lighting and lots of activity and plenty of alcoves near businesses where they can shelter.
“People are here because there are coves for protection,” Sanchez said.
At a brewery a few blocks from the shooting site, co-workers enjoying a drink reflected on whether the shooting changed their view of the city.
Braden Kolb, who was at a downtown bar for a friend’s 30th birthday the night before the shooting, said he patronizes downtown about once a month and that the shooting “is not going to change my behavior.”
But his friend Jason Slieter said the incident made him wonder if Sacramento is the right place to raise his family, saying he felt a sense of heaviness downtown when coming to work after the six people were killed.
“It definitely felt like something had changed,” he said.
__
Associated Press journalists Adam Beam in Sacramento and Camille Fassett in Oakland contributed. | https://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-u-s-headlines/shooting-challenges-downtown-sacramentos-rebuilding-efforts/ | 2022-04-13T00:17:35Z |
WASHINGTON, June 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Adding to the growing list of commercial deliveries slated to explore more of the Moon than ever before under Artemis, NASA has selected two new science instrument suites, including one that will study the mysterious Gruithuisen Domes for the first time.
These payload suites mark the second selection through the agency's Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) call for proposals. Both payloads will be delivered to the lunar surface on future flights through NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which is one part of the agency's larger lunar exploration architecture planned for this decade.
"The two selected studies will address important scientific questions related to the Moon" said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "The first will study geologic processes of early planetary bodies that are preserved on the Moon, by investigating a rare form of lunar volcanism. The second will study the effects of the Moon's low gravity and radiation environment on yeast, a model organism used to understand DNA damage response and repair."
The Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) investigation consists of a suite of five instruments, two of which will be mounted on a stationary lander and three mounted on a mobile rover to be provided as a service by the CLPS vendor.
Over the course of 10 Earth days (one lunar day), Lunar-VISE will explore the summit of one of the Gruithuisen Domes. These domes are suspected to have been formed by a sticky magma rich in silica, similar in composition to granite. On Earth, formations like these need oceans of liquid water and plate tectonics to form, but without these key ingredients on the Moon, lunar scientists have been left to wonder how these domes formed and evolved over time.
By analyzing the lunar regolith at the top of one of these domes, the data collected and returned by Lunar-VISE's instruments will help scientists answer fundamental open questions regarding how these formations came to be. The data also will help inform future robotic and human missions to the Moon. Dr. Kerri Donaldson Hanna of the University of Central Florida will lead this payload suite.
The second selected investigation, the Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications (LEIA) science suite, is a small CubeSat-based device. LEIA will provide biological research on the Moon – which cannot be simulated or replicated with high fidelity on the Earth or International Space Station – by delivering the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to the lunar surface and studying its response to radiation and lunar gravity. S. cerevisiae is an important model of human biology, especially in the areas of genetics, cellular and molecular replication and division processes, and DNA damage response to environmental factors such as radiation. The data returned by LEIA, in conjunction with previously existing data from other biological studies, could help scientists answer a decades-old question of how partial gravity and actual deep space radiation in combination influence biological processes. Dr. Andrew Settles of NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California will lead the LEIA payload suite.
With these selections in place, NASA will work with the CLPS office at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston to issue task orders to deliver these payload suites to the Moon in the 2026 timeframe.
For these payload suites, the agency also has selected two project scientists to coordinate science activities for the selected instrument suites, including working with the payloads on landing site selection, developing concepts of operations, and archiving science data acquired during surface operations. Dr. John Karcz of NASA Ames Research Center in California will coordinate the Lunar-VISE investigation suite for delivery to the Gruithuisen Domes, and Dr. Cindy Young of NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, will coordinate the LEIA investigation suite for delivery.
CLPS is a key part of NASA's Artemis lunar exploration plans. The science and technology payloads sent to the Moon's surface will help lay the foundation for human missions on and around the Moon. The agency has made seven task order awards to CLPS providers for lunar deliveries between in the early 2020s with more delivery awards expected through 2028.
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SOURCE NASA | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/02/nasa-selects-new-instruments-priority-artemis-science-moon/ | 2022-06-02T22:27:28Z |
CLEARWATER, Fla., June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The structural heart programs at BayCare's Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater and St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa recently received the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Transcatheter Valve Certification.
