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Headliners include Jay McBain of Canalys, Janet Schijns of JS Group, and Jared Fuller of PartnerHacker, among others
SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Impartner, the world's most complete channel management platform and Partner Relationship Management (PRM) provider, announced today that channel industry icon Jay McBain, Chief Analyst, Channels, Partnerships and Ecosystems will be a keynote speaker at its annual customer summit, ImpartnerCON 2022, to be held on Oct. 19-21, in Salt Lake City, UT. Additional speaker highlights include Maria Chien, VP Research Director at Forrester, Janet Schijns, CEO of JS Group and Jared Fuller, Founder of PartnerHacker among others that Impartner will continue to announce leading up to the event.
Now in its sixth year, ImpartnerCON is one of the world's largest vendor-led channel industry events gathering the most influential channel leaders and industry speakers to collaborate, celebrate and deep dive into future-forward content. This year's event, titled Odyssey, is focused on the next phase of channel ecosystem evolution to provide guests a truly unique and educational experience. Channel innovators and executives from companies of all sizes and industries will learn how to optimize their digital transformation and partner experience from presentations made by well-known industry analysts, leading channel organizations and Impartner executives.
"ImpartnerCON is about bringing together our customers and channel authorities that represent the future of the industry—driving, defining and implementing marketing and channel strategy," said Brad Pace, COO at Impartner. "We are thrilled about this year's speaking line up and have even more to excite our attendees than before."
Jay McBain is an accomplished speaker, author and innovator in the IT industry. McBain is the Chief Analyst of Channels, Partnerships & Ecosystems at Canalys and has served previously at companies such as Forrester, Channel Mechanics, ChannelEyes and Autotask. McBain was named the 2021 Channel Influencer of the Year by Channel Partners Magazine and has been recognized by many esteemed award programs like the Top 40 Under Forty by the Business Review, Channel A-List by CRN, Top 8 Thought Leader by Channel Marketing Journal, Top 20 Visionary by ChannelPro and more.
Maria Chien is an industry thought leader in B2B channels. Chien has more than 20 years of experience and is an authority in channel marketing, channel readiness, partner enablement, partner program design and field marketing. She is currently the VP, Practice Leader of Channel Marketing Strategies at Forrester, and has previously served in channel leadership roles at companies like Sirius Decisions and Sun Microsystems.
Janet Schijns
Janet Schijns is a proven leader in partnerships, channels, alliances, and technology. Janet is the CEO and Co-Founder of JS Group, a go to market acceleration firm dedicated to achieving results in the Channel Megacosm. Additionally, Janet serves as Board of Directors for AvePoint, and Ninjio, was formerly EVP and CMSO at Office Depot, and Chief Channel Executive and Chief Marketing Technologist for Verizon.
Jared Fuller
Jared Fuller is an entrepreneur and student of B2B markets. He serves on multiple advisory boards ranging from Universities to Venture Backed SaaS startups. Jared hosts PartnerUp, The Partnerships Podcast and is the Co-Founder & Chief Ecosystem Officer of PartnerHacker. Previously, Jared held executive GTM & partner positions at PandaDoc and Drift, both now known B2B SaaS Unicorns.
For more details on the ImpartnerCON 2022 conference agenda and speakers visit https://wow.impartner.com/impartnercon22-Splash.html.
To learn more about how Impartner helps corporations from the smallest to the largest enterprises like Honeywell, Qualtrics and Vertiv grow their channel revenue by an average of 32.3% in the first year of use alone, click here.
About Impartner
Impartner is the fastest-growing, most award-winning provider of channel management technologies, including its flagship Partner Relationship Management (PRM) and Through Channel Marketing Automation (TCMA) solutions, which help companies worldwide manage their partner relationships, drive demand through partners and accelerate revenue and profitability through indirect sales channels. For more information on Impartner, which is based in Utah's tech hotbed, the Silicon Slopes, visit impartner.com.
Impartner Contact:
Chelsea Rider
Impartner
chelsea.rider@impartner.com
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SOURCE Impartner | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/impartner-announces-keynote-speakers-its-annual-channel-summit-impartnercon-2022/ | 2022-08-17T16:45:17Z |
Rising prices and workers moving to involuntary part-time status impact living-wage jobs
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Even though government-reported statistics show inflation easing and jobs being added, the percentage of the American workforce unable to find and maintain living-wage jobs inched upward slightly for July, according to an analysis by the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP).
In its monthly True Rate of Unemployment (TRU) for July, LISEP reported that 22.3% of American workers are now classified as "functionally unemployed," defined as the jobless, plus those seeking but unable to secure full-time employment paying above the poverty line after adjusting for inflation. This is an increase of 0.2 percentage points over the June TRU and is in contrast to the official unemployment report issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which showed an improving jobless rate, dropping from 3.6% to 3.5%.
According to LISEP, the difference between the TRU and the BLS-reported unemployment numbers is the growing number of workers being involuntarily moved to part-time status (part-time employment grew by 303,000 in July, according to the BLS) which, when combined with lingering inflationary pressures, has forced a growing number of low-wage workers below the poverty line and thus into the ranks of the functionally unemployed. Some dropped out of the workforce altogether, with the labor force participation rate down 0.1 percentage points in July.
"While we are seeing some positive signs this summer pointing toward a stabilizing economy from an inflationary perspective, there remains a segment of the population that has been hit disproportionately hard by rising prices, which is the very same segment with a less stable employment situation," said LISEP chair Gene Ludwig. "This is why policymakers must dig deeper than just the headline statistics. They do not tell the entire story."
Ludwig noted that according to LISEP's True Living Cost (TLC) Index – a metric that tracks price changes for a basket of items that includes only minimum adequate needs – over the last 20 years expenses for middle- and low-income families has risen 40% more than what has been reported by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Demographically, the only groups with an improved TRU were White workers, dropping from 20.7% to 20.5%, and males, improving from 17.7% to 17.5%. Hispanic workers saw the biggest jump in functional unemployment, climbing from 25.2% to 26.3%, with Black workers also posting an increase in TRU, from 25.5% to 25.8%. Functional unemployment also increased for women, from 26.9% to 27.5%.
The TRU for workers without a high school diploma and those with some college, but no bachelor's degree, jumped by 1.6% (45.7% to 47.3%) and 1.8% (23.8% to 25.6%), respectively. All other educational groups saw an improved TRU.
"A sustainable recovery must be equitable, and we are witnessing real disparity between improving headline statistics and the facts on the ground for millions of American families," Ludwig said.
LISEP issued the white paper "Measuring Better: Development of 'True Rate of Unemployment' Data as the Basis for Social and Economic Policy'' upon announcing the new statistical measure in October 2020. The paper and methodology can be viewed here. LISEP issues TRU one to two weeks following the release of the BLS unemployment report, which occurs on the first Friday of each month. The TRU rate and supporting data are available on the LISEP website at https://www.lisep.org/tru.
The Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP) was created in 2019 by Ludwig and his wife, Dr. Carol Ludwig. The mission of LISEP is to improve the economic well-being of middle- and lower-income Americans through research and education, and seeks to advance the dialogue around policy solutions to improve the well-being of all Americans.
In addition to his role as LISEP chair, Gene Ludwig is founder of the Promontory family of companies and Canapi LLC, a financial technology venture fund. He is the founder and CEO of Ludwig Regulatory Group (LRG). Ludwig is the former vice chairman and senior control officer of Bankers Trust New York Corp., and served as the U.S. Comptroller of the Currency from 1993 to 1998. He is also author of the book The Vanishing American Dream, which investigates the economic challenges facing low- and middle-income Americans. On Twitter: @geneludwig.
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SOURCE Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/inflation-nibbles-paychecks-functional-unemployment-inches-upward-july/ | 2022-08-17T16:45:23Z |
egglife® egg white wraps and Jenny Reimagine the Go-To School Lunch and Afternoon Snack Staple, the PB&J, Giving it a Better-For-You and Delicious Upgrade
CHICAGO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the National Peanut Board, the average American child will consume 1,500 PB&Js before graduating high school. While tasty, the average PB&J isn't the most nutritious option, which is why Egglife Foods, the innovative food company that uses cage-free eggs instead of flour to reimagine carb-heavy foods, is rethinking this iconic schooltime staple – with less carbs and sugar and more protein.
