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ROCHESTER, N.Y., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VerifyMe, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRME) ("VerifyMe," "we," "our," or the "Company"), together with its subsidiary PeriShip Global LLC ("PeriShip"), provides brand owners time and temperature sensitive logistics, authentication, supply chain monitoring, and data-rich consumer engagement features using unique smartphone readable codes on their products, announced today that the company has entered into a new multi-year extension of their professional services agreement with its strategic partner to provide proactive customer service to their customers. The term of the agreement, originally scheduled to expire on March 1, 2024, has been extended to March 1, 2026.
"We believe agreement to extend is a result of the value added offering we provide to our mutual customers. We have a proven track record of helping our customers meet their time, and temperature delivery needs, while reducing loss, risk and spoilage," said Curt Kole, Executive Vice President of Sales and Global Strategy.
"We are very pleased that our strategic partner continues to put their trust in our company, to meet their customer's needs, and look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship," said Patrick White, CEO.
VerifyMe, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRME), is a technology solutions provider specializing in products to connect brands with consumers and, through our wholly owned subsidiary, PeriShip Global, LLC, providing brands with high-touch, end-to-end logistics management for their products. We provide logistics management from a sophisticated IT platform with proprietary databases, package and flight-tracking software, weather, and flight status monitoring systems, as well as dynamic dashboards with real-time visibility into shipment transit and last-mile events. In addition, VerifyMe technologies give brand owners the ability to gather business intelligence while engaging directly with their consumers. VerifyMe technologies also provide brand protection and supply chain functions such as counterfeit prevention, authentication, serialization, and track and trace features for labels, packaging and products. For additional information, please visit: https://www.verifyme.com .
This release contains forward-looking statements regarding our strategic partnership and commercialization efforts. The words "believe," "look forward," and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, our reliance on our strategic partner, the successful development of our sales and marketing capabilities, the successful integration of our acquisitions (including the acquisition of the assets of PeriShip, LLC), our ability to retain key management personnel, our ability to work with partners in selling our technologies to businesses, production difficulties, our inability to enter into contracts and arrangements with future partners, issues which may affect the reluctance of large companies to change their purchasing of products, acceptance of our technologies and the efficiency of our authenticators in the field. These risk factors and uncertainties include those more fully described in VerifyMe's Annual Report and Quarterly Reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the heading entitled "Risk Factors." Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those currently anticipated. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
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SOURCE VerifyMe, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/verifyme-enters-into-multi-year-contract-extension-with-strategic-partner-largest-customer-periship/ | 2022-08-31T13:50:56Z |
Police chief in Mississippi fired after recorded racist remarks
LEXINGTON, Miss. (WLBT/Gray News) - A former Lexington police chief is out of a job after the board of aldermen voted to remove him on a narrow vote.
At a special meeting Wednesday, the board voted 3-2 to oust embattled Chief Sam Dobbins, days after an expletive-laced, racist recording said to be him was made public.
The board almost immediately went into executive session, where they were for more than an hour.
Investigator Charles Henderson has been named interim chief.
Dobbins has yet to respond to WLBT’s request for comment.
Robert Lee Hooker, a former officer with Lexington, made the roughly 16-minute recording.
He said the recording is a conversation between him and Dobbins that happened back in April.
GRAPHIC WARNING: An edited copy of the recording can be heard below. Listener discretion is advised.
A man on the recording, who Hooker says is Dobbins, used numerous expletives and multiple racial epithets/derogatory terms, and bragged about shooting one suspect at least 119 times.
Hooker resigned from the department last week, citing a toxic work environment.
Lexington Mayor Robin McCrory did not want to be interviewed but said the leaked audio led to Dobbins’ termination.
Copyright 2022 WLBT via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/07/25/police-chief-mississippi-fired-after-recorded-racist-remarks/ | 2022-07-25T12:01:31Z |
Lease finalized for future Atlanta museum to open as the largest location, featuring new concepts coming from the global brand
ATLANTA, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Museum of Illusions®, the world's largest privately-held museum chain, announced today that Atlanta will soon be home to the global brand's largest location ever opened, from which the company will unveil the company's newest creative design and style concept.
Following the lease agreement recently finalized between the brand and Hines, the 11,000 square feet of space in Atlanta's bustling Atlantic Station will open before the close of this year as a state-of-the-art museum designed for visitors of all ages to enjoy mentally stimulating optical illusions, 3D holograms, brain-puzzling exhibits and interactive illusion rooms. Future visitors of the new museum can expect a truly unique experience, as the Atlanta Museum of Illusions will feature some exhibits that will be entirely new to the brand.
"Museum of Illusions is an immersive, mind-bending experience and will be the perfect addition to Atlantic Station's line-up of innovative concepts," said Starr Cumming, retail director of specialty leasing for Hines. "Atlantic Station is the city's hot spot for Atlantans' dining, shopping or entertainment desires. As we continue to seek big and bold ideas to bring to the property, we look forward to welcoming Museum of Illusions' largest location ever later this year."
Atlanta is one of the largest and most influential markets in the U.S. The city is renowned for its rich history, and its vibrant culture, art and music scenes, making it an ideal market for Museum of Illusions' continued expansion across the United States. The fast-growing "Empire City of the South" is home to a young and diverse population of creatives and innovators who enjoy memorable and unique entertainment and immersive art experiences, making Museum of Illusions the perfect fit for Atlanta.
"We are beyond excited to expand our brand's U.S. footprint in this market," said Jonathan Benjamin, CEO of Museum of Illusions, and long-time Atlanta resident. "As we continue our global expansion efforts, we are also in the process of securing new office space in Atlanta to serve as the company's new U.S. headquarters. More details to follow soon, but in the meantime, we are thrilled that the Atlanta community has created a space for us to bring one of our most exciting museums yet to such a flourishing city."
News of Museum of Illusions' development in Atlanta follows the brand's recent announcement of its confirmed plans to open a new museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, signifying the brand's commitment to rapidly growing its U.S. presence with some of its most impressive facilities yet. Deals are in the works to bring the museum to at least 100 locations around the world over the course of the next 4 years, with the company poised to up the ante with each new location.
For more information about the Museum of Illusions and its franchise opportunities, visit www.museumofillusions.com or email at info@museumofillusions.com.
RP Illusions Corp. is a U.S.-based corporation that develops and franchises museums across the world. The company's primary goal is to provide memorable and exciting educational opportunities while evolving its approach to creativity, art, and entertainment. The Museum of Illusions is a global leader in "edutainment", with 36 locations in 24 countries worldwide. The company plans to continue expanding by providing unique educational, visual, and entertaining experiences with high-quality service. For more information about the Museum of Illusions visit www.museumofillusions.com or email at info@museumofillusions.com.
A national example for sustainable mixed-use communities, Atlantic Station transformed an abandoned industrial site into a thriving retail and entertainment district at the heart of Atlanta's vibrant Midtown neighborhood. Opened in 2005, Atlantic Station is home to some of Atlanta's most popular restaurants, retailers such as H&M, Forever 21 and Dillard's and leading employers such as Wells Fargo, Facebook and Microsoft. Atlantic Station is nearing completion of a major repositioning including a revamped tenant mix, with new retail and restaurant offerings, the inclusion of new multifamily residential units, hospitality offerings and more than 700,000 square feet of Class-A office space. In 2020, the property celebrated the opening of its revamped central greenspace, Atlantic Green.
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SOURCE Museum of Illusions | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/27/museum-illusions-turns-up-heat-global-expansion-with-confirmed-plans-bring-its-biggest-museum-yet-atlanta/ | 2022-06-27T14:41:52Z |
RICHMOND, Ind., April 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Richmond Mutual Bancorporation, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the "Company") (NASDAQ: RMBI), parent company of First Bank Richmond (the "Bank"), today announced net income of $3.0 million, or $0.26 diluted earnings per share, for the first quarter of 2022, compared to net income of $2.7 million, or $0.24 diluted earnings per share, for the fourth quarter of 2021, and net income of $2.6 million, or $0.22 diluted earnings per share, for the first quarter of 2021. Diluted earnings per share increased 8.3% and 18.2% for the first quarter of 2022 as compared to the fourth and first quarters of 2021, respectively.
President's Comments
Garry Kleer, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Despite a challenging interest rate environment and the tragedy of the war in Ukraine impacting all of us in various ways, in the first quarter of 2022 we continued to increase profitability, grow our loan and lease and deposit portfolios and return excess capital to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. We continued to experience margin compression but remain optimistic that anticipated Fed interest rate increases will provide some relief in future quarters."
First Quarter Performance Highlights:
- Assets totaled $1.3 billion both at March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021.
- Loans and leases, net of allowance, totaled $850.0 million at March 31, 2022, compared to $832.8 million at December 31, 2021.
- Nonperforming loans and leases totaled $8.0 million, or 0.92% of total loans and leases, at March 31, 2022, compared to $8.0 million, or 0.95% at December 31, 2021.
- The allowance for loan and lease losses totaled $12.3 million, or 1.43% of total loans and leases outstanding, at March 31, 2022, compared to $12.1 million, or 1.43% of total loans and leases outstanding, at December 31, 2021.
- The provision for loan and lease losses totaled $200,000 in the quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to no provision in the preceding quarter, and $400,000 in the first quarter of 2021.
- Deposits totaled $909.5 million at March 31, 2022, compared to $900.2 million at December 31, 2021. At March 31, 2022, noninterest bearing deposits totaled $113.7 million or 12.5% of total deposits, compared to $114.3 million or 12.7% of total deposits at December 31, 2021.
- Stockholders' equity totaled $157.3 million at March 31, 2022, compared to $180.5 million at December 31, 2021. The Company's equity to asset ratio was 12.53% at March 31, 2022.
- Net interest income decreased $41,000 or 0.4% to $10.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to net interest income of $10.1 million for the prior quarter, and increased $1.1 million or 11.7% from $9.0 million for the comparable quarter in 2021.
- Annualized net interest margin was 3.26% for the current quarter, compared to 3.31% in the preceding quarter and 3.53% the first quarter a year ago.
- The Company repurchased 90,191 shares of common stock at an average price of $16.62 per share during the quarter ended March 31, 2022.
- The Bank's Tier 1 capital to total assets was 12.64% and the Bank's capital was well in excess of all regulatory requirements at March 31, 2022.
Income Statement Summary
Net interest income before the provision for loan and lease losses decreased $41,000, or 0.4%, to $10.1 million in the first quarter of 2022, compared to $10.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, and increased $1.1 million, or 11.7%, from $9.0 million in the first quarter of 2021. The decrease from the fourth quarter of 2021 was due to a $22.4 million decrease in average net earning assets during the first quarter of 2022, and a one basis point decrease in the average interest rate spread. The increase from the comparable quarter in 2021 was due to an increase in net average earning assets of $19.9 million during the first quarter of 2022 versus the comparable quarter of 2021, partially offset by a 20 basis point decrease in the average interest rate spread during the first quarter of 2022.
Interest income decreased $88,000, or 0.7%, to $11.9 million during the quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2021 and increased $1.1 million, or 9.7%, compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2021. Interest income on loans and leases decreased $151,000, or 1.4%, to $10.3 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 compared to $10.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, as a $30.5 million increase in the average balance of loans and leases was offset by a decrease in the average yield earned on loans and leases of 25 basis point to 4.83%. Interest income on loans and leases increased $399,000, or 4.0%, in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the first quarter of 2021, due to an increase in the average balance of loans and leases of $132.0 million, partially offset by a decrease in the average loan and lease yield of 67 basis points.
Interest income on investment securities, excluding FHLB stock, increased $76,000, or 5.0%, to $1.6 million during the quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2021, and increased $646,000, or 68.7%, from the comparable quarter in 2021. The increase in interest income on investment securities, excluding FHLB stock, in the first quarter of 2022 from the fourth quarter of 2021 was due to a 16 basis point increase in the average yield earned on investment securities offset by a $14.4 million decrease in average balances. The increase in interest on investment securities, excluding FHLB stock, in the first quarter of 2022 from the first quarter of 2021 was due to a $92.5 million increase in the average balance and a 36 basis point increase in the average yield earned on investment securities.
Interest expense remained relatively flat at $1.9 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2021 and the quarter ended March 31, 2021. Interest expense on deposits decreased $25,000, or 1.9%, to $1.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to the previous quarter primarily due to a 12 basis point decrease in the average rate paid on interest-bearing certificate of deposit accounts, partially offset by a $32.7 million increase in average interest-bearing certificate of deposit account balances. The decrease from the comparable quarter in 2021 was due to a decrease of 43 basis points in the average rate paid on certificate of deposit accounts, partially offset by an increase of $179.0 million in average interest-bearing deposit balances. The average rate paid on interest-bearing deposits was 0.63% for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to 0.68% and 0.77% for the quarters ended December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2021, respectively. Interest expense on FHLB borrowings decreased $23,000, or 3.5%, to $640,000 for the first quarter of 2022 compared to the previous quarter and decreased $54,000, or 7.8%, from the comparable quarter in 2021. The average balance of FHLB borrowings totaled $183.5 million during the quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to $191.4 million and $170.0 million for the quarters ended December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2021, respectively. The average rate paid on FHLB borrowings was 1.40% for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, 1.39% for December 31, 2021, and 1.63% for the first quarter of 2021.
Annualized net interest margin decreased to 3.26% for the first quarter of 2022, compared to 3.31% for the fourth quarter of 2021 and 3.53% for the first quarter of 2021. The decrease in the net interest margin for the first quarter of 2022 compared to the fourth quarter of 2021 and the comparable quarter in 2021 was primarily due to the yield on interest-earnings assets dropping faster than the rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities.
The provision for loan and lease losses totaled $200,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to no provision during the quarter ended December 31, 2021 and $400,000 for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. Net recoveries during the first quarter of 2022 were $9,000, compared to net recoveries of $259,000 during the fourth quarter of 2021 and net charge-offs of $27,000 in the first quarter of 2021. While we believe the steps we have taken and continue to take are necessary to effectively manage our portfolio and assist our clients through the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the duration and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainties relating to our allowance for loan losses are heightened as a result of any possible continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Total noninterest income increased $13,000, or 1.2%, to $1.1 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2021, and decreased $412,000, or 27.0%, from the comparable quarter in 2021. The increase in noninterest income in the first quarter of 2022 from the fourth quarter of 2021 occurred despite a decrease in gains on loan and lease sales. Gain on sale of loans and leases decreased $116,000, or 32.4%, to $243,000 in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the fourth quarter of 2021 and was offset primarily by increases in loan and lease servicing fees and other income. Loan and lease servicing fees increased $74,000 in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the fourth quarter of 2021 as an impairment charge of $111,000 to mortgage servicing rights was recorded in the first quarter of 2022 compared to an impairment charge of $129,000 in the fourth quarter of 2021. Other income increased $98,000 in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the fourth quarter of 2021 primarily due to fees associated with several letters of credit and the sale of a repossessed asset. In addition, card fee income decreased $25,000, or 8.3%, to $278,000 in the first quarter of 2022 from the fourth quarter of 2021 and service fees on deposit accounts decreased $18,000, or 7.0%, to $235,000 for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to $252,000 for the fourth quarter of 2021. The decrease in card fee income was due to higher card activity in the fourth quarter of 2021 and the decrease in service fees on deposit accounts was primarily attributable to decreased overdraft fees during the first quarter of 2022 compared to the fourth quarter of 2021.
The decrease in noninterest income in the first quarter of 2022 from the comparable quarter of 2021 was due to a $722,000, or 74.8%, decrease in gain on sale of loans as mortgage banking activity declined primarily due to lower refinancing activity and a lower supply of houses for sale in the Bank's market area. Partially offsetting this decrease were increases in loan and lease servicing fees, card fee income and service fees on deposit accounts. Loan and lease servicing fees increased $133,000 in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same quarter in 2021 as an impairment charge of $111,000 to mortgage servicing rights was recorded in the first quarter of 2022 compared as an impairment charge of $158,000 in the first quarter of 2021. Card fee income increased $35,000, or 14.5%, in the first quarter of 2022 due to higher card usage. Service fees on deposit accounts increased $40,000, or 20.6%, in the first quarter of 2022 from the comparable quarter in 2021 due to increased overdraft fees, many of which were waived in the first quarter of 2021.
Total noninterest expense decreased $614,000, or 7.7%, to $7.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to the fourth quarter of 2021, and increased $356,000, or 5.1% compared to the same period in 2021. Salaries and employee benefits decreased $715,000, or 13.8%, to $4.5 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to the fourth quarter of 2021, and were steady compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2021. The decrease in salaries and benefits in the first quarter of 2022 from the fourth quarter of 2021 was primarily due to a $665,000 expense associated with the termination of the Company's DB Plan in the fourth quarter of 2021. Data processing fees increased $80,000, or 13.7% to $659,000 for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, compared to the fourth quarter of 2021, and increased $133,000, or 25.2%, compared to the same quarter of 2021 due to enhancements to our digital banking products. Other expenses decreased $46,000, or 4.6% in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the prior quarter, and increased $185,000, or 24.0%, compared to the same quarter of 2021. The increase in other expenses in the first quarter of 2022 from the first quarter of 2021 primarily was due to increased loan expenses, franchise tax expense and expenses related to employee professional development.
Income tax expense increased $88,000 during the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to the prior quarter due to a higher level of pre-tax income and a higher effective tax rate. Income tax expense increased $28,000 during the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to the same period in 2021 due to a higher level of pre-tax income, partially offset by a lower effective tax rate. The effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2022 was 17.0% compared to 16.3% in the fourth quarter of 2021, and 18.7% in the first quarter a year ago.
Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets decreased $11.5 million, or 0.9%, to $1.3 billion at March 31, 2022 from December 31, 2021. The decrease was primarily the result of a $31.6 million, or 8.6%, decrease in investment securities to $335.0 million and a $3.5 million, or 15.0% decrease in cash and cash equivalents to $19.6 million at March 31, 2022. These decreases were partially offset by increases of $17.1 million or 2.1% in loans and leases, net of allowance, to $850.0 million and $6.8 million or 33.4% in other assets to $27.1 million at March 31, 2022.
The decrease in investment securities primarily was the result of reinvesting only a portion of normal recurring maturities and payments on securities and using the remainder to fund growth in the loan and lease portfolio. The increase in loans and leases was attributable to an increase in multi-family loans, construction and development loans, and direct financing leases of $9.0 million, $8.4 million and $3.7 million, respectively, partially offset by declines in commercial mortgage loans of $3.4 million and commercial and industrial loans of $3.1 million. The decline in commercial and industrial loans was due to a decrease in PPP loans of $3.4 million resulting from PPP loan forgiveness by the SBA. As of March 31, 2022, we had funded a total of 892 PPP loans totaling $103.1 million and the SBA had approved 853 loan forgiveness applications totaling $95.4 million. PPP loans totaled $6.0 million at March 31, 2022. Other assets increased primarily due to a $6.4 million increase in deferred tax assets due to the mark-to-market adjustment on the investment portfolio.
Nonperforming loans and leases, consisting of nonaccrual loans and leases and accruing loans and leases more than 90 days past due, totaled $8.0 million or 0.92% of total loans and leases at March 31, 2022, compared to $8.0 million or 0.95% at December 31, 2021. Accruing loans past due more than 90 days totaled $1.8 million at both dates.
The allowance for loan and lease losses increased $209,000, or 1.7%, to $12.3 million at March 31, 2022 from $12.1 million at December 31, 2021. At both dates, the allowance for loan and lease losses totaled 1.43% of total loans and leases outstanding. Net recoveries during the first quarter of 2022 were $9,000 compared to net charge-offs of $27,000 during the comparable quarter of 2021.
Management regularly analyzes conditions within its geographic markets and evaluates its loan and lease portfolio. The Company evaluated its exposure to potential loan and lease losses as of March 31, 2022, which evaluation included consideration of potential credit losses due to economic conditions driven by any lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Any lingering impact of the pandemic on the Company's deposit and loan customers is still not fully known at this time. Credit metrics are being reviewed and stress testing is being performed on the loan portfolio on an ongoing basis. Potentially higher risk segments of the portfolio, such as hotels and restaurants, are being closely monitored.
Total deposits increased $9.3 million or 1.0% to $909.5 million at March 31, 2022, compared to December 31, 2021. The increase in deposits from December 31, 2021 primarily was due to an increase in savings and money market accounts of $21.2 million, partially offset by a decrease in time deposits of $13.8 million. Management attributes the shift in funds to customers anticipating potentially higher rates being paid on time deposits in 2022 in connection with the expected interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve this year. Brokered time deposits totaled $120.1 million or 13.2% of total deposits at March 31, 2022. Noninterest-bearing demand deposits decreased slightly and totaled 12.5% of total deposits at March 31, 2022.
Stockholders' equity totaled $157.3 million at March 31, 2022, a decrease of $23.1 million or 12.8% from December 31, 2021. The decrease in stockholders' equity from December 31, 2021 primarily was the result of a reduction in accumulated comprehensive income of $24.1 million due to a greater mark-to-market adjustment to the investment portfolio as a result of higher interest rates, the payment of $1.1 million in dividends to Company stockholders, and the repurchase of $1.5 million of Company common stock, partially offset by net income of $3.0 million.
During the quarter ended March 31, 2022, the Company repurchased a total of 90,191 shares of Company common stock at an average price of $16.62 per share. As of March 31, 2022, the Company had approximately 909,362 shares available for repurchase under its existing stock repurchase program. Subsequent to quarter end through April 21, 2022, the Company repurchased an additional 12,896 shares, leaving 896,466 shares available for future repurchase.
About Richmond Mutual Bancorporation, Inc.
Richmond Mutual Bancorporation, Inc., headquartered in Richmond, Indiana, is the holding company for First Bank Richmond, a community-oriented financial institution offering traditional financial and trust services within its local communities through its eight locations in Richmond, Centerville, Cambridge City and Shelbyville, Indiana, its five locations in Sidney, Piqua and Troy, Ohio, and its loan production office in Columbus, Ohio.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
This document and other filings by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), as well as press releases or other public or stockholder communications released by the Company, may contain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, (i) statements regarding the financial condition, results of operations and business of the Company, (ii) statements about the Company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts and (iii) other statements identified by the words or phrases "will likely result," "are expected to," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimate," "project," "intends" or similar expressions that are intended to identify "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and expectations of the Company's management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the Company's control. In addition, these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions with respect to future business strategies and decisions that are subject to change.
The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements: the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, including on the Company's credit quality and business operations, as well as its impact on general economic and financial market conditions and other uncertainties such as the extent and duration of the impact of the pandemic on public health, the U.S. and global economies, and on consumer and corporate customers, including economic activity, employment levels and market liquidity; legislative changes; changes in policies by regulatory agencies; fluctuations in interest rates; the risks of lending and investing activities, including changes in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and write-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses; the Company's ability to access cost-effective funding; fluctuations in real estate values and both residential and commercial real estate market conditions; demand for loans and deposits in the Company's market area; changes in management's business strategies; changes in the regulatory and tax environments in which the Company operates; and other factors set forth in the Company's filings with the SEC.
The factors listed above could materially affect the Company's financial performance and could cause the Company's actual results for future periods to differ materially from any opinions or statements expressed with respect to future periods in any current statements.
The Company does not undertake - and specifically declines any obligation - to publicly release the result of any revisions which may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events. When considering forward-looking statements, keep in mind these risks and uncertainties. Undue reliance should not be placed on any forward-looking statement, which speaks only as of the date made. Refer to the Company's periodic and current reports filed with the SEC for specific risks that could cause actual results to be significantly different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements.
Financial Highlights (unaudited)
The following table summarizes information relating to our loan and lease portfolio at the dates indicated:
The following table summarizes information relating to our deposits at the dates indicated:
Average Balances, Interest and Average Yields/Cost. The following tables set forth for the periods indicated, information regarding average balances of assets and liabilities as well as the total dollar amounts of interest income from average interest-earning assets and interest expense on average interest-bearing liabilities, resultant yields, interest rate spread, net interest margin (otherwise known as net yield on interest-earning assets), and the ratio of average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities. Average balances have been calculated using daily balances. Non-accruing loans have been included in the table as loans carrying a zero yield. Loan fees are included in interest income on loans and are not material.
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SOURCE Richmond Mutual Bancorporation, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/04/21/richmond-mutual-bancorporation-inc-announces-2022-first-quarter-financial-results/ | 2022-04-21T20:32:29Z |
WACO, Texas (KWKT) – Many parents have been stressing over the nationwide baby formula shortage, wondering when their local grocer will have the brand they need.
Rebecca Moseley has three babies. The mother of 11-month-old triplets said they use 96 ounces of baby formula per day.
“This is a 32-ounce ready-to-feed. It’s liquid formula,” she said, showing a bottle of formula. “This covers one round of bottles, so this makes three bottles for my triplets. And we go through three of these in a day.”
In one week, they use a little over 600 ounces of formula.
“This is a box that has two bags of powder in it,” Moseley said, holding up the package. “And it’s about 1.9 pounds, and this lasts us about four days.”
The mom, from Waco, Texas, said she brought her triplets home from the hospital neonatal intensive care unit as preemies. They needed special formula that wasn’t in stores.
“The Gentlease isn’t even in stores anymore,” she said of one brand made for babies with sensitive stomachs. “Half the time, the store brands aren’t even available.”
With the baby formula shortage wiping out the shelves, many parents have started Facebook groups trying to help each other out.
“A lot of trading, saying, ‘Hey, I’ll give you this product if you can trade me three cans of this formula,’ or ‘Hey, do you have any? I’ll pay for it,'” said Moseley.
Due to the shortage, lots of stores have had to put limits on how much customers can buy at one time. And Moseley says two containers isn’t enough for triplets.
“I have friends that live out of state, or in different cities say, ‘Hey, it’s in my store. Do you need some?'” said Moseley.
She’s obviously still concerned, seeing as she doesn’t know when her local stores will be able to stock their shelves again. She’s also considering switching to whole milk, despite concerns that her triplets aren’t ready.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that a child can be given cow’s milk at 12 months “but not before.” Cow’s milk given too early could lead to a risk of intestinal bleeding, according to the CDC.
“It also has too many proteins and minerals for your baby’s kidneys to handle and does not have the right amount of nutrients your baby needs,” the CDC said.
Moseley, however, said she may have no other choice.
“I really wanted to leave them on formula for another month or two. But with the shortage, I’m kind of seeing that I may have to move them to whole milk sooner than maybe they’re ready,” said Moseley. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/baby-formula-shortage-hits-home-for-mother-of-triplets/ | 2022-05-18T20:59:20Z |
GrowPath has been awarded more than five times the patents of its nearest competitor.
DURHAM, N.C., July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GrowPath, which leads the industry in patents for its law firm case management solution, recently announced its 27th patent. The newest patent helps power the overall logic tool and lead scoring capabilities of the software. GrowPath's lead scoring tool helps firms score leads and identify high-value intakes in real time.
CEO Neal Goffman points to this latest patent as proof of GrowPath's commitment to innovation. "We never quit innovating and creating new ways to make GrowPath users more efficient. This patent further enhances a user's ability to choose the right cases for their firm's bottom line."
GrowPath built its initial platform for one of the largest and most successful personal injury law firms in the Southeast. As one customer commented, "The thing I like the most about GrowPath is that it was made and tested by legal professionals for legal professionals." The feature-rich case management solution provides plaintiffs' firms with tools and features designed to improve workflows and increase staff efficiency.
GrowPath is a cutting-edge legal case management software delivering industry-leading solutions for personal injury law firms. By partnering with GrowPath, in addition to the benefits of using a market-leading platform, firms get access to some of the best and most creative minds in the industry. From the individuals leading our company to those working closely every day with our clients, we have years of real-world expertise building successful plaintiffs' firms. GrowPath is empowering firms to boost revenue by improving the efficiency of the services they deliver. To learn more, visit: https://growpath.com/demo.
Media Contact:
Connie Wong
Director of Marketing
cwong@growpath.com
o: 844.520.2893 ext. 12112
d: 919.286.5759
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SOURCE GrowPath | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/27/growpath-awarded-27th-patent-legal-case-management-solution/ | 2022-07-27T09:27:11Z |
New Features Pair Existing Data with 6sense Enrichment Data to Provide Context About Site Visitors to Deliver Personalized Experiences
TORONTO, May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Uberflip, the leading cloud-based content experience platform (CEP), today announces a new product update that delivers greater access to visitor data and equips marketers and sellers with real-time insights to engage buyers. By combining its own engagement data with data from 6sense, Uberflip enables customers to see previously anonymous companies or user profiles visiting their website as well as the stage of the buyer journey. Uberflip is also enhancing other features to make insights easier to access and interpret.
"We're committed to bringing data to the forefront right now, which is where it belongs," said Yoav Schwartz, co-founder & chief executive officer of Uberflip. "With these latest updates, our customers can target formerly unknown visitors with 6sense enrichment data, whether they're a 6sense customer or not, resulting in greatly increased buyer visibility. It's rich, it's accessible and it's a game-changer for the entire go-to-market team."
Additionally, Uberflip has released the following product updates:
- Sales Assist enhancements - Sellers can now gate content, add calls to action in a sales stream, and prioritize outreach based on analytics.
- Ability to embed analytics dashboards in other assets - Now, marketers and sellers have the ability to see data where they work most often. Marketers can embed stream and item performance dashboards directly into the stream and item management pages in the main Uberflip app. This makes it so they don't have to waste time flipping between the pages, which are otherwise separate.
- Deeper account-level insights - The breadth and depth of actionable data available to Uberflip customers means better insights at the account level. They can now see which accounts are engaging, how and where they're engaging - and how all of it affects deals. This helps go-to-market teams make changes in real-time to improve ROI and enjoy better results, while also giving their buyers more of the content and information they actually want.
"The data we provide is really powerful on its own, but the fact that it's so actionable is the key differentiator," said Jason Dea, VP, product at Uberflip. "It's this actionability that's helping customers completely transform their content experiences and go-to-market results. As such, we can't wait to see these new features drive even further customer success and to continue on to our next chapter of innovation."
To learn more about Uberflip and these new features, or to schedule a demo, please visit: https://www.uberflip.com/request-demo.
About Uberflip
Uberflip is a content experience platform that empowers marketing and sales to create engaging, relevant content destinations quickly for every campaign, audience, and stage of the customer journey. Marketers use our platform to scale how they incorporate content into every touchpoint and remove friction from the customer journey by surfacing the right content at the right time. For more information, visit uberflip.com.
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SOURCE Uberflip | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/uberflip-announces-increase-actionable-data-that-helps-go-to-market-teams-strengthen-content-experiences/ | 2022-05-18T12:44:06Z |
LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Azzur Labs, headquartered in Lehigh Valley, Pa., announces the appointment of Todd McEvoy to Senior Director of Laboratory Services, Pa.
Azzur Labs, an Azzur Group company, specializes in analytical testing necessary to help biopharmaceutical, medical device, and health care businesses start, scale, and sustain their GxP organizations.
Dr. McEvoy, who holds a PhD in analytical chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin, brings to Azzur an exceptional background of complex scientific output, lab training, and management. In his new role, he oversees all aspects of the Lehigh Valley laboratory operations, such as developing and implementing new testing and technology, as well as training and coaching of employees. Todd is an Association of Lab Managers (ALMA) board member and past president, as well as a Youth Association Coach for soccer, baseball, flag football, lacrosse, and basketball in South Parkland.
"I am thrilled to join an organization that truly believes the health, wellbeing, and education of their employees is crucial to the success of the business," said McEvoy. "As a leader within the business, I look forward to guiding a team that delights their customers through delivering technical excellence. I am committed to supporting a positive workplace culture and enabling employees to learn and grow their skills."
"We are excited to welcome Todd as the newest leader at Azzur Labs headquarters. Todd's leadership experience and scientific background will play an essential role in supporting the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical devices industries," said Kym Faylor, President of Azzur Labs.
Since its inception, Azzur Labs has been credited locally and nationally not only for its range of laboratory services but also for its company culture and rapid expansion. Todd plays a pivotal role in continuing Azzur Labs' growth, ensuring accurate, quality, and reliable results, while remaining nimble in method modification and development, and validation of new methods, as well as retaining and attracting unique talent, and providing a mechanism for professional growth and development.
In addition to its Schnecksville, Pa location, Azzur Labs has locations in Boston, Ma.; Raleigh, NC.; Chicago, Il.; Dallas, Tx.; and San Diego, Ca. For more information about Azzur Labs, visit AzzurLabs.com.
About Azzur Labs
Azzur Labs, an Azzur Group company, is a contract laboratory serving the pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotechnology industries. With locations across the nation, we provide customers with analytical testing, microbiology, and other services to ensure regulatory compliance From Discovery To DeliveryTM.
About Azzur Group
A nationwide network of companies delivering professional services across the life sciences industry, Azzur Group is dedicated to providing customers with practical and proven solutions from Discovery to Delivery™. Azzur Group has more than 250 industry partners, including 80% of the top pharma/biotech manufacturers in the U.S. As one of the fastest growing privately held companies in America, Azzur Group provides customers with the project management, consulting, facility solutions, engineering, validation, IT, calibration/maintenance, learning, and laboratory services they need to remain innovative and competitive. For more information, visit Azzur.com. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
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SOURCE Azzur Group, LLC | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/07/azzur-group-appoints-todd-mcevoy-senior-director-laboratory-services/ | 2022-07-07T18:26:59Z |
Kids that get at least 10 hours of sleep do better in kindergarten, study says
(CNN) - If you have a little one who is getting ready to start kindergarten, listen up.
A new study published this week in the journal “Pediatrics” found kids who consistently got at least 10 hours of sleep did better interacting with their teachers and other children in their class.
Their academic performance was also better and they had an easier time recognizing words and letters.
To make sure your kids are getting enough sleep, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Cut down on daytime naps. Researchers say the 10 hours of sleep kindergartners need is in one long stretch, plus naps. Fewer naps will make it easier to get 10 hours of sleep at night.
Cutting back on screen time before bed also helps, as well as creating a routine like bathtime or storytime.
Pick a specific bedtime, researchers suggest no later than 9 p.m. You can go ahead and start pushing back bedtime so they are in bed at a regular time when school starts.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/07/13/kids-that-get-least-10-hours-sleep-do-better-kindergarten-study-says/ | 2022-07-13T14:01:10Z |
Mimi Reinhard, who typed up Schindler’s list, dies at 107
JERUSALEM (AP) — Mimi Reinhard, a secretary in Oskar Schindler’s office who typed up the list of Jews he saved from extermination by Nazi Germany, has died in Israel at the age of 107.
Reinhard died early Friday and was laid to rest Sunday in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv, her son Sasha Weitman confirmed.
She was one of 1,200 Jews saved by German businessman Schindler after he bribed Nazi authorities to let him keep them as workers in his factories. The account was made into the acclaimed 1993 film “Schindler’s List” by director Steven Spielberg.
Reinhard was born Carmen Koppel in Vienna, Austria, in 1915, and moved to Krakow, Poland, before the outbreak of World War II. After Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, she was confined to the Krakow ghetto before being sent to the nearby Plaszow concentration camp in 1942.
Reinhard’s knowledge of shorthand got her work in the camp’s administrative office, where, two years later, she was ordered to type up the handwritten list of Jews that were to be transferred to Schindler’s ammunition factory.
“I didn’t know it was such an important thing, that list,” she told an interviewer with Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, in 2008. “First of all, I got the list of those who were with Schindler already in Krakow, in his factory. I had to put them on the list.” Later she put her own name, and the names of two friends.
At the Brünnlitz labor camp, where Schindler’s ammunition factory was housed, she was put to work in Schindler’s office.
She said that although she worked in Schindler’s office toward the end of the war, she had little personal contact with him.
“He was a very charming man, very outgoing,” she recalled, decades after the war. “He didn’t treat us like scum.”
After the war, she made her way to the United States, where she lived until immigrating to Israel in 2007 at the age of 92.
Weitman, Reinhard’s son, said that after coming to Israel she “became a kind of a celebrity” because of the Schindler’s List film’s popularity, something he said “pumped another 15 years into her life.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/04/11/mimi-reinhard-who-typed-up-schindlers-list-dies-107/ | 2022-04-11T13:59:33Z |
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Resideo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: REZI), a leading global provider of home comfort and security solutions and distributor of commercial and residential security and audio-visual products, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended April 2, 2022.
First Quarter 2022 Highlights
- Net revenue of $1.51 billion, up 6% from $1.42 billion in the first quarter 2021
- Gross profit margin of 28.8%, up 290 basis points compared to gross profit margin of 25.9% in the prior year comparable period
- Operating profit of $172 million, or 11.4% of revenue, compared to $130 million, or 9.2% of revenue, in the first quarter 2021
- Fully diluted earnings per share of $0.58 compared to fully diluted earnings per share of $0.33 in the first quarter 2021
- Completed First Alert and Arrow Wire & Cable acquisitions
Management Remarks
"We began 2022 on a strong note with both ADI and Products & Solutions delivering year-over-year sales and profitability expansion," commented Jay Geldmacher, Resideo's President and CEO. "Overall demand indicators remain positive across the business as residential and commercial customers invest to improve the security, energy efficiency and comfort of their surroundings."
"At ADI we continue to expand digital initiatives to support improved customer experience and invest in tools to drive sales force effectiveness, while also focusing on capturing value from the current pricing environment. Products & Solutions is delivering strong realization on 2021 price actions and demand continues to outstrip our ability to fully supply. We closed the acquisitions of First Alert and Arrow Wire & Cable and we are excited to welcome the respective teams to Resideo. We are hitting the ground running on unlocking the meaningful value creation opportunity we see from bringing these organizations together with Products & Solutions and ADI."
Products & Solutions First Quarter 2022 Highlights
- Revenue of $619 million, up 2% compared to the first quarter 2021
- Operating profit of $153 million, up 18% compared to the first quarter 2021
- Completed acquisition of First Alert on March 31, adding highly complementary smoke and carbon monoxide detection home safety products
Products & Solutions delivered revenue of $619 million in the first quarter 2022, up 2% compared to first quarter 2021. Strong flow through of price adjustments put in place throughout 2021 drove the year-over-year revenue expansion. Demand remains healthy in our air and energy product categories across channels, which offset softness in security products. The supply chain environment remained challenging during the first quarter. This included both materials sourcing, particularly related to semiconductor components, and shipping costs, which remained at historically elevated levels. Products & Solutions continues to make progress deepening its relationships with key customers and partners and is actively expanding efforts within attractive growth categories. This includes initiatives targeting residential new construction, multi-family, hydrogen and energy management.
Gross margin for the quarter was 42.8%, compared to 38.0% in first quarter 2021. Pricing activity and annual inventory revaluation benefited first quarter gross margin and helped offset year-over-year material input cost inflation. Operating profit for the quarter was $153 million, or 24.7% of revenue, up 18% compared to first quarter 2021 and representing a 320 basis point expansion in operating margin.
The acquisition of First Alert, a leader in the residential smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detection markets, closed on March 31, 2022. First Alert expands Resideo's sensors within the home and occupies a highly strategic position on the ceiling. Efforts are already underway to leverage the significant strategic opportunity from a channel perspective and in exploring potential from more tightly integrating First Alert's offerings with existing products. This includes the opportunity to drive category growth in connected offerings.
ADI Global Distribution First Quarter 2022 Highlights
- Revenue of $887 million, up 9% compared to the first quarter 2021
- Operating profit of $80 million, up 36% compared to the first quarter 2021
- E-commerce sales growth of 24%, accounting for 17% of ADI total sales
- Expanded data communications offering with acquisition of Arrow Wire & Cable
ADI first quarter 2022 revenue of $887 million was up 9% compared to the first quarter 2021. Growth was driven by volume expansion, recent acquisitions and a strong pricing environment. Demand was strongest in categories that typically serve commercial end markets including fire and access control. Vendor supply issues remained a headwind to growth, particularly in the video surveillance category. Sales through ADI's e-commerce channel grew 24%, representing 17% of total ADI sales, and private brands sales grew over 40% compared to first quarter 2021.
Gross margin of 19.2% in the first quarter 2022 was up 200 basis points compared to first quarter 2021. This expansion was driven by ADI capturing the benefits of the current inflationary pricing environment, progress on ADI specific price optimization efforts and expansion of private brands. ADI is continuing to invest in and roll out tools to enable its sales team to better understand and serve customers, which has had significant benefit on sales efficiency. Operating profit of $80 million for first quarter 2022 was up 36% from $59 million in first quarter 2021, reaching 9% of revenue.
During the first quarter ADI saw significant growth in key adjacent categories of professional and residential audio visual and in data communications. In the first quarter, ADI completed the acquisition of Arrow Wire & Cable, a U.S. west coast distributor of data communications products. The acquisition complements the 2021 acquisition of Norfolk Wire & Electronics geographically, strengthening ADI's position in a key strategic growth category. Arrow is the fourth acquisition for ADI since 2020.
First Quarter 2022 Performance
Consolidated revenue of $1.51 billion in the first quarter 2022 grew 6% compared with the prior year of $1.42 billion. Gross profit margin for the first quarter 2022 was 28.8%, up 290 basis points compared to 25.9% in the prior year. Resideo's operating profit of $172 million in the first quarter 2022 compared to a prior year operating profit of $130 million. Total Corporate costs were $61 million, up from $59 million in the prior year primarily due to $10 million of one-time transaction costs associated with the First Alert acquisition. Net income for the first quarter 2022 was $87 million, or $0.58 per diluted common share, compared with $49 million, or $0.33 per diluted common share, in the prior year.
Cash Flow and Liquidity
First quarter 2022 net cash used by operating activities of $59 million compared to cash provided by operating activities of $5 million in the prior year comparable period. The use of cash was primarily due to typical seasonal timing of cash payments for bonus and customer rebate payments accrued in prior periods, higher working capital to support growth and a strategic decision to increase inventory levels. At April 2, 2022, Resideo had cash and cash equivalents of $244 million and total outstanding debt of $1.4 billion.
Outlook
Based on first quarter results and the outlook for the remainder of 2022, the company now expects full year 2022 revenue to be in the range of $6.45 billion to $6.65 billion, gross profit margin in the range of 27.5% to 28.5% and operating profit in the range of $680 million to $720 million.
The company expects second quarter 2022 revenue to be in the range of $1.65 billion to $1.70 billion, gross profit margin in the range of 27.0% to 28.0% and operating profit in the range of $165 million to $175 million.
Conference Call and Webcast Details
Resideo will hold a conference call with investors on May 3, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. ET. An audio webcast of the call will be accessible at https://investor.resideo.com, where related materials will be posted before the call. A replay of the webcast will be available following the presentation. To join the conference call, please dial 888-660-6357 (U.S. toll-free) or 1-929-201-6127 (international), with the conference title "Resideo First Quarter 2022 Earnings" or the conference ID: 7301399.
Resideo is a leading global manufacturer and distributor of technology-driven products and solutions that provide comfort, security, energy efficiency and control to customers worldwide. Building on a 130-year heritage, Resideo has a presence in more than 150 million homes globally, with 15 million systems installed in homes each year. We continue to serve more than 110,000 professionals through leading distributors, including our ADI Global Distribution business, which exports to more than 100 countries from nearly 200 stocking locations around the world. For more information about Resideo, please visit www.resideo.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of fact, that address activities, events or developments that we or our management intend, expect, project, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Although we believe forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, such statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, (1) our ability to achieve our outlook regarding the second quarter 2022 and full year 2022, (2) the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption to our business and the global economy caused by it, including its effect on our and our business partners' supply chains, (3) the amount of our obligations and nature of our contractual restrictions pursuant to, and disputes that have or may hereafter arise under the agreements we entered into with Honeywell in connection with our spin-off, (4) the likelihood of continued success of our transformation programs and initiatives, (5) risks related to our recently completed acquisitions, including First Alert, including our ability to achieve the targeted amount of annual cost synergies, successfully integrate the acquired operations (including successfully driving category growth in connected offerings), and the expected net present value of tax benefits resulting from the First Alert transaction and (6) the other risks described under the headings "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and other periodic filings we make from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results, developments, and business decisions may differ from those envisaged by our forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update such statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date of this press release and we caution investors not to place undue reliance on any such forward looking statements.
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SOURCE Resideo Technologies, Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/03/resideo-announces-first-quarter-2022-financial-results/ | 2022-05-03T20:48:21Z |
First quarter 2022 GAAP earnings of $1.3 billion, or $0.99 per diluted share
First quarter 2022 Adjusted earnings of $1.6 billion, or $1.23 per diluted share
Results reflect solid loan growth, strong expense control, and continued favorable credit results
Fee revenues were impacted by market volatility and geopolitical uncertainty
Final core bank conversion complete
CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Truist Financial Corporation (NYSE: TFC) today reported earnings for the first quarter of 2022.
Net income available to common shareholders of $1.3 billion was relatively stable compared to the first quarter last year. Earnings per diluted common share were $0.99, an increase of 1.0% compared with the same period last year. Results for the first quarter produced an annualized return on average assets (ROA) of 1.07%, an annualized return on average common shareholders' equity (ROCE) of 9.0%, and an annualized return on tangible common shareholders' equity (ROTCE) of 18.6%.
Adjusted net income available to common shareholders was $1.6 billion, or $1.23 per diluted share, excluding merger-related and restructuring charges of $216 million ($166 million after-tax), incremental operating expenses related to the merger of $202 million ($155 million after-tax), a gain on the redemption of noncontrolling equity interest of $74 million ($57 million after-tax) related to the acquisition of certain merchant services relationships, and losses on the sales of securities of $69 million ($53 million after-tax). Adjusted results produced an annualized ROA of 1.31%, an annualized ROCE of 11.1%, and an annualized ROTCE of 22.6%. Adjusted earnings per diluted share were up 4.2% compared to the prior year.
"The first quarter was a historic one for Truist as we completed our largest conversion event, transitioning nearly seven million clients to the Truist ecosystem and rebranding more than 6,000 branches and ATMs to Truist," said Chairman and CEO Bill Rogers. "We now operate officially as one brand and one bank to our clients. This accomplishment was possible because of the expertise, purposeful commitment, and hard work of thousands of teammates and for them, I am grateful. We remain guided by our purpose as we continue supporting our clients through the transition and look forward to shifting our focus to executional excellence and purposeful growth throughout this year.
"We had a solid first quarter in terms of earnings, though underlying results were mixed in light of market volatility and geopolitical uncertainty. Our strengths this quarter included an improving core margin, with more upside from here, strong expense discipline and continued favorable credit results. Revenues were lower as a result of a challenging environment for investment banking and mortgage, but we remain confident in our outlook given expectations for higher interest rates, our diverse business model, and continued expense discipline. At the same time, we acknowledge the increasing uncertainty presented by a range of geopolitical and economic risks.
"We continued living our purpose for our stakeholders in many ways this quarter, including through the unveiling of Truist One Banking, a first-of-its-kind approach to the checking account experience, developed from direct client feedback. This new approach offers many solutions our clients asked for, including no overdraft fees, that will help more families gain access to mainstream banking services. We announced a goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050, supporting our clients' transition to a low-carbon economy; and we continue to be well ahead of schedule with regard to our $60 billion Community Benefits Plan commitment. This is only the beginning for Truist as we work to create distinctive client experiences that inspire and build better lives and communities."