The certification recognizes each program's expertise and commitment to excellence in treating patients receiving transcatheter valve repair and replacement procedures.
"Our team at Morton Plant Hospital is proud to receive this prestigious certification from the ACC," said Joshua Rovin, MD, FACS, cardiovascular surgeon and medical director, for the Center for Advanced Valve and Structural Heart Care at Morton Plant Hospital. "It recognizes our commitment to continually improving our knowledge and skills to ensure each patient who comes to us with aortic stenosis has the best hope for a successful outcome."
Aortic stenosis is a disease that affects the aortic valve. In late stages of the disease, the valve does not open and close properly. This causes the heart to work harder to push blood through the calcified aortic valve. Eventually the heart's muscles weaken, increasing the patient's risk of heart failure.
Before Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), the primary solution for patients suffering from aortic stenosis was open heart surgery, which was not an option for many people. The introduction of TAVR, a minimally invasive alternative, has helped thousands of patients suffering from severe aortic stenosis regain the quality of life that once seemed impossible.
"Receiving the ACC's TAVR Certification is a testament to the highly skilled team at St. Joseph's Hospital's Structural Heart and Valve Program," said Phillips Harrington, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon, and director of the St. Joseph's Hospital Structural Heart program. "We continually pursue excellent outcomes, so we can provide the best possible care for each patient we treat."
In addition to the two hospitals, BayCare also began a structural heart program at the Bostick Heart Center at Winter Haven Hospital in 2020. The team approach employed and the collaboration between those teams make BayCare's structural heart programs stand out in the region. A cardiologist, a heart surgeon and one or two nurse practitioners work together to assess each patient. The surgeons and cardiologists then meet weekly to discuss each case and decide the best option for the patient. The medical professionals at all sites regularly collaborate to ensure patients throughout the region receive outstanding care closest to their home.
"As part of BayCare, we collaborated with doctors who had been doing TAVR procedures for many years at Morton Plant and St. Joseph's. They invested their time and energy in our program to ensure we met our health system's high standards," said David Dodd, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon and medical director of structural heart program at the Bostick Heart Center. "Our patients have benefitted from the evidence-based approaches employed by the BayCare structural heart teams."
The ACC's Transcatheter Valve Certification is an external review and certification process that pairs with established national clinical databases to monitor patient safety and real-world outcomes. Participation in established national clinical databases is required for hospitals interested in achieving Transcatheter Valve Certification.
The certification uses established national clinical measures to support clinical decisions and links process improvement to patient outcomes. Hospitals that achieve the certification learn best practices for implementing evidence-based medicine to support patient-centered decision-making and can track key performance metrics to better identify opportunities for improvement.
For more information on BayCare's TAVR services, visit our website.
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 15 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. The system is West Central Florida's largest provider of behavioral health and pediatric services and its provider group, BayCare Medical Group, is one of the largest in the region. BayCare's diverse network of ambulatory services includes laboratories, imaging, surgical centers, BayCare Urgent Care locations, wellness centers and one of Florida's largest home care agencies, BayCare HomeCare. It's Medicare Advantage insurance, BayCarePlus, is among the region's few 5-star-rated plans and the system is ranked in the top 20 percent by IBM Watson Health® Top Health Systems. BayCare's mission is to improve the health of all it serves through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care.
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SOURCE BayCare Health System | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/baycare-receives-recognition-its-minimally-invasive-transcatheter-valve-procedures/ | 2022-06-23T22:03:06Z |
ATHENS -- Tim Miller understands the impact that education can have on a person’s life. He experienced it firsthand at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, with professors who tailored their instruction so he could best learn.
Miller, who begins his yearlong tenure as CAES Alumni Board president on July 1, has had a well-rounded career in the agriculture equipment industry since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural mechanization technology in 1986.
After working in training roles for industry big-hitters like Kubota, Komatsu and AGCO, he joined Yanmar America to lead the learning and development program for the Japanese heavy machinery company both in North America and around the world.
Specifically, Miller oversees Yanmar’s Global Academy and a training center that handles training needs across eight functional areas: service, sales, parts, dealership management, systems, finance, employee training and customer/partner training. Yanmar Academy’s training programs are tailored to the end user — internal or external — as well as by job function, and they are offered in multiple formats to boost effectiveness and accessibility.