In partnership with actor, Instagram personality and New York Times bestselling author Jenny Mollen, Egglife is sharing a variety of delicious and healthy twists on the lunchtime staple. PB&Js on original egglife® egg white wraps or sweet cinnamon egglife® egg white wraps are simple, delicious, and nutritious - perfect for breakfasts on-the-go, study breaks, lunches, and afternoon snacks. From peanut butter with strawberries to almond butter and tart apples, these unique recipes are sure to be a homerun with kids and parents alike, making lunches more nutritious with a simple swap. The reimagined recipes include:
- Crunchy Raspberry Granola Wrap
- Fruit Chia Pinwheels
- The Elvis
- Sweet & Salty PB&J
- Apple & Almond Wrap
- Peanut Butter Cup Roll Up
Jenny, who is well-known for helping parents take the power struggle out of mealtime through her Dictator Lunches Instagram account - which inspired her upcoming Dictator Lunches September 2022 book release - has teamed up with Egglife to put a special emphasis on solving the age-old problem of school lunch. As a busy mom herself, Jenny is showing parents that every morning doesn't have to be a struggle and with egglife wraps, parents can get back into their routines and feel good about making their kids a healthy and delicious PB&J.
"I'm all about finding fun ways for my kids to eat healthier, which is why this partnership felt so authentic to me," said Jenny Mollen. "Egglife provides such a versatile and better-for-you canvas to work from, giving us so many elevated and delicious twists on the classic PB&J to play with. The best part - kids and parents will love them!"
"As a parent, I know the age-old struggle between packing what tastes good and what's good for you in school lunches," said David Kroll, Chief Executive Officer of Egglife Foods. "That's why we are so excited to partner with Jenny, a fellow parent who can relate to that struggle and who has already helped so many families navigate it. This back-to-school, we want to inspire families with creative and better-for-you mealtime solutions with egglife, making the ease back to our busy routines less stressful and more delicious!"
egglife® egg white wraps contain five grams of protein, fewer than 35 calories, less than one gram of carbohydrates and zero sugar. They are also gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free. With five versatile sweet and savory flavors – original, southwest, everything bagel, italian and sweet cinnamon – egglife® egg white wraps make it easy to fit delicious meals into your lifestyle without the stress. egglife® egg white wraps are now available in over 10,000 stores across the country, including Aldi, Target, Kroger, Sam's Club, Sprouts, Walmart, and many other retail locations nationwide, as well as online at egglifefoods.com. For more information, visit egglifefoods.com or follow the brand on Instagram: @egglifefoods.
Egglife Foods is reimagining the future of food by harnessing the power of eggs to transform traditionally flour-based foods. The company, recently featured as one of CNBC's Best of Small Businesses, was created in 2017, motivated by a desire to modernize nutrition and champion better wellness without sacrificing taste. Two years and over 2,000 recipes later, their debut product, egglife® egg white wraps were hatched. Made with cage free egg whites and just a few simple ingredients to provide a simple, delicious and nutritious alternative to traditional tortillas, egglife egg white wraps are The Perfect Wrap® for consumers looking for a versatile, low-carb, high protein option. The wraps are available in five innovative flavors – original, southwest, everything bagel, italian and sweet cinnamon. All of Egglife's wraps are cleverly crafted at their very own manufacturing facility in Wolcott, Indiana.
JENNY MOLLEN is a writer, actor, Instagram personality and New York Times bestselling author of the essay collections I Like You Just the Way I Am and Live Fast Die Hot. Her digital series, "I Like You Just the Way I Am," which she wrote and in which she stars, currently streams on ABC Digital. Her debut novel City of Likes was released June 14th and is a national best seller. The book has already been optioned by Sony TV with Diablo Cody attached to executive produce. Her next book Dictator Lunches: Inspired Meals That Will Compel Even the Toughest of (Tyrants) Children comes out September 13th. Heralded by The Huffington Post as one of the funniest women on both Twitter and Instagram and named one of "Five to Follow" by T Magazine, Jenny wrote a standing column for Parents magazine and has contributed to Cosmopolitan, Glamour, New York, Elle.com, Wake Up Call with Katie Couric, and Playboy online. With her Instagram handles @jennymollen and @dictatorlunches, Jenny has more than half a million followers. Visit jennymollen.com.
Media Contact:
Jessie Depre
jessie.depre@spoolmarketing.com
815-503-1523
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SOURCE Egglife Foods | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/innovative-food-company-egglife-foods-announces-partnership-with-actress-author-influencer-mom-jenny-mollen-help-families-get-back-routine-with-simple-mealtime-solutions/ | 2022-08-17T16:45:31Z |
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Skinuva is excited to announce the launch of its newest physician developed and solutions driven product, Skinuva Bruise. Our mission at Skinuva is to evolve skincare's gold standards by introducing professional, science backed formulations invented and clinically tested by physicians. Skinuva Bruise is the perfect addition to expand the Skinuva portfolio as a clinically supported homeopathic supplement to aid in recovery.
Skinuva Bruise is a pharmaceutical grade, homeopathic supplement that includes the best ingredients known to aid healing and reduce the appearance of bruising including Arnica Montana, Bromelain, Zinc, Vitamin C, Grape Seed Extract, and Rutin. Skinuva Bruise was formulated using these clinically supported ingredients to provide physicians and their patients the most advanced supplement to help reduce swelling, pain, and bruising from surgeries, cosmetic procedures, and injuries. Skinuva Bruise is vegan and vegetarian friendly, non-GMO, gluten-free, and is an FDA registered product manufactured by an FDA registered facility with a meticulous regulatory process to ensure product safety.
"I've been providing my patients homeopathic Arnica and Bromelain based supplements for over 12 years and have seen first-hand the benefits of incorporating them in my patients' post-procedure recovery regimen," says Christopher Zoumalan MD, a board-certified Oculoplastic Surgeon and the Founder of Skinuva.
"With a myriad of post recovery Arnica based supplements available on the market, consumers may not be aware of the stringent manufacturing methods and regulatory pathways Arnica-based supplements need to undergo in order to ensure product safety," says Skinuva Chief Technical Officer Dr. Tanya Rhodes. "Just as Skinuva Scar and Skinuva Brite were developed out of a desire to offer more scientifically based and clinically proven topical products for scars and hyperpigmentation, we also developed Skinuva Bruise to be a more safe and effective homeopathic post-recovery supplement. By incorporating Arnica, Bromelain, Zinc and other key antioxidants into our proprietary formulation, we believe we are providing the optimal supplement for both patients and our physician partners."
Skinuva Bruise includes key ingredients that help improve patients' bruising and swelling while boosting their immune system during the recovery period. What is unique about Skinuva Bruise compared to other post-recovery supplements is that it is registered with FDA as an OTC homeopathic drug supplement, having undergone the highest level of quality and regulatory assurance during its development and manufacturing process.
To learn more about Skinuva Bruise or to purchase, please visit www.skinuva.com.
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SOURCE Skinuva | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/introducing-skinuva-bruise-pharmaceutical-grade-physician-developed-homeopathic-supplement/ | 2022-08-17T16:45:38Z |
CHICAGO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading promotional products and solutions provider iPromo announced today that it has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list for the second year in a row with three-year revenue growth of 256%, placing No. 2281 on Inc's. annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy's most dynamic segment—its independent businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.
"In the new hybrid world we are focused on creating solutions that help with employee retention and relationship building through promotional products and corporate gifts," said Leo Friedman, iPromo's CEO & Founder. "Our clients love their online company stores, and our new SwagCloud™ platform that lets them store and distribute their products on demand. We are also passionate about reducing the 20% waste in our industry through EcoCloud™, a solution for reusing or donating unused swag. Our growth has come from being reliable branding and distribution partners for our clients."
The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful, but have also demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of Covid-19. Among the top 500, the average median three-year revenue growth rate soared to 2,144%. Together, those companies added more than 68,394 jobs over the past three years.
"The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. "Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today."
Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2021. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2021 is $2 million.
Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. The top 500 companies are featured in the September issue of Inc. magazine, which will be available on August 23.
About iPromo
iPromo is a leader in providing solutions and swag for corporate gifting, trade shows, events and branding needs. The company has been curating and sourcing the newest, smartest and most impactful promotional products since its founding in 1999, working with over 45,000 clients to match branded items to their specific requests. For more information, visit www.ipromo.com
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SOURCE iPromo | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/ipromo-marks-second-year-inc-5000-list-with-three-year-revenue-growth-256/ | 2022-08-17T16:45:45Z |
SÃO PAULO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- You are invited!