First Quarter 2022 Performance Highlights
- Earnings per diluted common share for the first quarter of 2022 were $0.99
- Taxable-equivalent revenue for the first quarter of 2022 was $5.4 billion, down 4.3% compared to fourth quarter 2021 and down 2.9% compared to first quarter 2021
- Investment banking revenues were lower due to volatile market conditions
- Residential mortgage income declined due to lower margins and refinance volumes resulting from the higher rate environment
- Strong insurance income due to continued organic growth and acquisitions
- Decline compared to fourth quarter 2021 was primarily due to two fewer days, lower purchase accounting accretion and lower PPP fees
- Core net interest margin was 2.57%, up two basis points from fourth quarter 2021, driven by lower premium amortization on the securities portfolio
- Noninterest expense for the first quarter of 2022 was $3.7 billion, down 0.7% compared to fourth quarter 2021 and up 1.8% compared to first quarter 2021
- Asset quality remains excellent, reflecting our prudent risk culture, diverse portfolio, and the continued favorable credit environment
- Provision for credit losses was a benefit of $95 million for first quarter 2022, primarily reflecting the continued favorable credit environment
- The ALLL coverage ratio was 5.78X annualized net charge-offs, versus 6.14X for fourth quarter 2021
- Capital and liquidity levels remained strong; deployed capital through organic loan growth, dividend and acquisitions
First Quarter 2022 compared to Fourth Quarter 2021
Total taxable-equivalent revenue was $5.4 billion for the first quarter of 2022, a decrease of $239 million, or 4.3%, compared to the prior quarter.
Net interest income for the first quarter of 2022 was down $58 million, or 1.8%, compared to the prior quarter due primarily to fewer days, lower purchase accounting accretion and lower fees from PPP loans, partially offset by lower premium amortization related to the securities portfolio. Average earning assets decreased $945 million, or 0.2%, compared to the prior quarter, as growth in average total loans of $1.4 billion, or 0.5%, was more than offset by decreases of $935 million, or 14%, in average trading assets, $718 million, or 0.5%, in average securities, and $702 million, or 3.6%, in average other earning assets. Average deposits increased $4.3 billion, or 1.0%, and average long-term debt decreased $2.3 billion, or 6.1% due to redemptions and maturities.
The net interest margin was 2.76% for the first quarter, flat compared to the prior quarter. The yield on the total loan portfolio for the first quarter was 3.69%, down ten basis points compared to the prior quarter primarily due to lower purchase accounting accretion and lower PPP fees. The yield on the average securities portfolio for the first quarter was 1.68%, up 11 basis points compared to the prior quarter due to lower premium amortization. Core net interest margin was 2.57%, for the first quarter, up two basis points compared to the prior quarter driven by lower premium amortization on securities, partially offset by lower fees on PPP loans.
The average cost of total deposits was 0.03%, flat compared to the prior quarter. The average cost of long-term debt was 1.50%, up 15 basis points compared to the prior quarter resulting from hedging activity.
The provision for credit losses was a benefit of $95 million and net charge-offs were $178 million for the first quarter, compared to a benefit of $103 million and net charge-offs of $182 million, respectively, for the prior quarter. The net charge-off ratio for the current quarter of 0.25% was stable compared to fourth quarter 2021.
Noninterest income was $2.1 billion, a decrease of $181 million, or 7.8%, compared to the prior quarter. The first quarter of 2022 includes securities losses of $69 million and the gain on the redemption of a noncontrolling equity interest (other income) of $74 million. Investment banking and trading income decreased $116 million, or 31%, due to lower merger and acquisition fees, loan syndication fees, high-yield bonds and equity originations. Residential mortgage income decreased $70 million, or 44%, primarily due to lower production income (due to lower margins and refinance volumes). Revenues from residential mortgage servicing activities were down slightly as lower servicing fees and higher hedging costs were partially offset by lower decay related to mortgage servicing assets. Insurance income increased $61 million, or 9.2%, primarily due to seasonally higher employee benefit plan commissions. Service charges on deposits and card and payment related fees were down $33 million primarily due to seasonality. Excluding the gain on the redemption of noncontrolling equity interest and a $37 million decrease for assets held for certain post-retirement benefits, which is primarily offset by lower personnel expense, other income increased $31 million as the prior quarter included a valuation decrease for derivatives related to Visa shares.
Noninterest expense was $3.7 billion for the first quarter, down $26 million, or 0.7%, compared to the prior quarter. Merger-related and restructuring charges were relatively stable as higher costs incurred for client day one conversions were largely offset by lower costs in connection with system conversions, data center migrations, and the voluntary separation and retirement program. Incremental operating expenses related to the merger decreased $13 million compared to fourth quarter 2021 primarily reflected in personnel expense, partially offset by higher net occupancy expense in connection with updating the branch network to incorporate the Truist brand. Excluding the aforementioned items and the amortization of intangibles, adjusted noninterest expense decreased $12 million, or 0.4%, compared to the prior quarter. Personnel expense decreased $45 million ($10 million on an adjusted basis), or 2.1%, compared to fourth quarter 2021 due to lower incentives resulting from declines in noninterest income and lower other employee benefits due to the decrease in noninterest income for post-retirement benefits, partially offset by seasonally higher payroll taxes. The decrease in personnel expense was partially offset by increased operational losses (other expense) and increased marketing and customer development costs.
The provision for income taxes was $330 million for the first quarter of 2022, compared to $367 million for the prior quarter. The effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2022 was 18.9%, compared to 18.6% for the prior quarter.
First Quarter 2022 compared to First Quarter 2021
Total taxable-equivalent revenues were $5.4 billion for the first quarter of 2022, a decrease of $159 million, or 2.9%, compared to the earlier quarter.
Net interest income for the first quarter of 2022 was down $104 million, or 3.1%, compared to the earlier quarter due to lower purchase accounting accretion, lower PPP fees, and a decrease in loan balances. These decreases were partially offset by growth in the securities portfolio and lower funding costs. Average earning assets increased $26.0 billion, or 5.9%, compared to the earlier quarter. The increase in average earning assets reflects a $30.4 billion, or 25%, increase in average securities, a $1.5 billion, or 8.7%, increase in average other earning assets, and a $1.1 billion, or 23%, increase in average interest earning trading assets, while average total loans and leases decreased $7.1 billion, or 2.4%. The growth in average earning assets is a result of the deployment of strong deposit growth resulting from fiscal and monetary stimulus. Average deposits increased $32.1 billion, or 8.4%, compared to the earlier quarter, while average long-term debt decreased $2.5 billion, or 6.6%.
Net interest margin was 2.76%, down 25 basis points compared to the earlier quarter. The yield on the total loan portfolio for the first quarter of 2022 was 3.69%, down 40 basis points compared to the earlier quarter, reflecting the impact of lower purchase accounting accretion, lower PPP fees, and the ongoing impact of the lower rate environment. The yield on the average securities portfolio was 1.68%, up 23 basis points compared to the earlier quarter primarily due to higher yields on new purchases and lower premium amortization. Core net interest margin was 2.57% for the first quarter, down 12 basis points compared to the earlier quarter driven by lower PPP fees, higher levels of liquidity, and the ongoing impact of the lower rate environment.
The average cost of total deposits was 0.03%, down two basis points compared to the earlier quarter. The average cost on short-term borrowings was 0.60%, down 22 basis points compared to the earlier quarter. The average cost on long-term debt was 1.50%, down seven basis points compared to the earlier quarter. The lower rates on interest-bearing liabilities reflect the impact of repricing of liabilities at lower rates.
The provision for credit losses was a benefit of $95 million, compared to a cost of $48 million for the earlier quarter. The current quarter includes a reserve release due to the continued favorable credit environment. Net charge-offs for the first quarter of 2022 totaled $178 million compared to $238 million in the earlier quarter. The net charge-off ratio for the current quarter of 0.25% was down eight basis points compared to the earlier quarter.
Noninterest income for the first quarter of 2022 decreased $55 million, or 2.5%, compared to the earlier quarter. The first quarter of 2022 includes securities losses of $69 million and the gain on the redemption of noncontrolling equity interest (other income) of $74 million. The earlier quarter included a gain of $37 million from the divestiture of certain businesses (other income). Excluding the aforementioned items, noninterest income was down $23 million, or 1.1%. Insurance income increased $101 million, or 16%, due to continued organic growth and acquisitions. Investment banking and trading income decreased $85 million, or 25%, due to lower high yield bond and equity originations fees, lower core trading income, and lower CVA gains, partially offset by higher structured real estate fees. Residential mortgage income decreased $11 million, or 11%, as lower production income (due to lower margins and refinance volumes) was largely offset by higher servicing income (due to lower prepayments). Excluding the gain on the redemption of noncontrolling equity interest, the gain in the earlier quarter from the divestiture of certain businesses and a $67 million decrease for assets held for certain post-retirement benefits, which is primarily offset by lower personnel expense, other income increased $56 million, due to higher investment income from the Company's SBIC and other investments.
Noninterest expense for the first quarter of 2022 was up $64 million, or 1.8%, compared to the earlier quarter. Merger-related and restructuring charges increased $75 million due to costs for client day one conversions. Incremental operating expenses related to the merger increased $27 million, primarily reflected in net occupancy expense in connection with updating the branch network to incorporate the Truist brand. The prior quarter also includes $36 million of expense associated with an acceleration of loss recognition related to certain terminated cash flow hedges and a small gain on the extinguishment of debt. Excluding the aforementioned items and the amortization of intangibles, adjusted noninterest expense was relatively stable compared to the earlier quarter. Personnel expense decreased $91 million, or 4.2%, due to lower other employee benefits as a result of the decrease in noninterest income for post-retirement benefits, lower incentives (due to declines in noninterest income), and lower salaries driven by fewer FTEs. Additionally, other expense increased $29 million due to increased operational losses, software expense increased $22 million, and marketing and customer development expense increased $18 million due to increased branding efforts.
The provision for income taxes was $330 million for the first quarter of 2022, compared to $351 million for the earlier quarter. The effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2022 was 18.9%, compared to 19.2% for the earlier quarter, primarily due to discrete tax expenses resulting from the divestiture of certain businesses in the prior year.
Average loans and leases held for investment for the first quarter of 2022 were $288.6 billion, up $2.3 billion, or 0.8%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2021. Excluding a $1.1 billion decrease in average PPP loans, average loans held for investment were up $3.3 billion, or 1.2%.
Average commercial loans increased $2.9 billion, or 1.8%, as a result of $6.5 billion, or 5.1%, growth within the commercial and industrial portfolio, excluding PPP and mortgage warehouse lending. This growth was partially offset by a $1.4 billion decrease in mortgage warehouse lending (commercial and industrial), a $1.1 billion decrease in average PPP loans (commercial and industrial), a $841 million decrease in average CRE loans, and a $295 million decrease in average commercial construction loans.
Average consumer loans decreased $579 million, or 0.5% due to a $753 million decrease in indirect auto due to market dynamics and the competitive environment, a $263 million decrease in residential home equity and direct, and a $236 million decrease in student loans. The decreases were partially offset by a $791 million increase in residential mortgages due to the continued strategy to put certain correspondent channel production onto the balance sheet and lower prepayments.
Average deposits for the first quarter of 2022 were $415.2 billion, an increase of $4.3 billion, or 1.0%, compared to the prior quarter. Average noninterest bearing deposits declined 0.4% compared to the prior quarter and represented 35.1% of total deposits for the first quarter of 2022, compared to 35.6% for the prior quarter. Average interest checking and money market and savings grew 1.5% and 2.8%, respectively, compared to the prior quarter. Average time deposits decreased 4.0% primarily due to the maturity of higher-cost accounts.
Capital ratios remained strong compared to the regulatory requirements for well capitalized banks. Truist declared common dividends of $0.48 per share during the first quarter of 2022. The dividend payout ratio for the first quarter of 2022 was 48%.
Truist CET1 ratio was 9.4% as of March 31, 2022. The 20 basis point decline compared to the fourth quarter 2021 CET1 ratio reflects capital deployed through the acquisition of Kensington Vanguard National Land Services, the acquisition of certain merchant services relationships, an increase in risk-weighted assets, and the impact from the phase in of the CECL transition relief.
Truist's average LCR was 111% for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to the regulatory minimum of 100%. Truist continues to maintain a strong liquidity position and is prepared to meet the funding needs of clients.
Nonperforming assets totaled $1.1 billion at March 31, 2022, down $28 million compared to December 31, 2021 due to declines in the commercial and industrial portfolio. Nonperforming loans and leases held for investment were 0.36% of loans and leases held for investment at March 31, 2022, down two basis points compared to December 31, 2021.
Performing TDRs were up $125 million compared to the prior quarter primarily due to an increase in government guaranteed residential mortgages.
Loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing totaled $1.9 billion at March 31, 2022, down $16 million compared to the prior quarter. The ratio of loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing as a percentage of loans and leases was 0.66% at March 31, 2022, down one basis point from the prior quarter. Excluding government guaranteed loans, the ratio of loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing as a percentage of loans and leases was 0.04% at March 31, 2022, up one basis point from December 31, 2021.
Loans 30-89 days past due and still accruing of $2.1 billion at March 31, 2022 were up one basis point compared to the prior quarter due to an increase in the commercial and industrial portfolio, partially offset by seasonal declines in the indirect auto portfolio and a decline in the student portfolio.
Net charge-offs during the first quarter totaled $178 million, or 0.25% as a percentage of average loans, and was stable compared to the prior quarter.
The allowance for credit losses was $4.4 billion and includes $4.2 billion for the allowance for loan and lease losses and $253 million for the reserve for unfunded commitments. The ALLL ratio was 1.44% compared to 1.53% at December 31, 2021. The ALLL covered nonperforming loans and leases held for investment 3.99X compared to 4.07X at December 31, 2021. At March 31, 2022, the ALLL was 5.78X annualized net charge-offs, compared to 6.14X at December 31, 2021.
Truist operates and measures business activity across three segments: Consumer Banking and Wealth, Corporate and Commercial Banking, and Insurance Holdings, with functional activities included in Other, Treasury and Corporate. The Company's business segment structure is based on the manner in which financial information is evaluated by management as well as the products and services provided or the type of client served. For additional information, see "Note 21. Operating Segments" of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
First Quarter 2022 compared to Fourth Quarter 2021
Consumer Banking and Wealth ("CB&W")
CB&W net income was $864 million for the first quarter of 2022, a decrease of $101 million compared to the prior quarter. Segment net interest income decreased $47 million primarily driven by lower average loans, lower purchase accounting accretion, and fewer days, partially offset by an increase in funding credits on deposits. The allocated provision for credit losses increased $15 million which reflects seasonally higher charge offs. Noninterest income decreased $42 million driven by lower residential mortgage income, primarily due to lower production income (due to lower margins and refinance volumes) and slightly lower mortgage servicing income, lower service charges on deposits due to lower incidence rates from higher balances due to seasonal tax refunds, and seasonally lower card and payment related fees, partially offset by an increase in other income related to the gain on the redemption of a noncontrolling equity interest in the current quarter. Noninterest expense decreased $31 million primarily due to lower occupancy expense, professional fees and outside processing from lower production related expenses, and lower merger related restructuring charges, partially offset by increased operational losses in the current quarter.
Average loans held for investment decreased $1.7 billion, or 1.3%, compared to the prior quarter primarily due to lower mortgage warehouse lending and indirect auto loans as well as declines in home equity and direct lending and student lending, partially offset by higher residential mortgage balances driven by the continued impact of correspondent strategies. Average total deposits increased $4.3 billion, or 1.7%, compared to the prior quarter primarily due to tax refunds and other seasonal impacts in the current quarter.
Corporate and Commercial Banking ("C&CB")
C&CB net income was $985 million for the first quarter of 2022, a decrease of $177 million compared to the prior quarter. Segment net interest income decreased $46 million due to lower fee income associated with PPP loan forgiveness and fewer days, partially offset by growth in core loan balances and higher purchase accounting accretion. The allocated provision for credit losses increased $33 million primarily due to a lower reserve release than the prior quarter. Noninterest income decreased $171 million primarily due to lower investment banking income driven by lower merger and acquisition fees, lower loan syndications, high yield bonds, equity originations, lower core trading income, and lower investment income from the Company's SBIC and other equity investments, partially offset by increased revenues from investment grade bond originations and positive CVA/DVA mark to market. Noninterest expense decreased $57 million primarily driven by lower incentive compensation.
Average loans held for investment increased $4.5 billion, or 3.0%, compared to the prior quarter primarily due to increases in core commercial and industrial loans partially offset by decreases in average PPP loans (commercial and industrial), average CRE loans, and average commercial construction loans. Average total deposits decreased $3.1 billion, or 2.0%, compared to the prior quarter primarily due to the inflows of seasonal municipal tax related deposits in the prior quarter.
Insurance Holdings ("IH")
IH net income was $152 million for the first quarter of 2022, an increase of $26 million compared to the prior quarter. Noninterest income increased $56 million primarily due to seasonality in employee benefit commissions. Noninterest expense increased $13 million primarily due to seasonally higher payroll taxes and employee benefits in the current quarter.
Other, Treasury & Corporate ("OT&C")
OT&C generated a net loss of $585 million for the first quarter of 2022, compared to a net loss of $651 million for the prior quarter. Net interest income increased $32 million primarily due to higher earnings in the securities portfolio from purchases of higher yielding MBS and lower premium amortization. The allocated provision for credit losses decreased $41 million which reflects a reserve release in the current quarter. Noninterest income decreased $24 million primarily driven by losses on the sale of securities this quarter as well as valuation changes from assets held for certain post-retirement benefits, partially offset by the prior quarter valuation decrease for derivatives related to Visa shares. Noninterest expense increased $49 million primarily due to higher occupancy expenses and merger related and restructuring charges in the current quarter.
First Quarter 2022 compared to First Quarter 2021
Consumer Banking and Wealth
CB&W net income was $864 million for the first quarter of 2022, an increase of $183 million compared to the earlier quarter. Segment net interest income increased $194 million primarily driven by higher interest rates, favorable funding credit on deposits, and increased deposit balances, partially offset by lower purchase accounting accretion. The allocated provision for credit losses decreased $26 million reflecting the impact of a larger allowance release than the earlier quarter as well as lower charge offs. Noninterest income increased $30 million compared to earlier quarter primarily due to the gain on the redemption of noncontrolling equity interest in the current quarter as well as an increase in card and payment fees driven by increased sales volume, partially offset by a gain from the divestiture of certain businesses in the earlier quarter and lower residential mortgage income. Noninterest expense was flat compared to the earlier quarter.
Corporate and Commercial Banking
C&CB net income was $985 million for the first quarter of 2022, an increase of $19 million compared to the earlier quarter. Segment net interest income decreased $31 million primarily due to lower fee income associated with PPP loan forgiveness and lower purchase accounting accretion, partially offset by higher funding credit on deposits and increases to non-interest bearing deposit balances. The allocated provision for credit losses decreased $115 million primarily reflecting a reserve release due to improving economic outlook and lower charge offs in the current quarter. Noninterest income decreased $73 million compared to the earlier quarter due to lower high yield bond and equity originations fees, lower credit trading income, and lower CVA/DVA mark to market gains, partially offset by higher structured real estate fees as well as higher investment income from the Company's SBIC and other investments. Noninterest expense decreased $18 million driven by lower professional fees and intangible amortization expense in the current quarter.
Insurance Holdings
IH net income was $152 million for the first quarter of 2022, an increase of $19 million compared to the earlier quarter. Noninterest income increased $104 million primarily due to continued organic growth and acquisitions. Noninterest expense increased $80 million primarily due to higher performance-based incentives and salaries.
Other, Treasury & Corporate
OT&C generated a net loss of $585 million in the first quarter of 2022, compared to a net loss of $307 million in the earlier quarter. Net interest income decreased $265 million primarily due to higher funding credit on deposits to other segments, partially offset by higher earnings in the securities portfolio from higher yields on new purchases and lower premium amortization. The allocated provision for credit losses was flat compared to the earlier quarter. Noninterest income decreased $116 million primarily due to securities losses in the current quarter and valuation changes from assets held for certain post-retirement benefits, which is primarily offset by lower personnel expense. Noninterest expense was flat compared to the earlier quarter.
Earnings Presentation and Quarterly Performance Summary
To listen to Truist's live first quarter 2022 earnings conference call at 8 a.m. ET today, please call 855-303-0072 and enter the participant code 100038. A presentation will be used during the earnings conference call and is available on our website at https://ir.truist.com/events-and-presentation. Replays of the conference call will be available for 30 days by dialing 888-203-1112 (access code 100038).
The presentation, including an appendix reconciling non-GAAP disclosures, and Truist's First Quarter 2022 Quarterly Performance Summary, which contains detailed financial schedules, are available at https://ir.truist.com/earnings.
About Truist
Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. Truist has leading market share in many high-growth markets in the country. The company offers a wide range of services including retail, small business and commercial banking; asset management; capital markets; commercial real estate; corporate and institutional banking; insurance; mortgage; payments; specialized lending; and wealth management. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Truist is a top 10 U.S. commercial bank with total assets of $544 billion as of March 31, 2022. Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at Truist.com.
Capital ratios and return on risk-weighted assets are preliminary.
This news release contains financial information and performance measures determined by methods other than in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). Truist's management uses these "non-GAAP" measures in their analysis of the Corporation's performance and the efficiency of its operations. Management believes these non-GAAP measures provide a greater understanding of ongoing operations, enhance comparability of results with prior periods and demonstrate the effects of significant items in the current period. The Corporation believes a meaningful analysis of its financial performance requires an understanding of the factors underlying that performance. Truist's management believes investors may find these non-GAAP financial measures useful. These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. Below is a listing of the types of non-GAAP measures used in this news release:
- Adjusted Efficiency Ratio - The adjusted efficiency ratio is non-GAAP in that it excludes securities gains (losses), amortization of intangible assets, merger-related and restructuring charges, and other selected items. Truist's management uses this measure in their analysis of the Corporation's performance. Truist's management believes this measure provides a greater understanding of ongoing operations and enhances comparability of results with prior periods, as well as demonstrates the effects of significant gains and charges.
- Adjusted Operating Leverage - The adjusted operating leverage ratio is non-GAAP in that it excludes securities gains (losses), amortization of intangible assets, merger-related and restructuring charges, and other selected items. Truist's management uses this measure in their analysis of the Corporation's performance. Truist's management believes this measure provides a greater understanding of ongoing operations and enhances comparability of results with prior periods, as well as demonstrates the effects of significant gains and charges.
- Pre-Provision Net Revenue - Pre-provision net revenue is a non-GAAP measure that adjusts net income determined in accordance with GAAP to exclude the impact of the provision for credit losses and provision for income taxes. Truist's management believes this measure provides a greater understanding of ongoing operations and enhances comparability of results with prior periods.
- Tangible Common Equity and Related Measures - Tangible common equity and related measures are non-GAAP measures that exclude the impact of intangible assets, net of deferred taxes, and their related amortization. These measures are useful for evaluating the performance of a business consistently, whether acquired or developed internally. Truist's management uses these measures to assess the quality of capital and returns relative to balance sheet risk.
- Core NIM - Core net interest margin is a non-GAAP measure that adjusts net interest margin to exclude the impact of purchase accounting. The purchase accounting marks and related amortization for loans, deposits and long-term debt from SunTrust and other acquisitions are excluded to approximate the yields paid by clients. Truist's management believes the adjustments to the calculation of net interest margin for certain assets and liabilities acquired provide investors with useful information related to the performance of Truist's earning assets.
- Adjusted Diluted EPS - The adjusted diluted earnings per share is non-GAAP in that it excludes merger-related and restructuring charges and other selected items, net of tax. Truist's management uses this measure in their analysis of the Corporation's performance. Truist's management believes this measure provides a greater understanding of ongoing operations and enhances comparability of results with prior periods, as well as demonstrates the effects of significant gains and charges.
- Performance Ratios - The adjusted performance ratios, including adjusted return on average assets, adjusted return on average common shareholders' equity, and adjusted return on average tangible common shareholders' equity, are non-GAAP in that they exclude merger-related and restructuring charges, selected items, and, in the case of return on average tangible common shareholders' equity, amortization of intangible assets. Truist's management uses these measures in their analysis of the Corporation's performance. Truist's management believes these measures provide a greater understanding of ongoing operations and enhance comparability of results with prior periods, as well as demonstrate the effects of significant gains and charges.
- Insurance Holdings Adjusted EBITDA - EBITDA is a non-GAAP measurement of operating profitability that is calculated by adding back interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to net income. Truist's management also adds back merger-related and restructuring charges, incremental operating expenses related to the merger, and other selected items. Truist's management uses this measure in its analysis of the Corporation's Insurance Holdings segment. Truist's management believes this measure provides a greater understanding of ongoing operations and enhances comparability of results with prior periods, as well as demonstrates the effects of significant gains and charges.
- Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses and Unamortized Fair Value Mark as a Percentage of Gross Loans and Leases - Allowance for loan and lease losses and unamortized fair value mark as a percentage of gross loans and leases is a non-GAAP measurement of credit reserves that is calculated by adjusting the ALLL and loans and leases held for investment by the unamortized fair value mark. Truist's management uses these measures to assess loss absorption capacity.
A reconciliation of each of these non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure is included in the appendix to Truist's First Quarter 2022 Earnings Presentation, which is available at https://ir.truist.com/earnings.
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding the financial condition, results of operations, business plans and the future performance of Truist. Words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "intends," "plans," "projects," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could" and other similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but instead represent management's expectations and assumptions regarding Truist's business, the economy, and other future conditions. Such statements involve inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. As such, Truist's actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking statements. While there can be no assurance that any list of risks and uncertainties or risk factors is complete, important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking statements include the following, without limitation, as well as the risks and uncertainties more fully discussed under Part I, Item 1A-Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in Truist's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission:
- risks and uncertainties relating to the Merger of heritage BB&T and heritage SunTrust, including the ability to successfully integrate the companies or to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger;
- expenses relating to the Merger and integration of heritage BB&T and heritage SunTrust;
- deposit attrition, client loss or revenue loss following completed mergers or acquisitions may be greater than anticipated;
- the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the global economy and adversely impacted Truist's financial condition and results of operations, including through increased expenses, reduced fee income and net interest margin, decreased demand for certain types of loans, and increases in the allowance for credit losses; a resurgence of the pandemic, whether due to new variants of the coronavirus or other factors, could reintroduce or prolong these negative impacts and also adversely affect Truist's capital and liquidity position or cost of capital, impair the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans, cause an outflow of deposits, and impair goodwill or other assets;
- Truist is subject to credit risk by lending or committing to lend money, and may have more credit risk and higher credit losses to the extent that loans are concentrated by loan type, industry segment, borrower type or location of the borrower or collateral;
- changes in the interest rate environment, including the replacement of LIBOR as an interest rate benchmark, which could adversely affect Truist's revenue and expenses, the value of assets and obligations, and the availability and cost of capital, cash flows, and liquidity;
- inability to access short-term funding or liquidity, loss of client deposits or changes in Truist's credit ratings, which could increase the cost of funding or limit access to capital markets;
- risk management oversight functions may not identify or address risks adequately, and management may not be able to effectively manage credit risk;
- risks resulting from the extensive use of models in Truist's business, which may impact decisions made by management and regulators;
- failure to execute on strategic or operational plans, including the ability to successfully complete or integrate mergers and acquisitions;
- increased competition, including from (i) new or existing competitors that could have greater financial resources or be subject to different regulatory standards, and (ii) products and services offered by non-bank financial technology companies, may reduce Truist's client base, cause Truist to lower prices for its products and services in order to maintain market share or otherwise adversely impact Truist's businesses or results of operations;
- failure to maintain or enhance Truist's competitive position with respect to new products, services and technology, whether it fails to anticipate client expectations or because its technological developments fail to perform as desired or do not achieve market acceptance or regulatory approval or for other reasons, may cause Truist to lose market share or incur additional expense;
- negative public opinion, which could damage Truist's reputation;
- increased scrutiny regarding Truist's consumer sales practices, training practices, incentive compensation design, and governance;
- regulatory matters, litigation or other legal actions, which may result in, among other things, costs, fines, penalties, restrictions on Truist's business activities, reputational harm, negative publicity, or other adverse consequences;
- evolving legislative, accounting and regulatory standards, including with respect to climate, capital, and liquidity requirements, and results of regulatory examinations may adversely affect Truist's financial condition and results of operations;
- the monetary and fiscal policies of the federal government and its agencies could have a material adverse effect on profitability;
- accounting policies and processes require management to make estimates about matters that are uncertain, including the potential write down to goodwill if there is an elongated period of decline in market value for Truist's stock and adverse economic conditions are sustained over a period of time;
- general economic or business conditions, either globally, nationally or regionally, may be less favorable than expected, and instability in global geopolitical matters or volatility in financial markets, including as a result of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, could result in, among other things, slower deposit or asset growth, a deterioration in credit quality, or a reduced demand for credit, insurance, or other services;
- risks related to originating and selling mortgages, including repurchase and indemnity demands from purchasers related to representations and warranties on loans sold, which could result in an increase in the amount of losses for loan repurchases;
- risks relating to Truist's role as a loan servicer, including an increase in the scope or costs of the services Truist is required to perform, without any corresponding increase in servicing fees or a breach of Truist's obligations as servicer;
- Truist's success depends on hiring and retaining key teammates, and if these individuals leave or change roles without effective replacements, Truist's operations and integration activities could be adversely impacted, which could be exacerbated in the increased work-from-home environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as job markets may be less constrained by physical geography;
- fraud or misconduct by internal or external parties, which Truist may not be able to prevent, detect, or mitigate;
- security risks, including denial of service attacks, hacking, social engineering attacks targeting Truist's teammates and clients, malware intrusion, data corruption attempts, system breaches, cyber-attacks, which have increased in frequency following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, identity theft, ransomware attacks, and physical security risks, such as natural disasters, environmental conditions, and intentional acts of destruction, could result in the disclosure of confidential information, adversely affect Truist's business or reputation or create significant legal or financial exposure; and
- widespread outages of operational, communication, or other systems, whether internal or provided by third parties, natural or other disasters (including acts of terrorism and pandemics), and the effects of climate change, including physical risks, such as more frequent and intense weather events, and risks related to the transition to a lower carbon economy, such as regulatory or technological changes or shifts in market dynamics or consumer preferences, could have an adverse effect on Truist's financial condition and results of operations, lead to material disruption of Truist's operations or the ability or willingness of clients to access Truist's products and services.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, Truist undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements.
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SOURCE Truist Financial Corporation | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/04/19/truist-reports-first-quarter-2022-results/ | 2022-04-19T10:48:11Z |
Fast Growing eBike Brand Launches Premium Edition of Fan-Favorite XP Series
PHOENIX, Ariz., April 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The nation's fastest growing electric bike brand, Lectric eBikes, unveils a new premium model to the electric bike category – the Lectric XPremium eBike.
Dedicated to providing innovative electric transportation solutions to consumers nationwide, the XPremium is the newest addition to Lectric's growing flagship XP series and is also the brand's first-ever model with a mid-drive motor, resulting in a ride that is more intuitive, smoother, and powerful than ever before. Additional product features include:
- Redesigned frame: The expertly engineered foldable frame accommodates a fully integrated, custom 48V battery on the top-tube.
- Customizable ride options: Delivering the speed and durability to take on the road as a Class 1, 2, or 3, this new ride is equipped with both pedal assist and twist throttle options.
- Shift sensor technology: The dynamic torque sensor measures the pace and intensity of a rider's pedal to increase motor responsiveness.
- High-capacity battery system: A dual battery system provides almost 1000wh of capacity, allowing riders to travel up to 100 miles on a single charge, doubling the range for trips of earlier Lectric models.
- LCD display: Review trip and battery information easily with the upgraded backlit LCD display.
Levi Conlow, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lectric eBikes explains, "Lectric eBikes is known for being the best starter eBike option in the industry so we're thrilled to introduce our all-new XPremium into the category. This new ride is the perfect eBike for the more experienced rider to graduate into a superior, smoother ride. As with all our models, this eBike was created entirely from customer feedback and recommendations, and we're excited to finally bring these sought-after features to life, while still arriving fully assembled at our riders' doorsteps."
Conlow continues, "We at Lectric strive to make eBiking accessible for everyone, which is why we've kept pricing as low as possible – at least $1,000 below competitor offerings with similar features, yet still a powerful ride reaching 28mph with ease. We wanted the higher speed of the XPremium to provide our riders with comfort and safety when traveling alongside traffic, and further encourage people to make the easy switch from a car to an eBike for short to medium distances."
On the heels of Lectric eBikes' recent XP LITE debut, the launch of XPremium further demonstrates the brand's mission to bring accessible electric transportation to the masses. Lectric eBikes is now one of the leading electric bike brands in the nation, recently achieving an industry-shattering milestone of over 150k bikes sold in under three years. Lectric eBikes proudly creates products that are specifically designed for everyone to ride and is dedicated to offering products that meet various consumer needs, including affordability, accessibility, high-quality design, and more, ultimately providing the highest quality eBiking experience.
The XPremium is now available for preorder at an exclusive introductory price of $1,799, with standard retail pricing of $1,999. To learn more about Lectric eBikes' full lineup of electric bikes, visit www.lectricebikes.com.
ABOUT LECTRIC eBIKES
Levi Conlow and Robby Deziel designed their very first eBike in 2018 and haven't looked back since. They grew up together in suburban Minnesota and their complementary perspectives led to a strong and dynamic friendship. Levi always had a knack for seeing "big picture" themes in his everyday life and went on to study business entrepreneurship in sunny Phoenix, Arizona. Robby was known to be more detail-driven and creative and went on to study mechanical engineering in Minneapolis.
After their studies, a new business opportunity came to mind when Levi's dad, Brent Conlow, was in the market for an electric bike. Brent discovered that the cost of an eBike was much higher than he had hoped, so he turned to Levi and Robby for help. They were eager to create a high-quality electric bike at an honest price, and they did just that.
The dynamic duo faced some challenges along the way but relied on customer feedback to perfect their design. After months of research and development, they would release the Lectric XP, which has since become the most popular single model eBike in the nation.
Lectric eBikes empowers riders nationwide to roam freely and explore with confidence by electric bike. With the support from an enthusiastic customer base, Lectric eBikes continues to excel as one of the fastest growing electric bike companies in the world. The brand's current lineup consists of the flagship XP 2.0, the XP Step-Thru 2.0, XP Lite, and now the XPremium, all with unparalleled performance and accessibility.
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SOURCE Lectric eBikes | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/04/25/lectric-ebikes-expands-series-lineup-with-new-xpremium-electric-bike/ | 2022-04-25T13:32:41Z |
‘Inhuman and barbaric’: 2 missing dogs found tied up, shot in the head
CASS COUNTY, Iowa (KCCI) - Authorities in Iowa are investigating a case involving two missing dogs found dead, with the ongoing search to find the person responsible.
Pet owner Logan Lank said his dogs, Bella and Pepper, were snatched from his home in Cumberland, Iowa, and later found tied up and shot.
Lank said his dogs’ bodies were found tossed to the side, with their legs bound along with gunshot wounds.
“They were found with their legs tied up, shot in the back of the head and thrown over the bridge,” Lank said.
Bella was a 1-year-old pit bull and Pepper was a 3-year-old black lab.
What remains of the animals is a grave site, and a fiery passion within Logan to find out what exactly happened to his dogs.
“I just want them to know how inhuman and barbaric they are. But, I figure they should already know that by doing something like this,” Lank said.
The dogs first went missing on July 27, and Logan said the community was a big help in helping with the search that ended with the animals being found on Aug. 2.
“All of the neighbors around here loved them. I’ve never had any complaints about them,” Lank said.
The bridge where the dogs were found is just two miles away from Lank’s home.
Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren said whoever did it could face animal cruelty charges and believes, based on pictures, that the dogs were killed around the day they went missing.
“We think this is a random act. I do not think someone is going around and shooting stray dogs,” McLaren said. “You can’t just dispose of a dog like that without the law jumping in.”
Lank said knowing that Bella and Pepper were together until the end keeps him calm during these challenging times.
The dog owner said the community has donated money towards a reward for any information that would lead to an arrest.
According to the sheriff’s office, their investigation continues.
Copyright 2022 KCCI via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/08/06/inhuman-barbaric-2-missing-dogs-found-tied-up-shot-head/ | 2022-08-06T20:10:36Z |
Partnership Enables Seamless Purchase Journey for Indian Motorcycle and Polaris Slingshot Consumers and Dealers
NEW YORK, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Joydrive®, a leader in ecommerce and innovative technology, and Octane® (Octane Lending Inc.®), the fintech revolutionizing the buying experience for major recreational purchases, have teamed up with Polaris to deliver a seamless, digital-to-retail shopping experience for the Indian Motorcycle® and Polaris Slingshot brands.
Beginning today, customers can benefit from an easy, end-to-end experience when shopping for Indian Motorcycles or Polaris Slingshot vehicles from the comfort of their own homes; they can instantly prequalify for financing via a soft credit pull with Octane Prequal, value their trade, indicate interest in Finance and Insurance products and accessories, and more before visiting a nearby dealership to complete their purchase.
"This is the perfect application of Joydrive technology," said Hunter Gorham, Founder and CEO of Joydrive. "Through this partnership, we've been able to leverage the combined expertise of three great companies to make the buying process more seamless for both the customer and dealer."
"We're excited to strengthen our industry leadership in digital retailing alongside Polaris and Joydrive as we continue to make buying fast, easy, and accessible," said Mike Dushane, Chief Product Officer at Octane. "Octane Prequal uses cutting-edge technology and innovative risk strategies to connect people with their passions and fuel our customers' lifestyles."
Take advantage of this new experience by visiting Indianmotorcycle.com or slingshot.polaris.com.
About Joydrive:
Joydrive (http://www.joydrive.com) is an agile Tech company building ecommerce marketplaces, digital retail and other innovative solutions for top OEMs, Finance companies and dealers, such as Toyota, Subaru, GM, Polaris, Indian Motorcycle, etc. Joydrive established the first ecommerce marketplace for customers to buy and sell both new and pre-owned vehicles without visiting a dealership. Across numerous industry categories, Joydrive's platforms enable customers to complete the entire buying or selling process online, on their own time and at their own pace. With financing and trade-ins built directly into the mobile-friendly platform, with accessories and insurance products available, with home delivery, customers experience a seamless, transparent, and worry-free purchasing transaction. Joydrive industries include automotive, powersports, motorcycle, and others coming soon.
Joydrive Contacts:
Media Relations:
press@joydrive.com
Business Inquiries:
partnerships@joydrive.com
About Octane:
Octane® offers access to instant financing to fuel your lifestyle. Octane dramatically simplifies and accelerates the transaction process for major recreational purchases such as motorcycles, ATVs, and zero-turn lawn mowers by adding value at each stage of the buying journey. Octane offers automated underwriting, innovative credit products, and financing, through its in-house lender Roadrunner Financial, Inc.®. Octane reaches millions of enthusiasts through its editorial brands like Cycle World® and UTV Driver® and helps consumers buy their favorite products by pre-qualifying them on dealer and OEM websites. Octane is revolutionizing lending in underserved verticals within markets that account for tens of billions of dollars in annual transactions.
Octane is a remote-first fintech company with offices in NYC and Dallas and over 500 employees. In August 2021, Octane announced it raised $52 million in Series D funding bringing the company's valuation to over $900 million with more than $192 million in total equity funding raised to date. Visit www.octane.co.
Octane Contacts:
Media Relations:
Shannon O'Hara
Press@octane.co
Investor Relations:
Kartik Kothari
IR@octane.co
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SOURCE Joydrive | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/07/joydrive-octane-partner-with-polaris-launch-digital-to-retail-buying-experience/ | 2022-06-07T17:49:53Z |
Kansas to honor fallen law enforcement officers with candlelight vigil, ceremony
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Kansas will honor law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line and ultimately lost them in the line of duty in 2021 during a candlelight vigil and ceremony on May 5 and 6.
In honor of National Police Week and National Peace Officers’ Memorial Day, Kansas Highway Patrol says the Sunflower State is set to host its annual Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony on Friday, May 6, with a candlelight vigil on Thursday, May 5. The community has been encouraged to attend.
KHP said the annual candlelight vigil, sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary, Topeka #3, will be held at 8 p.m. on Thursday in the First Floor Rotunda area of the Statehouse. It said a Candle Lighting Ceremony will follow the vigil at the Kansas Law Enforcement Monument, on the northeast quadrant of the Statehouse grounds.
KHP noted the annual ceremony will be held at noon on Friday in the Second Floor Rotunda of the Statehouse. It said a Wreath-Laying Ceremony will follow at the Kansa law Enforcement Monument.
In 2022, the KHP said six names were added to the monument:
- Officer Freddie Joe Castro, Overland Park Police Department, End of Watch: Aug. 31, 2021 - Freddie Joe Castro, 23, served as a police officer with OPD for two years and had been responding daily to calls for service involving those suspected of having COVID-19. In July 2021, he tested positive for the virus and was later hospitalized. On Aug. 31, after a short battle with the virus, he succumbed to medical complications as a result of his exposure. He is survived by his mother, a sister and a brother.
- Deputy Stephen Mark Evans, Butler Co. Sheriff’s Office, End of Watch: Oct. 24, 2021 - Stephen Mark Evans, 44, served as a deputy for the sheriff’s office for just over a year after 16 years with the Kansas Department of Corrections. At the time of his death, he was working part-time as the chief of police for the City of Burns. While traveling south on K-77 he saw a suspected stolen vehicle traveling the opposite direction. When he made a u-turn, his vehicle was hit from behind by another vehicle traveling south. He succumbed to his severe injuries at the scene of the accident. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
- Officer Kerry Dean Dick, Rossville Police Department, End of Watch: Nov. 29, 2021 - Kerry Dean Dick, 53, served with RPD as a part-time officer for 14 years. In early November, he had responded to calls for help with someone who had suspected COVID-19. On Nov. 16, he tested positive for the virus and was hospitalized the same day. On Nov. 29, after a short battle with the virus, he succumbed to medical complications from his exposure. He is survived by his wife.
- Officer Theodore James Ohlemeier, Colwich Police Department, End of Watch: Dec. 8, 2021 - Theodore James Ohlemeier, 58, was a 33-year veteran police officer and served CPD for the past three years. In late November, he responded to calls for service and arrested people suspected to have COVID-19. On Dec. 3, he tested positive for the virus and was hospitalized. On Dec. 8, after a short battle with the virus, he succumbed to medical complications from his exposure. He is survived by his daughter and a sister.
- Deputy Stacy Anette Murrow, Linn Co. Sheriff’s Office, End of Watch: Dec. 27, 2021 - Stacy Anette Murrow, 49, was a 21-year veteran sheriff’s deputy with the sheriff’s office and had responded daily to work assignments and calls for service involving those suspected to have COVID-19. In Dec. 2021, she tested positive for the virus and was hospitalized. After her hospitalization, she returned home for a short stay before a relapse. On Dec. 27, after a short battle with the virus, she succumbed to medical complications as a result of her exposure. She is survived by her wife and daughter.
- Special Agent James lee David, Missouri Pacific Railroad, End of Watch: May 17, 1923 - James Lee David, 41, was assigned to patrol the Leavenworth railroad yards due to a rash of railroad freight car thefts. In the early morning hours of May 17, 1923, he along with another special agent, saw two men try to break into a freight car. When the agents tried to arrest the suspects, they responded with gunfire. In the shootout that followed, David was killed and the suspects escaped. At the time, he was survived by his wife and two daughters.
In honor of National Police Week and National Peace Officers’ Memorial Day, KHP said it will join Concerns of Police Survivors for Project Blue Ribbon. Troopers will tye blue ribbons to agency-owned vehicles and encourage residents to do the same to serve as a reminder of the officers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. It said the project also honors those who work every day and put their lives on the line. It said a limited supply of official COPS ribbons will be available at local troop headquarters.
In 2021, KHP noted that 458 officers were killed in the line of duty in the U.S. As of April 19, 2022, it said 85 officers have been killed in the line of duty.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/04/30/kansas-honor-fallen-law-enforcement-officers-with-candlelight-vigil-ceremony/ | 2022-04-30T18:23:18Z |
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Sept. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. (NYSE: BHVN) ("Biohaven") today announced that it has set a record date of September 26, 2022 (the "Record Date") for the previously announced spin-off by Biohaven of its Biohaven Ltd. ("SpinCo") subsidiary, which will own the Kv7 ion channel activators, glutamate modulation, myeloperoxidase inhibition and myostatin inhibition platforms, preclinical product candidates, and certain corporate infrastructure currently owned by Biohaven. The completion of the spin-off remains subject to closing conditions noted in Biohaven's Proxy Statement filed on August 30, 2022, including receipt of shareholder approval at Biohaven's special meeting of shareholders to be held on September 29, 2022.
On the date of the distribution (the "Distribution Date"), each holder of Biohaven common shares will receive one common share of SpinCo for every two common shares of Biohaven held as of the Record Date. No action or payment is required by Biohaven shareholders to receive shares of SpinCo.
Beginning on September 23, 2022, and continuing until the occurrence of the distribution on the Distribution Date, Biohaven common shares will trade with an entitlement to the distribution under the symbol "BHVN". Any holders of Biohaven common shares who sell shares on or before the Distribution Date will also be selling their right to receive SpinCo common shares. Investors are encouraged to consult with their financial advisors regarding the specific implications of buying or selling Biohaven common shares on or before the Distribution Date.
Beginning on September 23, 2022, SpinCo common shares are expected to begin trading on a "when-issued" basis on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "BHVN WI" and under "Biohaven Ltd." When-issued trading of SpinCo common shares will continue until the distribution occurs. SpinCo common shares are expected to begin "regular-way" trading on the NYSE under the symbol "BHVN" on the first trading day following the Distribution Date.
About Biohaven
Biohaven is a global commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company with a portfolio of innovative, best-in-class therapies to improve the lives of patients with debilitating neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases, including rare disorders. Biohaven's Neuroinnovation™ portfolio includes FDA-approved Nurtec ® ODT (rimegepant) for the acute and preventive treatment of migraine (EMA-approved as Vydura ™ (rimegepant) for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura, and prophylaxis of episodic migraine in adults who have at least four migraine attacks per month) and a broad pipeline of late-stage product candidates across five distinct mechanistic platforms: CGRP receptor antagonism for the acute and preventive treatment of migraine; glutamate modulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder and spinocerebellar ataxia; and MPO inhibition for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Kv7 Ion Channel Activators (Kv7) for focal epilepsy and neuronal hyperexcitability, and myostatin inhibition for neuromuscular diseases. More information about Biohaven is available at www.biohavenpharma.com.
Special Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking information about Pfizer's proposed acquisition of Biohaven, Biohaven's related spin-off of its development stage pipeline compounds, Biohaven's commercial and pipeline portfolio, including rimegepant, expected best-in-class and growth potential, that involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to closing the proposed acquisition (including the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals and failure to obtain the requisite vote by Biohaven shareholders) in the anticipated timeframe or at all, including the possibility that the proposed acquisition does not close; the possibility that competing offers may be made; risks related to the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed acquisition, including the possibility that the expected benefits from the acquisition will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; disruption from the transaction making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; risks related to diverting management's attention from Biohaven's ongoing business operation; negative effects of this announcement or the consummation of the proposed acquisition on the market price of Biohaven's common shares and/or operating results; significant transaction costs; unknown liabilities; the risk of litigation and/or regulatory actions related to the proposed acquisition, spin-off or Biohaven's business; risks and costs related to the implementation of the separation of SpinCo, including timing anticipated to complete the separation and any changes to the configuration of the businesses included in the separation if implemented; the risk that the integration of Biohaven and Pfizer will be more difficult, time consuming or costly than expected; other business effects and uncertainties, including the effects of industry, market, business, economic, political or regulatory conditions; future exchange and interest rates; changes in tax and other laws, regulations, rates and policies; future business combinations or disposals; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data; risks associated with interim data; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by regulatory authorities; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from the clinical studies; whether and when drug applications may be filed in particular jurisdictions for rimegepant or zavegepant or any other investigational products; whether and when any such applications may be approved by regulatory authorities, which will depend on myriad factors, including making a determination as to whether the product's benefits outweigh its known risks and determination of the product's efficacy and, if approved, whether rimegepant, zavegepant or any such other products will be commercially successful; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of rimegepant, zavegepant or any such other products; uncertainties regarding the impact of COVID-19; and competitive developments.