Though his career has spanned agriculture and construction, Miller said he sees himself as being in a different field altogether: adult education. It’s one that he’s found distinctly fulfilling.
“One of the things I like the most is not only the variety of the things that we do in the subjects that we teach, but also the fact that what we teach helps people to do their jobs better so they can have a better life and a better lifestyle if they apply what they learn,” he said. “Knowing that people are able to provide better for their families because they’ve taken our training — that they know more, they’re more efficient and they’re more productive — that means a lot to me.”
Miller’s gratitude for his education and experiences at CAES motivates him to be involved with the CAES Alumni Board — and he encourages his fellow alumni to do the same.
“I have a really deep appreciation for being at the college and being part of the University of Georgia,” he said. “The college really supported me in order to graduate, and so I want to give back to that.”
Partnerships often create movie magic. Giggster took a look at the most significant director-screenwriter duos who stand out across film history. Click for more.
Anna Bentley is a freelance journalist based in Smyrna.
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SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) — Like millions of 10-year-olds, Uziyah Sergio Garcia loved video games, swimming and trampolines. He was also a natural at football, taking to it seamlessly when he and his grandfather started tossing the ball together over spring break.
“Such a fast little boy and he could catch a ball so good,” his grandfather, Manny Renfro, told The Associated Press. “There were certain plays that I would call that he would remember and he would do it exactly like we practiced.”
Uziyah, who went by Uzi, was the last of the 21 people killed in the Uvalde school massacre — 19 children and two teachers — to be laid to rest. His funeral was held Saturday at the Immanuel Baptist Church in San Angelo, where he lived before moving last year to Uvalde, about 200 miles (322 kilometers) to the south.
“We will miss saying, ‘I love you and Jesus loves you,’ especially his reply, ’… and Jesus loves you too!” his family wrote in an obituary for the boy, remembering for his contagious laugh, love of silly jokes, and sweet and outgoing nature.
Uzi’s favorite after-school snack was a Nutella sandwich with blue Takis, which he would try to persuade others to try, The New York Times reported.
“He was goofy, he loved to make you laugh,” Nikki Cross, an aunt the boy lived with, told the newspaper.
___
Find more of the AP’s coverage of the Uvalde school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting | https://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-us-headlines/loving-boy-last-texas-school-shooting-victim-laid-to-rest/ | 2022-06-26T12:26:23Z |
ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning in 2020 and continuing through 2022, the coronavirus pandemic has had a significant effect on consumer habits. Packaged Facts' May 2022 National Online Consumer Survey indicated that 30% of consumers were still eating more fresh produce than they did pre-pandemic.
Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, increasing concerns about health, animal welfare, and the environment have led more consumers to turn to plant-forward diets
The pandemic has expanded interest in healthy eating and lifestyles, and in turn led to growing awareness of plant-based eating. Additionally, inflation and supply issues causing high meat and dairy prices make flexitarian or semi-vegetarian diets more appealing. According to Packaged Facts' new report Vegan, Vegetarian, and Flexitarian Consumers, some consumers are abstaining from animal products by going vegan or vegetarian, but many more are simply reducing consumption of animal products with a flexitarian or semi-vegetarian diet.
This Packaged Facts report analyzes the dynamics of the current landscape of plant-based and plant-forward diets and eating philosophies. Demographics, preferences, and psychographics of vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians, and flexitarians are examined alongside those of omnivores. Trends including consumer usage of plant-based alternative products, reasons for diet and lifestyle choices, retail and restaurant trends, and the COVID-19 pandemic's effects on consumers are also investigated.
The reasons for, and implications of, shifts in consumer perception and behavior are analyzed in the context of present and future market opportunities.
This report also features outlooks for foods relevant to plant-based eating. This includes:
- the size of the plant-based food market (plant-based meals and alternatives to meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, and eggs) in 2021
- historical numbers and forecasts for consumption and production of fresh produce in dollars and pounds
- discussion of per capita meat consumption
- historical numbers and forecasts for dairy, meat, poultry, and seafood shipments in dollars and inflation-adjusted dollars
Additionally, the report has dozens of tables showcasing numerical survey data on consumer demographics and psychographics and numerous marketing photographs. This report goes in-depth on COVID-19 trends affecting the food and beverage market.
For more information see the Vegan, Vegetarian, and Flexitarian Consumers report page.