Sept., 1st from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m (EDT)
By participating in the latest edition of our virtual gathering, you will get a first-hand update about Itaú Unibanco's strategic vision for the future, which is anchored on client-centricity.
Register and join the event here
CONTACT: Itaú Unibanco – Comunicação Corporativa
Telefone: (11) 5019-8880 / 8881
E-mail: imprensa@itau-unibanco.com.br
Telefone: (11) 5019-8880 / 8881
E-mail: imprensa@itau-unibanco.com.br
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SOURCE Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/ita-day-2022-save-date/ | 2022-08-17T16:45:51Z |
GLENDALE, Calif., Aug 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- California Credit Union recently partnered with the Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club to make the new school year a little easier for hundreds of students Club kids and their families across the greater Los Angeles area. The credit union recently provided 500 backpacks and school supplies to Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club kids and their families as part of a back-to-school drive.
Backpacks were donated by California Credit Union, its employees and members in a July branch drive, and filled with school supplies by the credit union. The backpacks will be distributed to elementary through high school-aged students participating in Club programs prior to the start of the fall school year.
"Assisting our students and teachers in the important work of learning is a fundamental part of our community commitment. Every student deserves a great start to the school year, and that includes having the tools they need to succeed. We thank our members and employees for so generously joining us in helping ensure the Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club kids return to the classroom in August ready to learn," said California Credit Union CEO Steve O'Connell.
"We are thrilled to be able to partner with California Credit Union to provide backpacks to children and teens from the Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club. This annual backpack drive means the world to us because we know all our kids will start the school year ready and equipped to succeed!," said Carlyn Oropez, Ed.M., Director of Operations, Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club. "This year with costs of everyday products going up, many families will have to choose between basic needs and school supplies for their kids. Providing backpacks to our kids is more important than ever."
The Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club serves families in communities across Northeast Los Angeles. The organization's mission is to inspire and enable all youth, especially from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, care and responsible members of the community. Classes for teens include gang prevention, Relationship Smarts, social interaction, wellness, the arts, and physical fitness. For more information about the Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club, please visit labgc.org.
California Credit Union is a federally insured, state chartered credit union founded in 1933 that serves public or private school employees, community members and businesses across California. With more than 165,000 members and assets of over $4 billion, California Credit Union has 24 branches throughout Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. The credit union operates in San Diego County as North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union. California Credit Union offers a full suite of consumer, business and investment products and services, including comprehensive consumer checking and loan options, personalized financial planning, business banking, and leading-edge online and mobile banking. Visit ccu.com for more information or follow the credit union on Instagram® or Facebook® @CaliforniaCreditUnion.
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SOURCE California Credit Union | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/los-angeles-boys-amp-girls-club-california-credit-union-provide-500-back-to-school-backpacks-amp-supplies-club-kids/ | 2022-08-17T16:45:58Z |
SANTA ANA, Calif., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AFTCO displayed its sustainability initiatives last month at ICAST – the world's largest fishing trade show – and took home four New Product Showcase Best of Category awards. However, the real showstopper was the 50-by-30-foot booth constructed entirely of recycled cardboard, reinforcing their sustainability efforts.
For media, buyers, and industry insiders fortunate enough to walk the aisles of ICAST, it was hard to miss the recycled cardboard structure displaying visuals of key product releases and ways to take action towards sustainability and environmental stewardship. With this booth, AFTCO asserted itself as an industry leader at the forefront of sustainability.
To build this unique booth, AFTCO enlisted the help of Spain-based architecture and eco-design firm Cartonlab. The Cartonlab team has pioneered bringing creative and sustainable environments to life.
After the show, AFTCO worked with the Orange County Convention Center and Freeman exhibitor services to ensure their booth was properly recycled. Freeman dismantled the booth and the OCCC team collected the corrugated cardboard materials for recycling at their on-site facilities.
"We were thrilled to be contacted by Matt Florentino from AFTCO about recycling their booth, made entirely of cardboard," said Katerina Chagoya, Orange County Convention Center Sustainability Coordinator. "We worked with Matt and the Freeman team to make sure that the AFTCO booth went to our cardboard recycling stream. Thanks to that decision, sustainability for this exhibit was easy to accomplish. Whenever event clients and exhibitors go above and beyond like this, working alongside the OCCC Sustainability team to divert waste, it brings a real positive energy."
"Truly, AFTCO made the biggest impact by simply deciding to have a fully recyclable booth. That decision removed hundreds of pounds of items from the landfill. It symbolizes a huge win for our environment, and the opportunity to reduce emissions associated with the landfill and the events industry. We hope exhibitors can look to AFTCO's booth as a prime example of what a more sustainable future in the industry can look like."
"We applaud AFTCO's commitment to reuse and recycle across their business platform's," said ASA Trade Show Vice President Blake Swango. "What people may not know is that a wide variety of items used at ICAST, such as the aisle carpeting, are also reused. We expect to see more of this in the years to come."
Along with the tradeshow booth, AFTCO showcased sustainability in the form of new product updates in fabrics and packaging. By 2023, approximately 40% of AFTCO clothing will be made with recycled fabrics. This number is anchored by 2022 ICAST New Product Showcase Award recipients, the Cocoboardie Boardshorts and Ankle Deck Boots.
Beginning this year, all new purchase orders for AFTCO sportswear are shipped in poly bags that are made of recycled materials and utilize 40% less plastic. AFTCO tackle lure packaging will consist of recycled cardstock and feature no plastic, eliminating the clamshell that many lures are packaged in.
About AFTCO
Family owned and operated, the American Fishing Tackle Company (AFTCO) represents unparalleled quality, performance, and reliability when it counts most. Worn across the globe, AFTCO's performance fishing clothing and best fishing rain gear is designed to handle the harshest elements. Our passion for the outdoors goes beyond our product offering because of an unwavering commitment to help protect our fishing resources and angler rights. Through our 10% Pledge to Protect and Conserve, your purchase of any AFTCO product directly supports conservation initiatives.
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SOURCE AFTCO company | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/making-sustainability-priority-worlds-largest-fishing-trade-show/ | 2022-08-17T16:46:04Z |
Company Disputes Meritless and Misinformed Claims
BALTIMORE, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mariner Finance ("Mariner"), a licensed and regulated traditional installment lender that responsibly serves more than 700,000 Americans, today announced it will steadfastly defend itself against a meritless complaint filed by the Pennsylvania Attorney General and a small group of other state attorneys general.
Notably, the Federal Trade Commission and other state attorneys general conducted their own comprehensive investigations into the very same issues raised by the Pennsylvania Attorney General following the publication of a misleading media report in 2018 and closed their matters with no action taken against Mariner. The Pennsylvania Attorney General has chosen a different path, leading Mariner to expend significant time and resources to defend itself against meritless claims.
In advance of filing its complaint, Pennsylvania demanded that the company agree to a nationwide ban on the selling of lawful, authorized products that provide vital support to consumers. In doing so, Pennsylvania sought to usurp the legislative authority of every single state in the country and is attempting to effectuate legislative change through an enforcement action – an alarming example of overreach.
Mariner has been and continues to be committed to compliance with all state and federal regulations and holds itself to a high standard of customer care. In fact, since 2018 the Pennsylvania Department of Banking has examined Mariner Finance 70 times; 69 of those examinations found no violations or exceptions, while the one minor exception found was the failure of a single branch location to have a required notice concerning insufficient funds fees posted, which was immediately addressed.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General's allegations are based on mere anecdote, derived from just 44 consumer interviews in Pennsylvania, the details of which have not been shared with Mariner despite multiple requests. Mariner has 39 branches in Pennsylvania, which serve on average over 1,500 customers per branch and make tens-of-thousands of loans to hard-working Pennsylvania residents annually. Based on the Pennsylvania Attorney General's own assertions, the complaint is based on interviews with consumers representing 0.07% of Mariner's Pennsylvania customers between December 2018 – 2021.