You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that affect the business of Biohaven described in the "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future Results" sections of its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other documents filed from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), all of which are available at www.sec.gov. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Biohaven assumes no obligation to, and does not intend to, update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, unless required by law. Biohaven does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.
Nurtec and Nurtec ODT are registered trademarks of Biohaven Pharmaceutical Ireland DAC. Vydura is a trademark of Biohaven Pharmaceutical Ireland DAC.
Neuroinnovation is a trademark of Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd.
Additional Information and Where to Find it
In connection with its proposed transaction with Pfizer Inc., Biohaven filed a preliminary proxy statement on August 24, 2022 and a definitive proxy statement on August 30, 2022 with the SEC. The definitive proxy statement was mailed to Biohaven's shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction on or about August 30, 2022. This communication is not a substitute for the proxy statement or any other document that may be filed by Biohaven with the SEC. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PRELIMINARY AND DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENTS AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN THE PROXY STATEMENT WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Any vote in respect of resolutions to be proposed at Biohaven's shareholder meeting to approve the proposed transaction or other responses in relation to the proposed transaction should be made only on the basis of the information contained in Biohaven's proxy statement. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of these documents (when they are available) and other related documents filed with the SEC at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov or on Biohaven's website at https://www.biohavenpharma.com/investors.
No Offer or Solicitation
This communication is for information purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute, or form part of, an offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer or invitation to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, pursuant to the proposed transaction or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law.
Participants in the Solicitation
Biohaven and certain of its directors, executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about Biohaven's directors and executive officers is set forth in its proxy statement for its 2022 annual meeting of shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 11, 2022. Other information regarding participants in the proxy solicitations in connection with the proposed transaction, and a description of any interests that they have in the proposed transaction, by security holdings or otherwise, in the proposed transaction will be included in the proxy statement described above. These documents are available free of charge at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov and by going to Biohaven's website at https://www.biohavenpharma.com/investors.
Contacts
Biohaven Investor Contact:
Jen Porcelli, VP, Investor Relations
+1 (201) 248-0741
Biohaven Media Contact:
Mike Beyer, Sam Brown Inc.
+1 (312) 961-2502
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SOURCE Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/18/biohaven-announces-record-date-anticipated-spin-off/ | 2022-09-19T01:16:38Z |
Partners with Cenergistic to help meet energy conservation goals
DALLAS, July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As energy costs skyrocket and temperatures rise, no one feels the heat more than school districts across the U.S. — but Fort Worth ISD has a solution in place. The district has cut energy use by 26 percent, and recently received US. Department of Energy recognition.
"We know the more efficient we can be operationally, the more we can make sure assets go to our core business, which is taking care of kids in the classroom and attracting and retaining the best teachers," said Dr. Joe Coburn, COO of Fort Worth Independent School District. "In our current economic climate, looking at ways to save on energy costs is one of the most significant things we can do to maintain levels of service."
With more than 74,000 students in 81 elementary schools, 21 middle schools, 21 high schools and 17 special campuses, Fort Worth ISD is making the grade in transformative efforts, including energy conservation.
Fort Worth ISD was recently named by the U.S. Department of Energy as a Better Buildings Challenge Goal Achiever, a prestigious award that recognizes the top organizations who are leading the way in energy efficiency goals. The school district met and exceeded its 20% portfolio-wide energy reduction goal and also has earned a total of 295 ENERGY STAR building certifications.
To help meet its energy conservation goals, the school district partnered with Cenergistic, the pioneer and leading provider of technology-enabled energy conservation services. Since 2016, FWISD personnel have worked closely with Cenergistic engineers, experts and energy specialists to audit and optimize energy-using systems across the organization to achieve peak efficiency. Energy specialists track energy consumption at all campuses through state-of-the-art smart technology to identify and correct areas that need immediate attention.
"It's a huge benefit to correct things in real time, and we're able to do that with the help of the Cenergistic technology platform and energy specialists," said Dr. Coburn. "The result is a classroom environment that's always comfortable and conducive to learning and significant cost savings that help free up funds so we can redirect them to important student needs."
The energy conservation program delivers financial savings as well as an environmental benefit from reduced carbon footprint. Since 2016, the district cut energy use by 26%, saving more than 18 million dollars in expected energy costs and decreasing carbon dioxide emissions by 132,614 metric tons. According to EPA/EGrid figures, Fort Worth ISD has prevented carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to 333 million miles not driven or more than 2.1 million pine trees grown for 10 years.
This savings has a tremendous impact, considering that K-12 schools represent the nation's second largest sector of public infrastructure spending, after roads and highways. Increasing energy efficiency in the nation's K-12 schools by 20% would yield at least $1.5 billion in annual cost savings, according to a Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey conducted by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
With current market volatility and uncertain resources, Dr. Coburn says it's important the district finds efficiencies where they can.
"Unlike what businesses are doing now, we can't raise our prices, we can't increase production, we can't pass our additional costs on to our customers because that's not how school districts operate. So the more expensive things get, the more important it is for us to be efficient to maintain levels of service," said Dr. Coburn.
FWISD continues to look at ways to drive cost efficiencies. With a district that covers more than 150 square miles, Fort Worth ISD has plans in place to reduce fuel costs for both school buses and maintenance vehicles. By changing the way they route school buses, the district has eliminated the need for 65 buses from their fleet for next year and also is making sure maintenance vehicles take the most efficient route to service calls. The district also has installed more than 800 Wi-Fi thermostats to help meet its energy efficiency goals.
"Energy-related costs are the second largest budget line-item for school districts, making it critical to optimize energy performance," said Dr. William S. Spears, founder and CEO of Cenergistic. "It's our goal to help our partners manage these costs and create healthier, more efficient buildings so that schools can use the savings where they need it most."
With more than 74,000 students in 81 elementary schools, 21 middle schools, 21 high schools and 17 other campuses, Fort Worth Independent School District enjoys a diverse student population and strong community partnerships. Under the leadership of the superintendent and the Board of Education, the District is undergoing a series of initiatives that will redesign, transform and revitalize Fort Worth ISD Schools and bring the district closer to realizing their mission of preparing all students for success in college, career and community leadership.
Since 1986 Cenergistic has partnered with 1,500+ educational, local government, healthcare and faith-based organizations to achieve $6.4 billion in utility savings. These strong results come from the application of Cenergistic's science-based strategies and are enhanced by our patented Cenergistic Optimize™ software platform to drive building and equipment optimization. Our energy conservation program reduces utility consumption by an average of 24% with no capital investment while maintaining or improving the comfort and quality of building environments. For 14 consecutive years, Cenergistic has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year or Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence. To learn more, visit www.cenergistic.com.
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SOURCE Cenergistic | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/06/facing-soaring-energy-prices-fort-worth-isd-cuts-energy-use-26-percent-earning-department-energy-kudos/ | 2022-07-06T18:11:46Z |
Human hair, animal fur is being used to clean up oil spills – and you can help
(CNN) - A nonprofit based in San Francisco is using human hair and animal fur to help clean up oil spills.
A standard way to clean up oil on land is to use mats made from polypropylene, a non-biodegradable plastic. Hair, however, is an environmentally friendly resource that can soak up around five times its weight in oil.
So, the nonprofit called Matter of Trust is making special mats and booms (long tube-like products) out of human hair to clean up spills.
A single mat can absorb up to 1.5 gallons of oil.
Matter of Trust has produced over 300,000 booms and more than 40,000 hair mats for major cleanups, including the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The idea is catching on – the company is making mats with locally-sourced hair in 17 countries around the world.
If you are interested in donating hair or fur to the cause, go online to matteroftrust.org.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/19/human-hair-animal-fur-is-being-used-clean-up-oil-spills-you-can-help/ | 2022-05-19T17:29:19Z |
Melissa & Doug Opens World Class Distribution Center to Meet Exploding Consumer Demand for More Timeless Toys for Children Everywhere
WILTON, Conn., July 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Melissa & Doug, the global toy company known for its more than 30-year commitment to open-ended play, is proud to announce the continued transformation of its supply chain operations by opening a new world class distribution facility designed to support continued growth while continuing its efforts to reduce the company's environmental impact.
The 500,000 square-foot space, which is expected to expand even further to 750,000 square-feet by 2026, is located in New Jersey, minutes from the N.J. Turnpike. This location affords ideal accessibility to the interstate, while simplifying coordination from the warehouse to customers. The expansion is instrumental in meeting the booming consumer demand for its screen-free, open-ended and high-quality toys, while positioning the company for long-term success.
As part of the company's continued sustainability commitments, this new facility is equipped with solar panels to supply the majority of its power needs, leverages high efficiency LED lighting with motion sensors which are installed throughout, uses a fleet of almost all electric forklift trucks and recycles 95% of its corrugated waste.
The new location will also create an empowering work environment, providing employment opportunities for more than 250 associates at peak, while doubling as storage space and increasing the number of customer orders Melissa & Doug is able to ship by fivefold. The facility will combine new processes with the right balance of automation to create a supply chain platform for growth.
"We continue to modernize and transform our supply chain by adding innovative and sustainable technology to get orders to our customers fast and efficiently, and it's rewarding to see our associates and customers reap the benefits," said Sekar Sundararajan, Chief Supply Chain Officer. "We are proud of our ongoing commitment to earn the trust of our customers and we will never stop innovating to keep it."
Melissa & Doug's continuous journey to transform its supply chain aligns itself with the company promise to exceed customer expectations. From fast shipping and delivery to crafting toys with sustainability in mind, each decision made at Melissa & Doug places the consumer at its heart.
For more information on Melissa & Doug, visit https://www.melissaanddoug.com/.
About Melissa & Doug Timeless Toys. Endless Possibilities.
From classic wooden toys to crafts and pretend play, Melissa & Doug products provide a launch pad to ignite imagination and a sense of wonder in all children so they can discover their passions and their purpose. Recognized by parents as the #1 preschool brand for wooden toys, Melissa & Doug believes in making timeless, sustainable toys for a thriving and inclusive world. Melissa & Doug is proudly partnering with the American Academy of Pediatrics to foster early brain development and to champion the health benefits of open-ended play through their joint Power of Play alliance.
PRESS CONTACT:
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SOURCE Melissa & Doug | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/13/toy-industry-leader-melissa-amp-doug-transforms-supply-chain-support-rapid-growth/ | 2022-07-13T17:11:18Z |
NEW YORK, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Unity Software Inc. (NYSE: U).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/unity-software-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=30350&from=4
The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased Unity between March 5, 2021 and May 10, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until September 6, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Unity Software Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) deficiencies in Unity's product platform reduced the accuracy of the Company's machine learning technology; (ii) the foregoing was likely to have a material negative impact on the Company's revenues; (iii) accordingly, Unity had overstated the Company's commercial and/or financial prospects for 2022; (iv) as a result, the Company was likely to have to reduce its fiscal 2022 guidance; and (v) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/29/u-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-unity-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-6-2022/ | 2022-07-29T10:27:07Z |
Published: Aug. 9, 2022 at 3:15 PM CDT|Updated: 19 minutes ago
Adjusted EBITDA(1) growth of 2.6% to $279.5 million compared to Q2 2021 driven by highly differentiated business model and predictable cash flow
LONDON, UK, Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Atlas Corp. ("Atlas" or the "Company") (NYSE: ATCO) announced today its results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022.
Financial Highlights:
Revenue growth of 4.9% to $413.3 million
Net earnings of $140.0 million and Diluted EPS of $0.43
Adjusted EBITDA(1) growth of 2.6% to $279.5 million
Cash proceeds of $201.3 million from exercise of warrants and resulting issuance of 25.0 million common shares
Closed nine vessel sales for gross proceeds of $224.3 million
Comments from Management:
Bing Chen, President and CEO of Atlas, commented, "We continued our strong quarterly performance amongst a backdrop of global market turmoil, demonstrating the resilience of our business model. Seaspan's customers continue to value our long-term partnerships with the forward fixing of three operating vessels in the second quarter, and an additional 14 since the end of the quarter. We are working diligently to deliver our newbuild program on time and on budget, and thanks to our experienced team and integrated platform, all seven of our newbuilds were delivered ahead of schedule. We have now completed 117 newbuilds since our IPO in 2005, a proud track record that our customers deeply value. "
"APR Energy continued to pivot the company to long-term, predictable cash flow opportunities. Our team has secured one new deployment in the second quarter, a dry rental with a Mexico-based counterparty representing 120 MW. The new contracts signed in the first quarter, including the 226 MW 44-month Brazilian contract, have commenced and evidence APR's focus, and execution on longer-term and quality cash flow opportunities."
"Both Seaspan and APR are committed to creative customer solutions, trusted long-term partnerships, and differentiated business model to well position the companies for long-term quality growth that consistently delivers value throughout all market cycles."
Graham Talbot, CFO of Atlas, commented, "The Atlas team has continued to execute with high diligence and quality throughout the second quarter as demonstrated by the continued through-cycle performance of our resilient business model. Our fully integrated and scalable platform continued to provide leading customer solutions as exhibited through additional newbuild orders and forward fixtures. Our long-term model and diligent focus on asset quality is evidenced through ten strategic vessel divestments this year, generating an additional $257.1 million in cashflow to optimize our balance sheet and allocate capital to future growth and further optimize our fleet. We also continued our pursuit of an investment grade credit rating with the closing of our $500.0 million of long-dated financing, creating greater financial flexibility, securing a lower cost of capital and improving our liquidity."
"Our continued strong performance, underpinned by a gross contracted cash flow balance of $17.8 billion as at June 30, 2022 and liquidity balance of $1,100.7 million, reinforces Atlas' industry-leading position and resilience in the face of global economic uncertainty."
Significant Developments in the Second Quarter of 2022 & Subsequent Events
Containership Sale Developments
In the second quarter, Seaspan completed the sale of nine vessels for total gross proceeds of $224.3 million. Seaspan continues to manage the operations of six of these vessels pursuant to management agreements entered into in connection with each sale.
The table below summarizes our Containership Leasing fleet:
Containership Leasing and Newbuild Developments
Seaspan entered into proactive lease extensions for three operating vessels in the second quarter of 2022, generating approximately $230.0 million in gross contracted cash flow. In July and August 2022, Seaspan entered into proactive lease extensions for an additional 14 operating vessels, generating over $1.1 billion in gross contracted cash flow.
In April and May 2022, Seaspan accepted delivery of its fourth and fifth 12,200 TEU vessels, each of which commenced an 18-year charter upon delivery. These deliveries mark the completion of Seaspan's five 12,200 TEU newbuild order received from its customer in late 2020. In June 2022, Seaspan also accepted delivery of its first two 11,800 TEU vessels, each of which commenced a 5-year charter upon delivery.
In May 2022, Seaspan entered into shipbuilding contracts for four 7,700 TEU liquified natural gas dual-fuel containerships which remain subject to certain closing conditions. If and when the closing conditions are met, the four containerships are expected to be delivered in the second half of 2024 and first quarter of 2025. These vessels will commence 18-year charters with a leading global liner customer upon delivery, generating gross contracted cash flow of approximately $0.96 billion.
Mobile Power Generation Developments
In May 2022, APR Energy entered into a contract with a Mexico-based counterparty to provide a dry rental of four turbines representing 120 MW for a minimum of four consecutive months, which commenced in June 2022.
In June 2022, all of APR's turbines based at its Zappalorto plant in Argentina were demobilized from the country and redeployed on the aforementioned contract with the Mexico-based counterparty. APR's Matheu plant in Argentina is on track to be fully demobilized by the end of the third quarter of 2022.
Financing Development
In May 2022, Seaspan entered into a note purchase agreement in respect of a sustainability-linked U.S. private placement of $500.0 million of notes, to be secured by its vessel portfolio financing program. The notes were issued on August 3, 2022, and carry a weighted average maturity of approximately 12 years, and a weighted average fixed interest rate of approximately 5.3%. Seaspan plans to use proceeds from the private placement to pay down existing debt in the portfolio financing program, fund capital expenditures and for other general corporate purposes.
In June 2022, APR amended and extended its secured financing program (the "Financing Program"). The amendment lowered interest costs, extended the maturity date to 2025, and improved financial flexibility. As of June 30, 2022, the Financing Program consists of a $108.0 million term loan and a $50.0 million revolving credit facility. The revolving credit facility is committed but undrawn.
Shareholder Development
In April 2022, Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited ("Fairfax") exercised warrants to purchase 25.0 million common shares of Atlas. The warrants, which were originally issued on July 16, 2018, had an exercise price of $8.05 per common share for an aggregate exercise price of $201.3 million. Immediately following this exercise, Fairfax and its affiliates held in aggregate 124,805,753 common shares, representing approximately 45.1% of the then issued and outstanding common shares of Atlas. Fairfax continues to hold 6.0 million warrants.
Take Private Proposal
On August 4, 2022, Atlas' Board of Directors received a non-binding proposal letter, dated August 4, 2022, from Poseidon Acquisition Corp., an entity formed by certain affiliates of Fairfax, certain affiliates of the Washington Family ("Washington"), David Sokol, Chairman of the Board of Atlas, and Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd., and certain of their respective affiliates, to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Atlas, other than common shares owned by Fairfax, Washington, Mr. Sokol and certain executive officers of the Company, for $14.45 cash per common share. The proposal constitutes only an indication of interest by Poseidon Acquisition Corp. and does not constitute a binding commitment with respect to the proposed transaction or any other transaction. The timing, certainty and other material terms of the proposed transaction are unknown at this time.
The Board of Directors established a special committee consisting of independent directors of the Board of Directors to consider the proposal.
Distribution
On April 7, 2022, the Board of Directors of Atlas declared a quarterly distribution in the amount of $0.125 per common share. Regular quarterly dividends on the Series D, Series H, Series I and Series J preferred shares were also declared. All dividends were paid on May 2, 2022.
On July 7, 2022, the Board of Directors of Atlas declared a quarterly distribution in the amount of $0.125 per common share. Regular quarterly dividends on the Series D, Series H, Series I and Series J preferred shares were also declared. All dividends were paid on August 1, 2022.
Common Shares Outstanding
As of August 1, 2022, there were 281.3 million common shares outstanding.
Consolidated Results:
The following table summarizes Atlas' consolidated results for the three months ended June 30, 2022, March 31, 2022 and June 30, 2021.
Financial Results Summary:
Revenue growth of 4.9% to $413.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022, compared to the same period in 2021. For the quarter ended June 30, 2022, the increase in revenue for the Containership Leasing segment was primarily attributable to the delivery of 11 vessels since the second quarter of 2021. The revenue for the Mobile Power Generation segment decreased for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 due to lower asset utilization.
Adjusted EBITDA growth of 2.6% to $279.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022, compared to the same period in 2021. The growth was primarily driven by the increase in revenue.
FFO Per Share decrease of 4.1% to $0.70 for the three months ended June 30, 2022, compared to the same period in 2021. The decrease was partially driven by an increase in diluted share count from the issuance of 25 million shares from the exercise of warrants and the impact of the maximum dilutive effect of the exchangeable notes based on the if-converted method.
Diluted EPS was $0.43 for the three months ended June 30, 2022, compared to $0.18 for the same period in 2021. The increase in diluted EPS was primarily driven by a non-cash gain in the current year on derivative instruments related to the increase in the forward LIBOR curve and a lower loss on debt extinguishment in 2022. In the prior year, the loss on debt extinguishment, primarily related to the repayment of Fairfax notes.
Adjusted Diluted EPS decrease of 10.3% to $0.35 for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, compared to $0.39 for the same period in 2021. The decrease in adjusted diluted EPS was primarily related to the increase diluted share count.
Liquidity As of June 30, 2022, Atlas had total liquidity of $1,100.7 million, consisting of $400.7 million of cash and cash equivalents and $700.0 million of availability under undrawn committed credit facilities. As of June 30, 2022, we also had $5.7 billion of undrawn committed financing related to our newbuild vessels and an unencumbered asset base including 30 vessels with a book value of $1.2 billion.
Segmented Financial Results: The following table summarizes selected segmented financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2022.
Conference Call and Webcast:
Atlas plans to host a conference call for all shareholders and interested parties at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, to discuss the results.
To attend the conference call or webcast, participants should register online at ir.atlascorporation.com/events-and-presentations, and will be provided with details to access the event. To avoid delays, participants are encouraged to register a day in advance or at a minimum 15 minutes before the start of the call. A replay of the call will also be available approximately two hours following the conclusion of the call and accessible until August 10, 2023, on the same webpage.
About Atlas
Atlas is a leading global asset management company, differentiated by its position as a best-in-class owner and operator with a focus on disciplined capital deployment to create sustainable shareholder value. We target long-term, risk-adjusted returns across high-quality infrastructure assets in the maritime sector, energy sector and other infrastructure verticals. For more information visit atlascorporation.com.
About Seaspan
Seaspan is the largest global containership lessor, primarily focused on long-term, fixed-rate leases with the world's largest container shipping liners. As at June 30, 2022, Seaspan's operating fleet consisted of 127 vessels with a total capacity of 1,156,630 TEU, and an additional 67 vessels under construction, increasing total fleet capacity to 1,950,430 TEU, on a fully delivered basis, including the four 7,700 TEU vessels which remain subject to closing conditions. For more information, visit seaspancorp.com.
About APR
APR provides rapidly deployable, large-scale power and fast-track mobile power to underserved markets and industries. APR's mobile, turnkey power plants help run industries, cities and countries globally in both developed and developing markets. For more information, visit aprenergy.com.
ATLAS CORP. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (IN MILLIONS OF U.S. DOLLARS)
ATLAS CORP. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (IN MILLIONS OF U.S. DOLLARS, EXCEPT SHARES IN THOUSANDS AND PER SHARE AMOUNTS)
ATLAS CORP. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (IN MILLIONS OF U.S. DOLLARS)
The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheets that sum to the amounts shown in the consolidated statements of cash flows:
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS NET EARNINGS TO FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS NET EARNINGS TO FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS NET EARNINGS TO ADJUSTED EPS
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS NET EARNINGS TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS NET EARNINGS TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS OPERATING NET DEBT TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
ATLAS CORP. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS OPERATING NET DEBT TO ADJUSTED EBITDA
This release includes various financial measures that are non-GAAP financial measures as defined under the rules of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). These non-GAAP financial measures, which include FFO, FFO Per Share, Diluted ("FFO Per Share"), Adjusted Earnings, Adjusted Earnings Per Share, Diluted ("Adjusted EPS"), Adjusted EBITDA, Net Debt, Operating Net Debt and Total Borrowings, are intended to provide additional information and are not prepared in accordance with, and should not be considered substitutes for financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). Investors are cautioned that there are material limitations associated with the use of the non-GAAP financial measures as an analytical tool.
FFO and FFO PerShare represent net earnings adjusted for depreciation and amortization, gains/losses on sale, unrealized change in fair value of derivative instruments, loss on foreign currency repatriation, change in contingent consideration asset, preferred share dividends accumulated, impairment, loss on debt extinguishment and certain other items that management believes are not representative of its operating performance. FFO and FFO Per Share are useful performance measures because they exclude those items that management believes are not representative of its performance.
FFO and FFO Per Share are not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net earnings, earnings per share or any other indicator of the Company's performance required to be reported by GAAP. In addition, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.
Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted EPS represent net earnings adjusted for preferred share dividends accumulated, impairment, loss on debt extinguishment, unrealized change in fair value on derivative instruments and certain other items that management believes are not representative of its ongoing performance.
Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted EPS are not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net earnings, net earnings per share or any other indicator of the Company's performance required to be reported by GAAP. In addition, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and the closest measure is net earnings. Management believes that these metrics are helpful in providing investors with information to assess the ongoing operations of the business.
Adjusted EBITDA represents net earnings before interest expense and income, tax expense, depreciation and amortization, impairment, write-down and gains/losses on sale, gains/losses on derivative instruments, loss on foreign currency repatriation, change in contingent consideration asset, loss on debt extinguishment, other expenses and certain other items that management believes are not representative of its operating performance.
Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors in assessing the Company's results from operations. Management believes that this measure is useful in assessing performance and highlighting trends on an overall basis. Management also believes that this performance measure can be useful in comparing its results with those of other companies, even though other companies may not calculate this measure in the same way. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to Adjusted EBITDA is net earnings. Adjusted EBITDA is not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net earnings, or any other indicator of the Company's performance required to be reported by GAAP.
Total Borrowings represents long-term debt and other financing arrangements, excluding deferred financing fees. Operating borrowings represents Total Borrowings less amounts related to vessels under construction.
Net Debt represents Total Borrowings before debt discount and fair value adjustments, net of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash. Operating Net Debt represents Net Debt less amounts related to vessels under construction.
Net Debt and Total Borrowings provide useful information to investors in assessing the Company's leverage. Management believes these measures are useful in assessing the Company's ability to settle contracted debt payments. Management also believes that these leverage measurements can be useful in comparing the Company's position with those of other companies, even though other companies may not calculate these measures in the same way. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to Net Debt and Total Borrowings is the total of long-term debt and other financing arrangements. Net Debt and Total Borrowings are not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to long-term debt and other financing arrangements, or any other indicator of the Company's financial position required to be reported by GAAP.
This release contains forward-looking statements (as such term is defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act). Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "will," "may," "potential," "should" and similar expressions are forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements represent Atlas' estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this release and are not intended to give any assurance as to future results. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this release. Although these statements are based upon assumptions Atlas believes to be reasonable based upon available information, they are subject to risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to:
Atlas' future operating and financial results;
Atlas' future growth prospects;
Atlas' business strategy and capital allocation plans, and other plans and objectives for future operations;
Atlas' primary sources of funds for short, medium and long-term liquidity needs;
potential acquisitions, financing arrangements and other investments, and the expected benefits from such transactions;
Atlas' financial condition and liquidity, including its ability to realize the benefits of recent financing activities, borrow and repay funds under its credit facilities, its ability to obtain waivers or secure acceptable replacement charters under the credit facilities, its ability to refinance existing facilities and notes, and to obtain additional financing in the future to fund capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate activities;
conditions in the public equity market and the price of Atlas' shares;
changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, and the effect of governmental regulations on Atlas' business;
the financial condition of Seaspan's and APR's customers, lenders and other counterparties and their ability to perform their obligations under their agreements with Seaspan and APR, respectively;
the continued ability to meet specified restrictive covenants in Atlas' and its subsidiaries' financing and lease arrangements, notes and preferred shares;
any economic downturn in the global financial markets and potential negative effects of any recurrence of such disruptions on the demand for the services of Seaspan's containerships or APR's mobile power solutions or on our customers' ability to charter our vessels, lease our power generation assets and pay for our services;
the length and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, including as a result of new variants of the virus, and its impact on Atlas' business;
a major customer experiencing financial distress or bankruptcy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine-Russia conflict or otherwise;
global economic and market conditions and shipping industry trends, including charter rates and other factors affecting supply and demand for our containerships and power generation solutions;
disruptions in global credit and financial markets as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine-Russian conflict or otherwise;
the impact of inflation, recession or other actual or anticipated economic pressures;
Atlas' expectations as to impairments of its vessels and power generation assets, including the timing and amount of potential impairments;
the future valuation of Atlas' vessels, power generation assets and goodwill;
future time charters and vessel deliveries, including future long-term charters for certain existing vessels;
estimated future capital expenditures needed to preserve the operating capacity of Seaspan's containership fleet and comply with regulatory standards, as well as Atlas' expectations regarding future dry-docking and operating expenses, including ship operating expense and expenses related to performance under our contracts for the supply of power generation capacity, and general and administrative expenses;
availability of crew, number of off-hire days and dry-docking requirements;
Seaspan's continued ability to maintain, enter into or renew primarily long-term, fixed-rate time charters for its vessels and leases of our power generation assets;
the potential for early termination of long-term time charters and Seaspan's potential inability to enter into, renew or replace long-term time charters;
Seaspan's ability to leverage to its advantage its relationships and reputation in the containership industry;
changes in technology, prices, industry standards, environmental regulation and other factors which could affect Atlas' competitive position, revenues and asset values;
disruptions and security threats to our technology systems;
taxation of Atlas and of distributions to its shareholders;
Atlas' exemption from tax on U.S. source international transportation income;
the continued availability of services, equipment and software from subcontractors or third-party suppliers required to provide APR's power generation solutions;
APR's ability to protect its intellectual property and defend against possible third-party infringement claims relating to its power generation solutions;
Atlas' ability to achieve or realize expected benefits from ESG initiatives;
potential liability from future litigation;
expectations regarding the proposed transaction described in "Significant Developments in the Second Quarter of 2022 & Subsequent Events—Take Private Offer" and the timing, negotiation, terms and consummation of any such transaction;
other factors detailed from time to time in Atlas' periodic reports; and
other risks that are not currently material or known to us.
Forward-looking statements in this release are estimates and assumptions reflecting the judgment of senior management and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond Atlas' control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, all forward-looking statements should be considered in light of various important factors listed above and including, but not limited to, those set forth in "Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors" in Atlas' Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2021 on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 24, 2022.
Atlas does not intend to revise any forward-looking statements in order to reflect any change in its expectations or events or circumstances that may subsequently arise. Atlas expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether because of future events, new information, a change in Atlas' views or expectations, or otherwise. You should carefully review and consider the various disclosures included in Atlas' Annual Report and in Atlas' other filings made with the SEC that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect Atlas' businesses, prospects and results of operations.
The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/09/atlas-reports-second-quarter-2022-results/ | 2022-08-09T20:34:25Z |
New research examines the retirement outlook of the workforce and the urgent need for action
LOS ANGELES, June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fewer than three in 10 workers (29 percent) "strongly agree" they are building a large enough retirement nest egg, according to Emerging From the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Retirement Outlook of the Workforce, a survey report released today by nonprofit Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies® (TCRS) in collaboration with Transamerica Institute®.
"Without doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the workforce and the employment of many workers. Employment setbacks often trigger financial setbacks that can easily threaten people's ability to achieve a secure retirement," said Catherine Collinson, CEO and president of Transamerica Institute and TCRS. According to the survey's findings, 36 percent of workers were unemployed for various reasons at some point during the pandemic, and 38 percent experienced employment-related impacts ranging from reductions in hours and pay to layoffs and furloughs.
As part of TCRS' 22nd Annual Retirement Survey, one of the largest and longest-running surveys of its kind, the study delves into the impacts of the pandemic, including the health and financial well-being and retirement outlook of the workforce. It offers comparisons of workers who are employed by others, self-employed, and unemployed but looking for work. In addition, the study illustrates the urgent need for strengthening the U.S. retirement system and outlines recommendations for doing so.
"Employed workers are generally well-positioned to save, invest, and prepare for retirement. They enjoy a steady income and are often offered employer-sponsored retirement benefits such as a 401(k) or similar plan that makes saving and investing easier. However, not all employed workers are offered workplace retirement plans. Furthermore, among all employed workers, many are inadequately saving," said Collinson.
Sixty-three percent of employed workers indicate their financial situation has stayed the same amid the pandemic, while 22 percent say it worsened. Thirty-eight percent experienced one or more negative employment impacts such as reduced hours (20 percent), reduced salary (13 percent), being laid off (12 percent), and being furloughed (12 percent). Twenty-eight percent were unemployed at some point.
Employed workers dream of an active retirement that includes traveling, spending more time with family and friends, and pursuing hobbies. Almost half (47 percent) expect to retire after age 65 or do not plan to retire – and almost six in 10 plan to work at least part-time in retirement (58 percent). Twenty-four percent expect to retire later than planned because of the pandemic.
Seventy-nine percent of employed workers save in an employer-sponsored retirement plan and/or outside the workplace. They began saving at age 27 (median). However, an alarming 39 percent tapped their retirement accounts, including 29 percent who have taken a loan and 27 percent who have taken an early and/or hardship withdrawal. Total savings in household retirement accounts is $65,000 (estimated median).
"Self-employment brings freedom, flexibility, and autonomy – yet it often comes without a steady paycheck or access to employer-sponsored retirement benefits. The self-employed must take a do-it-yourself approach to save for retirement," said Collinson.
The pandemic has been especially challenging for self-employed workers. Thirty-four percent indicate their financial situation worsened – and 35 percent were unemployed at some point during the pandemic.
Self-employed workers envision long and financially productive lives. Seventeen percent plan to live to age 100 or older. Sixty-three percent expect to retire after age 65 or do not plan to retire – and 62 percent plan to continue working at least part time in retirement. Among them, 85 percent cite healthy-aging reasons for doing so, compared with 76 percent who cite financial reasons.
Sixty-eight percent of self-employed workers are saving for retirement, and they started saving at age 29 (median). Among them, 79 percent are saving in one or more types of tax-advantaged retirement account, with a traditional or Roth IRA being the most common (44 percent). However, relatively few are saving in tax- advantaged accounts for sole proprietors and small businesses (e.g., Solo 401(k), SIMPLE IRA, SEP-IRA).
"Retirement planning is crucial for the self-employed. While working into older age can bring income and more time to save, planning not to retire is not a retirement strategy," said Collinson. Only 26 percent of self- employed workers have a financial strategy for retirement in the form of a written plan. The self-employed have saved $42,000 (estimated median) in all household retirement accounts.
Unemployed workers who are looking for work are struggling. Sixty-seven percent are concerned about their physical health – and 67 percent are concerned about their mental health. Six in 10 indicate they have trouble making ends meet (60 percent).
Without a paycheck or access to employer-sponsored retirement benefits, the unemployed may find it impossible to save. Forty-four percent have no emergency savings. One in three unemployed workers (33 percent) expect to rely on Social Security as their primary source of income in retirement – despite 72 percent being concerned that Social Security will not be there for them when they are ready to retire. The unemployed have saved just $200 in all household retirement accounts (estimated median).
"Finding gainful employment is the first step for the unemployed to begin strengthening their financial situation. As unemployed workers seek employment opportunities, they should consider retirement benefits as part of a total compensation package," said Collinson. "From a public policy perspective, it is important to recognize the risks and vulnerabilities of unemployed workers to avoid leaving them behind."
"As we emerge from the pandemic, we face an urgent need to strengthen our retirement system so that everyone can retire with dignity. A collaborative, concerted effort among policymakers, employers, and workers is required," said Collinson.
When asked about priorities for the President and Congress to help people have a financially secure retirement, the workforce calls for addressing Social Security's funding shortfalls (51 percent), making out-of-pocket health care expenses and prescription drugs more affordable (42 percent), addressing Medicare's funding shortfalls (41 percent), increasing access to affordable housing (33 percent), supporting family caregivers (32 percent), expanding access to workplace retirement plans to all workers (31 percent), innovating solutions for long-term care services and supports (30 percent), implementing financial literacy in schools (30 percent), and expanding the Saver's Credit (30 percent), among other priorities.
"Employers and workers can also do more to improve retirement security," said Collinson. "More employers could offer retirement and other health and welfare benefits to help their employees save and protect their savings, and workers could learn more about investing and engage in long-term financial planning."
Emerging From the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Retirement Outlook of the Workforce provides detailed findings by workers who are employed by others, self-employed, and unemployed but looking for work. To download this report and TCRS' recently published report The Saver's Credit: A Tax Credit That Pays to Save for Retirement, visit www.transamericainstitute.org. Follow on Twitter @TCRStudies.
Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies® (TCRS) is an operating division of Transamerica Institute®, a nonprofit, private foundation. Transamerica Institute is funded by contributions from Transamerica Life Insurance Company and its affiliates and may receive funds from unaffiliated third parties. TCRS and its representative cannot give ERISA, tax, investment, or legal advice. This material is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as ERISA, tax, investment, or legal advice. Interested parties must consult and rely solely upon their independent advisors regarding their situation and the concepts presented here. For more information about TCRS, please refer to www.transamericainstitute.org and follow TCRS on Twitter at @TCRStudies.
This online survey was conducted within the U.S. by The Harris Poll on behalf of Transamerica Institute and TCRS between October 28 and December 10, 2021, among a nationally representative sample of 10,003 adults. The data in this press release is shown for the workforce, a subsample of 5,846 workers comprising 4,741 employed by others, 580 self-employed, and 525 unemployed but looking for work. Results were weighted where necessary to align with the population of U.S. residents, referencing Census data for education, age by gender, race/ethnicity, region, household income, education, employment, marital status, and size of household. Weighting also adjusts for attitudinal and behavioral differences between those who are online versus those who are not, those who join online panels versus those who do not, and those who respond to surveys versus those who do not.
Media Contact: Morgan Karbowski
mkarbowski@webershandwick.com
425-753-5719
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SOURCE Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/28/road-ahead-addressing-pandemic-related-setbacks-strengthening-us-retirement-system/ | 2022-06-28T07:19:31Z |
Jollibee receives warm welcome from Philadelphians as the global restaurant brand makes its anticipated debut in Pennsylvania on September 2, 2022.
WEST COVINA, Calif., Sept. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, September 2, the global restaurant brand taking America by storm, Jollibee, celebrated the opening of its first-ever Philadelphia location and 85th location in North America. Fans and first-timers from around the city (and state!) lined up for hours to finally get their hands on Jollibee's iconic Chickenjoy, Chicken Sandwiches, Peach Mango Pie and other delicious menu items. The much-anticipated grand opening drew more than 2,500 excited customers who wanted to be among the first in Philadelphia to experience the joyful restaurant brand that was recently voted best fried chicken chain by Eater.
Primely located at 7340 Bustleton Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia, the new restaurant is not only Jollibee's first location in Philadelphia, but it also marks the brand's debut in the State of Pennsylvania, as it continues its goal to bring the restaurant closer to fans and attracting new visitors.
"We are thrilled that opening day is finally here," said Maribeth Dela Cruz, President, Jollibee Group North America. "It has been a goal of ours to open a location in Philadelphia for some time and we are honored to be a part of this extraordinary city. We are truly humbled by the warm and joyful welcome we received on opening day, and we are grateful to be part of this dynamic city full of rich history, culture, and incredible food. With every store opening, it is an honor to continue introducing people to the Jollibee brand and we look forward to doing so as we expand across North America."
Dedicated fans who wanted to be among Jollibee Philadelphia's very first customers began arriving at 12:45AM Friday morning, where they were happy to camp out to ensure their status at the front of the line for Friday's 9AM grand opening. Among them was Marcus McClam, of West Philadelphia, who ventured to the new location to try the iconic Chickenjoy for himself. McClam secured the coveted spot of being Jollibee Philadelphia's first official customer—a wonderful feat, indeed.
"I am excited to taste the chicken and the chicken sandwich," explained McClam. "The first thing I am going to do as soon as I enter the door is order the six-piece bucket of chicken – I've heard amazing things about it!"
Leading up to the store's opening at 9AM, the crowd was buzzing with excitement as many stood in line to get their hands on their Jollibee favorites. Fans old and new were beaming with joy as the Jollibee mascot appeared to greet the crowd, and as soon as doors opened, the Jollibee staff welcomed the crowd with friendly smiles and warm service that the brand is known for.
"I decided to come out to the opening because I have loved Jollibee ever since my best friend introduced me to the restaurant," noted Jollibee fan Madison Leigh of Willow Grove. "We drove an hour to get here and have the sweet Jollibee spaghetti – it's my favorite and it's so good! I am also going to try the Peach Mango Pie for the first time, and I am so excited!"
By the time the doors closed at 11PM, Philadelphia's first Jollibee had served up thousands of its mouth-watering menu items to the delight of hungry fans of all ages.
The fanaticism surrounding Jollibee's new restaurant openings is unlike any other restaurant chain. The brand is known around the globe for inspiring overnight camp-outs – no matter what the weather brings – and long lines of patient fans. The brand's beloved bee mascot, famous for his cheery personality and impressive dance moves, was on hand to keep waiting customers' spirits high, turning the line into a joyous celebration buzzing with excitement.
For those planning to visit Jollibee's first location in Philadelphia, here's everything you need to know:
- Address: 7340 Bustleton Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19149
- Hours of Operation: 9AM – 11PM, seven days a week.
- How To Order: At this time, customers can dine at the restaurant or pick up their orders to go. There is also drive-thru service, providing visitors the ultimate convenience.
- Must-Try Menu Items:
Jollibee has more than 1,500 restaurants across 17 countries and is quickly expanding across North America. Follow Jollibee at @jollibeeus on Facebook, @jollibeeus on Instagram, and @jollibeeusa on TikTok to get updates on Jollibee's upcoming store openings and other exciting announcements and events, including new product launches and special promotions.
About Jollibee Group
Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC, also known as Jollibee Group) is one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the world. It operates in 34 countries, with over 6,200 stores globally with branches in the Philippines, United States, Canada, the People's Republic of China, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Panama, Malaysia, South Korea, India, and Australia.
Jollibee Group has eight wholly owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger); six franchised brands (Burger King, Panda Express, PHO24, and Yoshinoya in the Philippines; Dunkin' and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China); 80% ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf; 60% ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee and PHO24; and 51% ownership of Milksha, a popular Taiwanese bubble tea brand.
Jollibee Group, through its subsidiary Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. (JWPL) owns 90% participating interest in Titan Dining LP, a private equity fund that ultimately owns the Tim Ho Wan brand. It also has a joint venture with the THW Group to open and operate THW restaurants in Mainland China. Jollibee Group also has a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless for Tortazo, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States.
Jollibee Group was named the Philippines' most admired company by the Asian Wall Street Journal for ten years. It was also honored as one of Asia's Fab 50 Companies and among the World's Best Employers and World's Top Female-Friendly Companies by Forbes. In 2020, Gallup awarded the Jollibee Group with the Exceptional Workplace Award, making it the first Philippine-based company to receive the distinction.
Jollibee Group has grown brands that bring delightful dining experiences to its customers worldwide, thus spreading the joy of eating to everyone. To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com.
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SOURCE Jollibee | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/06/jollibees-first-grand-opening-philadelphia-draws-more-than-2500-joyful-customers-excited-try-its-iconic-chickenjoy-fried-chicken-chicken-sandwiches-peach-mango-pie/ | 2022-09-06T17:35:26Z |
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create an improved alternative to traditional hand trucks and forklifts for lifting heavy loads," said an inventor, from Madison, Ala., "so I invented the LIGHT WEIGHT MOTOR LIFT DOLLY. My design eliminates the struggle associated with lifting and carrying a heavy box for placement upon a table, truck or shelf."
The patent-pending invention provides an improved way to lift and move boxes and other heavy objects. In doing so, it helps to reduce physical strain and injuries. It also enhances safety and convenience and it saves time and effort. The invention features a versatile and durable design that is easy to use so it is ideal for household and commercial applications. Additionally, a prototype model is available upon request.
The original design was submitted to the Birmingham sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 20-BRK-4128, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.
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SOURCE InventHelp | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/29/inventhelp-inventor-develops-light-weight-motor-lift-dolly-brk-4128/ | 2022-08-29T18:26:34Z |
Cars.com Has Generated More Than 5,000 Qualified Cash Offers for Consumers Since Launch to Select Markets in May
50% of Consumers Planning to Sell a Car Prefer to Trade In Their Used Vehicle at Dealership
CHICAGO, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans have several options when it comes to selling their car, but half (50%) prefer to work directly with a local dealership, according to a recent survey by car-shopping marketplace Cars.com (NYSE: CARS). While consumers have long been able to sell their cars to other consumers on Cars.com, they can now take things a step further.1 Instant Offer, powered by Accu-Trade, is a new capability on Cars.com that lets consumers tap the company's large network of nearly 20,000 dealers across the country to sell their used car instantly. Consumers are able to get a competitive cash offer from a local dealership in their area and pick up a check the same day.
"About 40% of the 27 million monthly shoppers on Cars.com have a car to trade in before purchasing a new one, and we wanted to offer a seamless experience for those consumers to connect with local dealers and have a convenient, safe and fast place to sell their car," said Doug Miller, president and chief commercial officer at Cars.com.2 "Our new Instant Offer capability curates the best offer for a consumer and enables them to sell their used car to a qualified local retailer, collect a check and purchase a new vehicle all in the same day."
As vehicle inventory levels continue to be a concern, Cars.com's new Instant Offer allows consumers to get a competitive cash offer for their used car while also supporting local dealerships with much-needed inventory. Consumers are already taking advantage: Since its roll out in May to select markets, Cars.com's new solution has generated more than 5,000 Instant Offers and is expected to scale rapidly as the product goes nationwide.2
Cars.com also released new digital advertising as part of their "It's Matchical" brand campaign to announce the new Instant Offer solution and drive awareness. Consumers interested in connecting with a dealership through Instant Offer or selling their car to another consumer can visit Cars.com/Sell.
ABOUT CARS.COM
CARS is the leading automotive marketplace platform that provides a robust set of digital solutions that connect car shoppers with sellers. Launched in 1998 with the flagship marketplace Cars.com and headquartered in Chicago, the Company empowers shoppers with the data, resources and digital tools needed to make informed buying decisions and seamlessly connect with automotive retailers. In a rapidly changing market, CARS enables dealerships and OEMs with innovative technical solutions and data-driven intelligence to better reach and influence ready-to-buy shoppers, increase inventory turn and gain market share.
In addition to Cars.com™, the Company's brands include Dealer Inspire®, a technology provider building solutions to future-proof dealerships with more efficient operations and connected digital experiences; FUEL™, an advertising solution providing dealers and OEMs the benefit of leveraging targeted digital video marketing to Cars.com's audience of in-market car shoppers; DealerRater®, a leading car dealer review and reputation management technology solution; CreditIQ™, digital financing technology and Accu-Trade™, vehicle valuation and appraisal technology. The Company's portfolio of brands also includes Auto.com™, PickupTrucks.com™ and NewCars.com®.
The full suite of CARS properties includes Cars.com™, Dealer Inspire®, FUEL™, DealerRater®, CreditIQ™, Accu-Trade.com™, Auto.com™, PickupTrucks.com™ and NewCars.com®. For more information, visit www.Cars.com.
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SOURCE Cars.com Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/carscom-launches-instant-offer-nationwide-empowers-consumers-claim-highest-offer-local-dealer-sell-their-car-instantly/ | 2022-08-01T11:41:36Z |
34th annual wreath laying honors the ultimate sacrifice
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (WIBW) - For 34 years, the Knights Templar in Junction City have honored fallen military members with a wreath laying ceremony.
While the Kansas weather has caused them to make adjustments throughout the years, the Templar has not missed a year since they started the tradition in 1988.
A wreath is placed in front of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Heritage Park in memory of those who have lost their lives while serving the country.
Community members gathered to remember and honor those who gave their lives during their military service.
“It honors those military members who did pay the ultimate sacrifice and allows us to gather as family, friends, and the Knights Templar to continue to do this.” Knights Templar of Kansas, Grand Commander Robert McClarty says.
The Knights Templar will host the 35th annual wreath laying at Heritage Park in Junction City on Memorial Day in 2023.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/30/34th-annual-wreath-laying-honors-ultimate-sacrifice/ | 2022-05-31T00:05:01Z |
ISELIN, N.J., Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2022 Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards are given for work in Learning and Development, Talent Management, Leadership Development, Talent Acquisition, Human Resources, Sales Performance, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Future of Work.