Particular attention is dedicated to the market impact of e-commerce and the coronavirus pandemic.
Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer market topics, including consumer demographics and shopper insights, the food and beverage market, consumer financial products and services, consumer goods and retailing, and pet products and services. Packaged Facts also offers a full range of custom research services. Reports can be purchased at our company website and are also available through MarketResearch.com.
For more essential insights from Packaged Facts be sure to follow us on Twitter (@packaged_facts), LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Media Contact: cgangloff@marketresearch.com
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Press Contact:
Corinne Gangloff
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SOURCE Packaged Facts | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/more-consumers-are-turning-plant-forward-diets-reports-packaged-facts/ | 2022-08-01T18:31:22Z |
Even as inflation bites, corporate profits remain flush
NEW YORK (AP) — What’s immune to high inflation? So far, the profits at big U.S. companies.
Businesses are facing higher gasoline and heating bills, just like consumers, in addition to higher expenses for labor and raw materials. But unlike many middle- and lower-income Americans, they’ve been making more than enough extra income to cover the additional costs.
Big companies have successfully raised prices for their products, from cups of coffee to auto parts to cans of paint, because their customers have kept lining up regardless. The result: record profits at the end of 2021 as revenue rose and a good chunk of each $1 of that revenue made it to the bottom line.
“A lot of the price pressures are just getting passed along” from companies to their customers, said Alex Arnon, associate director of policy analysis at the Penn Wharton Budget Model, a research initiative.
What’s uncertain is how much longer the trend may last, before customers sharply cut back on their purchases. A U.S. government report on Thursday will show how much buying consumers did in February after taking higher prices into account. In April, more clues will arrive as companies line up to tell Wall Street how much profit they made during the first three months of 2022.
The last such round of conference calls for CEOs was a rousing success for the companies. With customers itching to spend, and many sitting on savings built up with help from U.S. government stimulus programs, CEOs often pointed to “low elasticities of demand.” That’s an economist’s way of saying customers continued to buy even when prices were rising, and it means companies have less incentive to keep prices low.
“The overwhelming message from most companies in this earnings season is still that demand remains strong and continues to exceed their ability to meet it,” Deutsche Bank Chief Strategist Binky Chadha wrote in a recent report about the fourth-quarter results.
The coffee giant Starbucks raised prices once in October and then again in January, for example. Executives recently told Wall Street it was planning more increases to help “mitigate cost pressures.”
Those past price bumps didn’t discourage Starbucks customers, John Culver, group president, North America and chief operating officer, told analysts during a call last month. “To the contrary, our customer demand continues to grow.”
He made the comments after Starbucks reported a 31% jump in profit for the latest quarter from the prior year. Wall Street expected even stronger growth.
Companies aren’t able to blindly raise prices across the board. At Amphenol, which sells fiber optic connectors, antennas and other products to manufacturers, CEO Adam Norwitt said prices are easier to raise in some markets than others.
“We were there for our customers through the pandemic,” he said in a call with analysts. “We were there for them when maybe others were not through the supply-chain crisis. And so that, all things being equal, should position us well to be able to ask nicely of our customers that they should share in that.”
Amphenol reported record earnings per share and record revenue for the last three months of 2021.
Earnings across S&P 500 companies jumped a little more than 30% in the latest quarter. Margins, which show how much profit companies make off every $1 in revenue, remained near record levels, even as expenses sometimes rose by hundreds of millions of dollars.
In the last three months of 2021, companies in the S&P 500 held onto $12.40 of every $100 in revenue as profit, according to FactSet. That’s down a bit from previous quarters, but still above the average of $11 over the last five years.
For the first three months of 2022, analysts expect a further dip to $12.20, partly because costs continue to rise.
The story for many U.S. households has been more painful, with the least wealthy Americans hit hardest by the price increases coming from companies. Even though many workers got raises last year, they often weren’t enough to cover higher bills.
The typical working household making $40,000 to $60,000 earned $2,193 more in 2021 than the year before, according to an analysis by Penn Wharton Budget Model. That fell short of the $2,712 in additional costs due to inflation, leaving that household $519 in the hole.
And the pressure may crank even higher after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which caused extreme price swings for oil, wheat and other commodities the region produces.