The complaint also ignores information provided during nearly four years of cooperation with the investigation, including thousands of documents, loan data, and employee testimony which directly refute the claims. The allegations are without merit and reflect either a deep misunderstanding of the law, or simply a decision to ignore the investigation evidence which negates the claims, examples including:
- Allegations of unfair or deceptive acts of insurance "packing", despite Mariner's written policies, procedures, employee training, consumer-facing disclosures and sworn employee testimony refuting such claims, all of which establish that Mariner's employees repeatedly disclose the optionality and cost of the offered products to consumers, both verbally and in writing;
- The incorrect claim that Mariner's compensation program incentivizes the inclusion of optional products in loans without the consumer's knowledge or consent, when Mariner's compensation program does not consider, or incentivize, the sale of optional products, including insurance;
- The incorrect claim that Mariner "hides" or "conceals" loan and product pricing information from consumers when, in fact, Mariner's employees provide all of the disclosures required by both federal and state law and the company's procedures go beyond mandated disclosure requirements in most circumstances;
- The incorrect claim that Mariner should have included the cost of optional products in the calculation of loan Annual Percentage Rates ("APRs") when federal law provides that such costs be excluded from the APR when the products are optional, their cost is disclosed to the consumer in writing, and the consumer requests the products in writing-- conditions which Mariner meets for every loan that includes optional products;
- The incorrect claim that Mariner prevents consumers from cancelling optional products after a loan is closed, when, in fact, Mariner provides every customer with every product it offers a 15-Day Satisfaction Guarantee, where any customer may return the loan proceeds within 15 days for any reason and the loan will be cancelled without any penalty or fee. Additionally, customers may cancel any product purchased, in-person, by email, and by phone at any time during the loan relationship; and;
- The incorrect claim that Mariner's Loan by Mail product leads to identify theft, when the evidence establishes that even potentially fraudulent Loans By Mail in Pennsylvania represent just 0.0003% of checks mailed and just 0.03% of the checks cashed or deposited.
Mariner carefully trains its employees to repeatedly disclose the optionality of available voluntary credit insurance and non-credit insurance products. Moreover, the fact that so many of our customers nationwide either elect not to purchase any such products or choose only some of the products available to them, together with the fact that customers frequently submit claims and receive valuable benefits, is evidence that customers understand the products to be optional and that they fill an important consumer need. Mariner takes seriously its role of providing an important credit option to Americans who need access to consumer credit. The vast majority of our customers have a positive experience with Mariner, a fact reflected in our average customer satisfaction score of 4.9/5 on feefo, an independent consumer rating site with over 12,500 Mariner customer reviews.
The optional products in question are lawful, statutorily authorized products that provide vital benefits to consumers who often do not have access to similar benefits elsewhere.
The claims are meritless and in no way reflect the customer-first approach Mariner takes toward its business. Mariner will vigorously defend itself against this misguided action.
CONTACT: mediarelations@marinerfinance.com
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SOURCE Mariner Finance | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/mariner-finance-strongly-opposes-misguided-litigation-filed-by-pennsylvania-attorney-general-small-group-other-states/ | 2022-08-17T16:46:11Z |
SAN DIEGO, Aug 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- North Island Credit Union has partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego to make the new school year a little bit easier for hundreds of Club kids and their families. The credit union recently provided 500 backpacks and school supplies to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego as part of its annual Back 2 School Drive.
Backpacks were donated by North Island Credit Union, its employees, and members in a July branch drive, with school supplies by the credit union. The backpacks will be distributed to elementary through high school-aged students participating in Club programs across San Diego County prior to the start of the fall school year.
"Assisting our students and teachers in the important work of learning is a fundamental part of our community commitment. Every student deserves a great start to the school year, and that includes having the tools they need to succeed. We thank our members and employees for so generously joining us in helping ensure the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego kids return to the classroom in August ready to learn," said North Island Credit Union CEO Steve O'Connell.
Sommer Cartier, Director of Corporate Partnerships, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego, said, "The start of the school year can be incredibly stressful for many families across San Diego. Without access to resources and support, it can be difficult to provide children with the supplies needed to start the school year off right. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego's Back 2 School Drive exists to help ease the pressure families face each fall by preparing their students heading back to school. Thanks to the support of generous community partners, our Boys & Girls Club members start each new school year with the essential supplies needed to excel in the classroom."
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego changes lives through quality youth programs and guidance in a safe, affordable and fun environment. The Clubs serve kids ages 5-18 at 20 community-based sites countywide, making a difference in the lives of San Diego's future leaders – today's youth. Through its Back 2 School Drive, its members receive all the basic necessities to start the school year off right.
California Credit Union is a federally insured, state chartered credit union founded in 1933 that serves public or private school employees, community members and businesses across California. With more than 165,000 members and assets of over $4 billion, California Credit Union has 24 branches throughout Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. The credit union operates in San Diego County as North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union. California Credit Union offers a full suite of consumer, business and investment products and services, including comprehensive consumer checking and loan options, personalized financial planning, business banking, and leading-edge online and mobile banking. Please visit northisland.ccu.com for more information or follow the credit union on Instagram® or Facebook® @northislandcu.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that CHANGES LIVES through quality programs and guidance in a safe, affordable, and fun environment. We serve kids ages 5-18 with programs focused on ACADEMIC SUCCESS, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, and HEALTHY LIFESTYLES at 19 community-based sites countywide. We cover a service area of over 2,000 square miles from National City to Borrego Springs. To find an open Club that serves your community or donate, please visit SDYouth.org or call 858.866.0591.
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SOURCE North Island Credit Union | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/north-island-credit-union-provides-500-back-to-school-backpacks-amp-supplies-boys-amp-girls-clubs-greater-san-diego/ | 2022-08-17T16:46:18Z |
Major refiners like Chevron see value in commercializing renewable propane
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows biorefineries can increase their financial returns by selling renewable propane versus using it as a processing fuel or as a hydrogen feedstock. The financial findings complement the proven carbon reduction benefits of renewable propane for the transportation, commercial, agricultural and residential sectors.
"Our models show that capital expenditure investments have the potential to be returned in as little as two months for large biorefineries or up to 14 months under the worst-case scenario," said Bob Baldwin, NREL principal scientist and lead author of the study. Baldwin along with NREL researchers Mark Nimlos and Yimin Zhang spent six months studying the economic feasibility of recovering renewable propane from HEFA biorefineries. HEFA stands for Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids and refers to vegetable oils and fats used to produce renewable fuels.
The NREL study considered several alternate use cases for renewable propane at biorefineries, including using it as a process gas, using it to produce renewable/green hydrogen or selling it to a propane marketer or retailer. The study concluded that when sold as a fuel, biorefineries would receive significant revenue by leveraging renewable fuel credits even without a premium on the price of wholesale propane.
"NREL's study shows the financial upside of renewable propane for refiners, but the carbon footprint story is even more exciting," said Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) that commissioned the study. "When you realize the carbon intensity of renewable propane is significantly lower than grid electricity and other fuels, it is a clean energy breakthrough."
Biorefineries around the country are being retrofitted to use feedstocks like soybean oil, camelina seed oil, field crop stover, animal tallow and used cooking oil to produce renewable fuels. Renewable Energy Group (REG) headquartered in Ames, Iowa and recently acquired by Chevron is one biorefinery of several that is committed to increasing production of renewable propane. In 2021, REG opened a new facility to ramp up production of renewable diesel from 90 million gallons per year to 340 million gallons. This translates to 30-34 million gallons per year of renewable propane, and similar expansions are taking place in other HEFA biorefineries that could easily quadruple this number.
Renewable propane is already available in every state in the U.S. In Sacramento, California, the Elk Grove School District has been using renewable propane for the past few years. "Not only do renewable propane-powered school buses perform well, but they are also helping us achieve our carbon reduction goals," said Anthony Willis, supervisor of Fleet Maintenance for the Elk Grove School District in California. "We're currently running about 20 to 30 of our school buses on renewable propane and will consider transitioning to more of them as older buses are retired."
The World LP Gas Association estimates renewable propane could meet half of the world's propane demand by 2050. Today's U.S. biorefineries have the potential to produce 40 to 50 million gallons of renewable propane annually.
Resources
For More Information
Erin Hatcher
Propane Education & Research Council
202-452-8975
erin.hatcher@propane.com
Leslie Sopko
Hahn Agency
512-779-8345
Leslie.sopko@hahn.agency
About PERC
The Propane Education & Research Council is a nonprofit that provides leading propane safety and training programs and invests in research and development of new propane-powered technologies. PERC is operated and funded by the propane industry. For more information, visit Propane.com.
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SOURCE Propane Education & Research Council | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/nrel-study-refineries-increase-revenue-reduce-carbon-footprint-with-renewable-propane/ | 2022-08-17T16:46:24Z |
The hybrid, indoor-outdoor event will consist of 30+ educational sessions, including a track on how product leaders can lead their organizations through the economic downturn
RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pendo, the most comprehensive product experience platform, today announced the keynote speakers and agenda for Pendomonium, an annual festival for product and IT leaders driving product-led strategy at their companies. Hosted live and in person September 12-14 in downtown Raleigh, the event will include thought-provoking talks and breakouts, technical deep-dives, and cultural experiences including a performance by the improvisational hip-hop comedy group Freestyle Love Supreme.