Hexaware won three awards at the Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards 2022. It won 2 awards in Learning and Development – Gold Award for Best Learning Program Supporting a Change Transformation Business Strategy and Bronze Award for Best Advance in Senior Manager Development. Another win is a Gold Award in Talent Acquisition for Best Social Talent Acquisition Strategy, jointly won with its referral platform partner, RippleHire.
Brandon Hall Group operates the largest excellence awards program in the Human Capital Management domain. The awards focus on establishing HCM as a collaborative function integral for the holistic development of organizations. The entries are evaluated based on several criteria, which include the design, functionality, innovation and quantifiable benefits of programs.
Hexaware's win in multiple categories demonstrates the strength of its approach that enables continuous learning and upskilling for steady growth while creating a pool of dependable and skilled talent.
Mike Cooke, Chief Executive Officer, Brandon Hall Group, said, "Our award winners demonstrated the vision, agility and innovation needed to excel in the unchartered hybrid work environment. We added and revised awards categories to ensure that we not only validate best HCM practices but also solicit and recognize next practices that set a high bar for everyone."
Senthil Nayagam K, Chief Learning Officer at Hexaware, said, "These awards encourage us to believe that we realize our purpose of creating smiles for customers with a skilled and committed workforce. We will continue investing in upskilling programs and onboarding the most promising talent while providing the right growth avenues."
To know more about Hexaware's Learning & Development programs, visit Learning and Development - HexaVarsity | Hexaware.
To learn more about the awards, click here
About Hexaware
Hexaware is a global IT, BPS and consulting services company empowering businesses worldwide to realize digital transformation at scale and speed.
Learn more about Hexaware at http://www.hexaware.com. Take an immersive 360° virtual tour of our campuses worldwide at https://www.hexawareimmersive.com
About Brandon Hall Group
Brandon Hall Group operates the largest and longest running awards program in Human Capital Management. As an independent HCM research and analyst firm they conduct studies in Learning and Development, Talent Management, Leadership Development, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Talent Acquisition and HR/Workforce Management. These benchmark studies help organizations by providing strategic insights for executives and practitioners responsible for growth and business results. Coupling the research studies with the best practice from the awards, Brandon Hall Group has helped more than 10,000 clients globally and more than 28 years of delivering world-class research and advisory. At the core of our offerings is a membership program that combines research, benchmarking and unlimited access to data and analysts. Membership enables executives and practitioners to make the right decisions about people, processes, and systems, coalesced with analyst advisory services which aim to put the research into action in a way that is practical and efficient. Brandon Hall Group has also launched professional certifications for business and human capital management professionals to upskill themselves and gain credentials for career advancement. (www.brandonhall.com)
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/530945/Hexaware.jpg
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SOURCE Hexaware Technologies Ltd. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/30/hexaware-wins-3-awards-brandon-hall-group-awards-2022/ | 2022-08-30T11:49:08Z |
PHOTOS: World-famous zoo welcomes 4-week-old cheetah cub, Rozi
CINCINNATI (Gray News) - The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden announced the arrival of a singleton cheetah cub earlier this week.
Zoo officials said its cheetah team is hand-rearing the 4-week-old female cub and named her Rozi. The group said they selected the name as it has ties to the cub’s home.
“We liked Rozi because it means rose (or flower) in Swahili, one of the languages spoken in the cub’s native land and because she was born in the spring,” said Cat Ambassador Program lead trainer, Linda Castaneda. “It’s also a nod to the beautiful botanical garden that will be her backyard as she grows up here.”
Cheetah mothers do not receive enough stimulation from a single cub to produce an adequate milk supply. So, zoo officials said Rozi couldn’t be cared for by her mom at Wildlife Safari in Oregon.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Cheetah Species Survival Plan then identified the Cincinnati Zoo as the best place for the cub to be raised.
“We have raised all of the eight cheetahs that are currently in the Cat Ambassador Program,” Castaneda said. “The first few months are important for bonding and building trust, so we will be with her night and day. When she’s ready, she will join the other ambassadors and eventually participate in the Zoo’s Cheetah Encounter.”
In addition to spending time with her care team, zoo representatives said the group plans to pair Rozi with a puppy. Canine companionship provides play and socialization opportunities that humans cannot give the cub.
The Cincinnati Zoo said it’s currently in its summer season at the Cheetah Encounter and more information on visiting the world-famous wildlife park is available here.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/27/photos-world-famous-zoo-welcomes-4-week-old-cheetah-cub-rozi/ | 2022-05-27T22:10:37Z |
The addition of two key leaders will further enhance the company's business goals
PHOENIX, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fullscript, the leading care delivery platform for integrative medicine, has appointed Ninan Chacko, chief executive officer of Monotype, and Solmaz Shahalizadeh, founding partner of Backbone Angels, to the company's board of directors. As the first independent board members to join Fullscript, these two highly experienced leaders offer a wealth of knowledge and a dynamic background to advance the organization's growth strategy. This brings the total number of Fullscript board members to eight.
"It's an honor to have Ninan and Solmaz on our board," said Kyle Braatz, chief executive officer of Fullscript. "We were looking for individuals who had diverse perspectives, great leadership abilities, strong data and software experience, and vast knowledge of business development to strengthen our growth initiatives. We've more than succeeded in reaching this criteria."
Ninan has more than 20 years of global technology leadership experience. He has held executive positions at Travel Leaders Group, one of the largest retail, corporate, and entertainment travel companies in North America and the UK, along with PR Newswire, and Worldspan. Ninan brings his experience in digital acceleration and revenue generation to Fullscript.
"I am delighted to join Kyle and the talented team at Fullscript as they pioneer this innovative approach to integrative medicine," Ninan said. "I look forward to working with my board colleagues and the management team, drawing on my background in global technology leadership and strategic operations to support Fullscript's business goals."
As an executive, investor, and advisor in the technology and data space, Solmaz is well-versed in building companies and scaling businesses. She previously spent more than eight years as vice president and head of data at Shopify, building their entire portfolio of data and machine learning products, and overseeing a team of more than 500. Her extensive career also includes previous positions at Morgan Stanley and McGill University.
"Throughout my career, I have used technology to solve challenging problems and create new opportunities across multiple industries including healthcare and commerce," Solmaz said. "I'm thrilled to join Kyle and the Fullscript team and support them in their mission as they scale integrative medicine for everyone and tap into the power of data and machine learning to make it a reality."
To learn more about Fullscript, visit Fullscript.com.
Fullscript is a powerful care delivery platform for integrative medicine practitioners offering access to personalized treatment planning, ongoing wellness education, and healthcare's best supplements and wellness products. With over a decade of development and used by more than 70,000 healthcare professionals serving over 5 million patients, Fullscript delivers the scale, technology and expertise to support the growth of integrative medicine and delivery of high-quality care. For more information, visit Fullscript.com or follow Fullscript on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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SOURCE Fullscript | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/04/fullscript-appoints-new-members-its-board-directors/ | 2022-08-04T14:51:16Z |
CDC advisers mull what’s next for Covid-19 boosters
By Jacqueline Howard, CNN
Vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to mull over what the future of Covid-19 booster shots might look like — and they acknowledge that entirely different vaccine formulations could be needed.
At their meeting Wednesday, the members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices discussed their next steps around recommending additional booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines for the general public.
Currently, additional booster doses are recommended only for certain people with weakened immune systems and adults 50 and older.
“Policy around future doses require continued evaluation of Covid-19 epidemiology and vaccine effectiveness, including the impact of both time and variants, and the ability of doses to improve this protection,” the CDC’s Dr. Sara Oliver, an epidemic intelligence service officer with the Division of Viral Diseases, said at the meeting.
Before recommending future doses of Covid-19 vaccines, Oliver said, the committee members would need to assess the nation’s recent case counts, hospitalization rates, vaccine effectiveness — including whether it’s waning over time — and the impacts of circulating coronavirus variants.
As the virus continues to evolve, the “evolution of the Covid vaccines will be important,” including the vaccine platforms, Oliver said.
The Covid-19 vaccinations that people get in the future could be completely different formulations from what’s being given now, which is based on the original version of the virus that emerged in late 2019.
The next booster might be a new vaccine
Some companies, including Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, are developing variant-specific vaccines that could target whatever strain of the coronavirus is circulating when that booster might be needed. Pfizer and Moderna are working on vaccines that would specifically protect against the Omicron variant, even though it’s not clear whether one is needed.
The time needed to manufacture a vaccine — once it is decided to change or update the composition of that vaccine — also is not clear.
But for the vaccines that are now available, a decision to modify them would need to be made “at the latest by the beginning of the summer” if a vaccination campaign were to be needed in the fall, Dr. Doran Fink, deputy director of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Division of Vaccines, said at Wednesday’s meeting.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has said the company is also hoping to make a vaccine that will protect against Omicron as well as all other variants of the coronavirus.
The goal is to create “something that can protect for at least a year,” Bourla told CBS in March. “And if we are able to achieve that, then I think it is very easy to follow and remember so that we can go back to really the way [we] used to live.”
Moderna announced Tuesday that its first bivalent Covid-19 booster shot candidate — which combines elements of the current vaccine with updates based on the Beta variant — induced higher antibody responses against all variants of concern than the company’s original Covid-19 booster.
Moderna has been developing updated booster candidates to target emerging coronavirus variants, and it also has monovalent (based on a single virus strain) candidates in the works.
Its first bivalent booster candidate, called mRNA-1273.211, was well-tolerated, the company said, and a preprint study posted last week to the online server Research Square found that it elicited higher antibody responses than Moderna’s current booster shot against the original coronavirus and the Beta, Delta and Omicron variants.
Moderna scientists wrote in the study that the safety profile of a 50-microgram dose of the mRNA.1273.211 booster candidate was comparable to that of the current 50-microgram dose of vaccine.
The study has not been peer-reviewed or published in a professional journal.
Despite the booster candidate’s superiority over the original vaccine, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a news release Tuesday that a separate bivalent candidate combining the current vaccine with an Omicron-specific one is still the company’s lead candidate to possibly roll out this fall.
Two-in-one flu-Covid vaccines in development
Moderna and the biotechnology company Novavax also are working on two-in-one combination vaccines that can offer protection against both flu and Covid-19.
Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine is not authorized in the United States, but the company submitted a request for emergency use authorization to the US Food and Drug Administration in January.
In the meantime, it continues to study the vaccine that combines its NVX-CoV2373 Covid-19 vaccine and its quadrivalent flu vaccine candidate. On Wednesday, Novavax announced that the combination vaccine was “well-tolerated” and induced an immune response among participants in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial.
Novavax scientists assessed the safety of different formulations of the vaccine as well as the immunological responses they induced. The trial data showed that the combination vaccine induced immune responses comparable to those induced when the flu vaccine and Covid-19 vaccine are given separately.
The data also showed that the safety profile of the combination vaccine was consistent with the standalone safety profiles of the flu and Covid-19 vaccines. Serious adverse events in the trial were “rare and none were assessed as being related to the vaccine,” the company said.
“We continue to evaluate the dynamic public health landscape and believe there may be a need for recurrent boosters to fight both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza,” Dr. Gregory Glenn, Novavax’s president of research and development, said in a news release. “We’re encouraged by these data and the potential path forward.”
Novavax announced that the data supports advancing the study to a Phase 2 trial, which is expected to begin by the end of the year.
For now, the CDC’s vaccine advisers plan to continue discussions around how to “be more proactive than reactive” when it comes to the future need for Covid-19 vaccinations, Dr. Matthew Daley, chair of the committee’s vaccine working group and senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Research, said in Wednesday’s meeting.
“These are our marching orders,” Daley told his fellow committee members.
“We had plenty on our plate before, but then we want to take what we’ve heard in this meeting and take it to the work group and discuss each and every one of these issues,” he said. “Given the unpredictability of the pandemic, we’ve needed to be reactive, but I think this is a place where we can also try to be more proactive.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/health/cnn-health/2022/04/20/cdc-advisers-mull-whats-next-for-covid-19-boosters/ | 2022-04-20T23:26:20Z |
Regularly scheduled boosters are the most effective way to maintain normalcy in an endemic
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The most effective way to maintain public health as COVID-19 becomes endemic is to move towards a regular COVID-19 booster schedule, according to a new position paper from ECRI, the nation's largest nonprofit patient safety organization.
Fewer people have received COVID-19 vaccine boosters compared to the primary vaccine series. Six months after authorization, only 30% of individuals eligible for vaccination have received a booster dose in addition to a full primary vaccination series.
"Moving to a regular vaccine schedule will increase clarity and confidence about what actions to take and when, compared to the current piecemeal, wait-and-see approach," said Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD, president and CEO of ECRI. "Transparency and clear guidance are critical to maintaining public support and trust."
ECRI experts say mental fatigue and a desire for normalcy are likely driving increasing COVID apathy. They say unclear guidance and near-constant changes regarding who, when, and how often individuals need boosters can magnify this apathy and cause the public to completely disengage.
"For mRNA vaccines, boosters can be safely administered at regular intervals to address emerging variants, similar to the flu vaccine," said Marcus Lynch, PhD, MBA, senior manager of clinical excellence and safety at ECRI. "A regular booster schedule may help promote uptake, further decreasing COVID's prevalence."
According to ECRI, one of the main goals of vaccination boosters in an endemic is to reduce the prevalence of a virus to levels that make it possible for society to live with it. The best way to do so, experts say, is with a regular booster schedule guided by evidence and data.
ECRI's position statement, From Pandemic to Endemic: The Role of COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters and the Need for a Recurring Vaccination Schedule, is available for public download on ECRI's website.
For additional information, visit www.ecri.org or contact ECRI at clientservices@ecri.org.
Social Sharing
- New Position Paper from @ECRI_Org: The Role of #COVID-19 #Vaccine Boosters and the Need for Recurring #Vaccination Schedule
- Regularly scheduled #COVID-19 boosters are the most effective way to maintain normalcy in an #endemic per @ECRI_Org position paper
About ECRI
ECRI is an independent, nonprofit organization improving the safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness of care across all healthcare settings. With a focus on technology evaluation and safety solutions, ECRI is respected and trusted by healthcare leaders and agencies worldwide. For more than fifty years, ECRI has built its reputation on integrity and disciplined rigor, with an unwavering commitment to independence and strict conflict-of-interest rules.
ECRI is the only organization worldwide to conduct independent medical device evaluations, with labs located in North America and Asia Pacific. ECRI is designated an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. ECRI and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices PSO is a federally certified Patient Safety Organization as designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) formally became an ECRI Affiliate in 2020. Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD, President and CEO of ECRI, was recognized by the Philadelphia Business Journal as a Healthcare Leader in 2021. Visit www.ecri.org and follow @ECRI_Org.
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SOURCE ECRI | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/ecri-its-time-move-scheduled-covid-19-vaccine-booster-model/ | 2022-05-18T15:04:07Z |
US intelligence assessing whether North Korea tested missile with properties not seen before
By Barbara Starr and Jeremy Herb, CNN
The US intelligence community is trying to determine whether North Korea tested a ballistic missile with properties the US has not seen before earlier this week, according to three US officials.
North Korea’s launch of three ballistic missiles on Wednesday included one that flew an unusual trajectory, according to the officials. The missile had a flight path that two officials described as a “double arc” with the missile ascending and then descending twice.
The trajectory may indicate that the goal was to test North Korea’s ability to fire a missile and have it re-enter into the Earth’s atmosphere to reach a target, according to two of the officials.
The second phase of the missile’s possible “double arc” may have been a re-entry vehicle breaking off from the main missile. It’s not yet fully clear to the US if that was all part of the planned flight path, one official said.
The US intelligence assessment of all three test launches is still in the preliminary stages, the officials emphasized.
The missile tests followed US President Joe Biden’s trip to the region, which included a stop in South Korea.
It is not clear which of the three missiles launched had the unusual flight pattern. Japan had publicly hinted that one of missiles flew in an unusual manner, with Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi calling it an “irregular trajectory.”
South Korea said a presumed ICBM was fired at about 6 a.m. local time Wednesday with a flight range of about 360 kilometers (223 miles) and altitude of approximately 540 kilometers (335 miles).
At about 6:37 a.m. local time Wednesday, North Korea fired a second ballistic missile — not believed to be an ICBM — which seems to have disappeared from South Korean tracking at an altitude of 20 kilometers (12 miles), South Korea said. One preliminary assessment indicated it possible the missile flew over a populated area of North Korea.
The third missile, presumed to be a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), flew about 760 kilometers (472 miles) and had an altitude of 60 kilometers (37 miles), South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The US ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield confirmed one missile had intercontinental range in a statement, “The DPRK’s May 25 launch of three ballistic missiles included yet another ICBM launch. The United States assesses this is DPRK’s sixth ICBM launch since the beginning of 2022.” She warned that the regime has launched 23 ballistic missiles since the beginning of the year and “is actively preparing to conduct a nuclear test.”
The trio of launches, which occurred within the span of an hour, come amid concerns that North Korea is preparing for its first underground nuclear test since 2017. South Korea detected signs Wednesday that North Korea was testing a detonation device for a nuclear test, which could be a precursor to an actual test, a South Korean official told reporters Wednesday.
Following the launches, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a secure call with South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup “to discuss assessments and response measures for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) recent ballistic missile launches,” according to a Pentagon statement.
The latest launches mark the 16th time that North Korea has tested its missiles this year, including what the US believes was a failed ICBM test on May 4 that exploded shortly after launch.
But North Korea is thought to have tested an ICBM in late March.
That missile flew to an altitude of 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles) and a distance of 1,080 kilometers (671 miles) with a flight time of 71 minutes before splashing down in waters off Japan’s western coast, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Gawon Bae contributed to this report. | https://localnews8.com/news/2022/05/27/us-intelligence-assessing-whether-north-korea-tested-missile-with-properties-not-seen-before/ | 2022-05-27T17:26:35Z |
HONOLULU (AP) — The last bits of ash and greenhouse gases from Hawaii’s only remaining coal-fired power plant slipped into the environment this week when the state’s dirtiest source of electricity burned its final pieces of fuel.
The last coal shipment arrived in the islands at the end of July, and the AES Corporation coal plant closed Thursday after 30 years in operation. The facility produced up to one-fifth of the electricity on Oahu — the most populous island in a state of nearly 1.5 million people.
“It really is about reducing greenhouse gases,” Hawaii Gov. David Ige said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And this coal facility is one of the largest emitters. Taking it offline means that we’ll stop the 1.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases that were emitted annually.”
Like other Pacific islands, the Hawaiian chain has suffered the cascading impacts of climate change. The state is experiencing the destruction of coral reefs from bleaching associated with increased ocean temperatures, rapid sea level rise, more intense storms and drought that is increasing the state’s wildfire risk.
In 2020, Hawaii’s Legislature passed a law banning the use of coal for energy production at the start of 2023. Hawaii has mandated a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2045, and was the first state to set such a goal.
But critics say that while ending the state’s dirtiest source of energy is ultimately a good move, doing so now is not. Renewable sources meant to replace coal energy are not yet on line because of permitting delays, contract issues and pandemic-related supply-chain problems. So the state will instead burn more costly oil that is only slightly less polluting than coal.
“If you are a believer that climate change is going to end because we shut down this coal plant, this is a great day for you,” said Democratic state Sen. Glenn Wakai, chair of the Committee on Economic Development, Tourism and Technology. “But if you pay an electricity bill, this is a disastrous day for you.”
The end of coal and the additional cost of oil will translate to a 7% increase in electricity bills for consumers who already face the nation’s highest energy and living costs.
“What we’re doing … is transitioning from the cheapest fossil fuel to the most expensive fossil fuel,” Wakai said. “And we’re going to be subjected to geopolitical issues on pricing for oil as well as access to oil. ”
The AES coal plant closure means Hawaii joins 10 other states with no major coal-fired power facilities, according to data from Global Energy Monitor, a nonprofit advocating for a global transition to clean energy. Rhode Island and Vermont never had any coal-fired power plants.
While Hawaii is the first state to fully implement a ban on coal, a handful of others previously passed laws. The 2015 law in Oregon, the first state to pass a ban, isn’t effective until 2035. Washington state’s 2020 coal ban starts in 2025. California, Maine and Texas are among states that have restricted construction of new coal-fired plants.
The number of coal-burning units in the United States peaked in 2001 at about 1,100. More than half have stopped operating since then, with most switching to more cost-effective natural gas.
U.S. Energy Information Administration data shows oil generated about two-thirds of Hawaii’s electricity in 2021. That makes Hawaii the most petroleum-dependent state, even as it tries to make a rapid transition to renewables.
Hawaii already gets about 40% of its power from sustainable sources including wind, solar, hydroelectric and geothermal.
State Sen. Kurt Fevella, a Republican and the Senate Minority Leader, suggested that Hawaiian Electric Company and other energy corporations should absorb the additional cost of shifting to renewables.
“The fact that Hawaii’s families are already doing what is necessary to reduce their energy uses while still paying the most in the nation for household electricity is unsustainable,” said Fevella. “While I believe utility companies like HECO can do more to reduce the energy burden passed on to Hawaii’s ratepayers, I also believe developers of renewal energy projects should also bear a greater portion of the transmission costs.”
Hawaiian Electric Company, the state’s sole distributor of electricity, said it can do little to change the prices to consumers.
“We’re a regulated monopoly,” said Vice President of Government and Community Relations and Corporate Communications Jim Kelly. ”So we don’t set the prices. We don’t make any money on the fuels that we use to generate electricity.”
AES, the operator of Hawaii’s last coal plant, has transitioned to creating clean energy and is working on large solar farms across the state, including one in West Oahu that will replace some lost coal energy when completed next year.
“Renewables are getting cheaper by the day,” said Leonardo Moreno, president of AES Corporation’s clean energy division. “I envision a future where energy is very, very cheap, abundant and renewable.”
Sustainable energy experts say getting rid of coal is critical in curbing climate change. While the current renewable landscape is not perfect, they say technologies are improving.
“This is the decade of climate action that we really need to be moving on right now,” said Makena Coffman, University of Hawaii professor and director for the Institute for Sustainability and Resilience. “And so these are available technologies and they might get incrementally better, but let’s not wait 10 years to do it.”
Profits from the increased electricity costs to Hawaii consumers will go mostly to overseas oil producers, said Hawaii’s Chief Energy Officer Scott Glenn.
Hawaii’s petroleum is distributed by Par Pacific, a Houston-based company which has traditionally sourced the state’s oil from Libya and Russia. But after the invasion of Ukraine, Hawaii halted oil shipments from Russia and replaced it with products from Argentina.
Extending the coal plant’s operation would be complicated and costly, Glenn said, noting that the plant has been planning decommissioning for years and would now have to buy coal at market price.
“Coal is going up. It’s getting more expensive,” he said of the supply Hawaii gets from clearcut rainforests in Indonesia. “If we were using U.S. coal, it would not be the cheapest energy source on the grid.”
Why would Hawaii, a small U.S. state in the middle of the Pacific, try to lead the way in moving to sustainable energy?
“We are already feeling the effects of climate change,'” Glenn said. “It’s not fair or right to ask other nations or states to act on our behalf if we are not willing and able to do it ourselves. If we don’t, we drown.”
___
Associated Press data journalist Mary Katherine Wildeman in Hartford, Conn. contributed to this report.
___
Follow Caleb Jones on Twitter: @CalebAP. Follow AP’s climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
___
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | https://cw33.com/news/u-s-news/ap-us-headlines/ap-hawaii-closes-last-coal-fired-power-plant-as-ban-begins/ | 2022-09-01T19:19:11Z |
Kenneth Lynn Pippins
Kenneth Lynn Pippins, age 72, of Temple passed from this life during the early morning hours of Saturday, June 25, 2022 at his home. Kenneth was born in Temple on June 26th, 1949 to parents Eugene “Pop” and Virginia (Jackson) Pippins.
Kenneth proudly served his country in the United States Army from July 1966 to September 1969. While stationed at Ft. Lewis in Yelm, Washington he married the love of his life, Lydia Weber on May 3rd, of 1969. After his discharge from the army, he and Lydia would move to Temple to build a home and make a life for themselves and their family. Kenneth worked for and retired from Renzenburger, after 10 years. He transported railroad crews all across Texas which he enjoyed doing very much. He became a member of VFW Post 1820 in Temple in 1987 and has been a life member since 2000. He attended Potter’s House Christian Church in Temple.
He is preceded in death by his parents Eugene and Virginia, brother Aubrey Pippins and sister Anita Mock.
Kenneth leaves behind to cherish his memory his beloved wife Lydia Pippins, sons Scott Pippins and Jerl, and wife Antonia Pippins, daughter Gidget, and husband George Kline as well as daughter Monica, and husband Chris Shaw. He also leaves his brother Odis, and wife Mary Pippins and sister Kathy, and husband Grant Gulledge and as well as ten grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
The viewing will be held at the Potter’s House Christian Church in Temple on Thursday, June 30, 2022 starting at 11 o’clock a.m. The service will follow at 1 o’clock p.m. The service will be officiated by Pastor Chris Werner. The Potter’s House Christian Church is located at 1105 North General Bruce Drive, Temple, TX 76501.
Hewett-Arney Funeral Home of Temple is entrusted with these arrangements.
Paid Obituary | https://www.tdtnews.com/obituaries/article_65b92b10-f6f7-11ec-b493-1767a8167dbc.html | 2022-06-29T10:22:30Z |
Biden to host 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will host the 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves at the White House.
Biden is getting in the Sept. 26 visit with just about a week before the 2022 regular season wraps up and playoffs begin. The Braves beat the Houston Astros in six games last year. The Braves are in second place in the National League East standings with 91 wins. Post-season begins Oct. 7.
The president, regardless of party, often honors major league and some college sports champions with a White House ceremony, typically nonpartisan affairs in which the commander in chief pays tribute to the champs’ prowess, poses for photos and comes away with a team jersey.
Those visits were highly charged in the previous administration. Many athletes took issue with President Donald Trump’s policies and rhetoric on policing, immigration and more. Trump, for his part, didn’t take kindly to the criticism from athletes or their on-field expressions of political opinion.
Under Biden, the tradition appears to be back. He’s hosted the NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks and Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the White House.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wibw.com/2022/09/18/biden-host-2021-world-series-champion-atlanta-braves/ | 2022-09-18T22:28:24Z |
CINCINNATI, June 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital Tactics Inc. today announced the sale of Alliance Calibration to Transcat, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRNS), a leading provider of accredited calibration services, enterprise asset management services, and value-added distributor of professional grade handheld test, measurement and control instrumentation.
Capital Tactics advised the seller through negotiation of key transaction elements, including valuation, deal structure, and due diligence.
Charles Goodall, CEO of Alliance, commented, "We are pleased that Alliance will continue providing world class customer service with Transcat; this is the best outcome for our customers, associates, and vendors. Transcat brings outstanding leadership and complementary services to us. We greatly appreciate the guidance from the advisory and valuation team at Capital Tactics, who navigated an optimal outcome for us".
Jim Jenkins, General Counsel and Vice President of Corporate Development for Transcat, said "This transaction expands our footprint into key geographies and customers, and further establishes Transcat as a mission-critical partner to our customer base. We are particularly appreciative of the professionalism of Alliance's advisors, Capital Tactics. They were instrumental in execution of the transaction."
Dino Lucarelli, Managing Director of Capital Tactics, added "Transcat's team displayed enormous goodwill throughout the negotiations. We are pleased to deliver Alliance to its next phase. Successful transactions like this are why we are in the M&A business. Sincere thanks to counsel for sellers, John Brooking of Brooking & Halloran, PLLC, and counsel for Transcat, Phillip Delmont of Harter Secrest & Emery, LLP, for their excellent legal work, resulting in a win-win for both parties."
Transcat, Inc. focuses on providing best-in-class services and products to highly regulated industries, which includes pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and other FDA-regulated businesses, as well as aerospace and defense, and energy and utilities.
Since 2000, this Cincinnati-based organization has served nationwide customers in Automotive, Defense, Aeronautical, Research, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Energy & Power industries. They are accredited to ISO:17025 standards, and have earned American Society for Quality certifications.
Capital Tactics is a Cincinnati-area buy-side and sell-side transaction advisory firm to industry, private equity firms, and entrepreneurs. Services include Mergers and Acquisitions, Capital Raising, and Financial Management. Capital Tactics was founded by Dino Lucarelli, CPA, an industry veteran in corporate finance and management.
For more information contact Greg Beck, Senior Advisor and Chief Sourcing Officer, at (513) 379-2399 or Greg@Captacs.com.
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SOURCE Capital Tactics Inc | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/03/capital-tactics-guides-cincinnati-based-alliance-calibration-sale-company-transcat-inc/ | 2022-06-03T11:35:19Z |
Team of Experts Selected to Transform Whittier's Uptown District
WHITTIER, Calif., June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The members of Uptown Community Partners—consisting of City Ventures, Thomas Safran & Associates, Gentefy, and SVA Architects—are celebrating their team's selection to enter into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with the City of Whittier, CA. The agreement will cover eight (8) City-owned properties totaling 6.4 acres north of Philadelphia Street and west of Bright Avenue, including the former Alpha Beta grocery store property. The ENA will be negotiated over a six-month period. Uptown Community Partners' plan will transform the sites into much-needed housing, open space, retail, and replacement parking designed to facilitate human connection and foster a thriving community.
Uptown Community Partners' plan for the redeveloped sites in Whittier, CA features 344 new market-rate and affordable homes, including 229 for-sale units and 115 low- and very low-income rental apartments. These multi-family communities will range from three (3) to five (5) stories above ground. The plan also includes 5,000 square feet of commercial development and 251 parking stalls. Enhancements at the pedestrian scale will allow residents and visitors to experience the food, art, and nature woven into the community fabric.
Building the much-lauded, for-sale housing in Uptown Whittier will be City Ventures. City Ventures is a rapidly growing California homebuilder which repositions underutilized real estate into residential housing. It focuses on the construction of townhomes, condominiums, lofts, mixed-use, live-work and single-family detached homes in the Southern and Northern California coastal urban infill neighborhoods. City Ventures is based in San Francisco and Irvine, and currently owns and controls over 8,000 lots in California.
Ryan Aeh, Senior Vice President for City Ventures, states, "City Ventures has a long track record of successful public/private partnerships with local cities, and we're thrilled the City of Whittier has selected us to help revitalize Uptown Whittier and provide much needed new for-sale housing."
For more information about City Ventures, visit www.cityventures.com.
Leading Whittier's affordable housing component is Thomas Safran & Associates. Thomas Safran & Associates has developed over 6,000 units of luxury, affordable, and mixed-use rental housing in Southern California. For over 40 years, the company has specialized in developing and managing high-quality properties, many of which have won prestigious awards. Thomas Safran & Associates is committed to providing superior design, maintaining its properties to the highest standards, and enriching the lives of its residents.
Jordan Pynes, President of Thomas Safran & Associates, says, "TSA currently owns and operates two affordable housing communities in Whittier. We are delighted to continue this important work with the City and community to provide much needed affordable housing in Whittier."
For more information about Thomas Safran & Associates, visit www.tsahousing.com.
Uptown Square will consist of seven permanent micro-kitchens for local businesses, a performance stage, a large courtyard, and substantial programming. Similar to Gentefy's highly successful BLVD MRKT development in Montebello, three of the seven restaurants will be allocated for business incubation purposes, and will house underrepresented minorities from the local community who face socio-economic barriers that prevent them from opening a restaurant. Gentefy's mission is to act as a catalyst for community-driven economic development. The company creates products and services that increase entrepreneurial activity and foster economic empowerment within marginalized Hispanic communities.
For more information about Gentefy, visit www.linkedin.com/company/gentefy/about/.
Overseeing all aspects of the conceptual design is SVA Architects. Founded in 2003, SVA Architects has become one of the Country's most innovative and respected design and planning organizations. The award-winning firm specializes in urban planning, architecture, and interior design of public, private, and mixed-use projects. Among the firm's portfolio are civic, educational, residential, commercial and mixed-use developments. SVA Architects values institutional and public environments as the foundation of a community and the backdrop against which we live, learn, work, worship, and play. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana with offices in Oakland, San Diego, Davis, and Honolulu.
Ernesto M. Vasquez, FAIA, CEO of SVA Architects, says, "One of the exciting opportunities for the Whittier development—with multiple sites spread throughout the area—is the mission to create intentional spaces between buildings. We can create pedestrian corridors and cohesion from the street-level. Wide sidewalks will be activated with public art, landscaping, and gathering spaces, allowing Uptown to become a place of human connection where community is built. We envision the Uptown district becoming the jewel of Whittier."
For more information about SVA Architects, visit www.sva-architects.com.
Media Contact: Beth Binger
BCI
Mobile: (619) 987-6658
beth.binger@BCIpr.com
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SOURCE Uptown Community Partners | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/uptown-community-partners-selected-exclusive-negotiating-agreement-6-acres-whittier-ca/ | 2022-06-08T16:45:21Z |
SALT LAKE CITY, July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PatientBond, the leading consumer-science driven patient engagement SaaS provider, announced today that it has contracted with Vizient, Inc., the largest member-driven health care performance improvement company in the country, to offer digital patient engagement and behavior change programs to Vizient member healthcare organizations for improved clinical and business outcomes.
PatientBond provides a patient engagement platform that uses sophisticated, scientific methods for understanding and influencing healthcare consumers' decisions and healthy behaviors. PatientBond integrates its proprietary psychographic segmentation model with machine learning to identify healthcare consumers' values, motivations and communication preferences. PatientBond leverages these insights through dynamic, multi-channel, digital workflows to personalize two-way, healthcare consumer communications proven to activate desired patient behaviors for significantly better outcomes.
Vizient's diverse membership and customer base includes academic medical centers, pediatric facilities, community hospitals, integrated health delivery networks and non-acute health care providers.
A sample of the many patient engagement programs available to Vizient's member healthcare organizations through this contract include:
- Care Gap Closures, Condition Specific Messaging, Screenings, Appointment Reminders and Appropriate Use communications
- Hospital Readmission Reduction
- Digital Health Risk Assessments
- Psychographically segmented marketing campaigns to advance patient/member activation
- Patient/Physician Match/Find a Doc based on psychographic insights
- Patient/Member segmentation and extensive market research insights
- Dynamic Payment Reminders
"PatientBond brings consumer science and dynamic intervention technologies to healthcare with unmatched clinical and business results," stated Justin Dearborn, CEO of PatientBond. "Vizient's member healthcare organizations can benefit from PatientBond's personalized patient engagement at scale with proven and consistent results."
PatientBond was founded by leaders in digital health, consumer engagement and consumer product executives from P&G who realized that the rise of consumerism in healthcare means that providers and other healthcare stakeholders must take a "digital first" approach to building loyal patient relationships. PatientBond's mission is to leverage Healthcare Consumer Insights and Innovative Technology Solutions to help its clients build a tighter bond with their patients and members to improve health outcomes, increase revenue and reduce costs. PatientBond is growing rapidly, as recognized by Inc 5000 and Financial Times. PatientBond is a portfolio company of First Trust Capital Partners. To learn more about PatientBond, visit www.patientbond.com.
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SOURCE Patientbond | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/28/patientbond-announces-agreement-with-vizient-proven-patient-engagement-behavior-change-solutions/ | 2022-07-28T15:47:45Z |
BOCA RATON, Fla., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pulte Family, known in homebuilding for Bill Pulte's experience inside of Pulte Homes now PulteGroup Inc, recently invested in Sacramento, California's leading home services company, AtticMan Heating & Air Conditioning.
This latest acquisition now takes The Pulte Family's individual platforms from the East Coast to the Southwest and now to the West Coast.
"Mario Lopez, the Founder of AtticMan, isn't afraid of hard work and can be found in the trenches with his team when they need a helping hand. These "muddy boots" qualities attracted The Pulte Family to AtticMan," said Bill Pulte, CEO of Pulte Capital and Former Director of PulteGroup Inc.
"These qualities mirror the principles that PulteGroup Founder and Patriarch of The Pulte Family, William J. Pulte (1932-2018), used to build Pulte Homes now PulteGroup Inc. With such a great start already, we feel that AtticMan will have no problems implementing parts of The Pulte Plan that William J. Pulte created as playbook to running a successful business," said a spokesperson for The Pulte Family
"We are excited to be partnered with The Pulte Family. This partnership will take AtticMan to the next level and will offer a tremendous financial and learning opportunity for all of our employees. We are looking forward to continuing to provide the best service in Sacramento and expanding our business alongside The Pulte Family," said Mario Lopez, Founder of AtticMan Heating and Air Conditioning.
The Pulte Family may or may not disclose its sale of these securities and reserves the right to acquire more or dispose of said securities without notification.
William J. "Bill" Pulte founded Pulte Homes, today PulteGroup Inc, in 1950 at age 18. Over the decades, Bill Pulte built Pulte Homes into The #1 USA Homebuilder. In 2016, after retiring the first time, William J. Pulte (1932-2018) and Bill Pulte (b. 1988), his grandson, successfully turned PulteGroup Inc around, even when non-business family members supported the failed Dugas Management Team versus the Pulte Homes Founder William J. Pulte. Mr. Pulte (b. 1988) was a PulteGroup Director from 2016-2020. Bill Pulte's Twitter Philanthropy became a giant success starting in June 2019, helping thousands of people and inspiring millions of people worldwide. Even after the passing of William J. Pulte (1932-2018), their work together continues through a collection of Pulte founded organizations, including The Bill Pulte Foundation. The Pulte Family has multiple companies and investment vehicles.
See disclaimers for affiliated and unaffiliated organizations: PulteDisclaimers.com
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SOURCE The Pulte Family | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/08/pulte-family-announces-new-california-investment-atticman-heating-air-conditioning/ | 2022-07-09T10:52:06Z |
NEW YORK, June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds sellers of the common stock of Twitter, Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) between March 24, 2022 and April 1, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important June 13, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you sold Twitter 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 Twitter class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5134 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 June 13, 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: Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and Space-X, and according to Forbes, the richest person in the world, began acquiring shares of Twitter in January 2022. By March 14, 2022, Musk had acquired more than a 5% ownership stake in Twitter, requiring him to file a Schedule 13 with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") within 10 days, or March 24, 2022. However, Musk did not file a Schedule 13 with the SEC within the required time and instead continued to amass Twitter shares, eventually acquiring over a 9% stake in the Company before finally filing a Schedule 13 on April 4, 2022.
Upon Musk belatedly filing the required Schedule 13, which first revealed his ownership stake in Twitter to the public, the Company's shares rose from a closing price of $39.31 per share on April 1, 2022, to close at $49.97 per share on April 4, 2022 – an increase of 27%.
Investors who sold shares of Twitter between March 24, 2022 and April 4, 2022 missed the resulting share price increase as the market reacted to Musk's purchases. By failing to timely disclose his ownership stake, Musk was able to acquire shares of Twitter less expensively during the Class Period.
To join the Twitter class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5134 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.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/09/twtr-monday-deadline-rosen-respected-investor-counsel-encourages-twitter-inc-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-june-13-deadline-securities-class-action-against-elon-musk-twtr/ | 2022-06-09T20:15:14Z |
Pressure builds as Shanghai, a city of 25 million, remains locked inside
By David Culver, CNN
The distant echo of a megaphone blares most mornings from the narrow laneway where I live in Shanghai, summoning me and my neighbors from our homes for our mandatory Covid test.
Mask on and cell phone in hand, I step outside before the volunteers in hazmat suits have time to knock. If you miss the call, they’ll keep knocking until someone answers. No one is exempt.
This massive city of 25 million people is at the center of China’s efforts to stamp out the country’s largest ever Covid outbreak. No one is allowed to leave their residential compounds, even to buy food, meaning we rely on the government or private delivery drivers stretched thin by the massive demand. That’s creating huge pressure on the system — and for many people, the restrictions are more distressing than the threat of the virus.
Outside my apartment, hazmat-suited community workers lead me and my neighbors in a socially distanced procession past our locked front gate, the only time I’m allowed out of my apartment. But they never lead us out of the gate — it’s been sealed with padlocks and bicycle locks for more than three weeks.
As we walk to a table covered with a blue tent where medics are waiting to administer the test, I feel a surge of emotions — relief at being allowed out into the fresh air and spring sunshine, and anxiety — what if I test positive? I worry about being sent to Shanghai’s spartan quarantine system for days or weeks. Images of the facilities suggest I could face cramped, unsanitary conditions with overflowing trashcans, no running water and dirty communal toilets.
But I’m more uneasy about what may happen to Chairman, my rescue dog.
What happens to your pet if you test positive remains an unsettling gray area with no clear solution. Horror stories circulate online about pets being left behind and one was recently killed with a shovel by a person in a hazmat suit.
If I’m taken to quarantine, I’m hopeful one of the local vets or community groups might be allowed to take care of my dog. I’ve packed a small bag of Chairman’s essentials that sits by the door in case someone is able to take him in if I’m sent away.
But that may be unlikely. Aside from essential workers, the entire city is like me, locked down and locked in.
Scrambling for extra food
In late March, before the city was ordered to stay home, panicked buyers left grocery store shelves empty.
Now, desperation has set in.
Videos show people screaming at community workers, pleading with them for food, saying they’re starving. Others show crowds at a quarantine food distribution site fighting over a small delivery of vegetables.
In my community, the government delivers food once every few days. Deliveries range from a box of vegetables and eggs, to a vacuum-sealed piece of pork or some Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The handouts alone are not enough to feed one person, let alone an entire family, beyond a day or so.
I ration my food and make the most of what arrives in the box and any extra food my community has been able to source. Lately, most of my meals have been a combination of eggs and carrots — you have to get creative.
Many communities have set up group chats with their neighbors on Chinese social media app WeChat. Occasionally there are offers for group food buys, but options are limited. Shops are shuttered, delivery drivers locked down, supply chains disrupted.
One of my neighbors writes in the chat group, “What should I do if I have no food?” The community liaison writes back, “There is no group purchase — vegetables are in short supply now.”
I spend much of my lockdown days trying to place multiple grocery orders, hoping one will arrive. Last week, I was woken by a call just after midnight — one of my orders had actually shown up.
I urgently tried to get a hold of our community liaison officers to help retrieve it, but after a long day’s work they were asleep. So, I had to leave the groceries sitting in a box on the street outside the compound until 6 a.m., hoping that nothing was taken or spoiled by the time I could get it. Thankfully, it was still there in the morning.
Some of us have resorted to creating contact-less “drop spots,” where we swap food to vary our diets.
For example, after walking back home from a community Covid test, one of my neighbors sent me a message: She had left a block of cheese in the shaded spot above her bicycle. When I headed out to my Covid test later, I took her cheese and replaced it with two oranges. She then collected the fruit when she was allowed out for her next Covid test.
Authorities seem to be hearing the complaints. Over the weekend, Shanghai vice mayor Zong Ming choked up at a news conference, apologizing to the city’s residents for failing to meet expectations. And on Monday, authorities promised to begin easing lockdowns in some areas.
Anger and an uncertain future
From Wuhan onward, I’ve covered every aspect of this outbreak in China. The early mishandling and alleged cover-up of the initial spread seemed to have been forgotten by the public as the central government forged ahead with its “zero-Covid” policy.
For two years, China largely succeeded in keep the virus out, by closing borders and introducing a seemingly sophisticated contact tracing system that uses smartphone technology to track us and our potential exposure to the virus.
Officials have perfected mass testing with capabilities to quickly process cities of populations in the tens of millions. And they’ve relied mostly on targeted, snap lockdowns — closing down a neighborhood, office or even a shopping mall with a confirmed case or close contact inside — trying to avoid shutting down entire cities so as to minimize social and economic damage.
In recent months, entire cities have gone into lockdown — including Xi’an, Tianjin, and Shenzhen — but nothing on the scale of Shanghai, where the adrenaline and communal spirit to contain the virus has been replaced by fatigue, frustration and despair.
From the confines of my 600-square foot apartment, I ask myself, is this really happening? In Shanghai, of all places?
A modern city of highrises and restaurants, Shanghai once rivaled cosmopolitan centers like Paris and New York. Now millions of residents are scrambling for basic necessities from the confines of their homes.
That’s not to say life in Shanghai won’t resume as it was, but the actions — or inaction — of the past several weeks, coupled with the constant uncertainty over the past two years about what harsh restrictions could suddenly surface in the name of Covid prevention, leaves many feeling increasingly disconnected to this city and each other.
On Monday, the US State Department ordered non-essential consular personnel and their families to leave the city, citing the surge in Covid-19 cases and the impact of restrictions imposed to contain it.
Most expats I know have either already left or are determined to get out. The reason? “This is not sustainable” is a common refrain.
Mentally. Emotionally. Physically. It’s not.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://localnews8.com/news/2022/04/11/pressure-builds-as-shanghai-a-city-of-25-million-remains-locked-inside/ | 2022-04-12T04:16:26Z |
Man murders 4 family members with knife, including 5-year-old, sheriff says
CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (KTVK/KPHO/Gray News) – An Arizona man has been charged with murder after he fatally stabbed four family members, including his 5-year-old niece, officials say.
According to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, 21-year-old Richard Wilson Jr. was charged with four counts of first-degree murder. He is being held at the Pinal County Jail on a $2.5 million bond.
The victims were identified as Wilson’s father, 47-year-old Richard Wilson; his mother, 50-year-old Ellen Otterman; his sister, 16-year-old Rudy Wilson; and his niece, 5-year-old ReNaya White, who had just started kindergarten.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation began with a 911 call from the 16-year-old sister Sunday afternoon regarding a domestic dispute at the home in Casa Grande.
During the 911 call, the sister told dispatchers that Wilson Jr. had just beaten up their mother, father, and 5-year-old niece in the house. Dispatchers said the sister was “frantic” on the phone and that audible screaming could be heard repeatedly until the call was disconnected.
“Ultimately, that cost her her life making that 911 call, and when our people arrived, she was one of the four deceased,” Pinal County Chief Deputy Matthew Thomas said.
Officials said deputies got to the home about 12 minutes later. When they arrived, they found Wilson Jr. with blood on his clothes and injuries to his right hand.
Deputies said he told them, “I’m over here, take me to jail.” When deputies asked him if anyone was inside the home, he replied, “Go check.”
Deputies entered the home and discovered the four bodies, all of which appeared to have suffered fatal stab wounds to the neck.
Records show that this was the 10th time police were called to the home in the last three years. Two of those calls were mental health-related, and two others were welfare checks.
Wanda Hamilton, a neighbor, said she is in shock hearing about the murders.
“Disbelief, this doesn’t happen out here,” Hamilton said. “I can’t believe that, not him [Wilson Jr.]. I talked to that kid all the time.”
Hamilton said the family has lived at the home for about five years. She said Wilson Jr. lived with his grandparents a few houses down, but he visited his parent’s house daily to care for their horses.
Wilson Jr.’s father was a maintenance employee for the Casa Grande Elementary School District, and ReNaya had just started kindergarten at Desert Willow Elementary School. In a statement, Superintendent Adam Leckie said the tragedy is a huge loss for the district.
“It is with profound sadness that yesterday afternoon we were made aware of the tragic deaths of one of our Desert Willow students, ReNaya White, and maintenance employee Richard Wilson. This is an incredible loss to our CGESD family and will be a difficult time for all of us. Richard worked for CGESD for the last two years. He was well-liked by his co-workers and was known to be devoted to his family. ReNaya just started kindergarten at Desert Willow and was described as a happy, energetic, curious, loving girl. They will be missed greatly by all who knew them.”
The district has made extra counseling services available for students and staff.
Copyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/09/07/man-murders-4-family-members-with-knife-including-5-year-old-sheriff-says/ | 2022-09-07T16:25:41Z |
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup, Meijer is sponsoring two Adopt-a-Beach cleanup events on Sept. 17 and is encouraging public participation to help clean local beaches and keep plastic out of the Great Lakes.
"We're lucky to live in the beautiful Great Lakes, which is synonymous with summertime visits to the beach," said Erik Petrovskis, Director of Environmental Compliance and Sustainability at Meijer. "But with that use comes the responsibility to protect them. We're proud to be hands-on in the cleaning of our beaches and encourage the public to join other volunteers from around the world that day at similar cleanup events."
The events will be conducted by the Alliance for the Great Lakes, a nonpartisan nonprofit working across the region to protect the Great Lakes, at the following beaches:
- 9-11 a.m. at Traverse City State Park beach near downtown Traverse City, Mich.
- 9-11 a.m. at Headland Dunes State Park near Cleveland, Ohio
Those interested in participating in the beach cleanup events are encouraged to register in advance for the Traverse City event here and the Cleveland event here.
For more than 30 years, the Alliance's Adopt-a-Beach program has activated thousands of volunteers in cleanups across all five Great Lakes. They remove tens of thousands of pounds of litter, primarily plastic, from Great Lakes shorelines each year. This September, volunteers will help to surpass the Alliance's goal of collecting 500,000 pounds of litter since 2003, which is when the organization began tracking data.
"Adopt-a-Beach volunteers are on the frontlines of keeping plastic out of the Great Lakes. The data they collect shows that roughly 85 percent of the litter cleaned up are items made partly or entirely of plastic," Alliance for the Great Lakes President & CEO Joel Brammeier said. "September 17 is the single largest day of action for the Great Lakes each year. We're grateful to our volunteers and to Meijer for supporting this event and helping to keep our lakes clean and safe for everyone to enjoy."
Meijer began its partnership with the Alliance in 2019, sponsoring various beach cleanup events across its footprint.
It's the latest in a concerted effort the retailer is making to protect the Great Lakes and rid them of litter, specifically plastics. Earlier this month, Meijer was the first retailer to unveil innovative beach and water cleaning drones in the Great Lakes in partnership with the Council of the Great Lakes Region.
About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 262 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, Meijer pioneered the "one-stop shopping" concept and has evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, pet departments, garden centers, toys and electronics. For additional information on Meijer, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter at twitter.com/Meijer and twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.
About the Alliance for the Great Lakes: The Alliance for the Great Lakes is a nonpartisan nonprofit working across the region to protect our most precious resource: the fresh, clean, and natural waters of the Great Lakes. Learn more at www.greatlakes.org.
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SOURCE Meijer | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/02/meijer-expands-its-beach-cleanup-events-encourage-public-participation/ | 2022-09-02T14:07:44Z |
Annual Program Has Directed Over $25 Million for More Than 2,300 Scholarships, Aiming to Break Down Barriers to Higher Education for Local Students
LOS ANGELES, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the Wonderful Community Scholarship Program intended to help college-bound students reach their full potential, 12 Central Valley students from the communities of Wasco and Shafter will each receive up to a $30,000 scholarship to assist with tuition, living expenses, and other costs at an accredited college or university of their choice. Created and funded by philanthropists Lynda and Stewart Resnick, co-owners of The Wonderful Company, the program builds on their long-standing commitment to help Central Valley students fulfill the dream of a college education as a pathway to entering the workforce. To date, over $25 million has been directed to more than 2,300 college scholarships.
With the goal of getting more children to and through college, the scholarship program helps first-generation college students prepare for, pay for, and persist through college. Currently, 17 percent of Kern County, California, residents possess a bachelor's degree, and many don't see college as a realistic option. This program is one of the many ways the Resnicks strive to increase access to higher education opportunities in the communities The Wonderful Company serves.
"Today's children are tomorrow's citizens, and we're determined to make sure the next generation of leaders in the Central Valley not only excels in academics, but that they also use their passions to ignite change in the communities where our employees live and work," said Lynda Resnick, vice-chairman of The Wonderful Company. "A quality education must be equitable and inclusive so that every child can gain the skills and earn the credentials needed for successful, fulfilling careers. Our children have so much to contribute to the world and, thanks to them, I know our future is bright."
Every year, The Wonderful Company and its co-owners invest more than $30 million in community development, education, and health and wellness initiatives across the Central Valley and beyond. Established initially to provide college scholarships to the children of Wonderful employees from the Central Valley, the program has expanded over the last 28 years to also award college scholarships to Wonderful College Prep Academy graduates, Wonderful Agriculture Career Prep students, and now first-generation college students from high schools in Wasco and Shafter. Presently, 900 Wonderful scholarship recipients are enrolled in college and an additional 300 graduating seniors received a Wonderful College Scholarship this year.
"We're proud of our students for pursuing their educational aspirations," said Russell Shipley, principal, Shafter High School. "It's more important than ever to help build and maintain the pipeline of diverse talent that will go on to be innovators and changemakers in our community for years to come. We're incredibly grateful for the financial support to help our young leaders achieve their dreams."
The Community Scholarship Program aims to reach more communities and students in the future. For additional information about The Wonderful Company and its co-owners' philanthropic efforts, please visit www.wonderful.com/csr.
About The Wonderful Company
The Wonderful Company is a privately held $5 billion global company dedicated to harvesting health and happiness around the world. Its iconic brands include FIJI® Water, POM Wonderful®, Wonderful® Pistachios, Wonderful® Halos®, Wonderful® Seedless Lemons, Teleflora®, JUSTIN®, JNSQ™, and Landmark® wines.
The Wonderful Company's connection to consumers has health at its heart and giving back in its DNA. To learn more about The Wonderful Company, its products, and its core values, visit www.wonderful.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. To view the current Corporate Social Responsibility report, visit www.wonderful.com/csr.
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SOURCE The Wonderful Company | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/27/12-central-valley-high-school-students-receive-wonderful-college-scholarships/ | 2022-06-27T17:37:30Z |
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Third Option recognizes the heroic work of economists like Robert Reich, Thomas Piketty, Joseph Stiglitz, Paul Krugman, James Heckman, Branko Milanovic, Paul Collier, David Harvey, and Peter Barnes, who are ready, willing and able to proactively fashion an economy designed to include everyone.
37.2 million Americans (11.4%) live below poverty thresholds; 50% must cover cost of living expenses between $38,266 and $85,139 (family of four) while earning annual wages below $35,000.
Piketty believes social sciences must reconnect with economics to form interdisciplinary fields capable of flattening the steep curves of wealth inequality, climate change, physical and mental health degradation, resource depletion, and the rising political division they engender. Currently, each gets paid separately on the free market; no financial incentive exists for anyone to work together toward common prosperity. As Robert Simmons of The Third Option puts it, "capitalism makes us all accomplices in the various crimes we commit against ourselves."
Reich emphasizes that "government doesn't 'intrude' on the 'free market'. It creates the market…without them there is no market." He believes we need a "Countervailing Power" to check the unholy alliance between wealth and politics.
Stiglitz and Milanovic believe reactive tax and transfer "schemes" are no longer acceptable, and instead favor proactive "endowments" that safeguard equality of opportunity. Taxation is best applied directly to the source of negative externalities (pollution, damaged health) to ensure the "buck stops" at the correct location.
Collier advocates taxing economic rent—specifically, the inflationary cost of living within densely-populated spaces—where economies of scale and agglomeration should lower costs, not raise them. Barnes warns that one-third of U.S. income is earned through "interest, dividends, capital gains and inheritances" which only trickle up; establishing a 'commons' comprised of shared resources (air, water) allows Americans to leverage "co-owned wealth" into 'shareholder dividends.'
Heckman seeks fairness for kids from "disadvantaged environments" who face financial hopelessness rife with "a range of personal and social troubles." Harvey believes capital should function solely as a medium of exchange, to facilitate the 'circulation of goods,' without the means to amass coercive control.
The Third Option urges economists to form a union of concerned social scientists—an 'economic justice league'—to lead us toward a more interdependent form of economic democracy.
Press Contact
Dimitry Morgan | 619-330-0953
Email | info@shgmktg.com
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SOURCE The Third Option | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/third-option-urges-noted-economists-form-economic-justice-league/ | 2022-08-31T14:10:52Z |
New facility will serve as an engineering and staffing center of excellence for the Duravent Group as the company continues its growth trajectory with revenue exceeding $500 million annually.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Duravent Group, a global leader in HVAC technology systems and solutions, launched its 22,000 sq-ft Grand Rapids Innovation Center today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event featured a tour of the center's design and prototype labs, airflow testing suites, its state-of-the-art office layout and robust printing capabilities. U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer, R-MI, spoke at the event, which was attended by community, state leaders and excited company employees.
"Duravent is committed to a strong presence in Michigan as demonstrated by our new innovation center in Grand Rapids, and an expanding headquarters in downtown Detroit," said Simon A. Davis, president and CEO of the Duravent Group. "Our ability to innovate, lead and grow in the HVAC and emerging climate technology categories is largely the result of leveraging the deep engineering talent Michigan has to offer."
Since 2017, the leadership team has led the organization through several strategic activities, including the acquisition of 100-year-old Hart & Cooley in 2021, which tripled the size of the company. Today, Duravent has 2,400 employees and $500 million+ in annual revenue.
As part of the Grand Rapids Innovation Center launch, Davis and his team unveiled a new company identity – the Duravent Group – with the goal of unifying the company's culture and its family of established and respected brands, which include the following industry leading nameplates:
- Duravent™
- Hart & Cooley®
- Selkirk®
- AirMate®
- Amerivent®
- Ampco®
- Heatfab®
- Lima®
- Milcor®
- PortalsPlus™
- RPS™
- Security Chimneys®
- Ward®
"The Duravent Group is one team and one company focused on flexibility in manufacturing and distribution while responding quickly and efficiently to customers' needs. I'm proud of our team culture that embraces innovation and change while always putting our customers first," Simon said.
The Duravent Group is a recognized global technology leader in the HVAC industry, and first-to-market with innovations in venting systems. Founded in 1956, this $500 million-plus company is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, and has 15 locations across Canada, Mexico and the United States. Duravent leads with best-in-class design and manufacturing capabilities, world-class distribution networks, and customer-first service and support. The company ensures quality and drives safety through scientifically proven materials and unequaled engineering.
Duravent acquired Grand Rapids-based Hart & Cooley in 2021. A leader in the HVAC industry since 1901, the Hart & Cooley acquisition brings a legacy of quality and service, robust manufacturing and distribution capabilities, and a suite of trusted brands into the Duravent family. As a combined company, Duravent is uniquely positioned as the next-generation leader in the interior climate technology industry. Learn more at duraventgroup.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Shaun Wilson, 313-530-7860
swilson@cadencellcus.com
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SOURCE Duravent Group | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/08/duravent-becomes-duravent-group-invests-1-million-newly-launched-grand-rapids-innovation-center-it-aims-leadership-hvac-climate-technology-sectors/ | 2022-07-08T17:53:07Z |
Which camel cardigan is best?
When you’re looking to dress up a pair of jeans or want to add a layer of warmth over a dress, a camel cardigan is a perfect choice. With neutral tones yet a classic appeal, a camel cardigan can take you from a day at the office to a casual evening out. If you’re looking for an affordable yet high-quality camel cardigan, the And Now This Women’s Embellished Button Cardigan is the top choice.
What to know before you buy a camel cardigan
Cardigans are versatile
Cardigans are a workhorse of a garment. They add polish to your outfit and keep you warm, whether you want to look upscale or just pull on a pair of yoga pants. Camel is the ideal color choice because it matches just about anything and looks great on most skin tones.
You can go warm or light
Depending on the weave of the wool, a cardigan can be the perfect thing to keep the chill away on a summer’s night, or it can add serious warmth during the winter. Choose your cardigan based on how you normally use your cardigans or go for a medium-weight fabric to make it go either way.
You may need to pair it with a scarf
If you do want your cardigan to keep you warm on a cold winter’s night, you might also want to invest in a scarf of a complementary color. Since cardigans are collarless, they can leave your neck exposed, so don’t forget your scarf.
What to look for in a quality camel cardigan
Washability
Camel cardigans can be gorgeous, classic wool pieces, but if you’re going to wear yours a lot, you may want to opt for a weave that can be easily washed and hold its shape. Look for a weave that contains acrylic or some polyester for a more washable garment.
Great buttons
Add a touch of fun to your outfit by choosing a cardigan with stand-out buttons. Gold looks great on camel cardigans. Or choose one with buttons with some sparkle. These can add just the right touch to your outfit without being too gaudy.
The right length
Cardigans classically fall to the hips, which can be great if you want extra warmth or want to wear them with leggings. But a more modern spin on the classic cut puts it at waist level for a fun, bolero flare.
Texture
Cardigans are a fantastic way to add some visual interest to your outfit by playing with texture. A cable-knit cardigan shows wool off to great effect, with new, unexpected patterns supplanting the old looks of the past. A chunky-knit cardigan can give your outfit some boho appeal, while a silky, tight knit can look polished and classic.
How much you can expect to spend on a camel cardigan
You’ll find low-cost cardigans starting at around $25, while a designer brand will run up to $150.
Camel cardigan FAQ
How do I accessorize a camel cardigan?
A. While accessory themes are a personal choice, there’s no denying gold is the go-to jewelry material when dressing up a camel cardigan. Add a simple, long rope necklace and a matching bracelet, along with a pair of small gold hoops. If you want to lean into the classic appeal of a camel cardigan, go for a strand of pearls. Try black pearls or freshwater pearls for a twist.
What colors match a camel cardigan?
A. Camel cardigans can solve a host of fashion problems and match nearly everything in your closet. Navy, white, black and olive green are just a few of the colors that look awesome with camel. And because camel is such a calming, classic color, feel free to wear it over that patterned dress or striped pants to balance them out.
What’s the difference between a cardigan and a sweater?
A. The term “cardigan” refers to a specific type of sweater that’s open in the front and has either a button or zipper closure or hangs open, as opposed to a pull-over sweater that has no front opening. It’s said that the name “cardigan” refers to the 7th Earl of Cardigan, who popularized the look.
What’s the best camel cardigan to buy?
Top camel cardigan
And Now This Women’s Embellished Button Cardigan
What you need to know: This is a fun twist on the classic cardigan, with jeweled buttons, a bold cable-knit pattern and a slightly shorter than usual cut.
What you’ll love: It looks dressy and feels great, but it’s machine-washable for easy care. The cooler-than-usual camel color is eye-catching and looks upscale.
What you should consider: If you’re looking for a longer cardigan to cover leggings, this only falls to the waist.
Where to buy: Sold by Macy’s
Top camel cardigan for the money
Spicy Sandia Women’s Open Front Lightweight Knit Cardigan
What you need to know: This lightweight, viscose material makes this cardigan perfect for a breezy summer evening.
What you’ll love: Delicate silver buttons at the wrist give this cardigan a hint of surprise, and the long length makes it the perfect complement to yoga pants or leggings.
What you should consider: It’s thin, making it more suited for warm weather than for keeping warm on a cold winter’s night.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Grace Karin Open-Front Cardigan
What you need to know: Polished and dressy, this is the perfect cardigan to wear outdoors or layer over a casual dress.
What you’ll love: The earthy cut of this cardigan offers a quiet elegance that pairs well with anything from your favorite jeans to a bright dress.
What you should consider: It seems to run a bit bigger than the expected size.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Maria Andreu writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://cw33.com/reviews/br/apparel-br/outerwear-br/best-camel-cardigan/ | 2022-04-02T19:20:23Z |
ZURICH, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Amcor (NYSE: AMCR, ASX: AMC), a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, has received two accolades recognizing its more sustainable packaging innovations. Amcor respectfully won a silver award at the 2022 Australasian Packaging Innovation and Design Awards (PIDA) and was named a 2022 Sustainability Leader in the Australian Financial Review's (AFR) annual list.
The AFR listed Amcor as a 2022 Australian Financial Review Sustainability Leader in the Manufacturing and Consumer Goods category, in association with BCG. The AFR Sustainability Leaders list recognizes Australian businesses making progress in tackling sustainability challenges over the past year. Amcor's Australian business was recognised for its multiple achievements over the last financial year, including converting more than 85% of products to recycle-ready formats, with almost 95% of products designed to be recyclable. Amcor's contribution to create Australia's first, food grade recycled flexible wrapper for Nestle's KitKat helped to underscore its commitment to innovation and sustainability. In addition, Amcor spends more than $100 million on research and development every year to develop and produce more sustainable packaging solutions.
Amcor additionally won the silver award in the Sustainable – Industrial Design of the Year category at PIDA for its for PrimeSealTM Eco-Tite® Recycle-Ready Shrink Bag, an innovative packaging product for fresh and processed meat, poultry and cheese that has been designed-to-be-recycled. The PIDA, organized by the Australian Institute of Packaging, recognizes packaging innovations across Australia and New Zealand with award categories covering sustainability, accessibility and intelligent packaging technology. Additionally, Amcor's PrimeSeal Flow-Tite™ packaging was named a finalist in two categories - Best Food Packaging Design of the Year and Accessible and Inclusive Packaging Design of the Year.
Simon Roy, Vice President and General Manager for Amcor Australia and New Zealand, said: "It's terrific to see Amcor's innovative and more sustainable packaging solutions be recognized by the industry and community in the local market. We are a global company with a proud local history that enables us to leverage research and development at scale to produce best-in-class innovations that can be applied either globally or locally, to help meet our customers' needs. Our commitment to innovation is second to none and we're proud to be driving a more sustainable and circular packaging value chain for our local customers, end consumers and the environment."
These accolades are only the latest this year recognizing Amcor's work in developing innovative and more sustainable packaging. In March, Amcor came away with three awards at the 2022 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards, while in April the business won the Gold Innovation Award at the Packaging Innovation Awards for its AmLite® HeatFlex Recyclable packaging.
About Amcor
Amcor is a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home and personal-care, and other products. Amcor works with leading companies around the world to protect their products and the people who rely on them, differentiate brands, and improve supply chains through a range of flexible and rigid packaging, specialty cartons, closures and services. The Company is focused on making packaging that is increasingly light-weighted, recyclable and reusable, and made using an increasing amount of recycled content. Around 46,000 Amcor people generate $13 billion in annual sales from operations that span about 225 locations in 40-plus countries.
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SOURCE Amcor | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/amcors-more-sustainable-packaging-innovations-recognized-with-two-accolades/ | 2022-07-21T11:20:26Z |
CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy will post its second-quarter financial results at 7 a.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 4 on the company's website at duke-energy.com/investors.
An earnings conference call for analysts is scheduled at 10 a.m. ET that day to discuss second-quarter 2022 financial results and other business and financial updates.
The conference call will be hosted by Lynn Good, chair, president and chief executive officer, and Steve Young, executive vice president and chief financial officer.
The call can be accessed via the investors' section (duke-energy.com/investors) of Duke Energy's website or by dialing 888-510-2359 in the U.S. or 646-960-0215 outside the U.S. The confirmation code is 2999899. Please call in 10 to 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.
A recording of the webcast with transcript will be available on the investors' section of the company's website by Aug. 5.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.
Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business and at least a 50% carbon reduction from electric generation by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2050 net-zero goals also include Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 emissions. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.
Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2022 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media Contact: Jennifer Garber
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Analysts Contact: Jack Sullivan
Office: 980.373.3564
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SOURCE Duke Energy | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/11/duke-energy-announce-second-quarter-2022-financial-results-aug-4/ | 2022-07-11T15:22:16Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PHAT) resulting from allegations that Phathom may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Phathom securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=7943 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.
WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On August 2, 2022, before market hours, Phathom issued a press release entitled "Phathom Pharmaceuticals Reports Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results and Provides Business Updates" which announced that "we detected trace levels of a nitrosamine in vonoprazan drug product in our post-approval testing as we prepared for commercial launch." Further, the press release announced that "[t]he Company is working with the FDA and plans to obtain approval of and implement an additional test method, specification, including a proposed acceptable intake limit, and additional controls to address this impurity prior to releasing our first vonoprazan-based products to the market." Finally, Phathom announced that "[t]hese additional activities will result in a delay of the planned VOQUEZNA DUAL PAK and VOQUEZNA TRIPLE PAK product launches."
On this news, Phathom's stock price fell $2.61 per share, or 28%, to close at $6.46 per share on August 2, 2022.
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. 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.
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/.
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Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
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The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/12/rosen-globally-recognized-firm-encourages-phathom-pharmaceuticals-inc-investors-inquire-about-securities-class-action-investigation-phat/ | 2022-08-12T01:54:05Z |
Man charged with murder after calling police to say he ‘may have killed his wife,’ authorities say
TULSA, Okla. (Gray News) – A man in Oklahoma was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after he called police and said he “may have killed his wife,” officials said.
According to the Tulsa Police Department, officers received the call from Charles Bradley early Monday morning.
When officers responded to the home, they found Bradley’s wife dead from gunshot wounds. Police said there were no signs of forced entry into the home.
Bradley was booked into Tulsa County Jail on a first-degree murder charge. According to jail records, he is being held without bond.
Bradley’s first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, jail records show.
Tulsa police said they are still investigating and cannot provide further details on the case right now.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/05/02/man-charged-with-murder-after-calling-police-say-he-may-have-killed-his-wife-authorities-say/ | 2022-05-02T20:49:48Z |
Biden signs $40B in Ukraine aid after bill is flown to him during Asia trip; half the money is for Ukrainian military
Published: May. 21, 2022 at 6:40 AM EDT|Updated: 48 minutes ago
(AP) - Biden signs $40B in Ukraine aid after bill is flown to him during Asia trip; half the money is for Ukrainian military.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/05/21/biden-signs-40b-ukraine-aid-after-bill-is-flown-him-during-asia-trip-half-money-is-ukrainian-military/ | 2022-05-21T11:29:25Z |
Gas allowance to help with rising fuel prices; paid each month for the next year
MIAMI, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ChenMed, one of the largest providers of primary care to Medicare-eligible seniors, has announced it will provide a gas allowance of $50 per month to most of its hourly employees, and challenges other healthcare companies to do the same. The assistance to healthcare employees will be paid out every month, for a total of 12 months, to team members affected most by the rising cost of gas. This gas allowance amounts to a total of more than $1 million.
"We heard from many employees during our last town hall event who wanted to know what we could do to help with rising gas prices," said Jim Whitling, chief human resources officer at ChenMed. "We listened to their concerns and came together to find a solution that we could implement quickly, and one that would go a step further to solve for the intensely high gas prices they are experiencing right now. We're glad to be able to assist our hourly team members during this difficult time."
According to Gordon Chen, M.D., chief medical officer at ChenMed, "Any healthcare company that is in a position to chip in and meet the needs of their care teams should do so. Our care teams are instrumental in achieving positive health outcomes for our patients. If we can help by easing some of the pressure caused by today's economic environment, they'll be freed up to focus on patients and provide the type of leading patient experience we strive to achieve."
The year-long gas stipend will appear in most hourly employees' paychecks beginning this month. The gross amount is being calculated to account for taxes so that each employee is taking home approximately $50 per month after taxes. The monthly stipend comes in addition to the competitive market wage – which is well above minimum wage for all roles - that ChenMed already pays team members to help them deal with the special circumstances of the heightened cost of fuel.
"I appreciate the Chen family because they are dedicated to us as frontline healthcare workers," said Erika Joseph, a care facilitator at Chen Senior Medical Center in Opa Locka, Fla. "It's amazing they care about helping us out with the gas that we need to come and go to work."
Travis Camp, a care promoter at ChenMed's Dedicated Senior Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, agrees. "I am so happy the company decided to do something extra to help during this difficult time," he said. "The extra money really helps take some of the pressure off paying for gas. A lot of people are struggling right now, and every bit helps."
"Prices of everything are going up," said Gissel Alanis, a care coordinator at Dedicated Senior Medical Center in Houston. "Getting help with everyday expenses such as gas is a big help and much appreciated."
ChenMed, headquartered in Miami, is a privately owned medical, management and technology company that delivers the high-touch and personalized primary care Medicare-eligible seniors need to enjoy better health. The company operates nearly 100 senior medical centers in 12 states.
Named a Fortune 2020 "Change the World" company, a "Most Loved Workplace" by Newsweek magazine, and a certified Great Place to Work® by the Great Place to Work Institute, ChenMed brings concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations. ChenMed brands include Chen Senior Medical Center, Dedicated Senior Medical Center and JenCare Senior Medical Center. Thanks to its nimble and growing software entity, Curity, ChenMed also was recently named "A Best Place to Work in IT" by IDG's Insider Pro and ComputerWorld.
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SOURCE ChenMed | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/14/chenmed-institutes-50-monthly-stipend-help-hourly-employees-pay-gas/ | 2022-07-14T11:30:45Z |
DARIEN, Conn., June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As Migraine and Headache Awareness Month kicks off, CEFALY Technology is celebrating its 8th anniversary in the United States and a major milestone: 2 billion migraines treated with the CEFALY migraine treatment device.
CEFALY helps people with migraine relieve their pain and prevent attacks with clinically proven, drug-free treatment. An external trigeminal nerve stimulation (e-TNS) device, CEFALY delivers mild electric stimulation to reduce pain signals of the trigeminal nerve, a primary pathway for migraine pain.
At least 39 million Americans live with migraine, which is a complex, debilitating and often misunderstood neurological disorder. This June, CEFALY Technology joins many other migraine activists in advocating for treatment access. We are proud to offer an accessible option that enables migraine sufferers to control their own treatment and regain power over their lives.
- The first CEFALY device was introduced in Belgium in 2008.
- In 2014, CEFALY became the first FDA-cleared migraine treatment device for the prevention of migraines.
- In 2017, CEFALY became FDA-cleared for the acute treatment of migraines.
- Since 2020, CEFALY has been the only FDA-cleared migraine treatment device used for the treatment and prevention of migraine that is available without a prescription.
"The approval and availability of CEFALY's eTNS technology has completely changed the landscape of what's possible for treating migraine," said Dr. Michael A. L. Johnson, M.D., Director of Medical Affairs for CEFALY Technology. "CEFALY meets a longstanding need for effective, drug-free migraine treatment that is individualized and user-controlled."
"I'm honored and humbled to know that CEFALY has played such an important role in relieving 2 billion migraine attacks — and counting," said Jen Trainor McDermott, CEO of CEFALY Technology. "We'll continue to educate the public about the burden of migraine and empower people to take charge of their treatment routine."
CEFALY Technology is the maker of CEFALY, an FDA-cleared, over-the-counter wearable medical device clinically proven to help reduce migraine frequency and relieve migraine pain. CEFALY is a non-invasive device placed on the forehead to modify pain sensation in the area research identifies as a center for migraine pain, the trigeminal nerve. The device offers two distinct treatment options -— a 60-minute ACUTE setting that serves as an abortive treatment for pain relief at the onset of a migraine, which is clinically proven to stop or reduce migraine pain during an attack; and a 20-minute PREVENT setting for daily use to help prevent future episodes.
CEFALY Technology is a Belgium based company with U.S. offices based in Darien, Conn., specializing in electronics for medical applications. CEFALY Technology's mission is to provide the migraine community with forward-thinking treatments that are drug-free and clinically proven to relieve and prevent future attacks.
Learn more about CEFALY by visiting www.CEFALY.com and following us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Media Contact:
Jen Trainor-McDermott
CEO
J.trainor@cefaly.com
Mobile: 516-456-4110
Office: 475-207-5336
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SOURCE CEFALY Technology | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/07/cefaly-technology-marks-milestone-2-billion-migraines-treated-amp-counting/ | 2022-06-07T17:11:13Z |
CIENFUEGOS, Cuba (AP) — Like many Cubans before him, Roberto De la Yglesia left most of his family behind when he made his way to the United States with only his son in 2015, hoping that he could soon bring his wife and daughters to join him.
Years later, the mechanical engineer in New Jersey and his family back in Cienfuegos, Cuba, are still waiting — with a mixture of renewed hope and skepticism — now that the Biden administration has said it will reactivate the long-stalled Family Reunification Program, which lets Cubans legally in the U.S. bring close relatives.
“My life is on pause,” said his wife, Danmara Triana, sitting on the sofa of her house in Cienfuegos while surrounded by aging photos of the couple’s life together. A few feet away, her 21-year-old daughter Claudia was awaiting the return from school of 7-year-old Alice.
“My day to day life hangs on this, — to see my son, to see my husband,” Triana said. The 48-year-old accountant said she repeatedly checks the website of the U.S. Embassy in Havana for news.
“I get up in the morning and look at the telephone. Will I have an interview (for a visa) or won’t I have an interview?”
The Biden administration says that roughly 20,000 applications for family reunification visas have built up since 2017. That’s when President Donald Trump effectively shut down the program by withdrawing diplomatic personnel from Cuba in response to a spate of mysterious illnesses among diplomats that many suspected were the result of some sort of directed wave attack.
But many similar incidents happened elsewhere — even in Washington — and the CIA has now determined they were unlikely to be the result of attacks by Russia or other foreign adversaries.
While the administration said in April it would begin resuming the program, it has not yet offered a timeline for ramping up the U.S. diplomatic presence in Cuba.
So Triana and De la Yglesia wait.
U.S. officials told the couple in 2017, shortly before diplomats were withdrawn, that they qualified for the program and in 2020 they believed they had finished all the paperwork and paid all the fees.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, adding to complications.
“I feel stranded. I’m not based anywhere,” said Claudia, who said she had dropped out of medical school, feeling “horribly unmotivated.”
The withdrawal of diplomats was only one of many steps by the Trump administration to isolate Cuba and backtrack from a dramatic opening to the island under President Barack Obama.
Trump enacted more than 200 measures, ranging from a ban on cruise ships to limits on money sent from the U.S. to restrictions on U.S, visitors.
Biden announced he would undo some — but far from all — of the Trump-era restrictions.
With consular operations idled in Havana, U.S. officials told Cubans to seek visas at the operations in Guyana, across the Caribbean on the South American mainland — a costly and impractical option for most.
So with Cuba’s economy in dire shape, increasing numbers have tried to reach the U.S. illegally, getting to South America or Mexico and making their perilous way to the U.S. border, adding to record wave of immigration.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol says it detained Cubans 79,800 times at the U.S. border in the six months from October 2021 through March 2022 — more than double the figure for the full 12 months ending in September 2021 and five times the figure for the year before that.
Next door to Triana’s house, 61-year-old Natacha González lives with her two grandchildren. Her daughter, like De la Yglesia, now lives in the U.S. and began the reunification process in 2017.
“I can speak for all the fathers and mothers who are in this country sactificing so that there is can be a correct (legal) migration of our families,” said González’s daughter, Yanelis León, in a video call from Florida.
“I feel like I have no oxygen. … I’ve spent years at this and it’s not right that we are still waiting,” she added. “I am not going to involve my children in a migration across borders where I am going to lose them. I want to do things right.”
___
Andrea Rodríguez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ARodriguezAP | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/renewed-hopes-but-more-delays-for-cubans-seeking-us-visas/ | 2022-06-02T02:03:10Z |
HUEHUETENANGO, Guatemala (AP) — At dawn, police and federal agents with cover from helicopters flying overhead raided a large ranch nestled among the mountains of northern Guatemala, not far from the border with Mexico.
Unlike the ranch’s impoverished neighbors, inside authorities found horse stables, a swimming pool, late model vehicles, guns and a still drunk Felipe Diego Alonso, the alleged leader of a smuggling ring that moved migrants from Guatemala north to the United States.
The raid was part of several carried out Tuesday in four Guatemalan provinces against a migrant smuggling ring, for which authorities say they’ve documented $2 million in revenue since 2019.
Alonzo and three others arrested Tuesday were targets of U.S. prosecutors, wanted in connection with the death of a Guatemalan migrant in Texas last year. In total, authorities nabbed 19 alleged members of the smuggling ring.
The arrests came a month after 53 migrants, including 21 Guatemalans, died in a failed smuggling attempt when they were abandoned inside a sweltering trailer in San Antonio, Texas. There was no indication those arrested Tuesday were involved in the San Antonio tragedy.
The extradition of alleged migrant smugglers known as “coyotes” has been rare and these would be the first known cases in Guatemala of smugglers allegedly pursued for the death of a migrant in the United States.
Prosecutions of migrant smugglers in Guatemala have proven exceedingly difficult because migrants are almost never willing to identify or testify against their smugglers. In some cases they hope for another chance to migrate to the United States with the smuggler’s help and in others they are afraid of the smugglers or their organized crime connections.
Alonzo, appearing groggy in blue jeans and a white golf shirt, said he was an onion grower who also sometimes sold land and automobiles.
Some of the detainees were flown to Guatemala City for their initial court appearances.
The arrests come at a time of heightened tensions between Guatemala’s President Alejandro Giammattei and Washington.
The Biden administration has been outspoken in its criticism of perceived backsliding on corruption prosecutions. The U.S. government sanctioned Guatemala’s Attorney General Consuelo Porras, alleging she was an obstacle to anti-corruption work and was now pursuing judges and prosecutors who had worked on corruption cases.
It was the Attorney General’s Office backed by National Police that carried out the raids near the northern town of Huehuetenango at dawn Tuesday.
“This was an organized group dedicated to getting migrants with the proposal of transporting them to Mexico and then to the United States,” said Stuardo Campo, Guatemala’s prosecutor for migrant trafficking.
He said that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had supported the operation. Guatemalan authorities had documented 11 operations by the smuggling network to move migrants since last October, but Campo did not say how many migrants were smuggled.
The four people arrested at the request of U.S. authorities are allegedly linked to the death of Marta Raymundo Corio who was found dead near Odessa, Texas after being smuggled through Mexico in early 2021.
Campo said the woman had died in a warehouse in Texas due to a lack of food and water and her relatives had requested the help of authorities in determining what had happened.
As Alonzo was led away Tuesday, he told authorities to take care of his animals. Speaking Kanjobal, an Indigenous language, he said “I’d rather they eat than I eat.” | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/guatemala-arrests-migrant-smugglers-wanted-by-the-us/ | 2022-08-03T14:39:22Z |
When most of us read the words "plant-based diet," we tend to think of foods such as kale salads and grain bowls or trendy meat replacements. But there is one nonmeat option that's gaining traction as the newest superfood: seaweed.
Seaweed -- yes, the brownish-green ribbons and bundles of oceanic plantlike matter that wash up on beaches -- is in fact edible. Nori, the papery sheets used to wrap sushi rolls and as a ramen bowl garnish, is likely the most well-known and enjoyed seaweed, but these large, leafy algae come in hundreds of colorful varieties, including wakame, kombu, red dulse and sugar kelp.
Seaweed helps to support other marine life and to clean the water surrounding it. When out of the water, it can bring more nutrition and minerals to our diets.
"Even though we try to eat healthy, we're relying on land-based, soil-based agriculture for the most part," said Sarah Redmond, founder and owner of Springtide Seaweed in Gouldsboro, Maine. "Seaweed is a really interesting alternative because it provides those nutrients that are really hard to find in other land plants."
With several companies bringing seaweed-based foods to the market, it's getting easier than ever to taste the sea. Here's why we all can benefit from seaweed.
Good for humans and the environment
For humans, seaweed is a one-stop shop for our crucial nutrient needs. "Seaweed is an excellent source of dietary fiber and minerals," said Mary Ellen Camire, professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine.
Though nutritional profiles vary slightly between green, brown and red varieties, across the board seaweed contains a number of vitamins, including B, C, E and K, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, amino acids, polyphenols and 10 times more minerals than land-based plants, according to a recent study. These essential minerals include iron, calcium and iodine.
"Seaweeds have this ability to concentrate all the trace minerals in the ocean that we cannot access," Redmond said. "They are sort of this balancing food that we can return some of those trace elements back into our bodies and into our diets."
And when used as a fertilizer for land-based farming, seaweed can add those essential nutrients back into the soil, improving its health.
However, you don't need to pile your plate high with seaweed because it can absorb high amounts of minerals. "Some brown kelps, such as the sugar kelp grown in New England, are very high in iodine," Camire said. "They have so much iodine that consumers are advised to eat it no more than three times per week."
Since the concentration of specific nutrients in seaweed can interact with various medications, check with your doctor if you have a thyroid condition or take blood thinners before going all in.
Seaweed is just as beneficial to water systems as it is to our personal health. Carbon capture might be the buzzword of the moment in the fight to mitigate the climate crisis, but seaweed has been doing it naturally all this time. "Seaweed pulls carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and uses it to make more carbohydrates," Camire said. "We are not sure how much seaweed farming it would take to have a significant effect on global warming, but it helps."
Seaweed also works as a component of regenerative aquaculture by consuming nitrogen and phosphorus, two elements that can harm the ocean when found in large quantities. "Seaweed also provides a place for smaller sea creatures to hide from predators," establishing refuge environments that can help restore diverse marine life in overfished habitats, Camire said.
Even better: Seaweed requires no fertilizer or pesticides to grow in the ocean, whether it's farmed there or harvested wild.
How to add seaweed to your everyday meals
OK, now you may be convinced that seaweed is worth sampling. But there's no need to forage for it -- not that you'd want to. Make sure the seaweed products you're getting are certified organic or tested for heavy metal content, Camire said, because "some types of seaweed are more likely to have heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and arsenic."
Other than eating lots of temaki rolls and packaged seaweed snacks or adding more nori sheets to your ramen, there are several ways to incorporate edible seaweed into your meal routine.
Springtide Seaweed air-dries kelp and mills it into powder for seasonings such as Italian kelp and Red Bay seasoning, which can be sprinkled on everything from popcorn to garlic bread. Add dried kelp ribbons to soups, stews or any dish where you'd sauté kale and other leafy greens. "We try to put seaweed in a form that's easy for people to use and incorporate into their diet," Redmond said.
Want your kelp for breakfast? Atlantic Sea Farms, another Maine seaweed producer, incorporates kelp into frozen smoothie cubes alongside antioxidant-rich fruits such as cranberries and blueberries. If you're feeling spicy, try some of their kelp-based kimchi. To turn up the heat, add some kelp hot sauce from Alaska's Barnacle Foods.
Or if you prefer your seaweed on the grill, Akua makes kelp burgers and ground kelp, which can be transformed into meatballs, used in tacos or anywhere else ground meat usually makes an appearance on the menu.
You can even have seaweed that satisfies a sweet tooth in the form of kelp chocolate bars (plain or with potato chips) or by making your own chocolate chip cookies that sneak powdered kelp into the mix.
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Additional valet service creates more capacity at some of the busiest stations and complements City of Boston's free 30-day pass offer
BOSTON, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To help support Metro Boston residents during the upcoming Orange and Green Line shutdowns, Bluebikes title sponsor Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Blue Cross) will sponsor additional valet service at four Bluebikes stations, expanding accessibility to the public bike share system at peak usage times. Bluebikes is owned by the system's 11 municipalities and operated by Lyft.
With an expected increase in Bluebikes ridership during the Orange and Green Line closures, the valet service will help expand bike and dock availability at some of the busiest stations and provide an accessible and alternative mode of transportation during the shutdowns. The additional valet support, sponsored by Blue Cross and in partnership with the City of Boston, will be available to riders at select Bluebikes stations weekdays from Monday, August 22, through Friday, September 16, during the hours of 7-11 am and 3-7 pm. To find real-time valet service locations, please visit the System Map on the Bluebikes website or the Bluebikes app and look for the Valet icon at your destination station to confirm service is active.
"We're committed to promoting accessible, healthy transit options in our communities, including through continued collaboration with our partners across the Bluebikes municipalities," said Jeff Bellows, vice president of corporate citizenship and public affairs at Blue Cross. "We hope that our support of Bluebikes will help support greater Boston residents through the MBTA shutdowns."
In conjunction with the additional valet support during this time, the City of Boston has also announced free 30-day Bluebikes passes during the MBTA closures to further support the community. To access free passes, which are available beginning August 19, residents can download the Bluebikes app or navigate to Bluebikes.com/join and select a Monthly Membership. Existing Bluebikes users can log into their online account and select "Renew Membership." Current monthly members with auto-renew turned on will not be charged for the new pass this month.
Blue Cross is in the fifth year of a six-year Bluebikes title sponsorship, which launched in May 2018. Through its partnership with the municipal owners of Bluebikes, Blue Cross continues to support system growth and accessibility, including station expansions, upgrades, and additional bikes, and is pleased to be able to support the city of Boston during this scheduled MBTA maintenance.
Bluebikes is public transportation by bike. The system is jointly owned and managed by the Cities of Boston, Cambridge, Everett, Salem and Somerville and the Town of Brookline. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is the system's title sponsor. Riders can find 400 stations and 4,000 bikes across 11 municipalities in Metro Boston. Since 2011, more than 14 million trips have been taken by bike share. For more information about Bluebikes, visit bluebikes.com.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (bluecrossma.org) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are committed to the relentless pursuit of quality, affordable and equitable health care with an unparalleled consumer experience. Consistent with our promise to always put our members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/blue-cross-blue-shield-massachusetts-sponsors-bluebikes-valets-help-expand-bike-availability-during-mbta-shutdowns/ | 2022-08-18T20:56:48Z |
It took until the final game on the final night of the NHL regular season to set the matchups for the first round of the playoffs.
Naturally, the battle for the Stanley Cup starts in less than 72 hours.
Technically there’s still one more inconsequential, weather-postponed game to be played on Sunday, but all eight first-round series are set. The playoffs begin Monday when the Metropolitan Division-champion Carolina Hurricanes host the Boston Bruins in Game 1.
Nashville blowing a four-goal lead and losing to last-place Arizona hours after Dallas beat Anaheim with an emergency backup goaltender in net for the third period flipped two matchups in the Western Conference. The Predators will now open at top-seeded Colorado with the Stars going to Calgary to face the Flames.
Colorado lost to Dallas in the playoffs two years ago and now may have an easier path through the playoffs against Nashville, which could be without injured starting goalie Juuse Saros. The winner of the Avalanche-Predators series will face whichever team comes out of what promises to be a bruising showdown between Minnesota and St. Louis.
The Wild and Blues were the first series to get locked in, but it took until Friday night to determine who had home ice. After Minnesota beat Colorado and St. Louis lost to recently eliminated Vegas, the series will begin in St. Paul on Monday.
Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers open at home against the Los Angeles Kings with the winner advancing to the survivor of Calgary-Dallas. The Oilers haven’t won a round since 2017.
The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t won a playoff series since 2004 and face a major challenge trying to break that trend against the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The Leafs beat the Bruins to set up a series against the Lightning that starts Monday in Toronto.
Carolina-Boston is a rematch of the 2019 East final and a 2020 second-round tilt. The Bruins won each of those series but go into this one as a slight underdog, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, despite the likelihood of Hurricanes starting goalie Frederik Andersen missing at least the start of the first round.
They’re not the only team in the East with goaltending questions.
The Washington Capitals limp into the playoffs on a four-game skid with no clarity whether Ilya Samsonov or Vitek Vanecek will be in net for Game 1 against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Florida Panthers on Tuesday. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has also missed the past three games with an apparent left shoulder injury.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been without starting goalie Tristan Jarry, and their situation remains unclear going into their series against the New York Rangers that starts Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. Tampa Bay still has 2021 playoff MVP Andrei Vasilevskiy between the pipes, but the Rangers go into this postseason with the likely Vezina Trophy winner in Igor Shesterkin.
The winners of the Panthers-Capitals and Maple Leafs-Lightning series will face off in the Atlantic Division side of the East bracket, while the Rangers-Penguins and Hurricanes-Bruins winners will meet in the Metro half.
All eight teams in the East finished with 100 or more points, the first time that has happened in either conference in NHL history.
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Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno
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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://cw33.com/sports/ap-sports/nhl-playoff-matchups-determined-after-frantic-final-night/ | 2022-04-30T15:01:41Z |
(WTAJ) — Hollywood A-lister Bradley Cooper is unrecognizable after transforming into an elder Leonard Bernstein for “Maestro,” a Netflix original that Cooper himself is directing.
“Maestro” follows the life and love of Leonard Bernstein from when he met his wife, Felicia Montealegre, played by Carey Mulligan, in 1946 and into his final years. Netflix shared out photos from the movie set on Twitter on Memorial Day.
Bernstein, born in 1918, was a composer, conductor and pianist. He may be best known for composing West Side Story in collaboration with Stephen Sondheim and Jerome Robbins
According to Variety, Steven Spielberg was originally attached to direct a Bernstein biographical drama and recruited Cooper to star in it. Cooper at the time was more interested in writing and directing after working on ‘A Star is Born.’
“I [told Spielberg], ‘I always felt like I could play a conductor, but may I research the material and see if I can write it and direct it? Would you let me do that?’” Cooper told Variety. “Steven has a lot of interests — he’ll just choose one thing and all of the other things will be on hold. I think he knew he wasn’t going to make that movie for a while. He was kind enough to hand it off to me, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the last four and a half years.”
Cooper not only directed “A Star is Born” but also starred in it alongside Lady Gaga. The film received countless award nominations, including eight Oscar nods, including best picture.
“Maestro” reportedly started filming in May, but Cooper reportedly commented that fans shouldn’t expect the film until sometime in 2023.
The film also stars Maya Hawke, daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke who plays Robin in “Stranger Things,” as well as Matt Bomer from the “Magic Mike” films. | https://cw33.com/entertainment-news/bradley-cooper-is-unrecognizable-in-new-netflix-project/ | 2022-05-31T13:42:59Z |
ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 3M today announced the following investor event:
- Morgan Stanley 10th Annual Laguna Conference on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. Monish Patolawala, executive vice president, chief financial and transformation officer, will speak at 11:45 a.m. EDT.
This event will be webcast live and a replay will be available on 3M's Investor Relations website at http://investors.3M.com.
3M (NYSE: MMM) believes science helps create a brighter world for everyone. By unlocking the power of people, ideas and science to reimagine what's possible, our global team uniquely addresses the opportunities and challenges of our customers, communities, and planet. Learn how we're working to improve lives and make what's next at 3M.com/news or on Twitter at @3M or @3MNews.
Investor Contact:
Bruce Jermeland
(651) 733-1807
Diane Farrow
(612) 202-2449
Media Contact:
Tim Post
tpost3@mmm.com
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SOURCE 3M | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/08/31/3m-announces-upcoming-investor-event/ | 2022-08-31T15:12:46Z |
YINCHUAN, China, Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The opening ceremony of the second China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo was held Wednesday in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
The expo, which runs until Sept. 12, features an international wine contest, a wine trade fair, and forums on pilot zone construction as well as wine production, culture and tourism.
According to the Organizing Committee, a total of 797 wine varieties from 43 producing regions in 16 countries will compete in the wine contest, up 25 percent from the previous year.
Fifty-four cooperation projects worth a total of 17.3 billion yuan (about 2.5billion U.S. dollars) have been inked at the expo, covering winery construction, culture and tourism, and wine sales.
Over the years, Ningxia has grown into a major wine-making region in China. In July last year, the National Open Development Comprehensive Pilot Zone for the Grape and Wine Industry, the first of its kind in China, was set up, with the objective of turning the region into China's Bordeaux.
Data shows that the coverage of vineyards in Ningxia has reached 35,000 hectares in 2021, accounting for nearly one third of China's total. There are 116 wineries that have been completed in the region, with an annual output of 130 million bottles. Another 112 wineries are under construction.
In 2021, Ningxia saw its wine exports increase by 256 percent year-on-year despite the pandemic.
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Caption: The opening ceremony of the second China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo was held in Yinchuan.