“The consumer has been able to accept higher prices, so far,” said Nate Thooft, chief investment officer of multi-asset solutions at Manulife Investment Management. “I say so far because the game is being ramped up again with gas prices at all-time highs.”
The war’s exact effect on inflation is unclear. Oil prices have been nearly as quick to plunge as to surge recently, for example, given all the uncertainties.
Economists aren’t surprised corporate profit margins have remained so high, which they say is a result of the economy roaring out of its coronavirus-caused shutdown. Buyers are increasing their purchases faster than businesses can increase the amount of stuff on shelves to sell.
“There’s so much capital out there, it’s so easy to get and almost free” with interest rates near record lows, said Ann Miletti, head of active equity at Allspring Global Investments. “It’s not surprising that growth rates have stayed higher, margins have been more sustainable and consumers have had more in their pockets to spend.”
Now the Federal Reserve has begun raising interest rates off record lows, which should slow purchases. U.S. households may also be set to return to more “normal” buying activity, no longer fueled by as much government stimulus. They may also exhaust the pent-up demand from the pandemic.
The hope among economists is that capitalism will also do what it does, and the high profit margins signal to companies they should ramp up production to maximize their sales. New competitors should also be attracted after seeing the big profits available. All that should lead to slowdowns in price increases and a steady erosion of margins.
That’s the optimistic scenario in the eyes of Arnon at the Penn Wharton Budget Model. But he acknowledges worse-case scenarios that could lead corporate profit margins and inflation to stay high. They chiefly center around an economy that’s no longer well-functioning or competitive.
“If two years from now, we’re talking about margins going up from here,” he said, “that would be the clearest signal.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/03/30/even-inflation-bites-corporate-profits-remain-flush/ | 2022-04-01T02:25:52Z |
Survey indicates Americans' credit use has increased from this time last year, rising inflation and interest rates makes credit use more expensive
SAN FRANCISCO, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Financial wellness platform Credit Sesame conducted a Personal Finance and Credit survey designed to assess the effect of inflation on Americans and their credit in the past year. Survey results show that Americans are relying on credit cards more than ever to cope with the rising cost of goods and services, with more people preferring credit cards over debit cards, an increase from May 2021. The percentage of Americans using over half their credit limit has also increased 9 percentage points from this time last year.
Late payments on credit cards increased by 50% in the past year, from 10% in 2021 to 15% in 2022. This fact combined with the Federal Reserve raising interest rates by 0.75%, the most since 1994, means Americans are not only feeling the pinch from inflation but also having to pay more just to use their credit cards to make ends meet.
Additionally, the survey found that many Americans are misinformed or uninformed about credit and their individual credit scores. Results showed that approximately 1 in 6 Americans do not know their credit scores, and 40% of respondents didn't know that lenders use credit scores to evaluate ability to repay loans.
Other select findings from the survey include:
- The number of people spending over 90% of their paycheck for month-to-month expenses doubled from 17% in 2021 to 34% in 2022
- The number of people spending over 100% of their paycheck almost doubled from 6% in 2021 to 11% in 2022
- 1 in 6 Americans saw their credit scores decrease May 2021 to May 2022
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the number of people worrying about money in 2022 is greatest in the "very poor to poor" credit score range (74%) compared to 49% in the "fair to good" range and 28% in the "very good to exceptional" range, but is not restricted to lower income individuals - people making between $100k and $150k are three times more likely to worry about money in 2022. This is in part due to the fact that only 7% of Americans had pay raises that exceed the rate of inflation.
"Inflation and economic adjustments affect us all, but understanding, and improving your credit score can protect against these rising costs and interest rates," says Adrian Nazari, CEO of Credit Sesame. "The results of this survey prove how important it is for Americans to take care of their credit health to stave off the negative impact of any economic downturn."
Survey methodology
The Credit Sesame Personal Finance and Credit May 2022 was designed and executed by Credit Sesame using the Momentive Inc. survey tool. General population data was collected online May 20-21, 2022. The survey sample comprised 1,222 U.S. residents aged 18 to 99 years balanced for age and gender using U.S. Census data. The sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.888 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.