"Pendomonium is a true celebration of all things product, a chance for product people to take a break from their jobs, to get inspired, learn something new, and have fun with their peers," said Todd Olson, CEO and co-founder of Pendo. "The content we've curated for this event was designed to help this generation of product leaders lead their organizations through today's economic uncertainty. We're excited to bring together these leaders who are leveraging the product-led movement to transform their companies and position them for success into the future."
Pendomonium will feature a variety of speakers and presenters who will explore the theme, "The Product-Led Experience", what it means to put product at the center of strategy. Discussing the future of experience are two influential thought leaders:
- Dr. Michio Kaku is one of the most widely recognized figures in science today. He is an internationally recognized authority in Einstein's unified theory and in predicting trends affecting business, medicine, finance and our way of life, based on the latest research in science. He has written three New York Times Best Sellers. His latest book, The Future of the Mind, details the stunning breakthroughs being made in neuroscience which are revealing the mysteries of the most complex object known in the universe, the human brain.
- Sophia Chang is a screenwriter and author who is developing numerous TV properties, including a scripted series at FX based on her Audible memoir The Baddest Bitch In the Room. She recently created Unlock Her Potential, a program that provides mentorship for women of color. She is also the music business "matriarchitech" who managed RZA, GZA, D'Angelo, Raphael Saadiq, Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest. She also worked with Paul Simon.
Additionally, Pendomonium will feature a product-inspired performance from Freestyle Love Supreme, dba FLS+, the improvisational hip-hop comedy group started by Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the Tony Award winning Broadway musical Hamilton. FLS+ is an organization that uses music and improvisation to amplify non-centered voices. Its roster of diverse, Tony-award-winning performers build resilience, confidence, and creativity through the power of play.
A group of product practitioners will also take the stage, including Andy Vitale, executive vice president of design at Rocket Companies, and Sean Kim, the former head of product at TikTok, who now serves as chief product officer and president at Kajabi. They'll be joined by executives and product leaders from CoStar, Morgan Stanley, iRobot, Thomson Reuters, Okta, Nelnet Business Services, Alarm.com, Sumo Logic, Adobe, Zendesk, IQVIA, Q2 Software, Citrix, AdvancedMD, Nasdaq, S&P Global, Verint, Truist Financial Services, Battery Ventures, and, many Pendo product, product marketing, data science and customer success leaders.
The event will also include:
- Technical deep-dives and training: An optional full day of Pendo and Mind the Product training sessions. Attendees will experience the complete power of Pendo through hands-on demos and technical workshops, expand their knowledge of the Pendo platform, and gain invaluable skills and confidence as a product-led practitioner.
- Opportunities to meet with and learn from the best: Attendees will have countless opportunities to meet and mingle with the brightest minds in product-led strategy and growth. The indoor-outdoor format of this year's festival is the perfect setting for personal development, professional networking, and connecting with other like-minded, product-obsessed people.
- Festival vibes: Hosted at one of the most innovative, artistic, and culturally iconic institutions in the heart of downtown Raleigh, there will be live music, delicious fare from a variety of food trucks and local vendors, and experiential surprises to turn any expectation of what a business conference could be on its head.
Pendomonium will take place at Raleigh's iconic Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. To purchase tickets or learn more, visit https://www.pendo.io/pendomonium/
Pendo's mission is to elevate the world's experience with software. Pendo's product experience platform allows companies to make product intelligence actionable with speed and scale, giving rise to a new generation of companies that put product at the center of everything. Pendo customers include the world's leading companies, including Verizon, Morgan Stanley, LabCorp, OpenTable, Okta, Salesforce, and Zendesk. Through Mind the Product and customer communities, sponsored events and a podcast, Pendo aims to support the success of product and digital leaders everywhere. Pendo is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina and has offices around the world. For more information, visit: www.pendo.io.
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SOURCE Pendo | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/pendo-announces-pendomonium-festival-keynote-speakers-theoretical-physicist-dr-michio-kaku-writer-sophia-chang-performance-by-freestyle-love-supreme/ | 2022-08-17T16:46:30Z |
World-renowned entrepreneur and leading U.S. internet technology company sign multi-year partnership focused on media literacy to empower users to take more control over content they consume
VIENNA, Va., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Seekr Technologies Inc., a leading internet technology and content evaluation company, today announced a partnership with entrepreneur and #1 life and business strategist Tony Robbins, to combat misinformation, clickbait and increase media literacy. Powered by AI, Seekr offers the first fully transparent search engine focused on revealing bias and misinformation instead of blocking articles and content.
Ninety-five percent of Americans believe misinformation is a major societal problem that has a direct impact on mental health, with 38% of Americans avoiding the news altogether because it impacts their mood, according to a recent Pearson Institute/AP-NORC poll.
"There is so much noise and misinformation out there that now, more than ever, we need to consume reliable information, and to do that we must increase our media literacy," said Robbins, the author of six international bestselling books whose global digital footprint reaches people from every country represented in the United Nations. "I have found that Seekr makes it easier for people to access to reliable information by prioritizing source transparency and giving users more choice and control over retrieving information they can trust. Our ability as human beings to access and consume trusted and reliable information is priceless, and with that power there is enormous potential to change how we engage as a society for the better."
Through their partnership, Mr. Robbins and Seekr will develop a media literacy program to empower users to take control of the content they consume. The video-based educational series is designed to educate and coach those who want the knowledge and tools to help them better evaluate and think more critically about the world around them. Scheduled to start in early 2023, the program is free of charge and will offer ways to master every area of one's life through quality information.
"Seekr was born out of the need to give people more control and support them in making better-informed decisions about the content they consume online," said Pat Condo, Seekr founder and CEO. "The goal of Seekr is to improve people's lives, not just online but everywhere. Having a partner like Tony Robbins will help us amplify this message and, hopefully, generate a positive impact more quickly."
Seekr works by utilizing sophisticated data science and rigorous journalistic standards to determine the credibility and political lean of information, starting with the news. Using AI and NLP (Natural Language Processing) to analyze language and its context, the platform instantly scans articles for attributes such as Bylines, Subjectivity, Clickbait, Title Exaggeration and Personal Attacks, and weights these factors to create a proprietary Seekr Score, giving readers an objective, detailed understanding of what they're about to click on and read. Rather than blocking content in search results, a simple slider from 0 to 10 rates each article allowing readers to filter out articles that don't meet their desired threshold of quality. Seekr further increases transparency with its Political Lean Indicator that presents readers with five simple labels: Left, Left/Center, Center, Center/Right, or Right. The political lean labels can also be toggled on or off.
Seekr is an internet technology company that prioritizes transparency and empowers users with choice and control by streamlining access to reliable information. Powered by AI, Seekr offers the first fully transparent search engine that reimagines what web results can look like when they reveal both bias and misinformation. Seekr utilizes an independent search index, sophisticated data science and rigorous journalistic standards to determine the quality of news articles and their political lean — .giving everyone access to technology that makes it easy to find trustworthy content in context.
Tony Robbins is an entrepreneur, #1 NY Times best-selling author, philanthropist, and the nation's #1 life and business strategist. For more than four and a half decades using his warmth, humor and transformational power, Mr. Robbins has empowered more than 50 million people from more than 100 countries worldwide through his live, virtual, audio, video and life training programs and seminars Mr. Robbins also is involved in more than 100 privately held businesses with combined sales exceeding $7 billion a year. He has been honored by Accenture as one of the "Top 50 Business Intellectuals in the World," by Harvard Business Press as one of the "Top 200 Business Gurus," and by American Express as one of the "Top Six Business Leaders in the World." For more, visit www.tonyrobbins.com.
All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
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SOURCE Seekr Technologies | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/seekr-tony-robbins-join-forces-fight-digital-misinformation/ | 2022-08-17T16:46:38Z |
MILWAUKEE, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi LLP is investigating Hill (NYSE: HIL) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law in its transaction with GISI.
Click here to learn how to join the action: https://www.ademilaw.com/case/hill-international-inc or call Guri Ademi toll-free at 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you.
Ademi LLP alleges Hill's financial outlook and prospects are excellent and yet Hill holders will receive only $2.85 in cash per share. The transaction agreement unreasonably limits competing bids for Hill by imposing a significant penalty if Hill accepts a superior bid. Hill insiders will receive substantial benefits as part of change of control arrangements.