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SOURCE The Organizing Committee of the Second China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/08/intl-wine-culture-tourism-expo-opens-chinas-ningxia/ | 2022-09-08T06:04:32Z |
Sector is at an inflection point, states new Yardi Matrix mid-year outlook
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The national outlook for the multifamily sector remains positive through the end of 2022, with asking rent performance expected to have increased by around eight percent by year's end.
That's according to the latest U.S. Multifamily Outlook report released today by Yardi® Matrix, a leading provider of data and analysis on most real estate verticals.
The report examines the state of the economy, including ongoing inflation and recession concerns, but concludes that though rent growth is slowing down, gains are expected to continue.
Average national asking rents increased 5.7 percent in the first six months of the year. Year-over-year rent growth at the year's midpoint was 13.7 percent, down 100 basis points from the end of 2021 and 150 basis points from the February peak of 15.2 percent.
"While growth is moderating, we expect gains will continue to remain well above trend, with average asking rents increasing by 7.9 percent nationally by the end of 2022," states the forecast. However, the increases are far from 2021's record 14.7 percent increase.
Property fundamentals continue to be exceptional, with demand driven by robust household formation, job growth, migration to suburbs and secondary markets, and the inaffordability of single-family homes for many would-be buyers.
More than 900,000 new multifamily units are under construction nationally, with 420,000 expected to be delivered this year. Gain more insights about expectations for the remaining months of 2022 in the latest Matrix Multifamily Outlook.
Yardi Matrix offers the industry's most comprehensive market intelligence tool for investment professionals, equity investors, lenders and property managers who underwrite and manage investments in commercial real estate. Yardi Matrix covers multifamily, student housing, industrial, office and self storage property types. Email matrix@yardi.com, call (480) 663-1149 or visit yardimatrix.com to learn more.
About Yardi
Yardi® develops and supports industry-leading investment and property management software for all types and sizes of real estate companies. With 8,000 employees, Yardi is working with our clients globally to drive significant innovation in the real estate industry. For more information on how Yardi is Energized for Tomorrow, visit yardi.com.
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SOURCE Yardi | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/us-multifamily-performance-expected-sustain-economic-turbulence/ | 2022-07-21T13:01:17Z |
Q4-2022 Highlights
- Revenues increased 53.9% to $120.0 million, compared to $78.0 million for the same quarter last year.
- Adjusted EBITDA(1) increased 85.5% to $6.0 million, or 5.0% of revenues (Adjusted EBITDA Margin(1)), compared to $3.3 million, or 4.2% of revenues, for the same quarter last year.
- Gross margin increased 32.5% to $31.1 million, compared to $23.5 million for the same quarter last year.
- Gross margin as a percentage of revenues(2) was 25.9%, compared to 30.1% for the same quarter last year, a decrease explained in part by the acquisition of R3D Consulting Inc. ("R3D") ("R3D Acquisition").
- Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues(2) decreased to 21.8%, from 27.9% for the same quarter last year.
- Net loss of $7.3 million, or $0.08 per share, compared to a net loss of $2.5 million, or $0.04 per share, for the same quarter last year.
- Q4 Bookings(2) reached $107.2 million, which translated into a Book-to-Bill Ratio(2) of 0.89.
- Successfully completed 21 go-live implementations and signed 11 new clients during the fourth quarter, and 120 new clients during fiscal 2022.
- Entered into a binding agreement on June 1, 2022 to acquire US-based Datum Consulting Group, LLC, a leader in IP enabled digital transformation services for data rich insurers and other regulated entities such as state governments.
F2022 Highlights
- Revenues increased 52.2% to $437.9 million, compared to $287.6 million last year.
- Adjusted EBITDA increased 134.4% to $22.6 million, or 5.2% of revenues (Adjusted EBITDA Margin), from $9.6 million, or 3.4% of revenues, last year.
- Gross margin increased 39.9% to $116.1 million, compared to $83.0 million last year.
- Gross margin as a percentage of revenues was 26.5%, compared to 28.9% last year, a decrease explained in part by the R3D Acquisition.
- Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues decreased to 22.6%, from 28.4% last year.
- Net loss of $15.5 million, or $0.18 per share, compared to a net loss of $17.3 million, or $0.30 per share last year.
- Fiscal 2022 Bookings reached $1,031.8 million, which translated into a Book-to-Bill ratio of 2.36.
MONTREAL, June 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Alithya Group inc. (TSX: ALYA) (NASDAQ: ALYA) ("Alithya" or the "Company") reported today its results for the fourth quarter and fiscal 2022 ended March 31, 2022. All amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.
Summary of the financial results for the fourth quarter and for the twelve-month period:
"We are pleased to have registered another quarter of record revenues to end our 2022 fiscal year. Our fiscal year was marked by notable growth in revenues and Adjusted EBITDA, both on a sequential basis, and year-over-year. We posted a strong performance in terms of Bookings, with a robust annual Book-to-Bill ratio of 2.36 for the past 12 months, ending the year with strong numbers in Q4 in the manufacturing and healthcare verticals, in the United States. Our healthy pipeline of signed contracts reflects the level of trust that our customers continue to place in us in carrying out their critical, digital transformation projects. It also validates the strategic merits of our recent acquisitions, with customers now demanding additional services derived from those transactions, including new solutions and bolstered expertise.
Following an already active year on the acquisition front, on June 1, 2022, we announced our acquisition of US-based Datum Consulting Group and its affiliates ("Datum"), expected to close on July 1, 2022. Datum is a leader in specialized IP-enabled digital transformation services and software, primarily targeting customers in the insurance industry and public sector. By joining forces with Datum, Alithya continues its steady penetration of the fast-growing InsurTech market. In addition to welcoming an impressive client base that includes 6 of the top 10 health insurers in the United States, synergies obtained from the acquired company include a suite of proprietary products and cloud-based SaaS offerings generating recurring revenue, as well as a highly skilled workforce of 150 professionals based in the United States, Europe, India, and Australia.
With the acquisition of Datum, Alithya will have completed 9 successful acquisitions since going public in 2018, including three in the past two quarters alone. Given our new critical mass and growing maturity, we started in Q4 accelerating our efforts to drive cost efficiencies and synergies across the company.
We have the leaders and experience required to vigilantly address the current challenges of global uncertainties, a competitive landscape, continued labour market shortages, and some inflationary pressure on wages. As the accelerated growth of our revenues sometimes forces us, reluctantly, to hire more subcontractors, which has a negative impact on our gross margins, we remain committed and focused on our 2021-2024 strategic plan objectives and enter fiscal 2023 with confidence and optimism."
Revenues
Revenues amounted to $120.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, including revenues from the R3D Acquisition, recorded in other Canadian entities of the Group following its administrative integration at the end of the third quarter of this year, and $5.0 million from the acquisition of Vitalyst, LLC ("Vitalyst") ("Vitalyst Acquisition"), representing a $42.0 million increase, or 53.9%, from $78.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
Revenues in Canada increased by $28.8 million, or 63.3%, to $74.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, from $45.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The increase in revenues was due to organic growth in all areas, the general recovery of activity levels, revenues from the R3D Acquisition, and growth from the two long-term contracts signed as part of the R3D Acquisition. On a sequential basis, revenues in Canada increased by $2.1 million, from $72.1 million for the third quarter of this year.
U.S. revenues increased by $11.6 million, or 39.4%, to $41.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, from $29.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, due primarily to organic growth in all areas, the general recovery of activity levels, and revenues of $5.0 million from the Vitalyst Acquisition. On a sequential basis, revenues in the U.S. increased by $7.6 million, from $33.7 million for the third quarter of this year, despite an unfavorable US$ exchange rate impact of $0.2 million.
International revenues increased by 54.7%, to $4.5 million, from $2.9 million for the same quarter last year, due primarily to a general recovery of activity levels, partially offset by the negative impact of foreign exchange variations between the two periods. In local currency, this represents a record quarter for revenues. On a sequential basis, international revenues increased by $0.7 million, from $3.8 million for the third quarter of this year.
Gross Margin
Gross margin increased by $7.6 million, or 32.5%, to $31.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, from $23.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. Gross margin as a percentage of revenues decreased to 25.9% for the three months ended March 31, 2022, from 30.1% for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
The percentage decrease was driven in part by decreased gross margin in Canada from the R3D Acquisition, whose operations are now recorded in other Canadian entities of the Group following its administrative integration at the end of the third quarter of this year, and whose revenues historically show a higher proportion from billable subcontractors, resulting in lower margins. Gross margin percentage also decreased in other areas of the business due to an increase in subcontractor revenues relative to revenues from permanent employees. The high demand for Alithya's services, as evidenced by its strong revenue growth, coupled with a tightening labour market, have resulted in this increased reliance on subcontractors. Finally, increased costs in certain customer projects in Canada and the U.S., partly due to market pressures on salary costs, and decreased governmental wage subsidies in Canada were partially offset by increased gross margins internationally and a positive margin impact from the Vitalyst Acquisition.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses totaled $26.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, an increase of $4.5 million, or 20.5%, from $21.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. As a percentage of consolidated revenues, total selling, general and administrative expenses amounted to 21.8% for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to 27.9% for the same period last year.
Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA amounted to $6.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, representing an increase of $2.7 million, from $3.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. As explained above, the contribution from the Vitalyst Acquisition and increased gross margin were partially offset by increased selling, general and administrative expenses. Adjusted EBITDA Margin was 5.0% for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to 4.2% for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
Net Loss
Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2022 was $7.3 million, an increase of $4.8 million, from $2.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The increased loss was driven by increased selling, general and administrative expenses, increased business acquisition, integration and reorganization costs, increased depreciation and amortization, increased net financial expenses, and decreased income tax recovery, partially offset by increased gross margin in the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2021. On a per share basis, this translated into a basic and diluted net loss per share of $0.08 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, compared to a net loss of $0.04 per share for the three months ended March 31, 2021.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
For the three months ended March 31, 2022, net cash used in operating activities was $4.8 million, representing an increase of $2.8 million, from $2.0 million of cash used for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2022 resulted primarily from the net loss of $7.3 million, plus $5.0 million of non-cash adjustments to the net loss, consisting primarily of depreciation and amortization and share-based compensation, partially offset by deferred taxes, and $2.6 million in unfavorable changes in non-cash working capital items. In comparison, the cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2021 resulted primarily from the net loss of $2.5 million, plus $3.5 million of non-cash adjustments to the net loss, consisting primarily of depreciation and amortization, unrealized foreign exchange loss, and share-based compensation, partially offset by the forgiveness of PPP loans and deferred taxes, and $3.0 million in unfavorable changes in non-cash working capital items.
Revenues
Revenues amounted to $437.9 million for the twelve months ended March 31, 2022, including $51.0 million from the R3D Acquisition and $5.0 million from the Vitalyst Acquisition, representing a $150.3 million increase, or 52.2%, from $287.6 million for the twelve months ended March 31, 2021.
Gross Margin
Gross margin increased by $33.1 million, or 39.9%, to $116.1 million for the twelve months ended March 31, 2022, from $83.0 million for the twelve months ended March 31, 2021. Gross margin as a percentage of revenues decreased to 26.5% for the twelve months ended March 31, 2022, from 28.9% for the twelve months ended March 31, 2021. However, excluding the impact of the R3D Acquisition prior to its administrative integration at the end of the third quarter of this year, gross margin as a percentage of revenues would have been 1.7% higher for the twelve months ended March 31, 2022.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses totaled $98.8 million for the twelve months ended March 31, 2022, an increase of $17.1 million, or 20.9%, from $81.7 million for the twelve months ended March 31, 2021. As a percentage of consolidated revenues, total selling, general and administrative expenses amounted to 22.6% for the twelve months ended March 31, 2022, compared to 28.4% for the twelve months ended March 31, 2021.
Adjusted EBITDA and Net loss
Adjusted EBITDA amounted to $22.6 million for the twelve months ended March 31, 2022, representing an increase of $13.0 million, from $9.6 million for the twelve months ended March 31, 2021. Net loss for the twelve months ended March 31, 2022 was $15.5 million, an improvement of $1.8 million, from $17.3 million for the twelve months ended March 31, 2021.
Subsequent Event
On June 1, 2022, the Company entered into a binding agreement to acquire all of the outstanding shares of the US-based Datum Consulting Group, LLC and its affiliates ("Datum)"("Datum Acquisition"). The closing of the transaction is expected to take place on July 1, 2022 and is subject to customary conditions for a transaction of this nature, including approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange.
The Datum Acquisition will be completed for total consideration of up to US$45.5 million ($57.5 million), including the assumption of estimated IFRS 16 lease liabilities of US$0.5 million ($0.6 million), subject to working capital and other adjustments. The consideration will consist of: (i) approximately US$13.7 million ($17.3 million) in cash; (ii) US$4.0 million ($5.1 million) payable by the issuance of 1,867,262 Subordinate Voting Shares, (iii) deferred cash consideration of approximately US$10.3 million ($13.0 million) and deferred share consideration of US$4.0 million ($5.1 million), both payable over three years and (iv) potential earn-out consideration of up to US$13.0 million ($16.4 million), payable in cash (75%) and shares (25%), based on annual gross profit increases, available over three years.
As a result of measures enacted during fiscal 2022 and 2021 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, increased uncertainty surrounding global economic conditions and business impacts have resulted. In this context, the Company's priority remains the protection of its people, its clients and the Company. However, notwithstanding the ongoing, global uncertainties, the Company has demonstrated its ability to navigate the crisis and maintain focus on its long-term strategic plan, which sets as a goal to consolidate its position to become a trusted North American digital transformation leader.
According to this plan, Alithya's consolidated scale and scope should allow it to leverage its geographies, expertise, integrated offerings, and position on the value chain to target the fastest growing IT services segments. Alithya's specialization in digital technologies and the flexibility to deploy enterprise solutions, and deliver solutions tailored to specific business objectives, responds directly to client expectations. More specifically, Alithya has established a three-pronged plan focusing on:
- Increasing scale through organic growth and strategic acquisitions
- Achieving best-in-class employee engagement
- Providing its investors, partners and stakeholders with long-term growing return on investment.
This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable U.S. safe harbours (collectively "forward-looking statements"). Statements that do not exclusively relate to historical facts, as well as statements relating to management's expectations regarding the future growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects of Alithya, and other information related to Alithya's business strategy and future plans or which refer to the characterizations of future events or circumstances represent forward-looking statements. Such statements often contain the words "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "could," "would," "will," "may," "can," "continue," "potential," "should," "project," "target," and similar expressions and variations thereof, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
Forward-looking statements in this press release include, among other things, information or statements about: (i) our ability to generate sufficient earnings to support our operations; (ii) our ability to take advantage of business opportunities and meet our goals set in our three-year strategic plan; (iii) our ability to develop new business, broaden the scope of our service offerings and enter into new contracts; (iv) our strategy, future operations, and prospects; (v) our need for additional financing and our estimates regarding our future financing and capital requirements; (vi) our expectations regarding our financial performance, including our revenues, profitability, research and development, costs and expenses, gross margins, liquidity, capital resources, and capital expenditures; (vii) our ability to realize the expected synergies or cost savings relating to the integration of our business acquisitions, and (viii) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related response measures on our business operations, financial results and financial position and those of our clients and on the economy in general.
Forward-looking statements are presented for the sole purpose of assisting investors and others in understanding Alithya's objectives, strategies and business outlook as well as its anticipated operating environment and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Although management believes the expectations reflected in Alithya's forward-looking statements were reasonable as at the date they were made, forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management and, as such, are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond Alithya's control, and which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to those discussed in the section titled "Risks and Uncertainties" of Alithya's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended March 31, 2022, as well as in Alithya's other materials made public, including documents filed with Canadian and U.S. securities regulatory authorities from time to time and which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to Alithya or that Alithya currently deems to be immaterial could also have a material adverse effect on its financial position, financial performance, cash flows, business or reputation.
Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and are made only as of the date of this press release. Alithya expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since actual results may vary materially from them.
This press release includes certain measures which have not been prepared in accordance with IFRS and other financial measures. EBITDA, EBITDA Margin, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin, are non-IFRS measures and Bookings, Book-to-Bill Ratio, Gross Margin as a Percentage of Revenues and Selling, General and Administrative as a Percentage of Revenues are other financial measures used in this press release. These measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. These measures should be considered as supplemental in nature and not as a substitute for the related financial information prepared in accordance with IFRS. Additional details for these non-IFRS and other financial measures can be found in section 5,"Non-IFRS and Other Financial Measures", of Alithya's MD&A for the year ended March 31, 2022, filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov, and are incorporated by reference in this press release, which includes explanations of the composition and usefulness of these non IFRS financial measures and non IFRS ratios.
The following table reconciles net loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:
Alithya will hold a conference call to discuss these results on June 17, 2022, at 9:00 AM Eastern Time. Interested parties can join the call by dialing 888 396 8049, conference ID 43750636, or via webcast at https://www.icastpro.ca/muu7r8. The conference call recording can be accessed via the same URL link until July 17, 2022.
Alithya is a North American leader in strategy and digital transformation, employing a dedicated and highly skilled workforce of 3,700 professionals in Canada, the United States and internationally. Since its founding in 1992, Alithya's capacity, size, and capabilities have continuously evolved, guided by a long-term strategic vision to become the trusted advisor of its clients. Alithya's strategy is based on a plan of accelerated organic growth and complementary acquisitions to create a global leader. The company's integrated offer is based on four pillars of expertise: business strategies, enterprise cloud solutions, application services, and data and analytics. Alithya deploys leading-edge solutions, services, and skills as one of the most prominent consulting firms, driving successful digital change as a trusted advisor to customers in a variety of sectors, including financial services, manufacturing, renewable energy, telecommunications, transport and logistics, professional services, healthcare, government, and beyond. Alithya strives to be a model of corporate responsibility, professional equity, diversity, and inclusion, with a vibrant business culture that embraces social consciousness at its core. To learn more about Alithya, visit www.alithya.com.
Note to readers: Management's Discussion and Analysis and the annual consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, and the Annual Report on Form 40-F, for the year ended March 31, 2022 are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, on EDGAR at www.sec.gov and on the Company's website at www.alithya.com. Shareholders may, upon request, receive a hard copy of these documents free of charge.
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The Smart Sleep Pad extends Hapbee device line-up with a new form factor designed for sleep that delivers strong results
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Hapbee Technologies, Inc. (TSXV: HAPB) (OTCQB: HAPBF) (FSE: HA1) ("Hapbee" or the "Company"), the digital wellness technology company is pleased to announce the launch of the Hapbee Smart Sleep Pad, a versatile, comfort-first, sleep-oriented pad that is powered by Hapbee's innovative digital wellness app.
Over 70% of Americans suffer from different types of sleep disorder such as chronic insomnia, interrupted sleep as well as issues related to falling asleep or getting sufficient deep, restorative sleep. A growing number of these consumers are turning away from stimulants and chemicals and looking to innovative and effective natural solutions like Hapbee that are drug-free and do not harbor negative side effects.
Engineering Hapbee's unique digital wellness technology into a recognizable, consumer-friendly product has been a major priority for the Company based on feedback from both consumers and enterprise clients.
The pad measures approx 12" x 18" and is roughly 0.5" thick. Its exterior is made of soft, quilted material with a foam padded center for maximum comfort and minimum disruption. It has been designed for versatility - for use on the bed under a pillow or as a pillow, while traveling as well as for behind the back for comfort and relaxation while a person is seated. The pad is thin and cushioned and as a result, it can be used anywhere to ensure quality sleep.
One of the Smart Sleep Pad's most compelling features is its apparent improved efficacy for sleep as compared to the Hapbee Neckband. It features a 10" coil that is 50% larger than the Neckband, which in lab tests and human trials has delivered consistently stronger and more noticeable effects due to the larger field radius and "sweet spot" that overcomes movement during sleep.
"The Smart Sleep Pad represents a major milestone for our company and for our customers," said Yona Shtern, CEO of Hapbee. "After months of careful research and lots of feedback from our community of users, we are delighted to have designed an effective, natural, user-friendly product designed especially for sleep - our largest category of use. This new form factor provides our customers with the night-time sleep and relaxation solution they have been asking for and is the perfect complement to the Hapbee Neckband for focus and performance during the day."
Furthermore, the Smart Sleep Pad will be shown at the Company's booth at the BioHacking Convention at the Beverly Hills Hilton in Los Angeles, California from September 15 to September 18, 2022.
The Smart Sleep Pad is compatible with Hapbee App Version 2.0 and later versions. Current Hapbee subscribers do not require an additional subscription to power the device. They simply need to register the Smart Sleep Pad to their account directly in the Hapbee App.
The Smart Sleep Pad is available for pre-order starting on September 15 on the Company's website at www.Hapbee.com. First production of the pads are scheduled to start shipping in time for the end-of-year holiday season. Orders will be shipped on a first-come, first-served basis and customers are encouraged to place their orders early to ensure access to current production run.
Users can upgrade to Hapbee Mobile App version 2.0.4 or later as a free download in Apple's App Store and Google Play.
Hapbee is a digital wellness technology company that aims to help people take control of how they sleep, perform and feel. Hapbee's digital wellness library of Blends and Routines utilizes patented ultra-low radio frequency energy (ulRFE®), designed to help optimize users' sleep, productivity, recovery, and downtime. Hapbee devices and subscriptions are available for purchase at Hapbee.com and through a growing network of select distributors.
You can learn more about how Hapbee works at www.hapbee.com/science.
Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking information or statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including those identified by the expressions "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "should" and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Company or its management. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect current expectations regarding future results or events. This news release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and various estimates, factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Any statements about Hapbee's product marketing and development initiatives; and the introduction of new products or services; are all forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Company's ability to meet its planned product marketing and development initiatives and the Company's ability to achieve its e-commerce rollout and full-scale commercial launch as anticipated.
Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, delays in design, production, manufacturing, development or releases of signal blends, collection of data from customer use, or the Company may not be able to achieve its targets as anticipated or at all; changes in legislation and regulations; increase in operating costs; equipment failures; failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations; litigation; the loss of key directors, employees, advisors or consultants and fees charged by service providers. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those described in Hapbee's annual information form dated January 27, 2021, a copy of which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by law. Readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
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SOURCE Hapbee Technologies Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/hapbee-launches-latest-wellness-tech-innovation-hapbee-smart-sleep-pad/ | 2022-09-15T13:51:22Z |
BEIJING, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital leads the future, innovation gathers strength, entrepreneurship liberates dreams. The highly-anticipated Global Digital Economy Innovation Contest 2022 Final was launched at the China National Convention Center on July 28.
The Global Digital Economy Conference (hereinafter referred to as GDEC) 2022 is hosted by People's Government of Beijing Municipality, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Commerce, Cyberspace Administration of China, and China Association for Science and Technology. As an important part of GDEC 2022, this contest is jointly organized by Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Chaoyang District People's Government of Beijing Municipality and Asia Digital Group. Themed "Tech Innovation, Industry Empowerment - New Pattern of Digital Economy", based on internationalization, professionalization and industrialization, this contest gathers 200+ investment mentors from around the world, 500+ roadshow projects from 20+ countries including Finland, France, Germany, Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Hungary, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Israel, etc., holding 1 final contest and 5 preliminary contests, and activities in the forms of supporting exhibition, industry matchmaking, cloud contest, metaverse session, etc., creating the "1 + 5 + N" overall contest architecture, focusing on the new generation of information technology, digital healthcare, digital art and sports, digital low carbon, digital consumption, digital manufacturing, and other key global digital economy development industries, penetrating into 20 + niche areas, providing an important platform for global digital economy makers to display and communicate.
Attending the final are Jiang Guangzhi, party member and deputy director of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, and Shu Bilei, party member and deputy district mayor of Chaoyang District People's Government of Beijing Municipality and delivered speeches. Zhang Li, executive vice president of Asia Digital Group sent her message to the contest and served as a judge. An Jing, managing partner of Ultrabuttonwood Capital, Bian Chao, founding partner of Yuankun Venture Capital, Deng Yuanyun, partner of Kaiyun Motors and president of NGP Capital Investment Committee, Gao Qingyi, partner of Innolink Fund Capital, Han Ze, partner of Fenrui Capital, Ji Li, managing director of Huagai Capital Digital Fund, Quan Le, vice president of Shenzhen Capital Group Company (SCGC) North China HQ, Wang Jianning, vice president of Bank of Beijing City Sub-center Branch, Xie Tao, managing director of China Mobile Capital Investment, Xu Yong, founder of AC Accelerator, Yang Ge, founding partner of Skysaga Capital, and Zhou Yun, partner of Mount Morning Capital, served as judges for the final.
Visionary insight, discuss the new future of digital economy
Around the world, the accelerated innovation of the Internet, big data, cloud computing, AI, block chain and other information technologies actively boosted the development of digital economy into a global consensus, launched a series of development plans and relevant policies to realize rapid development of digital economy through innovation.
In the final of this contest, Jiang Guangzhi, party member and deputy director of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology stated in his speech that, Beijing conducted in-depth implementation of national digital economy development strategy, issued the Implementation Plan of Beijing Accelerate the Construction of Global Digital Economy Benchmark City, and a series of policies, gave full play to Beijing's science and tech talents and the advantage of gathering information industry and innovation resources, constantly drove the construction of global digital economy benchmark city, and achieved positive results in three aspects. First, proposed the digital original infrastructure construction, made new progress in new type of smart city. Second, deployed digital technology in advance, promoted breakthrough innovation in benchmark technology. Third, constantly promoted benchmark engineering projects, led the steady development of digital industry.
Shu Bilei, party member and deputy district mayor of Chaoyang District People's Government of Beijing Municipality stated in his speech that, Chaoyang district will further focus on the construction of global digital economy benchmark city and global center for science & technology innovation, strengthen the key core technology breakthrough, continue to guide the consumer, financial, cultural and other competitive industries to conduct digital transformation, increase openness of smart city, education, healthcare, and other areas of the people's livelihood and city governance application scenarios, improve the layout of new infrastructure such as 5G and computing centers, and continue to create a favorable environment for innovative development of the digital economy.
Zhang Li, executive vice president of Asia Digital Group, stated in her message that under the joint support of various parties from all over the globe, Global Digital Economy Innovation Contest 2022 will have greater influence in the world, and will effectively promote the construction and development of Beijing Global Digital Economy Benchmark City and the high-quality development of digital economy of Chaoyang district in Beijing. At the same time, Chaoyang district, with its premium business environment and rational layout of digital economy development, will attract more global makers to seek development and realize their dream of digital economy here.
London Breed, mayor of San Francisco, US, sent a congratulatory letter to the contest. She expressed that San Francisco is one of the leading cities in innovation. Many important developments of the digital world originated from San Francisco and are now widely applied on a global scale. People's daily life improved rapidly because of the digital economy, and the development of San Francisco coincides with the theme of GDEC 2022, namely "Embrace a Digital Future—New Factors, New Rules, New Patterns".
Roadshow Contest, striving for new benchmark of digital economy
The 11 projects shortlisted for the final of the contest include 3 overseas projects and 8 Chinese projects, covering AI edge computing, satellite IoT, sports technology, smart sports, intelligent service robots, environmental protection, intelligent manufacturing, intelligent automobiles, etc. In the final of the contest, the judges comprehensively evaluated 11 projects from 8 dimensions: project, product description, team and equity design, business model, market and marketing, competitiveness analysis, financial condition, operation condition, industrial policy, legal and regulatory risks.
Guizhou PIX Moving Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. presented the project of PIX pixel intelligence at the roadshow. Based on original modular chassis architecture, distributed drive and the independently developed mass production factory featuring generative design + digital manufacturing, PIX built the industrial mid-platform for autopilot and intelligent automobile, flexibly matching with different application scenarios, supporting the development of driverless special vehicles, commercial vehicles and passenger cars, covering dozens of industries including mobility, logistics, retail, security and defense, agriculture, real estate.
Chengdu Yuntu WiseVision Technology Co., Ltd. shared the project of edge computing plus AI algorithm, which provides a whole lifecycle standard edge AI computing infrastructure for AI algorithm production, algorithm sales, and application deployment. The company has achieved a comprehensive output value of 30 million RMB in 2021 and maintained a 3-fold annual growth rate.
Beijing Guodian Gaoke Technology Co., Ltd. shared the project of self-constructed and operated China's first LEO satellite IoT constellation "Tianqi constellation", providing global users with "space-air-ground-sea integrated" satellite IoT data communication services, so that China finally has its own LEO IoT constellation and not constricted by others anymore, creating great economic and social value for various industries.
LD sports technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. shared the project of fitness equipment intelligent system and network service platform. By leveraging virtual simulation technology, AI and network technology, it provides intelligent detection module, interactive software and network services platform for all brands of fitness equipment including spinning, exercise bike, treadmill, elliptical machine, rowing machine and stepper, can simulate outdoor cycling, running, rowing and other sports, and can analyze sports posture and data.
Nanhuai Intelligent Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. shared the project of Little Elephant Alfy interactive sports space applying LIDAR positioning and holographic projection technology. The project has 14+ patent intellectual property rights. By integrating the fun of sports, social sharing, competitive events, training data recording and big data analysis, it guides users to form exercise and fitness habits, helps traditional gyms to conduct intelligent data upgrading and transformation, enriches and optimizes service content and projects.
Zhejiang Fubao Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. shared the project of intelligent robot service solution for whole medical scenario, boosting the construction of smart hospitals, smart elderly care and smart city construction. The company holds the first CR certified service robot certificate in the industry, with successful cases covering healthcare, elderly care, finance, government affairs, transportation, Party building, etc. At present, it has more than 30 industry benchmark clients and implemented solutions in more than 10 market segments.
E3A Healthcare Pte Ltd from Singapore shared the project of MIoT diagnostics and treatment solution for family health. The company's core team has been working on optoelectronic technology for many years, with scientific and technological achievements including over 30 domestic and overseas patents and software copyrights. At present, it has completed three rounds of fund raising, with investors including National University of Singapore, Hong Kong X Fund and South Korea SUNBO Angel Fund, etc.
Shenzhen Meikyo Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. shared the project of mobile phone disassembling robot. It is the world's first commercially available disassembling robot and is currently in operation in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The goal of the company is to set up processing plants globally, use self-developed robots for all kinds of electronic solid waste disassembling processing, solve issues in global electronic solid waste processing information security and "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals" circular economy.
OLI shared the project mainly addressing the increased power uncertainty due to the rising proportion of sustainable energy, the large-scale application of energy storage technology, and enterprise carbon footprint accounting requirements in the national carbon neutrality strategy. Based on block chain technology, the company develops green power label, smart charge and discharge, real estate energy management products, integrates and develops regional electricity market and virtual grid products.
SHINEtoilets also from Germany, shared the project of sustainable health solutions providing 100% environmental protection. Instead of water, electricity and sewage, the project generates electricity from photovoltaic cells and fertilizes through natural waste disposal. Water is collected and recycled through vertical farms, dramatically reducing global water consumption and carbon emissions.
Changhui Auto Steering System (Huangshan) Co., Ltd. shared the project of vehicle electric power steering system (EPS). Changhui EPS mainly serves new energy electric vehicles and boosts the acceleration of electrification in the new energy industry, which is not only in line with the national development strategy, but also meets the rigid market demand. The company has its unique innovative invention patent, currently self-exports to more than 20 countries and regions overseas, provides original components to more than 40 automobile OEMs.
The final results of the contest will be announced at the Press Conference on Achievements of GDEC 2022 to be held on the 30th, and a number of high-quality digital economy projects will sign cooperation agreements with Chaoyang district, Beijing. During the final, there will also be closed-door industry meetings, where outstanding enterprises in the field of digital economy will be invited to demonstrate the project, and officials of Chaoyang district will have in-depth communication and interaction on digital economy, policy, space, etc. In addition, the cloud platform of the contest uses digital technologies such as digital twin, AI, holographic projection, VR and AR to build a metaverse space and brings immersive viewing experience to the audience. At the same time, many high-quality projects in the field of digital economy will not only be displayed in the contest venue, but also be exhibited to the global audience through cloud platform.
Throughout the whole process of the contest, a number of outstanding projects with global competitiveness, innovative ideas and guiding the industry's future development are gathered through the contest platform, injecting new impetus into the high-quality development of digital economy in China.
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SOURCE Asia Digital Group | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/08/01/inject-new-impetus-digital-economy-global-digital-economy-innovation-contest-2022-final-was-launched/ | 2022-08-01T07:49:07Z |
"Light & Magic" is of course a trip down memory lane about movies people love (beginning with "Star Wars") and the wizardry behind making them. Yet this six-part docuseries from Lawrence Kasdan, a veteran of that franchise, also contains a broader look at how technology can fundamentally reshape an industry in a way that can put even ingenious buggy-whip makers out of business.
The Disney+ production begins with two full episodes devoted to the making of "Star Wars," and the fact that director George Lucas had to essentially create the apparatus to realize those ambitious special effects from scratch. It ends with the transformational adoption of computer-generated visual effects, where, as director James Cameron notes, "The only limitation is money and imagination."
In between, Kasdan provides a thoughtful, often funny and meticulously detailed look at the craft of special effects, the small band of wizards that Lucas enlisted -- and the influences, from "King Kong" to "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad," that inspired them to begin tinkering with home movies at an early age -- and the evolution of filmmaking as effects came of age and a blockbuster mentality took over.
With the benefit of hindsight, the key decision came when Lucas opted to formally assemble the team he had brought together by creating Industrial Light and Magic, the company that became the go-to visual effects source for much of the film industry and a pioneer in the innovations that followed. Speaking of the ILM process, director J.J. Abrams describes it as "that rare magic trick where the technique is as good as the illusion."
Using landmark films to move the narrative along, from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" to the "Star Wars" sequels, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" to "Jurassic Park," Kasdan incorporates dazzling behind-the-scenes glimpses while devoting time to the colorful personalities that have become synonymous with special effects.
The discussions range from the wonky and technical -- John Dykstra discussing the motion-control system concocted to capture the dogfight sequences in "Star Wars" -- to the amusing, like putting potatoes in "The Empire Strikes Back" asteroid field or a "Raiders"-inspired recollection of how to melt a human head.
The big-name filmmakers interviewed also reveal their sense of awe as movie fans, then and now, such as Ron Howard recalling seeing "Star Wars" for the first time, leaving the theater, and promptly getting in a long line to see it again.
"Light & Magic" shares DNA with the 2015 documentary "Raiders, Raptors and Rebels: Behind the Magic of ILM," but it's a deeper dive into the material, one that celebrates the advances in special effects while contemplating its meaning, their limits and the toll as physical crafts gave way to digital representations.
"Visual effects create the magic that makes people want to go to the movies," Lucas says, but his pal Steven Spielberg adds the cautionary note, "When the effects become the story, we've lost our way."
There's also a touching aspect in the final hours, when ILM's model-shop employees came to grips with the digital wave sweeping over them. After stop-motion and creature effects mastermind Phil Tippett got his first look at the digital dinosaurs on "Jurassic Park," he told Spielberg, appropriately, "I feel extinct."
Disney+ has been extremely shrewd about turning what are essentially DVD extras into content for the streaming service (the making of "The Mandalorian," etc.), but "Light & Magic" feels like a more ambitious and at times almost profound history not just of how these advances came about, but the way such technology impacted the lives of those who created it.
When visual-effects ace Dennis Muren read the "Star Wars" script, he says, ""I just thought, 'This is impossible.'"
Now, those dazzling images are taken for granted. "Light & Magic" documents how the impossible became feasible, but to Kasdan's credit, its efforts to shed light on the magic doesn't stop there.
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/entertainment/light-magic-charts-the-visual-effects-revolution-from-star-wars-to-jurassic-park/article_3a9ab7e2-37e1-5f25-a46f-1fedff4e1a8a.html | 2022-07-27T14:23:00Z |
Biden restores celebration of Eid al-Fitr at White House
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden celebrated Eid al-Fitr on Monday, restoring celebrations of the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan at the White House after his predecessor scrapped them.
Muslims around the world typically abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan. Its end often means gathering for prayers, visiting family and friends and holding festive meals.
Addressing hundreds of attendees in the East Room, Biden said he’d promised as a presidential candidate to bring back marking Eid al-Fitr at the White House — but was forced to hold a virtual celebration last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Today, around the world, we’ve seen so many Muslims that have been targeted by violence. No one, no one should discriminate against or be oppressed, or be repressed, for their religious beliefs,” Biden said. “We have to acknowledge that an awful lot of work remains to be done, abroad and here at home. Muslims make our nation stronger every single day, even as they still face real challenges and threats in our society, including targeted violence and Islamophobia.”
Presidents have held Eid al-Fitr celebrations since the Clinton administration, until Donald Trump, who didn’t hold formal events. He instead released statements marking the holiday, including one in 2020 when Trump said of Muslims “we hope they find both comfort and strength in the healing powers of prayer and devotion.”
Biden said Monday that he’d recently nominated the first Muslim woman to the federal bench as part of a commitment to build an administration that values diversity and “looks like America.” He also jokingly compared fasting for Ramadan to his Catholic faith, which he said mandates that he make major sacrifices for Lent including having to “go 40 days” with “no sweets and no ice cream.”
Talib Shareef, Imam of Masjid Muhammad in Washington, known to some as “The Nation’s Mosque,” said of the White House gathering, “Being hosted here is an important statement for our nation and for the world.”
“A statement that Islam is a welcome part of our nation together with all the other faith traditions,” Shareef said. “And that the highest office in this land is committed to our nation’s foundational values and laws protecting religious freedom.”
Also addressing the event was first lady Jill Biden, who drew applause by saying that the holiday embodies above all “a joy born from love. Love for our families and for our communities, and for THIS community.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/02/biden-restores-celebration-eid-al-fitr-white-house/ | 2022-05-03T01:16:48Z |
Through the young company's innovative business model, GHG players have provided funding to charities of their choice while playing for real cash prizes in return for their generosity
BOSTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Hearts Games (GHG), a groundbreaking digital charitable promotional games company based in Boston, announced today it has processed over $10M donations since launching in August 2020 and over $6M so far in 2022 alone. Over 54,000 nonprofits across the country have grant funding from GHG as a result. GHG players can buy virtual currency (known as "Coins") that they use to play any and all of the company's internet and mobile games, and a percentage of their purchase is donated to a charitable cause of their choice. When players win, they win real cash that they keep. All GHG donations flow into a 501c3 donor-advised fund which facilitates grants, taken after player prize allocation, to the many player-selected charities.
"We're immensely proud to be helping tens of thousands of charities in every single state, from small local churches, homeless shelters and animal rescues to large nonprofit organizations," said Steve Kane, co-founder and CEO of GHG. "The generosity of our player community is truly inspiring, and I'm happy Golden Hearts Games can provide a new kind of digital entertainment experience that allows people to give back to their communities while doing what they already love, having fun playing games on their computers and phones and winning cash prizes."
Golden Hearts Games also invites interested nonprofits to join its Philanthropic Partner Coalition, which offers additional avenues for boosting funding for charities through GHG's games and now boasts over 90 organizations including St. Jude Children's Hospital and The Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City, among many other worthy organizations.
Media inquiries for Golden Hearts Games can be made by contacting Jocelin Leon at jocelin@thetascgroup.com or at 631-276-7314.
Those interested in business opportunities with Golden Hearts Games can refer to corp.goldenheartsgames.com; nonprofits interested in joining the philanthropic coalition can refer to org.goldenheartsgames.com and email Alexander Zapata at azapata@goldenheartsgames.com; to play games please refer to goldenheartsgames.com.
Media Contact: Jocelin Leon
The TASC Group
Phone: 631-276-7314
Email: jocelin@thetascgroup.com
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SOURCE Golden Hearts Games | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/boston-based-golden-hearts-games-worlds-first-charity-casino-surpasses-10m-donations-processes-over-6m-2022-alone-over-50000-nonprofits-have-now-received-funding-platform/ | 2022-06-23T00:55:07Z |
BEIJING, Sept. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from CRI Online:
Recently, a delegation of ambassadors from Brazil, Georgia, Guatemala, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan, South Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom, as well as a delegation of online influencers and foreign media journalists, toured the Three Gorges Dam area to learn about the combined effects of the Three Gorges project in water conservancy and hydropower, clean energy and ecological protection.
After completion, the Three Gorges project has demonstrated a wide range of benefits: the risk of a flood event along the Jing Jiang River, the weakest section of the Jianghan Plain, has been raised from "one in 10 years" to "one in 100 years"; annual power generation capacity from the project exceeds 100 billion kilowatt-hours, benefiting half of China; the annual freight volume passing through the Three Gorges surpasses 100 million tons, six times higher than before construction of the reservoir, while transportation costs have been trimmed by nearly 40%, transforming the Yangtze River into a veritable "golden waterway".
The delegation climbed to the top of the Three Gorges Dam to take in a panoramic view of the wide "water highway" where cargo ships can be seen shuttling freely, turning the natural fortress of the Gorges into an open road. While standing atop the Three Gorges Dam, the visitors learned more about the role of the project in transforming the Yangtze River in terms of shipping, flood control, power generation, and water resources utilization. Celia, a video blogger from Guatemala, said, "I am deeply impressed with the ability of the Three Gorges Dam to generate electricity. I am deeply struck by the fact that it can serve as a bulwark against mega-floods while also vastly improving navigation along the huge waterway."
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SOURCE CRI Online | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/09/02/international-web-influencers-visit-three-gorges-dam-area-gain-an-understanding-combined-benefits-massive-project/ | 2022-09-02T17:10:50Z |
Family Entertainment Destination Partners with Elite NIL Athlete and Syracuse University Field Hockey Player Samantha Swart
WESTFORD, Mass., Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Apex Entertainment®, a family entertainment destination for people of all ages, located at Destiny USA in Syracuse, New York, is newly partnered with Syracuse University field hockey player, Samantha Swart. Swart spent the last 5 years on the Syracuse University lacrosse team and this fall she has joined the field hockey team for the first time. The new alliance between Apex Entertainment and Swart, was established thanks to the help of Elite NIL, to raise visibility with and increase community connection to the Syracuse market.
"This is a year for me to embrace new and exciting opportunities," said Samantha Swart. "I'm looking forward to what this season will bring both on and off the field!"
Apex Entertainment partnered with Out2Win Sports, a sports marketing agency, for all photo and video content on Swart partnership. Swart exhausted her eligibility for lacrosse at Syracuse. In her career she posted 147 goals over the last 5 years. She recently represented team USA at the World Games, which brings together the world's best athletes every four years.
"Sam is an amazing athlete with a unique story," said Rob Luzzi, Director of Field Marketing, RAVentures. "We're proud to be partnered with her and eager to share details of our first joint event—stay tuned!"
Apex Entertainment®, which first opened in Destiny USA in December 2018, is a family entertainment destination. It features 24 bowling lanes and attractions such as a large arcade, laser tag, bumper cars, axe throwing and more. Apex also features a full-service restaurant and boasts the largest meeting space in Destiny USA that is ideal for corporate outings and special occasions such as birthday and holiday parties.
About Apex Entertainment®
Apex Entertainment® is a family entertainment destination for people of all ages. With four locations in Massachusetts, New York and Virginia, Apex Entertainment is the largest local space for indoor family fun with world class attractions all under one roof. Headquartered in Westford, MA and established in 2017, Apex Entertainment is part of RAVentures, which owns and operates hospitality brands and real estate and development companies. https://www.apexentertainment.com/.
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SOURCE Apex Entertainment | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/09/13/apex-entertainment-establishes-relationship-with-syracuses-samantha-swart/ | 2022-09-13T21:45:26Z |
HAMILTON, ON and BOSTON, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: FUSN), a clinical-stage oncology company focused on developing next-generation radiopharmaceuticals as precision medicines, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Company's Investigational New Drug (IND) applications for [225Ac]-FPI-2059 (FPI-2059) and the corresponding imaging analogue [111In]-FPI-2058 (FPI-2058). FPI-2059 is a targeted alpha therapy (TAT) designed to use a small molecule to target and deliver actinium-225 to tumor sites expressing neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1), a protein that is overexpressed in multiple solid tumor types, including colorectal, pancreatic, gastric, neuroendocrine differentiated prostate, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and Ewing sarcoma cancers.
"The FPI-2059 program showcases Fusion's ability to use our platform technology and R&D expertise to efficiently convert different classes of targeting molecules into TATs against innovative targets that are designed to address cancers with high unmet need," said John Valliant, Ph.D. "With FPI-2059, we believe there is significant opportunity to address multiple solid tumor types, including neuroendocrine differentiated prostate cancer where PSMA expression is typically low and therefore patients are not adequately treated by existing radioligand therapies. We look forward to progressing FPI-2059, Fusion's first small molecule-based TAT and third clinical program, into a Phase 1 study."
Fusion acquired [177Lu]-IPN-1087 (IPN-1087), a lutetium-based beta-emitting radiopharmaceutical, from Ipsen in April 2021, and converted the compound to the alpha-emitting [225Ac]-FPI-2059. In clinical studies, IPN-1087 showed promising early safety data and good uptake in multiple tumor types. In a head-to-head in vivo comparison of therapeutic efficacy in a mouse xenograft model of colorectal cancer between FPI-2059 and IPN-1087, results show tumor regression with FPI-2059 is achieved at doses of approximately 1500 times lower than IPN-1087.
Fusion plans to initiate a Phase 1, non-randomized, open-label clinical trial in patients with solid tumors expressing NTSR1, intended to investigate safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics and to establish the recommended Phase 2 dose. The study will prioritize six solid tumor indications, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, pancreatic, neuroendocrine prostate, colorectal, gastric and Ewing sarcoma. The study employs a 3 + 3 dose escalation design to evaluate multiple ascending doses of FPI-2059. As part of the screening process, patients will be administered an imaging analogue of FPI-2059, FPI-2058, and only those who meet predefined tumor uptake and safety criteria will go on to receive FPI-2059.
Radiopharmaceuticals are a precision medicine in that the alpha therapeutic can be converted into a corresponding imaging analogue with a different radionuclide (in this case indium), used to screen for a biomarker in patients with tumors that express the cancer target, increasing the likelihood of response to therapy. Fusion plans to provide additional guidance on timelines for the FPI-2059 program following initial experience with patient screening in order to better predict the cadence of patient enrollment.
[225Ac]-FPI-2059 (FPI-2059) is a targeted alpha therapy combining actinium-225 with a small molecule designed to target neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1), in development as a potential treatment for various solid tumors. NTSR1 is a promising target for cancer treatment that is overexpressed in multiple solid tumors including colorectal, pancreatic, gastric, neuroendocrine differentiated prostate, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and Ewing sarcoma cancers. FPI-2059 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 study.