About Credit Sesame
Credit Sesame is a financial wellness platform, leveraging the latest technology, AI and analytics to help consumers achieve better financial health and stability and create better opportunities for themselves and their families. Credit Sesame has helped millions of consumers improve their credit scores, increase their approval odds, lower their cost of credit and save money. Strong credit health leads to better financial health and stability, and with Sesame Cash, Credit Sesame helps accelerate consumers' credit and financial wellness in one place. Credit Sesame is funded by leading institutional and strategic investors. It currently operates in the U.S. and Canada. For more information on Credit Sesame, visit www.creditsesame.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Credit Sesame | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/29/credit-sesame-personal-finance-credit-survey-reveals-americas-credit-use-is-rising-wrong-time/ | 2022-06-29T18:08:54Z |
WASHINGTON, June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fannie Mae (OTCQB: FNMA) priced Connecticut Avenue Securities® (CAS) Series 2022-R07, an approximately $866 million note offering that represents Fannie Mae's seventh CAS REMIC® transaction of the year. CAS is Fannie Mae's benchmark issuance program designed to share credit risk on its single-family conventional guaranty book of business.
The reference pool for CAS Series 2022-R07 consists of approximately 101,000 single-family mortgage loans with an outstanding unpaid principal balance of approximately $30.6 billion. The reference pool includes collateral with loan-to-value ratios of 60.01 percent to 80.00 percent, which were acquired between July 2021 and August 2021. The loans included in this transaction are fixed-rate, generally 30-year term, fully amortizing mortgages and were underwritten using rigorous credit standards and enhanced risk controls.
Fannie Mae will retain a portion of the 1M-1, 1M-2, 1B-1, and 1B-2 tranches and will retain the full 1B-3H first-loss tranche.
Nomura Securities International Inc. ("Nomura") is the lead structuring manager and joint bookrunner. Wells Fargo Securities, LLC ("Wells Fargo") is the co-lead manager and joint bookrunner. Co-managers are BofA Securities, Inc. ("BofA"), Citigroup Global Markets Inc. ("Citigroup"), Morgan Stanley & Co, LLC ("Morgan Stanley"), and StoneX Financial Inc. ("StoneX"). Selling group members are African-American-owned Loop Capital Markets LLC and African-American & women-owned Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC.
With the completion of this transaction, Fannie Mae will have brought 51 CAS deals to market, issued nearly $58 billion in notes, and transferred a portion of the credit risk to private investors on over $1.9 trillion in single-family mortgage loans, measured at the time of the transaction.
To promote transparency and to help credit investors evaluate our securities and the CAS program, Fannie Mae provides ongoing, robust disclosure data, as well as access to news, resources, and analytics through its credit risk transfer webpages. This includes our innovative Data Dynamics® tool that enables market participants to interact with and analyze CAS deals that are currently outstanding in the market and Fannie Mae's historical loan dataset. In addition, our EU Resources and UK Resources webpages help European Union and UK institutional investors, as well as those managing funds subject to EU/UK regulations comply with EU/UK securitization regulations.
In addition to our flagship CAS program, Fannie Mae continues to transfer mortgage credit risk through its Credit Insurance Risk Transfer™ (CIRT™) reinsurance program.
CAS REMIC notes are issued by a bankruptcy-remote trust. The amount of periodic principal and ultimate principal paid by Fannie Mae is determined by the performance of a large and diverse reference pool. For more information on individual CAS transactions, visit our credit risk transfer webpage.
Fannie Mae advances equitable and sustainable access to homeownership and quality, affordable rental housing for millions of people across America. We enable the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and drive responsible innovation to make homebuying and renting easier, fairer, and more accessible. To learn more, visit:
fanniemae.com | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube | Blog
Fannie Mae Newsroom
https://www.fanniemae.com/newsroom
Photo of Fannie Mae
https://www.fanniemae.com/resources/img/about-fm/fm-building.tif
Fannie Mae Resource Center
1-800-2FANNIE
Statements in this release regarding the company's future CAS transactions are forward-looking. Actual results may be materially different as a result of market conditions or other factors listed in "Risk Factors" or "Forward-Looking Statements" in the company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. This release does not constitute an offer or sale of any security. Before investing in any Fannie Mae issued security, potential investors should review the disclosure for such security and consult their own investment advisors.
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SOURCE Fannie Mae | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/fannie-mae-prices-866-million-connecticut-avenue-securities-cas-remic-deal/ | 2022-06-28T17:29:52Z |
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