We are investigating the conduct of Hill's board of directors, and whether they are (i) fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders, and (ii) obtaining a fair and reasonable price for Hill.
If you own Hill common stock and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Guri Ademi either at gademi@ademilaw.com or toll-free: 866-264-3995, or https://www.ademilaw.com/case/hill-international-inc.
We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights throughout the country. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Ademi LLP
Guri Ademi
Toll Free: (866) 264-3995
Fax: (414) 482-8001
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SOURCE Ademi LLP | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/shareholder-alert-ademi-llp-investigates-whether-hill-international-inc-has-obtained-fair-price-its-transaction-with-gisi/ | 2022-08-17T16:46:45Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLP, an investor rights law firm, is investigating the following companies for potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties to shareholders relating to:
Gemini Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMTX)'s merger with Disc Medicine, Inc. Pre-merger Gemini shareholders are expected to own approximately 28% of the combined company. If you are a Gemini shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
MVB Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: MVBF)'s merger with Integrated Financial Holdings, Inc. ("IFH"). Under the terms of the merger agreement, IFH shareholders will receive 1.21 shares of MVB Financial common stock for each share of IFH common stock. If you are a MVB Financial shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors LLC (NASDAQ: FTAI)'s merger with a subsidiary of FTAI Finance Holdco Ltd. If you are a Fortress shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
CarLotz, Inc. (NASDAQ: LOTZ)'s sale to Shift Technologies, Inc. for 0.692158 shares of Shift common stock for each share of CarLotz common stock. If you are a CarLotz shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
Halper Sadeh LLP may seek increased consideration for shareholders, additional disclosures and information concerning the proposed transaction, or other relief and benefits on behalf of shareholders.
Shareholders are encouraged to contact the firm free of charge to discuss their legal rights and options. Please call Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or email sadeh@halpersadeh.com or zhalper@halpersadeh.com.
Halper Sadeh LLP represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Halper Sadeh LLP
Daniel Sadeh, Esq.
Zachary Halper, Esq.
(212) 763-0060
sadeh@halpersadeh.com
zhalper@halpersadeh.com
https://www.halpersadeh.com
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SOURCE Halper Sadeh LLP | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/shareholder-investigation-notice-halper-sadeh-llp-investigates-gmtx-mvbf-ftai-lotz/ | 2022-08-17T16:46:52Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLP, an investor rights law firm, is investigating the following companies for potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties to shareholders relating to:
Hill International, Inc. (NYSE: HIL)'s sale to Global Infrastructure Solutions Inc. for $2.85 per share. If you are a Hill shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
Resolute Forest Products Inc. (NYSE: RFP)'s sale to Domtar Corporation. If you are a Resolute shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
Shift Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SFT)'s merger with CarLotz, Inc. Under the terms of the merger agreement, CarLotz shareholders are expected to receive 0.692158 shares of Shift common stock for each share of CarLotz common stock. Upon closing of the merger, Shift shareholders would own approximately 52.9% of the combined company. If you are a Shift shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE: EGY)'s merger with TransGlobe Energy Corporation. Under the terms of the merger, VAALCO will acquire each TransGlobe share for 0.6727 of a VAALCO share of common stock. If you are a VAALCO shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
Halper Sadeh LLP may seek increased consideration for shareholders, additional disclosures and information concerning the proposed transaction, or other relief and benefits on behalf of shareholders.
Shareholders are encouraged to contact the firm free of charge to discuss their legal rights and options. Please call Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or email sadeh@halpersadeh.com or zhalper@halpersadeh.com.
Halper Sadeh LLP represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Halper Sadeh LLP
Daniel Sadeh, Esq.
Zachary Halper, Esq.
(212) 763-0060
sadeh@halpersadeh.com
zhalper@halpersadeh.com
https://www.halpersadeh.com
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SOURCE Halper Sadeh LLP | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/shareholder-investigation-notice-halper-sadeh-llp-investigates-hil-rfp-sft-egy/ | 2022-08-17T16:46:58Z |
Multi-faceted strategic partnership aimed at bolstering SEIA's client services across a spectrum of distribution channels, significantly increasing investor reach and impact
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Signature Estate & Investment Advisors ("SEIA") today announced an equity investment from Reverence Capital Partners ("Reverence Capital"), a leading private equity firm focused on investing in financial services businesses. Consecutively ranked in the Barron's list of Top 100 Independent RIA firms, SEIA has over $16 billion assets under management and is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a clear focus on building the leading wealth management platform of the future through this innovative series of transactions, investments, and strategic partnerships. In connection with the recapitalization, SEIA plans to work with newly formed Broker-Dealer, Signature Estate Securities.
The equity investment from Reverence Capital is part of SEIA's long-term growth and continuity strategy. The Reverence Capital partnership will provide the capital to enable SEIA to invest in the business while continuing to enhance the level of service and product offerings the firm provides.
The newly enhanced wealth management platform will allow SEIA advisors to offer RIA and Broker-Dealer services to clients through one unified platform and will result in greater access to alternative investments, elevated client-facing technology, and more comprehensive family office services.
In addition, SEIA's investment management TAMP platform, Signature Investment Advisors ("SIA"), will now be available to advisors across the independent broker-dealer and RIA community. This open-architecture distribution strategy will bring SIA to a larger advisor population enabling more clients to benefit from SEIA's unique investment management platform.
Advisor Group, a portfolio company of Reverence Capital, will continue to support Signature Investment Advisors (SIA) as a strategist on their Wealth Management Platform. As part of its continued partnership with SIA, Advisor Group will provide strategic capital investment alongside Reverence Capital to support the next phase of SEIA's growth.
"Over the last 25 years we have maintained an unwavering focus on our clients," says Brian D. Holmes, President and CEO at Signature Estate & Investment Advisors. "Our strategic partnership with Reverence Capital Partners is a significant milestone that signals our continued commitment to building a world-class wealth management platform for our clients."
SEIA's long-term growth strategy, vision, and plan for continuity is focused on maintaining independence, streamlining investment solutions, and continued platform enhancements for both advisors and their clients. These multi-faceted transactions allow SEIA to invest in the future of the business while continually enhancing the level of service and offerings provided.
"Brian and his team have built one of the most successful and rapidly growing firms in the RIA industry," said Reverence Capital CEO Milton Berlinski. "We are pleased to be able to partner with this tenured management team who share our vision of exceptional client service and culture. We look forward to providing the necessary capital and support to execute on SEIA's strategic plan of accelerated organic and inorganic growth."
Following the close of these transactions, Brian Holmes will remain the President and CEO at SEIA and SIA. The firm's Founding Partners, Management Team, Advisor Teams, and Employees will remain in place, and the brand will remain Signature Estate & Investment Advisors. At closing, SEIA will have broader equity ownership across its partners, advisors, and employees than they did prior to the transaction.
In addition, SEIA's commitment to philanthropy will continue forward as central to the firm's character and culture. SEIA's Founding Partners, Brian Holmes, Gary Liska, Mark Copeland, and Paul Taghibagi, will be pledging a $1 million gift to the Signature Fund for Giving ("SFFG"). SFFG is the firm's charitable foundation that helps support local underserved youth who represent tomorrow's leaders and innovators.
The transaction is expected to close in the 3rd quarter of 2022, subject to customary regulatory and other approvals. ECHELON Partners acted as financial advisor, and Ballard Spahr LLP served as legal counsel to SEIA. Kirkland and Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to Reverence Capital Partners.
About SEIA
Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC® (SEIA) is a Registered Investment Advisory Firm and wealth management platform. The firm offers Investment Management and Financial Planning Services tailored to meet the unique needs of affluent investors and corporations. SEIA's mission is to provide clients with a partnership that complements and exceeds their long-term goals and objectives.
SEIA currently services over $16 billion in assets under management. The firm has 39 advisors, 160 total employees, 12 offices, and works with clients nationwide.
Reverence Capital Partners is a private investment firm focused on thematic investing in leading global, middle-market Financial Services businesses through control and influence oriented investments in 5 sectors: (1) Depositories and Finance Companies, (2) Asset and Wealth Management, (3) Insurance, (4) Capital Markets, and (5) Financial Technology/Payments. The firm was founded in 2013 by Milton Berlinski, Peter Aberg, and Alex Chulack, who collectively bring over 100 years of advisory and investing experience across a wide range of financial services sectors. For more information, please visit www.reverencecapital.com.