Fusion Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage oncology company focused on developing next-generation radiopharmaceuticals as precision medicines. Employing a proprietary Fast-Clear™ linker technology, and leveraging the Company's actinium supply and manufacturing expertise, Fusion connects alpha particle emitting isotopes to various targeting molecules in order to selectively deliver the alpha emitting payloads to tumors. Fusion's lead program, FPI-1434 targeting insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor, is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial. The pipeline includes FPI-1966 targeting the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) and FPI-2059, a small molecule acquired from Ipsen, targeting neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1). In addition to a robust proprietary pipeline, Fusion has a collaboration with AstraZeneca to jointly develop up to three novel targeted alpha therapies (TATs), the first of which is currently in IND enabling studies, and explore up to five combination programs between Fusion's TATs and AstraZeneca's DNA Damage Repair Inhibitors (DDRis) and immuno-oncology agents. Fusion also recently entered into a collaboration with Merck to evaluate FPI-1434 in combination with Merck's KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) in patients with solid tumors expressing IGF-1R.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to the statements regarding Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s (the "Company") future business and financial performance. For this purpose, any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words "expect," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "will," and similar expressions are also intended to identify forward-looking statements, as are expressed or implied statements with respect to the Company's potential drug candidates, including any expressed or implied statements regarding the successful development of product candidate FPI-2059. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the following: there can be no guarantees that the Company will advance any clinical product candidate or other component of its potential pipeline to the clinic, to the regulatory process or to commercialization; management's expectations could be affected by unexpected patient recruitment delays or regulatory actions or delays; uncertainties relating to, or unsuccessful results of, clinical trials, including additional data relating to the ongoing clinical trials evaluating its product candidates; the Company's ability to obtain additional funding required to conduct its research, development and commercialization activities; changes in the Company's business plan or objectives; the ability of the Company to attract and retain qualified personnel; competition in general; and the Company's ability to obtain, maintain and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for its product candidates and its discoveries. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. These and other risks which may impact management's expectations are described in greater detail under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 as filed with the SEC and in any subsequent periodic or current report that the Company files with the SEC. All forward-looking statements reflect the Company's estimates only as of the date of this release (unless another date is indicated) and should not be relied upon as reflecting the Company's views, expectations or beliefs at any date subsequent to the date of this release. While Fusion may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, even if the Company's estimates change.
Investors and others should note that Fusion communicates with its investors and the public using the Fusion website, www.fusionpharma.com, including, but not limited to, company disclosures, investor presentations, SEC filings, and press releases. The information that Fusion posts on this website could be deemed to be material information. As a result, Fusion encourages investors, media and others interested to review the information that Fusion posts there on a regular basis.
Contact:
Amanda Cray
Senior Director of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
617-967-0207
cray@fusionpharma.com
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SOURCE Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/23/fusion-pharmaceuticals-announces-fda-clearance-ind-fpi-2059-an-investigational-small-molecule-based-radiopharmaceutical-targeting-solid-tumors-expressing-ntsr1/ | 2022-06-23T13:04:42Z |
Peacock’s Sunday package to be called ‘MLB Sunday Leadoff’
STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — Peacock’s Sunday morning Major League Baseball package will be called “MLB Sunday Leadoff.” Peacock will stream games produced by NBC Sports for 18 straight weeks beginning on May 8. The first six games will begin at 11:30 a.m. EDT, with the remaining ones beginning at 12 p.m. The first game between the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox on May 8 will also air on NBC. | https://localnews8.com/sports/ap-national-sports/2022/04/13/peacocks-sunday-package-to-be-called-mlb-sunday-leadoff/ | 2022-04-13T19:13:17Z |
Published: May. 5, 2022 at 6:20 AM CDT|Updated: 53 minutes ago
Outstanding quarterly results bolstered by supportive global metals pricing and recovering North American demand. First quarter results feature record EPS, a sequential reduction in debt primarily from opportunistic bond buybacks, and a dividend raise. Proceeding apace with value-add investments to enhance our intelligent service center network and the customer experience.
CHICAGO, May 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryerson Holding Corporation (NYSE: RYI), a leading value-added processor and distributor of industrial metals, today reported results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022.
Highlights:
Record revenue of $1.75 billion on sequential volume increase of 11.4%
Record diluted EPS of $4.17 and adjusted diluted EPS of $4.27
Net Income of $163.6 million and Adjusted EBITDA, excluding LIFO of $250.6 million
Reduced leverage ratio1 to 0.5x with $551 million in debt and $507 million in net debt2
Warehousing, delivery, selling, general, and administrative expense declined 3.1% sequentially to $175.3 million
Book value3 rose to $706 million up from $545 million at year-end 2021
Announced a second quarter 2022 dividend of $0.125 per share, a 25% increase from last quarter
Repurchased $63.1 million of 8.50% senior secured notes due 2028 (the "Notes"), reducing amount outstanding to $236.9 million
Announced Board authorization to repurchase up to $172 million of outstanding Notes
A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the comparable GAAP measure is included below in this news release.
Management Commentary
Eddie Lehner, Ryerson's President and Chief Executive Officer, said "Thank you to all of my Ryerson teammates for performing brilliantly in the quarter amidst existing and new adversities currently pervading and invading our world. I am grateful for the manner and result in which we continue pulling together with our valued customers and suppliers in determined pursuit of healthier, safer, more peaceful and more prosperous days. During the first quarter of 2022, Ryerson made the most of its opportunities illuminated by lower net debt, higher net book value of equity, a 25% increase in the quarterly dividend, significant expense leverage realizations, positive operating cash flow and record quarterly earnings per share. As we continue on our 180-year journey to provide great customer experiences across our intelligent network of value-added industrial metal service centers, our optimism around enduring secular drivers favoring recyclable industrial metals as a core enabler of sustainable growth and well-being is undiminished."
Market Commentary
Our record revenue of $1.75 billion in the first quarter was driven by Average Selling Price (ASP) gaining 2.3% to $3,312 quarter-over-quarter and volume growth of 11.4% to 528 thousand tons sold. This compares to our guidance of ASP down 2% to 4% and volume guidance of 7% to 9% growth. Strong commercial and operational execution, coupled with continued improvement in underlying customer demand, drove this sequential improvement. According to Metal Service Center Institute (MSCI), North American service center volumes grew by 9.3% sequentially in the first three months of 2022 compared to the last three months of 2021. On a North American basis, Ryerson's sales outpaced MSCI volume growth, with tons sold increasing 14.8% sequentially quarter-over-quarter.
Ryerson saw strong sequential volume shipment improvement in most of its end-markets in North America in the first quarter, notably led by increases in Commercial Ground Transportation of 20% and Construction Equipment of 19% as second half 2021 supply constraints in these markets eased. Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) grew 13% and continued to benefit from increased demand in the construction and home building sectors. While near-term supply constraints, cascading COVID-related shutdowns and war-hazards persisted throughout the first quarter of 2022, the North America manufacturing outlook for 2022 remains optimistic. Our base-case expectations are of a lessening of supply-chain disruptions and an accelerating demand release as the year unfolds, supported by price bellwethers holding well above their ten-year averages and improving customer backlog turnover.
First Quarter Results
Ryerson achieved record revenues of $1.75 billion in the first quarter of 2022, a sequential increase of 14.0% compared to $1.53 billion for the fourth quarter of 2021. Gross margin expanded sequentially by 220 basis points to 23.5% in the first quarter of 2022 compared to 21.3% in the fourth quarter of 2021. First quarter of 2022 cost of goods sold included LIFO4 expense of $2 million, compared to LIFO expense of $76 million in the fourth quarter of 2021. Excluding the impact of LIFO, gross margin contracted 270 basis points to 23.6% in the first quarter of 2022 compared to 26.3% in the fourth quarter of 2021. The Company maintained noteworthy expense leverage in the first quarter of 2022 as warehousing, delivery, selling, general and administrative expenses as a percent of revenue declined to 10.1% compared to 11.8% in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Net income attributable to Ryerson Holding Corporation for the first quarter of 2022 was $163.6 million, or $4.17 per diluted share, compared to $106.4 million, or $2.71 per diluted share in the previous quarter. The first quarter of 2022 includes a charge of $5.3 million related to loss on the retirement of debt, compared to a $1.9 million gain on the sale of assets in fourth quarter of 2021. Excluding these one-time items and the associated income taxes, adjusted net income attributable to Ryerson Holding Corporation for the first quarter was $167.5 million, or $4.27 per diluted share, compared to $105.0 million, or $2.68 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2021. Ryerson generated first quarter Adjusted EBITDA, excluding LIFO of $250.6 million in the first quarter of 2022 compared to fourth quarter 2021 Adjusted EBITDA, excluding LIFO of $238.7 million.
Liquidity & Debt Management
Ryerson generated $82.5 million of operating cash in the first quarter of 2022 driven by strong operating profit, net of $75.6 million in working capital use. The Company's cash conversion cycle improved to 77 days in the first quarter of 2022 from 84 days in the fourth quarter of 2021. Ryerson's leverage ratio for the first quarter of 2022 improved quarter-over-quarter to 0.5x from 0.7x, a record low since our Initial Public Offering in 2014. The Company ended the first quarter of 2022 with $551 million of debt and $507 million of net debt, a decrease in net debt of $81 million compared to $588 million for the fourth quarter of 2021 driven by strong operating results. The Company's available global liquidity, composed of cash and cash equivalents and availability on its revolving credit facilities, increased to $760 million as of March 31, 2022 compared to $741 million as of December 31, 2021.
Growth Initiatives
Acquisitions. On March 2, 2022, Ryerson announced the acquisition of Apogee Steel Fabrication Incorporated, a sheet metal fabricator based in Mississauga, Ontario Canada. Apogee is a full-line fabrication company providing shearing, punching, forming, and laser cut processing in addition to welding and hardware assembly services. Apogee provides complex fabrication assemblies in stainless steel, aluminum and carbon sheet and strengthens Ryerson's network of value-added service centers in Canada, adding to our processing capabilities and growing our full-service fabrication business.
Modernization projects. We are progressing toward the completion of two new state-of-the-art service center facilities in Centralia, Washington, and University Park, Illinois, at an estimated combined capital improvement budget of $45 million in 2022. The Centralia project is on schedule to become fully operational by year-end. Our University Park campus, where site preparation recently began, is the future hub of Central Steel & Wire. These projects illustrate Ryerson's "monetize and modernize" approach as both projects utilize sales proceeds of prior locations, while maintaining customer loyalty and delivering vastly improved facilities to enhance the customer experience.
Shareholder Return Activity
Dividends. On May 4, 2022, the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.125 per share of common stock, payable on June 16, 2022 to stockholders of record as of June 2, 2022. During the first quarter of 2022, Ryerson returned approximately $4.3 million to shareholders in the form of dividends and share buybacks. We paid a quarterly dividend in the amount of $0.10 per share, amounting to a cash return of $3.8 million for the first quarter of 2022. Further, we repurchased a total of 20,510 shares at an average price per share of $25.27 resulting in a return to shareholders of approximately $0.5 million for the first quarter. Ryerson made these repurchases in accordance with its share repurchase program, which authorizes the Company to acquire up to an aggregate amount of $50.0 million of the Company's common stock through August 4, 2023 with $47.7 million of authorization remaining.
Bond buyback. During the first quarter of 2022, Ryerson repurchased $63.1 million of its Notes using cash generated from operations at an average cost of 108.5%. As of March 31, 2022, there was $236.9 million of Notes outstanding. A $5.3 million loss on retirement of debt associated with the notes repurchases was recorded in our first quarter 2022 income statement and is excluded from adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share.
Bond Repurchase Authorization. On May 4, 2022, the Board of Directors approved a bond repurchase program authorizing the Company to repurchase up to $172 million of its Notes. This bond repurchase program is in addition to the Company's special redemption right to redeem up to $50 million in principal.
Jim Claussen, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer commented, "Our balance sheet continues to make step-change improvements, with our net debt declining to $507 million, a record low since our IPO in 2014. Taking advantage of market conditions during the first quarter, we were able to opportunistically repurchase $63.1 million of our 8.5% Notes, which is estimated to be accretive to earnings by approximately $0.10 per share on a tax-effected annualized basis. Adding to this, our board approved repurchasing an additional $172 million of Notes, which the Company may execute by December 31, 2022. Lastly, for the third quarter in a row, we were pleased to announce a sequentially higher quarterly dividend, boosting our payout by 25.0% to $0.125 per quarter. These achievements underscore the thoughtful redeployment of free cash flow toward increased shareholder returns."
Outlook Commentary
Ryerson remains optimistic about the industrial metals and manufacturing environment. We expect to see seasonal sequential improvement in company shipments during the second quarter of 2022. To date, carbon products have experienced a favorable price recovery relative to the first quarter, while aluminum and nickel prices have again improved quarter-over-quarter. The Company's diversified commodities mix, which sales includes approximately 50% stainless steel and aluminum, stands to benefit from strength in its bright metals franchise. Therefore, Ryerson anticipates second quarter 2022 revenues in the range of $1.75 billion to $1.80 billion, with sequential average selling prices to be up 0% to 2%, and shipments up 0% to 2%. LIFO expense in the second quarter of 2022 is expected to be zero. Adjusted EBITDA, excluding LIFO is expected to be in the range of $250 to $260 million and earnings per diluted share is expected to be in the range of $4.30 to $4.49.
Earnings Call Information
Ryerson will host a conference call to discuss first quarter 2022 financial results for the period ended March 31, 2022, on Thursday, May 5th, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. The live online broadcast will be available on the Company's investor relations website, ir.ryerson.com. A replay will be available at the same website for 90 days.
About Ryerson
Ryerson is a leading value-added processor and distributor of industrial metals, with operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and China. Founded in 1842, Ryerson has around 4,000 employees in approximately 100 locations. Visit Ryerson at www.ryerson.com.
Legal Disclaimer
The contents herein are provided for general information purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell or buy, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security ("Security") of the Company or its affiliates ("Ryerson") in any jurisdiction. Ryerson does not intend to solicit and IS not soliciting, any action with respect to any Security or any other contractual relationship with the Ryerson. Nothing in this release, individually or taken in the aggregate, constitutes an offer of securities for sale or buy, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any Security in the United States, or to US persons, or in any other jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is unlawful.
Safe Harbor Provision
Certain statements made in this presentation and other written or oral statements made by or on behalf of the Company constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding our future performance, as well as management's expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans, estimates, objectives, or projections relating to the future. Such statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "objectives," "goals," "preliminary," "range," "believes," "expects," "may," "estimates," "will," "should," "plans," or "anticipates" or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy. The Company cautions that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and may involve significant risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may vary materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Among the factors that significantly impact our business are: the cyclicality of our business; the highly competitive, volatile, and fragmented metals industry in which we operate; the impact of geopolitical events, including Russia's invasion of the Ukraine and global trade sanctions; fluctuating metal prices; our substantial indebtedness and the covenants in instruments governing such indebtedness; the integration of acquired operations; regulatory and other operational risks associated with our operations located inside and outside of the United States; impacts and implications of adverse health events, including the COVID-19 pandemic; work stoppages; obligations under certain employee retirement benefit plans; the ownership of a majority of our equity securities by a single investor group; currency fluctuations; and consolidation in the metals industry. Forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various factors, including those set forth above and those set forth under "Risk Factors" in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Moreover, we caution against placing undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, new information or otherwise.
Notes:
1Leverage ratio – Net debt divided by trailing twelve month adjusted EBITDA, excluding LIFO expense/income
2Net debt – Total debt less cash and cash equivalents.
3Book value of equity – Total assets minus total liabilities.
4In the first quarter of 2022, we changed the method we use to estimate LIFO on an interim basis. This is a change in accounting estimate that is inseparable from a change in accounting principle. Historically, interim LIFO calculations were based on actual inventory levels and costs at each interim period. In the first quarter of 2022, we elected to recognize the interim effects of the LIFO inventory valuation method by projecting expected year-end inventory levels and LIFO costs and allocating that projection to the interim quarters on a pro-rata basis. We believe this change is preferable as it results in a better estimate of LIFO for the full year, creates less volatility in earnings on an interim basis, and makes our results more comparable to our peers.
The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/05/ryerson-reports-first-quarter-2022-results/ | 2022-05-05T12:13:15Z |
The founder of outdoor gear company Patagonia, long known for environmental activism, says the company is transferring all of its voting shares into a trust “dedicated to fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature.”
In a letter posted on the privately-held company’s website on Wednesday night, founder Yvon Chouinard said the 50-year-old company would transfer 100% of the its voting stock to the Patagonia Purpose Trust and and 100% of its nonvoting stock had been given to the Holdfast Collective.
Each year after reinvesting profits back into the company, Chouinard said remaining funds will be distributed as a dividend to the trusts in their ongoing efforts to fight the climate crisis.
Chouinard said the other options for the Ventura, California company to dedicate itself to protecting the planet — selling the company and donating the proceeds; or taking the company public — were not viable for Patagonia’s ultimate goals.
“Instead of extracting value from nature and transforming it into wealth for investors, we’ll use the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the source of all wealth,” Chouinard wrote.
Patagonia makes outdoor clothing, gear and accessories for everything from skiing to climbing and camping.
Chouinard said he “never wanted to be a businessman,” and started Patagonia as a craftsman, making climbing gear for himself and his friends. | https://cw33.com/business/ap-business/ap-patagonia-founder-gives-company-away-to-environmental-trusts/ | 2022-09-15T15:01:04Z |
With students in turmoil, US teachers train in mental health
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — As Benito Luna-Herrera teaches his seventh-grade social studies classes, he is on alert for signs of inner turmoil. And there is so much of it these days.
One of his 12-year-old students felt her world was falling apart. Distance learning had upended her friendships. Things with her boyfriend were verging on violent. Her home life was stressful. “I’m just done with it,” the girl told Luna-Herrera during the pandemic, and shared a detailed plan to kill herself.
Another student was typically a big jokester and full of confidence. But one day she told him she didn’t want to live anymore. She, too, had a plan in place to end her life.
Luna-Herrera is just one teacher, in one Southern California middle school, but stories of students in distress are increasingly common around the country. The silver lining is that special training helped him know what to look for and how to respond when he saw the signs of a mental emergency.
Since the pandemic started, experts have warned of a mental health crisis facing American children. That is now playing out at schools in the form of increased childhood depression, anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorders, fights and thoughts of suicide at alarming levels, according to interviews with teachers, administrators, education officials and mental health experts.
In low-income areas, where adverse childhood experiences were high before the pandemic, the crisis is even more acute and compounded by a shortage of school staff and mental health professionals.
Luna-Herrera, who teaches in a high poverty area of the Mojave Desert, is among a small but growing number of California teachers to take a course called Youth Mental Health First Aid. It teaches adults how to spot warning signs of mental health risks and substance abuse in children, and how to prevent a tragedy.
The California Department of Education funds the program for any school district requesting it, and the pandemic has accelerated moves to make such courses a requirement. The training program is operated by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and available in every state.
“I don’t want to read about another teenager where there were warning signs and we looked the other way,” said Sen. Anthony Portantino, author of a bill that would require all California middle and high schools to train at least 75% of employees in behavioral health. “Teachers and school staff are on the front lines of a crisis, and need to be trained to spot students who are suffering.”
Experts say while childhood depression and anxiety had been on the rise for years, the pandemic’s unrelenting stress and grief amplified the problems, particularly for those already experiencing mental health issues who were cut off from counselors and other school resources during distance learning.
For children, the issues with distance learning were not just academic, said Sharon Hoover, professor of child psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and co-director of the National Center for School Mental Health.
Child abuse and and neglect increased during the pandemic, according to Hoover. For children in troubled homes, with alcoholic or abusive parents, distance learning meant they had no escape. Those who lacked technology or had spotty internet connections were isolated even more than their peers and fell further behind academically and socially.
Many children bounced back after the extended isolation, but for others it will take longer, and mental health problems often lag a stressor.
“We can’t assume that ‘OK we’re back in school, it’s been a few months and now everyone should be back to normal.’ That is not the case,” said Hoover.
Returning to school after months of isolation intensified the anxiety for some children. Teachers say students have greater difficulty focusing, concentrating, sitting still and many need to relearn how to socialize and resolve conflicts face-to-face after prolonged immersion in screens.
Kids expected to pick up where they left off but some found friendships, and their ability to cope with social stress, had changed. Educators say they also see a concerning increase in apathy — about grades, how students treat each other and themselves — and a lot less empathy.
“I have never seen kids be so mean to each other in my life,” said Terrin Musbach, who trains teachers in mental health awareness and other social-emotional programs at the Del Norte Unified School District, a high-poverty district in rural Northern California. “There’s more school violence, there’s more vaping, there’s more substance abuse, there’s more sexual activity, there’s more suicide ideation, there’s more of every single behavior that we would be worried about in kids.”
Many states have mandated teacher training on suicide prevention over the last decade and the pandemic prompted some to broaden the scope to include mental health awareness and supporting behavioral health needs.
But school districts nationwide also say they need more psychologists and counselors. The Hopeful Futures Campaign, a coalition of national mental health organizations, last month published a report that found most states are struggling with mental health support in schools. Only Idaho and the District of Columbia exceed the nationally recommended ratio of one psychologist per 500 students.
In some states, including West Virginia, Missouri, Texas and Georgia, there is only one school psychologist for over 4,000 students, the report says. Similarly, few states meet the goal of one counselor per 250 students.
President Joe Biden has proposed $1 billion in new federal funding to help schools hire more counselors and psychologists and bolster suicide prevention programs. That followed a rare pubic advisory in December from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on “the urgent need to address the nation’s youth mental health crisis.”
In early 2021, emergency room visits in the U.S. for suspected suicide attempts were 51% higher for adolescent girls and 4% higher for adolescent boys compared to the same period in 2019, according to research cited in the advisory.
Since California began offering the Youth Mental Health First Aid course in 2014, more than 8,000 teachers, administrators and school staff have been trained, said Monica Nepomuceno, who oversees mental health programming at the California Department of Education.
She said much more needs to be done in the country’s largest state, which employs over 600,000 K-12 staff at schools.
The course helps distinguish typical adolescent ways of dealing with stress — slamming doors, crying, bursts of anger — from warning signs of mental distress, which can be blatant or subtle.
Red flags include when a child talks about dying or suicide, but can be more nuanced like: “I can’t do this anymore,” or “I’m tired of this,” said Tramaine El-Amin, a spokesperson for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. More than 550,000 K-12 educators across the country have taken the Youth Mental Health First Aid course since it launched in 2012, she said.
Changes in behavior could be cause for concern — a child who stops a sport or activity they were passionate about without replacing it with another one; a typically put together child who starts to look regularly unkempt; a student whose grades plummet or who stops handing in homework; a child who eats lunch alone and has stopped palling around with their friends.
After noticing something might be wrong, the course teaches the next step is to ask the student without pressuring or casting judgment and letting them know you care and want to help.
“Sometimes an adult can ask a question that causes more harm than good,” said Luna-Herrera, the social studies teacher at California City Middle School, a two-hour drive into the desert from Los Angeles.
He took the course in spring 2021 and two weeks later put it to use. It was during distance learning and a student had failed to show up for online tutoring but he spotted her chatting online on the school’s distance learning platform, having a heated dispute with her then-boyfriend. Luna reached out to her privately.
“I asked her if she was OK,” he said. Little by little, the girl told Luna-Herrera about problems with friends and her boyfriend and problems at home that left her feeling alone and desperately unanchored.
The course tells adults to ask open-ended questions that keep the conversation going, and not to project themselves into an adolescent’s problems with comments like: “You’ll be fine; It’s not that bad; I went through that; Try to ignore it.” What might seem trivial to an adult can feel overwhelming for a young person, and failure to recognize that can be a conversation stopper.
The 12-year old told Luna-Herrera she had considered hurting herself. “Is that a recurring thought?” he asked, recalling how his heart started racing as she revealed her suicide plan.
Like CPR first-aid training, the course teaches how to handle a crisis: Raise the alarm and get expert help. Do not leave a person contemplating suicide alone. As Luna-Herrera continued talking to the girl, he texted his school superintendent, who got the principal on the line, they called 911 and police rushed to the home, where they spoke to the girl and her mother, who was startled and unaware.
“He absolutely saved that child’s life,” said Mojave Unified Superintendent Katherine Aguirre, who oversees the district of about 3,000 students, the majority of whom are Latino and Black children from economically disadvantaged families.
Aguirre recognized the need for behavioral health training early in the pandemic and through the Department of Education trained all of her employees, from teachers to yard supervisors and cafeteria workers.
“It’s about awareness. And that Sandy Hook promise: If you see something, say something,” she said.
That did not happen with 14-year-old Taya Bruell.
Taya was a bright, precocious student who had started struggling with mental health issues at about 11, according to her father, Harry Bruell. At the time, the family lived in Boulder, Colorado where Taya was hospitalized at one point for psychiatric care but kept up the trappings of a model student: She got straight As, was co-leader of her high school writing club and in her spare time taught senior citizens to use computers.
For a literature class, Taya was assigned to keep a journal. In it, she drew a disturbing portrait that showed self-harm and wrote about how much she hated her body and was hearing voices she wanted to silence.
Her teacher read the assignment and wrote: “Taya, very thorough journal. I loved reading the entries. A+”
Three months later in February 2016, Taya killed herself. After her death, Taya’s parents discovered the journal in her room and brought it to the school, where they learned Taya’s teacher had not informed the school counselor or administrators of what she had seen. They don’t blame the teacher but will always wonder what if she had not ignored the signs of danger.
“I don’t think the teacher wanted to hurt our daughter. I think she had no idea what to do when she read those stark warning signs in Taya’s journal,” said her father, who has since relocated with the family to Santa Barbara, California.
He believes legislation to require teacher training in behavioral health will save lives. “It teaches you to raise the alarm, and not just walk away, which is what happened to Taya.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/04/04/with-students-turmoil-us-teachers-train-mental-health/ | 2022-04-06T17:49:49Z |
Attacker injures 3 at San Francisco International Airport
Published: Jun. 18, 2022 at 12:01 AM CDT|Updated: moments ago
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Authorities say an attack on passengers at San Francisco International Airport has left three with cuts and scrapes.
It happened around 6 p.m. in the pre-security public area of the International Terminal.
Authorities say one person was arrested and a KTVU-TV reporter says a large knife was found at the scene.
Airport officials say the passengers were treated for minor injuries before continuing on their travels and other airport operations weren’t affected.
There’s no word on a motive for the attack or whether the suspect was a traveler.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/06/18/attacker-injures-3-san-francisco-international-airport/ | 2022-06-18T05:07:08Z |
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. and CHICAGO, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer dropped to its lowest level since April 2020, down 22 points in May to a reading of 99. Agricultural producers' perceptions regarding current conditions on their farms, as well as their future expectations, both weakened this month. The Index of Current Conditions dipped 26 points to a reading of 94 and the Index of Future Expectations fell 21 points to a reading of 101. The Ag Economy Barometer is calculated each month from 400 U.S. agricultural producers' responses to a telephone survey. This month's survey was conducted between May 16-20.
"Despite strong commodity prices, this month's weakness in producers' sentiment appears to be driven by the rapid rise in production costs and uncertainty about where input prices are headed," said James Mintert, the barometer's principal investigator and director of Purdue University's Center for Commercial Agriculture. "That combination is leaving producers very concerned about their farms' financial performance."
The Farm Financial Performance Index declined 14 points to a reading of 81 in May. The percentage of producers who expect their farm's financial performance to worsen in 2022 compared to last year rose from 29% in April to 38% in May. Over the course of the last 13 months, the Farm Financial Performance Index has fallen 41% below its life of survey high of 138 set in April 2021.
The Farm Capital Investment Index drifted to an all-time low in May and is down 30 points from this same time last year. In the May survey, only 13% of respondents said this is a good time to make large investments in their operation, while 78% said they viewed it as a bad time to invest in things like machinery and buildings. Half of the producers in this month's survey said their machinery purchase plans were impacted by low farm machinery inventory levels, up from 41% in the April survey, suggesting that supply chain issues are at least partly responsible for the ongoing weakness in the capital investment index.
Higher input costs remain a top concern for producers with 44% of those surveyed choosing it as the biggest concern facing their farming operation in the coming year. Additionally, 57% of producers said they expect a 30% or more rise in prices paid for farm inputs in 2022 compared to prices paid last year. The May survey also asked producers about their expectations for input costs in 2023 compared to 2022 with nearly 39% of producers indicating they expect an additional cost increase of 10% or more in the coming year.
In response to a Biden administration policy proposal for a $10/acre wheat/double-crop soybean crop insurance subsidy, this month's survey asked respondents if the subsidy would encourage them to plant more wheat in fall 2022 than would otherwise be the case. Among producers who have employed a wheat/double-crop soybean rotation in the past, just over one in five (22%) said it would encourage them to plant more wheat. Among producers who have not followed a wheat/double-crop soybean rotation in the past, just one out of ten producers said the insurance subsidy would encourage them to plant more wheat this fall.
Lastly, farmers remain optimistic toward farmland values. The Short-Term Farmland Value Expectations Index, based upon producers' 12-month outlook, rose 1 point to a reading of 145. Meanwhile, the Long-Term Farmland Value Expectations Index, based upon producers' farmland outlook over the upcoming 5 years, rose 8 points in May to a reading of 149. In a follow-up question, respondents who expect farmland values to rise over the next 5 years were asked the main reason they expect values to rise. Over the past few months that this question has been posed, respondents have consistently chosen non-farm investor demand as the top reason, followed closely by inflation.
Read the full Ag Economy Barometer report at https://purdue.ag/agbarometer. The site also offers additional resources – such as past reports, charts and survey methodology – and a form to sign up for monthly barometer email updates and webinars.
Each month, the Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture provides a short video analysis of the barometer results, available at https://purdue.ag/barometervideo. For even more information, check out the Purdue Commercial AgCast podcast. It includes a detailed breakdown of each month's barometer, in addition to a discussion of recent agricultural news that affects farmers. Available now at https://purdue.ag/agcast.
The Ag Economy Barometer, Index of Current Conditions and Index of Future Expectations are available on the Bloomberg Terminal under the following ticker symbols: AGECBARO, AGECCURC and AGECFTEX.
About the Purdue University Center for Commercial Agriculture
The Center for Commercial Agriculture was founded in 2011 to provide professional development and educational programs for farmers. Housed within Purdue University's Department of Agricultural Economics, the center's faculty and staff develop and execute research and educational programs that address the different needs of managing in today's business environment.
About CME Group
As the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) enables clients to trade futures, options, cash and OTC markets, optimize portfolios, and analyze data – empowering market participants worldwide to efficiently manage risk and capture opportunities. CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural products and metals. The company offers futures and options on futures trading through the CME Globex® platform, fixed income trading via BrokerTec and foreign exchange trading on the EBS platform. In addition, it operates one of the world's leading central counterparty clearing providers, CME Clearing.
CME Group, the Globe logo, CME, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Globex, and, E-mini are trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. CBOT and Chicago Board of Trade are trademarks of Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, Inc. NYMEX, New York Mercantile Exchange and ClearPort are trademarks of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc. COMEX is a trademark of Commodity Exchange, Inc. BrokerTec and EBS are trademarks of BrokerTec Europe LTD and EBS Group LTD, respectively. Dow Jones, Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and S&P are service and/or trademarks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and S&P/Dow Jones Indices LLC, as the case may be, and have been licensed for use by Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Writer: Kami Goodwin, 765-494-6999, kami@purdue.edu
Source: James Mintert, 765-494-7004, jmintert@purdue.edu
Related websites:
Purdue University Center for Commercial Agriculture: http://purdue.edu/commercialag
CME Group: http://www.cmegroup.com/
Photo Caption: Farmer sentiment plummets as production costs skyrocket. (Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer/James Mintert). https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2022/ag-barometer522LO.jpg
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SOURCE CME Group | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/07/farmer-sentiment-plummets-production-costs-skyrocket/ | 2022-06-07T14:07:21Z |
The combination of ScImage's Cloud-centric and DiA's AI-based cardiac ultrasound software will offer echo labs of any size a unique workflow solution
LOS ALTOS, Calif., and BEER SHEVA, Israel, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ScImage Inc., a leading provider of Enterprise Imaging solutions and DiA Imaging Analysis, a global leading provider of AI-based cardiac ultrasound software, announced today a commercial partnership to combine ScImage's unique Cloud architecture with DiA's AI-based automated cardiac ultrasound solution, LVivo Seamless™.
The collaboration leverages each company's strengths to give echocardiography (echo) labs greater access to the latest innovations in healthcare imaging technology. ScImage's intelligent Cloud computing infrastructure together with DiA's AI-based algorithms, will now be available to more echocardiologists and other imaging specialists, enabling them to maximize workflow efficiency in the echo lab environment and improve patient care.
"ScImage prides itself on delivering the most progressive, secure, True Cloud offering in healthcare today. By combining the compute power of PICOM365 with DiA's LVivo Seamless, clinicians will be able to enjoy the highest level of quantitative image analysis and longitudinal measurement accuracy," said Sai Raya, Ph.D., ScImage's Founder and CEO. "We are proud of this partnership and how, together, we are changing the landscape of medical imaging."
ScImage's PICOM365 Cloud-centric enterprise imaging platform goes beyond PACS to deliver automated measurement-driven structured reporting, comprehensive viewing and quantification, image exchange and clinical analytics with a unique architecture that optimizes performance and cost. The technology supports image acquisition from even the most remote locations and access to all patient studies, enabling clinicians to read and report from any device.
Running behind-the-scenes as an integrated part of echo lab workflow, DiA's AI-based LVivo Seamless automatically selects and analyzes the optimal cardiac ultrasound images, generating key clinical indications of left and right ventricle function on all echo studies. The results are automatically inserted into PICOM365 structured reports and immediately presented on the PICOM365 viewer for an efficient and fluent echo lab workflow.
"For artificial intelligence to be truly valuable, it must be integrated into the clinician's daily routine and read flow," said Hila Goldman Aslan, CEO and Co-founder of DiA Imaging Analysis. "Our team at DiA is excited to be working with ScImage, making both companies' innovative solutions accessible to even more echocardiologists, sonographers and other cardiac ultrasound imaging specialists around the world."
To learn more or view a demonstration, visit ScImage at booth 1615 and DiA Imaging Analysis at booth 2015 at the American Society of Echocardiography's (ASE) 33rd Annual Scientific Session in Seattle, WA. June 10th – 13th, 2022
About ScImage
Founded in 1993, ScImage remains a private, customer-first company with a mission to provide innovative enterprise imaging solutions to the healthcare industry. ScImage's unique single database PICOM365 enterprise platform delivers end-to-end imaging workflow for Cardiology, Radiology, Women's Health, Orthopedics, Ophthalmology and more. Scalable from a single physician practice to a multi-hospital enterprise, PICOM365 is customizable and can be delivered on-premise, in the Cloud, or as a hybrid. The perfect synchrony created between onsite and Cloud resources allows PICOM365 to provide secure VPN-less image exchange solutions among legacy silo systems, Cloud users, and various EHR systems.
Learn more at www.scimage.com
About DiA Imaging Analysis
DiA Imaging Analysis is a global leading provider of FDA cleared and CE marked ultrasound AI software solutions that automate the way clinicians use and analyze ultrasound images. The company's LVivo product line for cardiac and abdominal automated analysis allows clinicians with varying levels of ultrasound experience to automatically analyze ultrasound images on their ultrasound devices near bedside and on healthcare IT system workstations remotely, with increased speed, efficiency and accuracy. Today, DiA serves thousands of end-users worldwide. DiA was recognized as one of Fast Company's 2022 World Changing Ideas in the Health Category and was recently named as one of CB Insights' most innovative digital health startups. To learn more, visit www.dia-analysis.com and follow DiA on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
Company Contact – ScImage Christie Prevost
christie@scimage.com
Company Contact – DiA Imaging Analysis
Shira Doron
shira@dia-analysis.com
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1038091/DiA_Imaging_Analysis_Logo.jpg
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SOURCE DiA Imaging Analysis; ScImage Inc. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/07/scimage-dia-imaging-analysis-team-up-infuse-ai-into-echocardiography-labs/ | 2022-06-07T14:12:36Z |
AURORA, Colo., June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), America's largest grocery retailer, today announced it will offer more Americans delivery through the addition of a new customer fulfillment center (CFC) in Aurora, Colorado, powered by the Ocado Group (LSE: OCDO), engineering a model for the region, leveraging advanced robotics technology and creative solutions to redefine the customer experience in the Denver Metro Area.
"We are thrilled to expand and introduce our innovative Kroger Fulfillment Network to one of the fastest growing areas in the country and have the opportunity to grow our workforce," said Gabriel Arreaga, Kroger's senior vice president and chief supply chain officer. "Through the incredible partnership and support from the City of Aurora and Adams County, Kroger Delivery can accelerate its commitment to provide exceptional customer service through our state-of-the-art facility and end-to-end cold solutions, including custom-built refrigerated vans, to ensure our delivery customers receive the freshest products directly to their doorstep throughout the Denver region."
"As we continue to expand our nationwide CFC program, Kroger and Ocado Group are now live with five state-of-the-art fulfilment centers across the USA. As this site ramps up, Kroger Delivery will bring a world class online experience to homes across the Denver Metro area, powered by some of the most advanced technology available anywhere in the world," said Luke Jensen, CEO of Ocado Solutions.
"Adams County is excited to have this new state-of-the-art food distribution facility opening in our community," said Lynn Baca, Chair, Adams County Board of Commissioners. "Not only will it showcase innovative sorting technology, it will also help provide greater access to high quality food and fresh produce for our residents. Providing a delivery option will also benefit those in our community who may have mobility issues, or simply lack the time to go into a physical location."
The nearly 300,000 square-foot distribution center will bring nearly 400 new jobs to Aurora and adjacent communities.
Kroger Delivery Explained
This expansion represents an extension of a partnership between Kroger and Ocado, a world leader in technology for grocery e-commerce. In 2018, the companies announced a collaboration to establish a delivery network that combines artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, and automation in a bold new way, bringing first-of-its-kind technology to America.
The delivery network relies on highly automated fulfillment centers. At the hub sites, more than 1,000 bots whizz around giant 3D grids, orchestrated by proprietary air-traffic control systems in the unlicensed spectrum. The grid, known as The Hive, contains totes with products and ready-to-deliver customer orders. As customers' orders near delivery times, the bots retrieve products from The Hive and are presented at pick stations for items to be sorted for delivery, a process governed by algorithms that ensures items are intelligently packed. For example, fragile items are placed on top, bags are evenly weighted, and each order is optimized to fit into the lowest number of bags, reducing plastic use.
After being packed, groceries are loaded into a refrigerated delivery van, which can store up to 20 orders. Powerful machine learning algorithms optimize delivery routes, considering factors like road conditions and optimal fuel efficiency. Drivers may travel up to 90 miles with orders from facilities to make deliveries.
Kroger currently operates customer fulfillment centers in Monroe, OH, Groveland, FL, Forest Park, GA (Atlanta) and Dallas, TX and Pleasant Prairie, WI with additional customer fulfillment centers slated for California, Frederick, MD, Phoenix, AZ, Romulus, MI (Detroit), Cleveland, OH, Charlotte, NC as well as South Florida and the Northeast.
Media Assets
To download Kroger Delivery photography and video, visit here.
About Kroger
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
About Ocado Group
Ocado Group is a UK based technology company admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange (Ticker OCDO). It provides end-to-end online grocery fulfilment solutions to some of the world's largest grocery retailers and holds a 50% share of Ocado Retail Ltd in the UK in a Joint Venture with Marks & Spencer. Ocado has spent two decades innovating for grocery online, investing in a wide technology estate that includes robotics, AI & machine learning, simulation, forecasting, and edge intelligence.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/kroger-fulfillment-network-expands-with-customer-fulfillment-center-denver-metro-area/ | 2022-06-21T14:55:36Z |
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) (Hecla) and Alexco Resource Corp. (NYSE American: AXU) (TSX: AXU) (Alexco) announced today completion of the Alexco acquisition.
"With the world's increasing demand for silver for clean energy, Hecla is helping meet that demand as the world's fastest growing established silver miner," said Phillips S. Baker, Jr., Hecla's President & CEO. "Since 2010, Hecla has increased silver production by more than 25%. With the additional production from Alexco's Keno Hill, and the continued production growth from Greens Creek and Lucky Friday, we expect Hecla to produce 17-20 million ounces per year in the next few years, which is 30 to 55% more than 2021. Hecla's silver production is in the United States where it already produces 40% of all the silver mined and, with Keno Hill, Hecla is on the path of being Canada's largest silver producer as well."
"The Keno Hill property is in a premier mining jurisdiction where the First Nation of the Na-Cho Nyak Dun and Yukon governments are supportive of mining. Like our other operations where we have had decades of mining and have become an integral part of the communities, we look forward to doing the same in the Yukon," Baker added.
Baker said, "Keno Hill currently has an almost decade-long high-grade reserve life, which we expect to extend as we drill on identified resources. With the fully operational mill and development that is in place we don't anticipate a large capital program to bring the mine into production. Over the coming months Hecla plans to invest in development, infrastructure, and equipment so there are adequate mining faces and good working conditions to bring Keno Hill to full and consistent production by the end of 2023."
As part of the acquisition, Hecla issued 17,992,875 million shares of its common stock to Alexco shareholders for a total consideration of approximately $69 million based on a share exchange ratio of 0.116 of a Hecla share for each Alexco common share. Concurrent with the acquisition, the silver streaming interest at Alexco's Keno Hill property held by Wheaton Precious Metals Corp was terminated in exchange for US$135 million of Hecla common stock, in the form of 34,800,989 million shares of Hecla common stock based on the 5-day VWAP of $3.88 per share. As part of the transaction, Hecla provided Alexco with a US$30 million secured loan facility, of which US$25 million was drawn when the transaction closed.
ABOUT HECLA
Founded in 1891, Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) is the largest silver producer in the United States. In addition to operating mines in Alaska, Idaho and Quebec, Canada, the Company owns a number of exploration properties and pre-development projects in world-class silver and gold mining districts throughout North America.
Cautionary Statements to Investors on Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by such sections and other applicable laws, including Canadian securities laws. When a forward-looking statement expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. However, such statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance and financial condition and often contain words such as "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "will," "could," "would," "estimate," "should," "expect," "believe," "project," "target," "indicative," "preliminary," "potential" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release may include, without limitation: (i) Hecla could be the largest silver producer in the U.S. and Canada; (ii) the Keno Hill mine will resume production in the future; (iii) Hecla may produce 17-20 million ounces per year in the next few years; (iv) Keno Hill's mine life may be extended; (v) Hecla does not anticipate a large capital program to bring Keno Hill into production and (vi) Hecla expects to invest in development, infrastructure, and equipment at Keno Hill to obtain adequate mining faces and good working conditions to make Keno Hill a consistent producer by the end of 2023. The material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information include that Hecla's plans for development and production will proceed as expected and will not require revision as a result of risks or uncertainties, whether known, unknown or unanticipated, to which Hecla's operations are subject.
Estimates or expectations of future events or results are based upon certain assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect, which could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements. Such assumptions, include, but are not limited to: (i) there being no significant change to current geotechnical, metallurgical, hydrological and other physical conditions; (ii) permitting, development, operations and expansion of Hecla's projects being consistent with current expectations and mine plans; (iii) political/regulatory developments in any jurisdiction in which Hecla operates being consistent with its current expectations; (iv) the exchange rate for the USD/CAD being approximately consistent with current levels; (v) certain price assumptions for gold, silver, lead and zinc; (vi) prices for key supplies being approximately consistent with current levels; (vii) the accuracy of our current mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates; (viii) Hecla's plans for development and production will proceed as expected and will not require revision as a result of risks or uncertainties, whether known, unknown or unanticipated; (ix) counterparties performing their obligations under hedging instruments and put option contracts; * sufficient workforce is available and trained to perform assigned tasks; (xi) weather patterns and rain/snowfall within normal seasonal ranges so as not to impact operations; (xii) relations with interested parties, including Native Americans, remain productive; (xiii) economic terms can be reached with third-party mill operators who have capacity to process our ore; (xiv) maintaining availability of water rights; (xv) factors do not arise that reduce available cash balances; and (xvi) there being no material increases in our current requirements to post or maintain reclamation and performance bonds or collateral related thereto.
In addition, material risks that could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) gold, silver and other metals price volatility; (ii) operating risks; (iii) currency fluctuations; (iv) increased production costs and variances in ore grade or recovery rates from those assumed in mining plans; (v) community relations; (vi) conflict resolution and outcome of projects or oppositions; (vii) litigation, political, regulatory, labor and environmental risks; (viii) exploration risks and results, including that mineral resources are not mineral reserves, they do not have demonstrated economic viability and there is no certainty that they can be upgraded to mineral reserves through continued exploration; (ix) the failure of counterparties to perform their obligations under hedging instruments; * we take a material impairment charge on our Nevada operations; (xi) we are unable to remain in compliance with all terms of the credit agreement in order to maintain continued access to the revolver, and (xii) we are unable to refinance the maturing senior notes. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors, see Hecla's 2021 Form 10-K, filed on February 23, 2022, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as well as Hecla's other SEC filings, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 5, 2022. Hecla does not undertake any obligation to release publicly revisions to any "forward-looking statement," including, without limitation, outlook, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Investors should not assume that any lack of update to a previously issued "forward-looking statement" constitutes a reaffirmation of that statement. Continued reliance on "forward-looking statements" is at investors' own risk.
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SOURCE Alexco Resource Corp. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/07/hecla-completes-acquisition-alexco-resource-corp/ | 2022-09-07T22:27:46Z |
ATLANTA, May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Titan CEO and headline sponsor Wipfli LLP are pleased to announce Alonzo Q Ford, Chairman and CEO, Lowe's Guardian Angel as a 2022 Georgia Titan 100. The Titan 100 program recognizes Georgia's Top 100 CEO's & C-level executives. They are the area's most accomplished business leaders in their industry using criteria that includes demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision, and passion. Collectively the 2022 Georgia Titan 100 and their companies employ upwards of 240,000 individuals and generate over $66 billion dollars in annual revenues. This year's honorees will be published in a limited-edition Titan 100 book and profiled exclusively online. They will be honored at an awards ceremony on May 12th, 2022.
"The Titan 100 are shaping the future of the Georgia business community by building a distinguished reputation that is unrivaled and preeminent in their field. We proudly recognize the Titan 100 for their successes and contributions. We know that they will have a profound impact that makes an extraordinary difference for their customers and clients across the nation." says Jaime Zawmon, President of Titan CEO.
Known as "the Dealmaker" in Atlanta assisted living and real estate circles, Alonzo Ford has orchestrated over $1B in deals with over 20 years of experience in real estate evaluation, acquisition, and finance. A West Point graduate, Emory MBA and decorated combat Veteran, he co-founded LGA to serve the underserved elderly, veterans, and disabled in Georgia.
Prior to leading LGA, he was the CFO of the company. He also led a consulting practice, a national sales team, and held many roles in real estate in GE Capital. He serves on Advisory Boards with Atlanta Public Schools and the Cobb County School Board. He participates with the ULI Atlanta Center for Leadership, and Diversity council, served as Vice Chair of Events for Business Executives for National Security Southeast, serves on the board for Georgia's Titan 100 CEOs, and serves the community in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Passion and Excellence are his hallmark, & his purpose in LGA is to help disabled individuals live their best lives.
Lowe's Guardian Angel (LGA) Personal Care Services is a Premier Provider in the State of Georgia. We are a local family owned business that is a premier provider of services for the Georgia Department of Community Health, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities, and is a certified small local business enterprise.
LGA fills a significant need with a unique combination of premier home care, adult day care and community-based personal care services to Clayton County and Southern Atlanta by delivering on our promise daily to our angels and our clients to provide higher standards with a personal touch.
"On behalf of all the partners and associates at Wipfli we congratulate all the Titan100 winners. It's an honor to recognize this diverse group of leaders in the Atlanta community. We appreciate the lasting impact each leader has made, and continues to make, in building organizations of significance both in Atlanta and abroad. Your ingenuity and creativity have set you apart, and the honor of being seen as an industry Titan is richly deserved," says Bill Boucher, Partner at Wipfli.
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SOURCE Lowes Guardian Angel | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/05/18/announcing-recipients-2022-georgia-titan-100/ | 2022-05-19T00:49:03Z |
-Glass Lewis Joins ISS in Recommending Shareholders Elect the Entire Independent Slate
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eileen Drake (the CEO of Aerojet Rocketdyne (NYSE: AJRD)) and the other members of the Committee For Aerojet Rocketdyne Shareholders and Value Maximization today announced that leading independent proxy advisory firm, Glass Lewis, has recommended that shareholders elect the entire Drake Independent Slate at the special meeting of shareholders scheduled for June 30, 2022.