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SOURCE Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/signature-estate-amp-investment-advisors-announces-strategic-investment-reverence-capital-partners-announces-plan-work-with-newly-formed-broker-dealer/ | 2022-08-17T16:47:05Z |
With Spanish language radio stations in 8 markets, LaMusica, SBS Entertainment, and Mega TV, the creation of a full-service digital marketing brand, rounds out SBS' portfolio of products.
MIAMI, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc, (SBS) (OTC Pink: SBSAA), today announced its entrance into the world of digital marketing solutions with the launch of its newly created pure-play digital marketing department, DigIdea, Digital Marketing Solutions. The addition of DigIdea Digital Marketing Solutions to the SBS Family will make SBS a one-stop shop for a business' full marketing needs.
DigIdea's full-service digital solutions, includes, Search Marketing, Display, OTT/CTV, Email, and Social in addition to their vast Spanish language portfolio of Radio, TV, Streaming Audio, and Programmatic platforms. DigIdea Digital Marketing Solutions will allow advertisers of every size and industry to build complete marketing solutions to meet their target consumers at all stages of the purchase journey. With DigIdea, advertisers will receive the best and most state-of-the-art technologies, full access to performance data, along with the unmatched customer service SBS is well-known for.
"SBS is beyond excited for the launch of DigIdea. As a valued media partner for advertisers of all levels and varied industries, SBS must remain progressive, with best-in-class digital marketing solutions." stated, Albert Rodriguez, SBS' president, and COO.
"The Digidea initiative will provide expertly crafted and creative digital marketing solutions to ad agencies and clients seeking to reach the U.S. Hispanic consumer. Our Company's 40-years' experience in serving Latino audio fans gives us an enormous leg up in providing the necessary knowhow, tools, and staff to guarantee effective and immediate results for our digital clients." stated SBS Chairman and CEO, Raúl Alarcón.
DigIdea is slated to launch October 2022 starting in L.A., followed by N.Y., Puerto Rico and Florida – remaining markets are scheduled to launch early 2023. Additional details on DigIdea Digital Marketing Solutions, will be released in the coming weeks.
About Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS) is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States. SBS is also invested in television and internet properties, deriving the majority of its income from advertising through its media products. SBS owns the internet portal LaMusica.com. It also acquired WSBS-TV in Miami, Florida and WTCV in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the group of owned and operated TV stations for its Mega TV network. SBS targets the U.S. Hispanic audience in eight geographic regions: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, Puerto Rico, Orlando and Tampa.
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SOURCE Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/spanish-broadcasting-system-sbs-launches-pure-play-digital-department/ | 2022-08-17T16:47:12Z |
Largest privately-owned storage company offers management services to help self storage owners and investors increase NOI on storage assets.
COLUMBIA, Mo., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --StorageMart, the largest family-operated self storage company in the world, is rolling out its newest service, truSTORAGE. This robust third-party self-storage management service is positioned to take the heavy lifting off owners and investors while truly putting the self storage asset to work. By providing solid footing in the industry and their advanced technology, StorageMart is primed to outperform other management providers.
Adam Steckler, truSTORAGE president says, "Among the top differentiators is StorageMart's patented revenue management program that ranks every unit on the owner's property. This results in 45% of all customers selecting an upgraded unit that generates additional revenue." StorageMart's program also allows for algorithm-based discounts, competitor price scraping and real-time reporting.
"Our truSTORAGE product intends to support self-storage owners from every angle. Our brand is a name that the community trusts and with the support of our 24/7 customer service center, sales opportunities are never missed. Plus, with the added training, marketing and operational support, we make it easy for storage facilities to reach their full potential," said Cris Burnam, CEO at StorageMart.
Since 1973 StorageMart has grown to over 210,000+ units and owns upwards of $8 billion dollars in storage-assets. Their award-winning team has been shaking up the storage industry and moving the company to a strong future. With truSTORAGE there is no detail too large or small they don't manage for storage owners. Their goal is to bring stability, wealth, and peace with this advanced third-party management service.
About StorageMart: While delivering on their promise of easy, clean storage units and friendly service, StorageMart has become the largest family-operated self-storage company in the world. Led by the Burnams, who have been in the storage industry through four generations, StorageMart gives back to the communities we call home through our "Store-It-Forward" charitable giving program. In recent years, StorageMart has donated more than a million dollars to local charities, as well as donated storage space to non-profit organizations across the US, UK, and Canada. Find out more at https://www.storage-mart.com/self-storage-management
Contact: Sarah Little
573-449-0091
Sarah.Little@storage-mart.com
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SOURCE StorageMart | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/storagemart-expands-offering-with-trustorage-third-party-self-storage-management/ | 2022-08-17T16:47:18Z |
- Seamless Integration – Sony's Ci cloud integration will unlock camera-to-cloud workflows for broadcasters and filmmakers using Teradek Prism Flex and Teradek Serv 4K
- Accurate Metadata – Timecode and file name sunk proxies or high-quality 4K HDR OCF recordings
- Real-time Editing – Teams can upload 4K HDR files automatically and edit frame-accurate proxies immediately without waiting for dailies
- Collaborative Workflows – Complete the full media lifecycle: from studio-to-cloud or set-to-cloud for post-production, collaboration, and review, to catalog management and archiving
- Connected Ecosystem – Teradek is establishing itself as the onramp to the cloud – integrating siloed workflows by providing visibility throughout the entire imaging pipeline
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Teradek and Sony Electronics have announced an integration that will provide productions in the cine and broadcast markets with greater flexibility in camera-to-cloud workflows.
Sony's Ci Media Cloud will natively integrate with Serv 4K and Prism Flex, Teradek's 4K HDR encoding solutions. Now, any camera used on-set, in-studio, or remotely will be able to upload footage to Ci directly from Teradek's encoders.
With this new integration, film and broadcast teams will have the ability to effortlessly review, edit, and deliver proxy files in a matter of minutes. This blazing-fast file transfer will accelerate content acquisition workflows while still delivering frame-accurate files for cutting, color grading, frame grabbing, commenting, and annotating. Content can be clipped, reformatted, and shared without it ever having to leave the cloud.
Because it's in the cloud, this workflow will avoid duplicating content across multiple systems, allowing the processing to come directly to the content. It also allows internal and external stakeholders to work seamlessly together while maintaining secure boundaries.
Sony's Ci provides content acquisition portals, real-time collaboration, automated transcoding, rough cut editing, QC, and archive functionality in a single SaaS offering. This new integration will provide the fastest on-set configuration on the market. It will also allow productions to onboard team members without user limits and create a fully customizable target folder structure, giving teams the freedom to work the way they like. Files can be optionally stored in a customer's own AWS S3 bucket so they always maintain control of their content. Plus, automatic notifications will let teams know the second new content is uploaded.
"Sony and Teradek are industry standards in the content creation and production space," said David Rosen, Vice President of Cloud Applications and Services, Sony Electronics. "Leveraging our combined strengths, this integration will enable a reliable and effortless workflow that allows content creators to work with the tools they love and stay focused on their vision with full confidence in the underlying technology."
Teradek Serv 4K and Prism Flex will connect to Sony's Ci with a unique 8-digit code, making it the simplest configuration available with no additional apps required. Serv 4K also provides local iPad client monitoring, and a Gold/V-mount solution for camera-back setups. Prism Flex offers live streaming and point-to-point decoding.
"The future is cloud-based production," said Derek Nickell, Product Manager for Teradek Live Production. "We are positioning ourselves to accelerate the market towards collaborative remote production."
"Teradek has become the leader in on-set encoding and cloud streaming," added Colin McDonald, Product Manager for Teradek Cine. "We are excited to enable these same cloud workflows and integrations for Sony's established user base."
This new integration is planned to be available in fall 2022.
About Teradek
Teradek designs and manufactures high-performance video solutions for broadcast, cine, medical, and general imaging applications. From wireless monitoring, color correction, and lens control, to live streaming, SaaS solutions, and IP video distribution, Teradek technology is used around the world by professionals and amateurs alike to capture and share compelling content. www.teradek.com
About Sony Electronics Inc.