Glass Lewis is the second leading independent proxy advisory firm to recommend that shareholders vote "FOR" the Drake Independent Slate. As previously announced, Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS") has also recommended that shareholders vote "FOR" the entire Drake Independent Slate.
Ms. Drake commented: "We are very gratified to have received Glass Lewis' full support for our Independent Slate. We now have the validation of the two leading independent proxy advisory firms, and look forward to shareholders casting their vote at the June 30th special meeting."
In supporting Ms. Drake and her Independent Slate, Glass Lewis made the following observations:
Drake and the Independent Slate
- "…Ms. Drake — working against challenging time constraints and with far fewer resources than those we expect were available to the Steel Faction — has assembled an experienced and well-rounded slate of candidates in short order, an outcome which seems to speak volumes to Ms. Drake's ability to attract credible, independent nominees to her cause."
- "[W]e consider [the Drake nominees] each appear credible and independent, with the slate collectively offering well-rounded experience in the aerospace and defense industry."
- "[W]e note Ms. Drake is a sitting CEO who, in our view, has already demonstrated strategic and operational credibility and reasonable value-creation bona fides. We do not believe Mr. Lichtenstein has been successful in reshaping that narrative, and would, as a result, question the need for Ms. Drake to essentially reinvent the operational wheel simply to impress the Steel Faction at this juncture."
- "[W]e note Ms. Drake's go-forward agenda … contains a number of favorable action items, including elimination of the executive chair role, establishment of an independent board chair, increased accountability in relation to ARD's underfunded pension fund and, by virtue of the Drake Faction slate, enhanced gender and racial diversity."
- "[T]he Drake Faction commits to considering all alternatives prospectively available to the Company — up to and including a prospective sale — alongside the continued pursuit of ARD's stand-alone strategic platform. We view this framework favorably."
Lichtenstein's Lack of Independence and Accountability
- "[S]upport for the Steel Faction would portend a considerable step back in terms of reliable, progressive corporate governance, in all cases in favor of a sitting chair recently inclined to delay shareholder votes, privately pursue personal objectives irrespective of board directives, sensationally misrepresent key developments and, perhaps most critically here, circumvent personal culpability."
- "…[W]e are concerned Mr. Lichtenstein's late-stage slate change still leaves the Steel Faction list stacked with nominees personally or professionally proximate to Mr. Lichtenstein, including CEO-in-waiting Mark Tucker."
- "The larger question, however, is a pointed one that falls in line with doubts raised throughout our commentary: if the operational issues at ARD are so pervasive — and, to be clear, we do not believe that they are — why then has Mr. Lichtenstein, as a long-serving and highly compensated employee of the Company, not previously accepted responsibility, signaled the need for change or more aggressively posited strategies and alternatives comparable to those included in the Steel Faction's existing materials?"
- "[T]he circumstances smack of procedural convenience, with Mr. Lichtenstein selectively abdicating himself of his existing responsibilities where it suits the Steel Faction campaign. Unsurprisingly, we consider this methodology hardly signals a willingness by Mr. Lichtenstein or his cohort to accept responsibility for any failure to achieve the operational targets and governance objectives contained in the Steel Faction plan."
- "…Mr. Lichtenstein is a named executive officer who sits at the top of ARD's summary compensation table. In absolute candor, we remain confounded by the notion that historical critiques of executive staff — persuasive or not — are viewed as a winning tack by the Steel Faction. In the service of absolute clarity, we would firmly emphasize again that this approach to accountability and responsibility disconcertingly reinforces Mr. Lichtenstein's willingness to shirk fault, even when his own arguments expressly indicate he is part of the problem."
Findings of Internal Investigation on Lichtenstein's Conduct
- "While the result of this investigative process is, in our view, already fairly damning, we consider Mr. Lichtenstein's oddly dismissive response and material recharacterizations are just as problematic."
- "…Mr. Lichtenstein has continually sought to reframe his unauthorized engagements [with CEO candidates] as, "proper contingency planning," purportedly consistent with his duties as executive chair. The conceptual lift here is nothing short of heroic, as Mr. Lichtenstein seems to be extolling his own virtues for attempting to surreptitiously circumvent board directives in a manner which opened ARD — and, by extension, its investors — to harm."
- "In a very damaging theme for the Steel Faction, we again find this sets a very troubling precedent in terms of accountability, transparency and candor, and is, in our view, nearly disqualifying on its own."
Delaware Opinion
- "As it relates to the recent opinion issued by the Delaware Court of Chancery, it arguably comes as limited surprise that the Steel Faction again adopts a fairly aggressive representation of available fact patterns. … [W]e consider a fair read of the published opinion offers a much more muted tone with substantially less relief than was originally sought by Mr. Lichtenstein: the court failed to find any major violations of the TRO, failed to find defendants in contempt, declined to invalidate any delivered proxies and declined to award a reimbursement of plaintiff's attorneys' fees."
- "[C]omments included in the Court's opinion — taken together with the rather modest awards secured by the Steel Faction — hardly add up to the more calamitous representations offered in the Steel Faction's recent materials, particularly given the Drake Faction purportedly offered to make the same curative disclosures prior to the foregoing proceeding."
Conclusion
"Our confidence in [our] recommendation is also carved in relief by the Steel Faction platform, the bulk of which suggests Mr. Lichtenstein has a strong preference for personal and professional affiliates, a disinterest in competing voices and a questionable approach to accountability."
Ms. Drake and the other members of the Committee for Aerojet Rocketdyne Shareholders and Value Maximization encourage all investors to review and consider the recent presentation materials posted on the Committee's website addressing many of Mr. Lichtenstein's false statements and mischaracterizations available here.
The Independent Slate Urges All Shareholders to Support its Highly Qualified Nominees by Voting "FOR" on the WHITE Proxy Card at the Upcoming Special Meeting on June 30.
Shareholders with questions can contact our solicitor: D.F. King & Co., (212) 269-5550 (collect) or via e-mail at AJRD@dfking.com.
Important Information
This communication is being made in the participants' individual capacity, and not by or on behalf of the Company. No Company resources were used in connection with these materials. We have neither sought nor obtained consent from any third party to use any statements or information indicated herein. On June 1, 2022, Eileen P. Drake, General Kevin Chilton, USAF (Ret.), General Lance Lord, USAF (Ret.) and Thomas Corcoran (the "Incumbent Directors") filed a definitive proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the solicitation of proxies for a special meeting of stockholders of the Company to be held on June 30, 2022.
Contact:
D.F. King & Co., Inc.
Edward T. McCarthy / Tom Germinario
AJRD@dfking.com
Committee's Website:
https://maximizeajrdvalue.com
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SOURCE Committee for Aerojet Rocketdyne Shareholders and Value Maximization | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/22/glass-lewis-recommends-aerojet-rocketdyne-shareholders-vote-entire-independent-slate-led-by-ceo-eileen-drake/ | 2022-06-22T12:46:23Z |
Endangered okapi calf born at Oklahoma City Zoo
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (Gray News) – The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is celebrating the birth of a rare, endangered okapi calf.
The male calf was born around 3:45 a.m. on Sept. 7 in the zoo’s okapi barn to first-time mom, Kayin.
A video shared by the zoo shows the birth and the moment the calf stood up for the first time, less than an hour later.
The calf, which already weighs 57 pounds, is already meeting milestones like nursing and bonding with his mom.
“We are overjoyed about the arrival of Kayin’s first calf and welcoming this new generation to our okapi family,” Tracey Dolphin, the zoo’s curator of hoofstock and primates, said in a statement. “Kayin is being a very attentive first-time mother and demonstrating exceptional maternal care.”
This marks the seventh okapi calf born at the zoo, the last being Kayin in 2015.
The okapi, native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa, is the only surviving relative of the giraffe.
The zoo said the endangered okapi is reclusive, earning the nickname “ghosts of the forests.”
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. TMX contributed to this report. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/09/16/endangered-okapi-calf-born-oklahoma-city-zoo/ | 2022-09-16T16:48:35Z |
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — A truck carrying Syrian migrants believed to have entered from neighboring Greece overturned on a road in North Macedonia, injuring 35 people, police said Thursday.
A police statement said 49 people were in the heavy vehicle during the crash late Wednesday near the southern village of Marvinci. They said one of the injured migrants was in serious condition. The cause of the crash was unclear.
The 35 injured migrants were taken for treatment to hospitals in the southern towns of Strumica and Gevgelija. The rest were led to a detention center in Gevgelija pending deportation to Greece.
The truck driver, who police believe belongs to a migrant smuggling ring, escaped on foot.
Police said the migrants were believed to be heading north to neighboring Serbia, with a view of continuing from there to wealthier European countries.
The relaxation of travel restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in more migrants attempting to use the Balkan route into Europe, going through Turkey and Greece to North Macedonia and Serbia.
Police spokeswoman Suzana Pranikj told The Associated Press that so far this year police have prevented more than 11,500 people from illegally entering the country — 88% of them from Greece.
In the same period, police arrested 62 suspected migrant smugglers — 15 of them foreign nationals.
According to Pranikj, the number of arriving migrants has doubled compared to the same period last year. They mostly originate from Pakistan, Syria and India.
___
Follow AP’s global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration | https://cw33.com/news/international/ap-international/n-macedonia-truck-full-of-migrants-overturns-35-injured/ | 2022-08-12T03:22:34Z |
NEW YORK, June 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE: IBM).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/international-business-machines-corporation-loss-submission-form/?id=28009&from=4
The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased IBM between April 4, 2017 and October 20, 2021.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until June 6, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, International Business Machines Corporation issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Strategic Imperatives Revenue and growth, CAMSS and CAMSS Components' revenue and growth, and the Company's Segments' revenue and growth were artificially inflated as a result of the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperatives Revenue; (ii) the Company's present success and positive future growth prospects concerning its Strategic Imperative business strategy were being fueled by the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperative Revenue and, as a result (iii) the Company misled the market by portraying the Company's Strategic Imperative's financial performance and future prospects more favorable than they actually were as a result of the wrongful reclassification of revenues from non-strategic to strategic to make those revenues eligible for treatment as Strategic Imperatives.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
View original content:
SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/06/03/ibm-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-ibm-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-june-6-2022/ | 2022-06-03T10:13:57Z |
VANCOUVER, BC, June 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - NexGen Energy Ltd. ("NexGen" or the "Company") (TSX: NXE) (NYSE: NXE) announces that that in consideration of the ongoing COVID environment, the Company will be providing a webcast facility in addition to the previously announced teleconference facility. NexGen strongly encourages participants to follow the conduct of the Annual General Meeting ("AGM") via these facilities.
A presentation by Leigh Curyer, Chief Executive Officer, will follow the formal portion of the AGM, after which a question-and-answer session will be held. Participants of the webcast and teleconference facilities will be able to participate in the question-and-answer session following the formal part of the AGM and presentation.
Webcast and Conference Call Details
NexGen will host a webcast and conference call for the AGM and management presentation on Thursday, June 23, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific Time).
Webcast Url:
https://produceredition.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1550103&tp_key=c99fd7fe0f
Conference dial-in: Toronto: 416-764-8659
Vancouver: 778-383-7413
North American Toll Free: 1-888-664-6392
International Toll Free: Australia 1800076068 / Hong Kong 800962712
Conference ID: 31698720
To join the webcast, please copy the following link to your browser 5 – 10 minutes before the AGM start time, where you will be directed to join the webcast:
NexGen encourages shareholders to read the meeting materials, which have been filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and are available on the Company's website at nexgenenergy.ca
Shareholder Information and Questions
NexGen shareholders who have questions about the Management Information Circular, or require assistance with voting their shares can contact the Company's proxy solicitation agent, Laurel Hill Advisory Group:
Laurel Hill Advisory Group
North America Toll Free: 1-877-452-7184
Outside North America: 1-416-304-0211
Email: assistance@laurelhill.com
About NexGen
NexGen is a British Columbia corporation focused on the development of the Rook I Project located in the southwestern Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada, into production. The Rook I Project is supported by a NI 43-101 compliant Feasibility Study which outlines elite environmental performance as well as industry leading economics. Rook I hosts the Arrow Deposit that hosts Measured Mineral Resources of 209.6 M lbs of U3O8 contained in 2.18 M tonnes grading 4.35% U3O8, Indicated Mineral Resources of 47.1 M lbs of U3O8 contained in 1.57 M tonnes grading 1.36% U3O8, and Inferred Mineral Resources of 80.7 M lbs of U3O8 contained in 4.40 M tonnes grading 0.83% U3O8.
NexGen has a highly experienced team of uranium industry professionals with a successful track record in the discovery of uranium deposits and in developing projects through discovery to production. The Company is the recipient of the 2018 PDAC Bill Dennis Award for Canadian mineral discovery and the 2019 PDAC Environmental and Social Responsibility Award.
Technical Disclosure
All technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Anthony ( Tony) George , P.Eng., NexGen's Chief Project Officer, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101.
A technical report in respect of the FS is filed on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com ) and EDGAR (www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml ) and is available for review on NexGen Energy's website (www.nexgenenergy.ca ).
Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors
This news release includes Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources classification terms that comply with reporting standards in Canada and the Mineral Reserves and the Mineral Resources estimates are made in accordance with NI 43-101. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. These standards differ from the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") set by the SEC's rules that are applicable to domestic United States reporting companies. Consequently, Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources information included in this news release is not comparable to similar information that would generally be disclosed by domestic U.S. reporting companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards.
Forward-Looking Information
The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable United States securities laws and regulations and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, the 2021 Arrow Deposit, Rook I Project and estimates of uranium production, grade and long-term average uranium prices, anticipated effects of completed drill results on the Rook I Project, planned work programs, completion of further site investigations and engineering work to support basic engineering of the project and expected outcomes. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Statements relating to "mineral resources" are deemed to be forward-looking information, as they involve the implied assessment that, based on certain estimates and assumptions, the mineral resources described can be profitably produced in the future.
Forward-looking information and statements are based on the then current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about NexGen's business and the industry and markets in which it operates. Forward-looking information and statements are made based upon numerous assumptions, including among others, that the mineral reserve and resources estimates and the key assumptions and parameters on which such estimates are based are as set out in this news release and the technical report for the property , the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the price and market supply of uranium, the cost of planned exploration activities, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment, supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct NexGen's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward looking information or making forward looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate in the future.
Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performances and achievements of NexGen to differ materially from any projections of results, performances and achievements of NexGen expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others, the existence of negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of the availability of additional financing, the risk that pending assay results will not confirm previously announced preliminary results, conclusions of economic valuations, the risk that actual results of exploration activities will be different than anticipated, the cost of labour, equipment or materials will increase more than expected, that the future price of uranium will decline or otherwise not rise to an economic level, the appeal of alternate sources of energy to uranium-produced energy, that the Canadian dollar will strengthen against the U.S. dollar, that mineral resources and reserves are not as estimated, that actual costs or actual results of reclamation activities are greater than expected, that changes in project parameters and plans continue to be refined and may result in increased costs, of unexpected variations in mineral resources and reserves, grade or recovery rates or other risks generally associated with mining, unanticipated delays in obtaining governmental, regulatory or First Nations approvals, risks related to First Nations title and consultation, reliance upon key management and other personnel, deficiencies in the Company's title to its properties, uninsurable risks, failure to manage conflicts of interest, failure to obtain or maintain required permits and licences, risks related to changes in laws, regulations, policy and public perception, as well as those factors or other risks as more fully described in NexGen's Annual Information Form dated February 25, 2022 filed with the securities commissions of all of the provinces of Canada except Quebec and in NexGen's 40-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and Edgar at www.sec.gov .
Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or statements or implied by forward-looking information or statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements due to the inherent uncertainty thereof.
There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws.
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SOURCE NexGen Energy Ltd. | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/06/21/nexgen-webcast-annual-general-meeting-presentation-by-management-june-23-2022/ | 2022-06-21T22:50:36Z |
(NEXSTAR) – Bill Russell, one of the greatest NBA players in history, has passed away at age 88, his family announced Sunday.
Russell, called “the most prolific winner in American sports history” by his family, was an 11-time NBA champion, captain of a gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic team, and the first Black head coach of any North American professional sports team.
Born on Feb. 12, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana, Russell and his family later moved to California. He attended high school in Oakland and led the University of San Francisco to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics.
Russell was drafted in the first round of the 1956 NBA draft by the St. Louis Hawks but was soon traded to the Boston Celtics. He spent 13 years in Boston – 10 as a player and three as a coach. In that time, the team won 11 championships.
He was the first Black head coach in NBA history when he became player-coach in 1966. He retired after the 1969 NBA finals but later spent four years as coach and general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics and a half-season as coach for the Sacramento Kings.
The Hall of Famer was named Most Valuable Player five times and was a 12-time All-Star. In 1980, Russell was voted the greatest player in NBA history by basketball writers. He remains the sport’s most prolific winner and an archetype of selflessness who won with defense and rebounding while leaving the scoring to others. Often, that meant Wilt Chamberlain, the only player of the era who was a worthy rival for Russell.
Russell’s No. 6 jersey was retired by the Celtics in 1972. He earned spots on the NBA’s 25th anniversary all-time team in 1970 and 35th-anniversary team in 1980. In 1996, he was hailed as one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players. In 2009, the MVP trophy of the NBA Finals was named in his honor.
In 2013, a statue was unveiled on Boston’s City Hall Plaza of Russell surrounded by blocks of granite with quotes on leadership and character. Russell was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 but did not attend the ceremony, saying he should not have been the first African American elected. (Chuck Cooper, the NBA’s first Black player, was his choice.)
In 2019, Russell accepted his Hall of Fame ring in a private gathering. “I felt others before me should have had that honor,” he tweeted. “Good to see progress.”
“But for all the winning, Bill’s understanding of the struggle is what illuminated his life,” Russell’s family said in a statement. “From boycotting a 1961 exhibition game to [unmasking] too-long-tolerated discrimination, to leading Mississippi’s first integrated basketball camp in the combustible wake of Medgar Evans’ assassination, to decades of activism ultimately recognized by his receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010, Bill called out injustice with an unforgiving candor that he intended would disrupt the status quo, and with a powerful example that, though never his humble intention, will forever inspire teamwork, selflessness, and thoughtful change.”
Russell was at the March on Washington in 1963, when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, and he backed Muhammad Ali when the boxer was pilloried for refusing induction into the military draft.
In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded Russell the Medal of Freedom.
“Bill Russell, the man, is someone who stood up for the rights and dignity of all men,” Obama said at the ceremony. “When a restaurant refused to serve the Black Celtics, he refused to play in the scheduled game. He endured insults and vandalism, but he kept on focusing on making the teammates who he loved better players and made possible the success of so many who would follow.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement Sunday that Russell was “the greatest champion in all of team sports.”
“Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: the values of equality, respect and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league. At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps,” Silver said. “Through the taunts, threats and unthinkable adversity, Bill rose above it all and remained true to his belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.
Russell “passed away peacefully” with his wife, Jeannine, by his side on Sunday. His cause of death has not yet been released.
His family said that arrangements for Russell’s memorial service will be announced in the coming days.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://cw33.com/news/nexstar-media-wire/nba-legend-bill-russell-most-prolific-winner-in-american-sports-dies/ | 2022-07-31T20:22:27Z |
MORRISVILLE, N.C., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JupiterOne, the industry's leading provider of cyber asset attack surface management (CAASM) technology, today announced that it was named as a Sample Vendor for CAASM in the latest release of the Gartner Hype Cycle for Cyber Risk Management, 2022.
According to Gartner, "In 2022, the global risk landscape continues to be impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic conditions, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, labor shortage, worsening climate change, and inflation. In particular, the increased inflation rate and labor market tightness mean that organizations must do more with fewer resources."
The Gartner report notes that security and risk management (SRM) leaders continue to struggle to:
- "Position risk management as a decision-making practice. Either because of their rigid focus on framework-based controls or inability to scale their security and risk controls for individual projects
- Inform cyber and technology decisions in an ever-expanding operating ecosystem
- Gain sufficient transparency in evaluating environmental, social and governance risks and incidents, local and worldwide.
- Mitigate global supply chain risks as these risks continue to form a web of complexity and volatility.
- Look for ways to automate and inform risk assessment with data-driven insights."
One solution category that addresses these challenges is the cyber asset attack surface management (CAASM) space, where solutions aggregate and track assets such as endpoints, servers, devices, and applications. By consolidating internal and external cyber assets, users can use queries to find gaps in coverage for security tools such as vulnerability assessment and endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools. JupiterOne pioneered a graph-based approach to CAASM that allows customers to track and monitor IP addresses and analyze and map all intra-asset relationships.
As the Gartner analysts explained, "CAASM enables security teams to improve basic security hygiene by ensuring security controls, security posture, and asset exposure are understood and remediated. Organizations that deploy CAASM reduce dependencies on homegrown systems and manual collection processes, and remediate gaps either manually or via automated workflows. Organizations can visualize security tool coverage, support attack surface management (ASM) processes, and correct systems of record that may have stale or missing data."
The drivers of CAASM adoption, according to Gartner, include:
- "Full visibility into all information technology (IT), Internet of Things (IoT) and operational technology (OT) assets under an organization's control, which improves understanding of the attack surface area and existing security control gaps or serves as part of a wider ASM process.
- Quicker audit compliance reporting through more accurate, current and comprehensive asset and security control reports.
- Consolidation of existing products that collect asset and exposure information into a single normalized view, which reduces the need for manual processes or dependencies on homegrown applications.
- Access to consolidated asset views for multiple individuals and teams across an organization, such as enterprise architects, security operations teams and IT administrators, who can benefit from viewing and querying consolidated asset inventories with a view to achieving business objectives."
The recent Gartner report on Top Trends in Cybersecurity 2022 cited "Attack Surface Expansion" as one of the year's top security trends resulting from the expanding digital footprint of modern organizations. According to the report, "A dramatic increase in attack surface is emerging from changes in the use of digital systems, such as new hybrid work, accelerated use of public cloud, more tightly interconnected supply chains, expansion of public-facing digital assets and increased use of operational technology." In our opinion, security leaders who reinvent the cybersecurity function and technology architecture can better position their organizations to maintain and grow value in an increasingly agile, distributed, and decentralized environment.
JupiterOne was named a Sample Vendor for CAASM in the latest release of the Gartner Hype Cycle for Security Operations, 2022. The report is available for complimentary download from JupiterOne.
Additionally, Gartner recognized JupiterOne as a Representative Provider for CAASM in the Innovation Insights for Attack Surface Management and as a Sample Vendor in the Gartner Hype Cycle for Workload and Network Security, 2022 research reports.
Quotes
Erkang Zheng, Founder and CEO at JupiterOne
"JupiterOne is honored to receive yet another recognition from Gartner. Right now, the world is full of uncertainty, making it challenging to conduct business. More than ever, businesses must prioritize effective security measures. Security leaders can get invaluable insights by tracking their assets and making efficient use of their resources. Overall, organizations can make better data-driven business decisions while keeping security risks in mind."
Related Links
- Blog: Gartner Shares Innovative Tech for Your Shifting Attack Surface
- Resource: Gartner Hype Cycle for Security Operations, 2022 Andrew Davies, July 5, 2022
- Resource: Gartner, Top Trends in Cybersecurity 2022, Peter Firstbrook, Sam Olyaei, Pete Shoard, Katell Thielemann, Mary Ruddy, Felix Gaehtgens, Richard Addiscott, William Candrick, 18 February 2022.
- Resource: Gartner, Hype Cycle for Workload and Network Security, 2022, Charlie Winckless, 27 July 2022.
- Resource: Gartner, Hype Cycle for Cyber Risk Management, 2022, Jie Zhang, Deepti Gopal, 27 July 2022.
- Resource: Gartner, Innovation Insight for Attack Surface Management, Mitchell Schneider, John Watts, Pete Shoard, 24 March 2022.
Follow
- Twitter: @JupiterOne
- LinkedIn: JupiterOne
- YouTube: JupiterOne
Gartner Disclaimer
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
Gartner and Hype Cycle are registered trademarks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
About JupiterOne
JupiterOne is a cyber asset attack surface management (CAASM) platform company providing visibility and security into your entire cyber asset universe. Using graphs and relationships, JupiterOne provides a contextual knowledge base for an organization's cyber asset operations. With JupiterOne, teams can discover, monitor, understand, and act on changes in their digital environments. Cloud resources, ephemeral devices, identities, access rights, code, pull requests, and much more are collected, graphed, and monitored automatically by JupiterOne.
Contact:
Nathaniel Hawthorne for JupiterOne
Lumina Communications
(661) 965-0407
JupiterOne@LuminaPR.com
Melissa Pereira
Director of Communications, JupiterOne
(833) 578-7663
pr@jupiterone.com
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SOURCE JupiterOne | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/jupiterone-recognized-sample-vendor-cyber-asset-attack-surface-management-caasm-gartner-hype-cycle-cyber-risk-management-2022/ | 2022-08-18T12:36:25Z |
Meta Platforms says it will no longer pay U.S. news organizations to have their material appear in Facebook’s News Tab as it reallocates resources in the face of the economic downturn and changing user behavior.
The company said Thursday that most people “do not come to Facebook for news, and as a business it doesn’t make sense to over invest in areas that don’t align with user preferences.”
Meta, then called Facebook, launched the partnerships in 2019. The “News Tab” section in the Facebook mobile app only displays headlines — and nothing else — from The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, BuzzFeed News, Business Insider, NBC, USA Today and the Los Angeles Times, among others. The company did not say how much it was paying the news organizations, but reports put it in the millions of dollars for large outlets such as The Wall Street Journal.
The Associated Press did not participate in the initiative.
At the time the program launched, CEO Mark Zuckerberg told the AP that he saw “an opportunity to set up new long-term, stable financial relationships with publishers.”
But Meta, which is based in Menlo Park, California, said in a statement Thursday that a “lot has changed since we signed deals three years ago to test bringing additional news links to Facebook News in the U.S.”
On Wednesday, Meta Platforms Inc. posted its first revenue decline in its history and forecast weak results for the current quarter as well.
Meta does not pay for news content that outlets post on its platform. The News Tab deals, the company said Thursday, were for “incremental content, e.g., ensuring that we had access to more of their article links and that we were including a range of topic areas at launch.”
The company said Facebook News will continue in the other countries it’s currently in, and the shift in the U.S. won’t change the deals in those places — the U.K., France, Germany and Australia. | https://cw33.com/technology/ap-technology/facebook-ends-funding-for-us-news-partnerships-program/ | 2022-07-29T02:50:49Z |
Sign Up To Become A Lasagna Love Volunteer
To Support Community Members In Need
MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill., July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RAGÚ®, the iconic sauce brand that has been at the heart of family mealtime in the U.S. for over 85 years, has partnered with global nonprofit Lasagna Love to help families in need at the grassroots level by sponsoring the organization's National Lasagna Day program.
Founded in 2020, Lasagna Love aims to positively impact communities by connecting neighbors with neighbors through delivery of homemade lasagnas. Powered by more than 35,000 volunteers, Lasagna Love is active across all 50 U.S. states, as well as in Australia and Canada, delivering gestures of kindness and goodwill when needed most.
From now until National Lasagna Day (July 29), RAGÚ invites consumers to sign up to become a Lasagna Love Chef, who will make and deliver lasagnas to those in need locally. The first 250 consumers to sign up at www.lasagnalove.org/ragu as a new Lasagna Love volunteer will receive a special thank you gift from RAGÚ, including a spoon perfect for mixing lasagna ingredients and a coupon for a free jar of delicious RAGÚ sauce.
Lasagna Love is celebrating National Lasagna Day through a week-long calendar of activities that begin on July 23 and run through July 30. The organization will be hosting live-stream events with guest chefs, local-level events where lasagnas will be delivered to homeless shelters, retirement homes, food banks and more. Collectively, the volunteers will be working towards the goal of breaking the record for the most volunteer lasagnas ever made on National Lasagna Day.
"As part of the RAGÚ team, we believe that anyone 'Can Cook Like a Mother' regardless of gender or culinary skill set. That's why we're empowering consumers to 'Cook Like a Mother for Others' and volunteer with Lasagna Love to help those in need in their communities—on National Lasagna Day and beyond," said Megan Frank, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Mizkan America, Inc., the maker of RAGÚ. "Just as RAGÚ Sauce has been crafted with passion since 1937, Lasagna Love's passion for kindness has inspired volunteers to feed over a million people in need of some extra love and comfort. We're proud to partner with them to support this important mission."
The RAGÚ brand's "Cook Like a Mother" tagline is a reminder that, with a delicious jar of RAGÚ sauce in hand, anyone and everyone can whip up a mother of a lasagna. The phrase celebrates the iconic sauce brand at the heart of real-world home cooking. Even if you are not a skilled cook, RAGÚ empowers anyone to step up to the stove with confidence and serve up taste-tempting homemade meals for yourself or others.
"By becoming a part of Lasagna Love, volunteers join a community of thousands of incredible people around the world looking to make and deliver lasagnas to those in need of a culinary hug. We're honored to partner with RAGÚ to inspire more volunteers to spread kindness and strengthen their own communities, one lasagna at a time," said Rhiannon Menn, founder of Lasagna Love.
Lasagna Love is a community impact program that connects neighbors through gestures of kindness, goodwill, and support. The nonprofit has joined together more than 30,000 volunteers from around the world and abides by three simple principles: feed families, spread kindness and strengthen communities. Lasagna Love fosters a culture of positivity, empathy, zero-judgment, and maintains a steadfast resolve to deliver comfort when needed most. Lasagna Love volunteers share a seminal purpose: exist to assist. To learn more about Lasagna Love and how to can get involved, visit www.lasagnalove.org or its social channels, @WeAreLasagnaLove (Instagram and Facebook).
The RAGÚ® brand was founded in 1937 by Assunta and Giovani Cantisano and their sauce was originally sold from their home in Rochester, New York. Assunta carried her family's recipe from Italy when she immigrated to New York in 1914, and it has now been enjoyed by American families for over 85 years. With a wide selection of sauce varieties ranging from the beloved Old-World Style to the Chunky Line, Cheese Creations and Simply, RAGÚ sauce can empower anyone to "Cook Like a Mother" regardless of gender or culinary skill. Today, RAGÚ sauce is the go-to pasta sauce for families coming together to share a quick and delicious meal and an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to "Cook Like a Mother" in the kitchen. For the very latest news, recipes and more from the RAGÚ brand, please check out the brand at www.RAGÚ.com. You can also follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and TikTok.
Based in Mount Prospect, IL, Mizkan America, Inc., is a subsidiary of the Mizkan Group, a global, family-owned company that has been Bringing Flavor To Life™ for more than 215 years. As one of the leading makers of condiments and sauces in the United States, Mizkan America maintains 13 manufacturing facilities that serve the retail, foodservice, specialty Asian and food-ingredient trade channels. Since 2005, Mizkan America has seen dramatic growth and their portfolio now includes a wide variety of vinegars, Italian and Asian sauces, cooking wines, wine reductions, sushi seasoning and salad dressings. Mizkan America brands include: RAGÚ®, Bertolli®, Holland House®, Nakano®, Mizkan®, Four Monks®, Barengo® and Born Simple®. Mizkan America is also the exclusive distributor/sales agent for Angostura® Bitters in North America. For more information, go to www.Mizkan.com.
The Mizkan Group is a privately held, international food manufacturer, headquartered in Handa City, Japan, with a heritage that spans more than 215 years. Always guided by the company's Two Principles (Offer customers only the finest products; and Continually challenge the status quo), the Mizkan Group offers a line-up of well-known international brands under the Mizkan umbrella and is a leader in the liquid-condiment category. The Mizkan Group has operating facilities around the globe in places including Japan, China, the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. More information about the Mizkan Group can be found at: www.mizkanholdings.com/en/.
CONTACT:
Grace Hong
grace.hong@hkstrategies.com
(213) 631-5486
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SOURCE RAGÚ | https://www.kxii.com/prnewswire/2022/07/06/rag-lasagna-love-team-up-empower-consumers-cook-like-mother-others-leading-up-national-lasagna-day/ | 2022-07-06T15:05:29Z |
Rising gas prices set new record in Texoma
In Sherman and Denison, the average gas price on Tuesday is $4.09
SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) - That short break from soaring gas prices is unfortunately over as new price tags shatter records in Texoma.
“I hope it doesn’t get any higher,” said Austin Bush. “The higher it gets, the harder it is for people to buy other things.”
In Sherman and Denison, the average gas price on Tuesday is $4.09, up from $3.94 on Monday and beating the record set in March by eight cents.
“We’ve seen it, but a daily jump of 15 cents is a pretty healthy jump,” said AAA Spokesperson Daniel Armbruster. “You don’t see that often.”
AAA points to the ongoing conflict in Europe, and an increase in demand for fuel as summer travelers hit the road, creating a perfect storm for higher gas prices.
“Volatility like that in the market- it creates uncertainty, so the price for retail fuel is going to continue to increase just because of the uncertainty there,” said Armbruster.
On the Texas side of the red river, local distributors said they have to switch to summer-blend gasoline, limiting where they can get the ingredients.
“Normally, in North Texas, we’re able to bring Oklahoma motor fuel down to Texas, but because they changed the formulation, it’s now summer gasoline,” said Brad Douglass, the CEO of Douglass Distributing. “We have to use a lower emissions gasoline in Texas, which means we’re having to pay Dallas prices.”
And let’s not forget the inflation everywhere else.
“The cost of diesel going into our trucks, the cost of labor in our stores, the cost of labor for delivery, everything is going up,” said Douglass.
All of it combines to mean a mounting total at the pump.
“We are all frustrated,” said Douglass. “We do a lot better when gasoline is 2 dollars a gallon versus 4.”
And the prices are forcing consumers to cut back on other parts of their budget.
“For us, it has been eating out,” said Bush. “We don’t eat out as much, so we can pay for the extra we’re spending in diesel to get back and forth from work and to other places.”
AAA said such a large jump in prices might indicate even higher prices on the horizon, and costs may remain expensive through the summer.
AAA recommends keeping up with car maintenance, going the speed limit, and trying not to accelerate too fast to save on as much gas as possible.
Copyright 2022 KXII. All rights reserved. | https://www.kxii.com/2022/05/10/rising-gas-prices-set-new-record-texoma/ | 2022-05-11T00:15:06Z |
LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will visit the U.K. next month for the first time since they returned for Queen Elizabeth II ‘s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
A spokesperson for the couple said Monday that they will “visit with several charities close to their hearts” in the U.K. and Germany.
Harry and Meghan will travel to the northern English city of Manchester on Sept. 5 for the One Young World summit, a youth leadership event with hundreds of international participants from across the world. Meghan is expected to give the keynote address at the opening ceremony.
They will then head to Duesseldorf, Germany, for an event on Sept. 6 counting down to next year’s Invictus Games, the annual sporting event that Harry founded in 2014 for wounded and sick servicemen and women. The couple then return to London for an awards ceremony for the charity WellChild.
Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties and moved to the U.S. in early 2020. They returned to Britain in June for a long weekend of festivities celebrating the queen’s 70 years on the throne, though they kept out of the limelight and weren’t included in the small group of working royals who posed for photos with the queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
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This story corrects that the queen has served 70 years on the throne, not 75.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of Prince Harry at https://apnews.com/hub/prince-harry | https://cw33.com/entertainment-news/ap-entertainment/prince-harry-meghan-to-visit-uk-germany-next-month/ | 2022-08-16T00:45:04Z |
Next Legends Campaign Aims to Educate Native American Youth About Harms of Vaping through Culturally Specific Ads
SILVER SPRING, Md., June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the launch of the "Next Legends" Youth E-cigarette Prevention Campaign as part of the agency's ongoing efforts to protect youth from the dangers of tobacco use. The campaign will educate American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth, ages 12-17, about the harms of vaping through unique branding and tailored messaging created to inspire a new generation to live Native strong and vape-free.
There are approximately 400,000 Native teens in the U.S., and more than half of them are at-risk of using tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Studies show that Native youth are more susceptible to e-cigarette use than their non-Native peers, and they demonstrate disproportionately high experimentation and current use of e-cigarettes. Data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System indicate that:
- AI/AN youth are more likely to use e-cigarettes and almost twice as likely to be frequent users of e-cigarettes than high school students overall;
- 47.3% of AI/AN high school students reported past 30-day use of "electronic vapor products" including e-cigarettes compared to 32.7% of high school students overall; and
- 19.9% of AI/AN high school students reported using electronic vapor products frequently (on 20 or more days in the last 30 days) compared to 10.7% of high school students overall.
"The Next Legends campaign is an important and creative way to educate Native youth about the harms of vaping," said Michele Mital, acting director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products. "E-cigarettes are the most used tobacco product among youth, and they pose serious health risks if used during adolescence, when the brain is still developing. Next Legends builds on the success of previous youth e-cigarette prevention campaigns while also addressing health disparities among Native Americans and Alaska Natives associated with tobacco use. Communicating with Native youth through culturally-aligned messages will help these youth make informed decisions about healthy behavior, including being vape-free."
The "Next Legends" campaign will reach AI/AN teens where they spend much of their time- online. Digital video advertisements will be placed on social media sites such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, and streaming and gaming platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. In addition to the campaign's digital video and social media presence, out-of-home billboards, radio, and TV (in Alaska) will also be used to help spread the public health messages to Native youth. The ads feature members of the AI/AN community and messaging focused on the negative health consequences and addiction risks of using e-cigarettes, the dangerous mix of chemicals and metals found in them, and how vaping can negatively affect aspects of life that are very important to the community.
In consultation with AI/AN community members and other experts in Native culture, media, and public health research, the FDA conducted robust research to develop effective messaging to reach Native youth. Strategies included extensive research and analysis to identify messaging needs and unique cultural considerations for commercial tobacco use prevention efforts; focus groups with AI/AN youth from across regions of the U.S.; and testing of video ads through an online survey with a large sample of Native youth. To ensure cultural relevancy for this audience, the FDA's media contractor, Rescue Agency, partnered with G+G Advertising, a native-owned advertising agency with more than 20 years' experience working with AI/AN tribes and communities.
The FDA's tobacco prevention campaigns are critical to its public health mission. In addition to public education campaigns, the agency protects youth from the harms of vaping through regulation, scientific review of products, and taking enforcement actions against tobacco manufacturers, retailers, importers and distributors, when needed. The FDA restricts youth access to tobacco products by, for example, requiring retailers to check ID prior to sale and not sell to anyone under the age of 21.
Related Information:
Media Contact: Courtney Rhodes, (202) 281-5237
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
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SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/06/08/fda-launches-campaign-aimed-preventing-e-cigarette-use-among-american-indianalaska-native-youth/ | 2022-06-08T16:48:50Z |
Border Patrol officers discover 1.5 million fentanyl pills hidden in tractor trailer
NOGALEZ, Ariz. (AZFamily/Gray News) – Border Patrol agents at the border of Arizona and Mexico discovered hundreds of pounds of fentanyl and other drugs hidden in a tractor-trailer, attempting to make its way into the U.S. over the weekend.
Nogales Port Director Michael Humphries said in a tweet that the 18-wheeler trailer and the vehicle traveling with it held 1.57 million fentanyl pills altogether.
Additionally, 100 pounds of cocaine were found along with heroin and fentanyl powder.
Photos added to the tweet showed that the alleged smugglers attempted to hide the drugs from Border agents using metal boxes and trap doors in the vehicle.
This drug bust comes just days after the same port in Arizona intercepted about 15,000 brightly-colored “rainbow fentanyl” pills strapped to a person’s leg.
Many officials are seeing more of this colorful kind of fentanyl, according to a CNN report.
Authorities are worried this new “trend” could be a way of targeting children and teens into trying the drug.
Copyright 2022 AZFamily via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.mysuncoast.com/2022/08/22/border-patrol-officers-discover-15-million-fentanyl-pills-hidden-tractor-trailer/ | 2022-08-22T23:20:37Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Manhattan's iconic Pier 57 has been transformed by an ambitious redevelopment project, with walls of Bendheim channel glass to help blend old with new.
Designed by Handel Architects, the $410 million restoration and revitalization project created 350,000 square feet of mixed-use space on the midcentury structure, with an additional 50,000 square feet on the ground floor for public amenities. With Google as the anchor tenant, Pier 57 will also offer a food hall curated by the James Beard Foundation, a public gathering place called the Living Room, and flexible meeting space for booking by community organizations.
The building's rooftop park, nearly two acres in size and open to the public, is the largest of its kind in New York City. The venue will also provide outdoor screening space for the annual Tribeca Film Festival.
Perfectly positioned to reflect Hudson River sunsets, the building's walls are made of 6,400 square feet of Bendheim channel glass in the company's SF60 frame system, installed by David Shuldiner, Inc. The lower-level walls are primarily made of Bendheim's Clarissimo glass, a clear material allowing extensive river views from the lobby and restaurant areas on the ground floor. The walls of the second story offices and other selected panels are made of glass with Bendheim's 504 Rough Cast texture. The choice of a translucent finish for the glass on this floor shields the workspace from glare while creating a glowing exterior. Throughout the building, low-e coatings serve to minimize the amount of ultraviolet and infrared light that is allowed to pass through the glass walls, while maximizing the transmission of visible wavelengths.
Jessica Levine, Senior Associate at Handel Architects, described the role of the channel glass at Pier 57 as follows:
"As a new structure built on a historic building, we wanted the pavilion on the roof of the Pier to read as a light intervention, both in material selection and the language of design. The channel glass achieves this balance for us by acting as a diffuser of light and also in its industrial appearance–complimenting the nature of a historic shipping pier. The channel glass allowed us to have a cohesive design by providing the flexibility between translucent and transparent finishes."
Bendheim co-owner Robert Jayson commented, "We are proud to participate in the ongoing revitalization of New York City, including this important development. Our channel glass allowed the architects to build walls that are both functional and beautiful, making the most of Pier 57's spectacular setting on the Hudson."
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Pier 57 was originally completed in 1954 as a project of the New York City Marine and Aviation Department. First used as a shipping terminal for the Grace Line steamship company, it was the largest dock ever built by the City of New York. With the decline of maritime shipping in New York, the pier became a parking garage for New York City Transit buses in 1969, then closed down altogether in 2003. The Hudson River Park Trust, a public benefit corporation established in 1998 to develop and operate public park space along Manhattan's West Side shoreline, began efforts to redevelop the pier in 2008. The current project represents a significant public-private collaboration, with contributors including Google, RXR, Young Woo & Associates, The Baupost Group and Jamestown in addition to the Hudson River Park Trust and the City and State of New York.
Photos of the Bendheim channel glass at Pier 57 are available here: https://app.box.com/s/zd3pxdgkqut4e0hiolwqho868cfdld7g
Bendheim is one of the world's foremost resources for specialty architectural glass. Founded in New York City in 1927, the fourth-generation, family-owned company offers a virtually unlimited range of customizable glass solutions for interior and exterior building applications. Bendheim develops, fabricates, and distributes its products worldwide. The company maintains production facilities in New Jersey and a design lab in New York City. For additional information, please visit Bendheim.com.
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SOURCE Bendheim | https://www.wibw.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/transformed-west-side-pier-features-bendheim-channel-glass/ | 2022-08-23T16:48:25Z |
Special Weather Statement issued May 4 at 4:16AM MDT by NWS Riverton WY
This is a special weather statement from the National Weather
Service Office in Riverton.
* WHAT…Snow showers. An additional 1 to 2 inches expected, with
locally higher amounts in the Wind River Range.
* WHERE…Sweetwater County, southern Lincoln County, Upper Green
River Basin, Western Wind River Range and Green Mountains.
* WHEN…Through this afternoon. The steadiest snow will be this
morning.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Roads may become slick and snow covered.
Road conditions should improve after mid morning. | https://localnews8.com/weather/alerts-weather/2022/05/04/special-weather-statement-issued-may-4-at-416am-mdt-by-nws-riverton-wy/ | 2022-05-04T12:20:35Z |
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Realty Trust Group (RTG) partnered with leaders from The University of Tennessee (UT) Medical Center, OrthoTennessee, and UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm to develop a new orthopaedic institute in Knoxville, TN.
"This joint venture facility provides the opportunity to better serve patients in the community of Knoxville. The development of the new facility will allow the orthopaedic surgeons to expand and continue to provide high-quality orthopaedic care in a more convenient, lower-cost setting, which was an important factor in the development of this facility," said Joe Landsman, CEO UT Medical Center.
The 91,000-square-foot facility was first announced in 2018, and construction began in October 2020. The first floor of the three-story building serves as the ambulatory surgery center, which includes five operating rooms and an advanced imaging center. The second and third floors house clinical, research, and administrative areas. The facility comprehensively meets patients' clinical, surgical, imaging, and therapy needs in one location.
"From a planning standpoint, one of the unique parts of this project was that it was not only our organization that had a particular vision of this project, but it was a project that was in partnership with UT Medical Center and the UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm. All three parties had a unique vision of what they wanted to see accomplished, and RTG had to be able to navigate those things, and they did that successfully," said Jon-David Deeson, CEO OrthoTennessee.
"We were grateful that RTG took the time and walked us through a very comprehensive planning process to anticipate certain aspects of a project like this that we would not have been able to do on our own. We have continued to seek their advice and expertise around real estate matters and future development projects for our organization," said Deeson.
Fourteen orthopaedic surgeons from OrthoTennessee will practice at the new location and offer a broad array of clinical, imaging, diagnostic, surgical, rehabilitative care, and therapy services. The facility represents an ongoing partnership to collaboratively meet the changing medical needs of the greater community in East Tennessee.
To learn more about RTG's capabilities and who we serve, including real estate development for healthcare and life science facilities, visit our website.
Realty Trust Group, LLC (RTG) is a nationally recognized real estate advisory and services firm serving the healthcare and life science industry since 1998. With objective, accountable, and trusted expertise, RTG provides innovative healthcare real estate solutions through a full platform of advisory, development, transactions, operations, and regulatory compliance services.
RTG acts as an extension of healthcare leadership teams, working to leverage real estate as a strategic asset to support broader organizational objectives. In a rapidly changing healthcare industry, RTG provides real estate strategies that gain market share, enhance patient experience, and increase speed to market. These solutions include strategic planning, portfolio optimization, capital strategies, facility feasibility and development, transaction support, portfolio management, regulatory compliance, and other tailored client solutions.
For more information about RTG, visit www.realtytrustgroup.com, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or call 865-521-0630.
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SOURCE Realty Trust Group LLC | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/09/15/realty-trust-group-helps-develop-manage-new-ut-medical-center-orthopaedic-institute/ | 2022-09-15T18:16:56Z |
NEW YORK, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for AMC, F, DB, AFIB, and LVS.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- AMC: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=AMC&prnumber=072120222
- F: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=F&prnumber=072120222
- DB: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=DB&prnumber=072120222
- AFIB: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=AFIB&prnumber=072120222
- LVS: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=LVS&prnumber=072120222
(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)
InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alerts are based on our proprietary scoring methodology. Each stock is evaluated based on short-term technical, long-term technical and fundamental factors. Each of those scores is then combined into an overall score that determines a stock's overall suitability for investment.
InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
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SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.mysuncoast.com/prnewswire/2022/07/21/thinking-about-buying-stock-amc-entertainment-ford-motor-company-deutsche-bank-acutus-medical-or-las-vegas-sands/ | 2022-07-21T14:21:33Z |
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