Sony Electronics is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America and an affiliate of Sony Group Corporation, one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world, with a portfolio that encompasses electronics, music, motion pictures, mobile, gaming, robotics and financial services. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Sony Electronics is a leader in electronics for the consumer and professional markets. Operations include research and development, engineering, sales, marketing, distribution and customer service. Sony Electronics creates products that innovate and inspire generations, such as the award-winning Alpha Interchangeable Lens Cameras and revolutionary high-resolution audio products. Sony is also a leading manufacturer of end-to-end solutions from 4K professional broadcast and A/V equipment to industry leading 4K and 8K Ultra HD TVs. Visit http://www.sony.com/news for more information.
About Ci Media Cloud
Ci is a cloud-based solution from Sony that allows users to capture, backup, review, transform and run streamlined post-production workflows without moving or copying content. It is the only media platform that offers content acquisition portals, real-time collaboration, automated transcoding, high-speed file transfer, QC, logging, and archive functionality in a single SaaS offering. Ci launched in 2013 and is used in more than 160 countries. For more information, visit cimediacloud.com.
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SOURCE Sony Electronics | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/teradek-integrate-with-sonys-ci-allowing-filmmakers-broadcasters-accelerate-secure-camera-to-cloud-workflow/ | 2022-08-17T16:47:25Z |
CHICAGO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermosystems LLC, a commercial heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) manufacturers' representative serving Chicago, northwest Indiana, and central and southern Illinois, today announced it has appointed Mike Murray as President. Murray, who has been with the firm for more than 10 years as a leading sales engineer, is replacing John Dolan, one of the company's co-founders, who is retiring after 22 years of service.
"This is an exciting time to lead Thermosystems," Murray said. "In 2019, Daikin Applied invested in the firm, which helped advance our sales and service capabilities. We also just had a record year in all three of our divisions — Applied Equipment Sales, Building Systems Solutions and Service. Thanks to John's leadership, and the hard work and accomplishments of the entire organization, we have a solid foundation for years of additional growth."
As President, Murray is responsible for setting and implementing the company's strategic vision. His leadership team includes Vice President of Sales Paul Pasternock, another Thermosystems co-founder; Pasternock will continue to direct the Applied Equipment Sales division. In addition, Vice President of Operations Ryan Kelly will oversee the Building Systems Solutions division and manage interdepartmental operations.
Tracy Dorman and Nina Campos will continue to lead the Service division and accounting group, respectively. Together, the leadership team has more than 75 years of experience with Thermosystems and 150 years of experience in the HVAC industry.
"We've seen tremendous growth over the past 22 years," said outgoing President Dolan. "With Mike and the rest of the executive team, Thermosystems is positioned for continued success."
Murray earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University, and an MBA in corporate finance and real estate from New York University's Stern School of Business.
Thermosystems, part of the Daikin Group, provides expert design and implementation of commercial HVAC products. The company supports contractors, consulting engineers, architects and business owners, helping them select the right systems to solve complex problems and achieve project goals. Thermosystems offers the industry's best commercial heating and cooling equipment, systems and solutions — from Daikin Applied and other top-tier manufacturers — with a particular focus on sustainable HVAC technology for green buildings.
About Thermosystems
Founded in 2000, Thermosystems provides HVAC customers with expertise in the design, application and service of commercial HVAC solutions. Serving Chicago, northwest Indiana, and central and southern Illinois, the firm's team of degreed engineers, LEED-certified experts and factory-trained technicians help customers achieve efficiency, energy savings and project goals.
The 24,000-square-foot headquarters in Elmhurst, Ill., features office and warehouse space, a parts showroom, and a large conference and training facility. Thermosystems also has offices in Peoria, Ill., and the West Loop in downtown Chicago, and a second warehouse location in Elgin, Ill. Thermosystems is the authorized service provider for Daikin Applied and has represented Daikin for 22 years. For more information, visit www.thermohvac.com.
About Daikin Applied Americas
Daikin Applied, a member of Daikin Industries, Ltd., designs and manufactures advanced commercial and industrial HVAC systems for customers around the world. The company's technology and services play a vital role in creating comfortable, efficient and sustainable spaces to work and live — and in delivering quality air to workers, tenants and building owners. Daikin Applied solutions are sold through a global network of dedicated sales, service and parts offices. For more information or to locate a Daikin Applied representative, visit www.daikinapplied.com or call 800-432-1342.
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SOURCE Daikin Applied | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/thermosystems-names-mike-murray-president/ | 2022-08-17T16:47:32Z |
BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TransMedia Group to Launch PR campaign for song recorded by singer/musician Roger Homefield and lyricist/videographer Sandy Koplowitz "That's Why We Need To Bring Back Trump!" https://youtu.be/oGqnlohevRc
TransMedia said PR campaign will show how it came about when Sandy brought Roger his lyrics for a pro-Trump parody, even though Roger hadn't sung or performed in 15 years and had become a political activist hosting his own "The Joe Citizen Show."
Roger modified the tempo and keys of Rogers and Hart's "The Lady is a Tramp" sung by Frank Sinatra for Sandy's new version for Roger to belt out criticism of Democrats and praise for Trump's accomplishments.
"Our program will present the recording as a musical weapon aimed at Trump's adversaries and deploring Biden's mismanaging America," said TransMedia CEO Tom Madden.
"Lawyers took care of the rights to the song and images in the video recording in which Roger bangs out Sandy's lyrics critical of government policies, persecutions, and the unjustified raid on Trump's home."
TransMedia said publicity will encompass the pair's passion for Trump's vision for America, as in Roger's words "We couldn't stomach the persecution of the president anymore, so we came out with an American standard song with a powerful message."
TransMedia to feature the song at political rallies and conventions so it winds up atop the charts. "Our publicity will show how Roger did an amazing job fitting his vocals into the song with the band, with Sandy's lyrics hitting the hot spots to help voters make the right decisions before America slips away for good, if Biden wins another term," said Madden.
TransMedia intends to show how creating this video was a labor of love meant to uplift Trump who they feel is under unrelenting siege.
Homefield was lead jazz trombonist with the Buddy Rich, Stan Kenton, and Maynard Ferguson big bands and was "Joe Citizen" on his pro-American radio show, composer for his orchestra, and arranged music for his musical variety act.
Koplowitz and Homefield met playing senior softball. A long-time member of the American Mensa Society, Sandy was a computer programmer for IBM and today he and Gabi, his opera-singing fiancée, perform singing gigs entertaining residents at assisted living facilities and nursing homes.
Media contact: Adrienne Mazzone 561-908-1683; amazzone@transmediagroup.com
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SOURCE TransMedia Group | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/transmedia-group-raise-media-volume-new-version-sinatras-hit-song-the-lady-is-tramp-retitled-thats-why-we-need-bring-back-trump/ | 2022-08-17T16:47:38Z |
Telematics innovation comes as rising claim volumes seen across the insurance industry.
SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, USAA announced it is among the first auto insurance carriers to implement crash detection technology, an innovation that simplifies and expedites the claims process. This technology comes at a critical time as auto accidents have surged past pre-pandemic levels, exacerbating supply chain issues and delays being felt by consumers across the nation.
The crash detection technology, integrated in USAA's SafePilot® app, has generated more than 36,000 crash notifications since its November 2021 launch. The technology leverages smart phone sensors within the app to detect a possible collision and prompts the member to verify if an accident has occurred. Once verified, the app immediately offers helpful information, including safety guidance for the accident scene, the option to file a claim via a streamlined process, or the ability to dial 911 directly from the app.
"Ultimately this comes down to making sure our members are safe and helping them get back on their feet faster," says Luke Harris, USAA's Vice President of Innovation. "We're constantly looking for innovative ways to make our members' lives easier, something that USAA has been focused on for over 100 years. By using telematics and crash detection technology, we can provide a more seamless member experience and faster resolution to claims."
Collision Claims Surging to Pre-Pandemic Levels
As innovations in telematics improve the claims process, the insurance industry continues to deal with an increase in volume, severity and cost of auto accidents. USAA handled 500,000 more claims in 2021 than in 2020, a trend felt broadly as pandemic restrictions were lifted and more cars returned to the roads.
The severity of accidents is also on the rise. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced a 16-year high in traffic fatalities, raising concerns of increasing danger on roadways. With an increase in severe accidents, the cost of repairs has also risen significantly. In 2021, USAA saw collision repair costs rise 38% over 2020 and is currently on pace to see an additional 30% increase in 2022. Additionally, as inflation has impacted the price of goods and services, insurers are seeing increases in the cost to repair vehicles stemming from supply chain issues and parts and labor shortages.
Among these changes, telematics-based insurance plans have surged in popularity with USAA members as they search for ways to save money on their insurance premiums:
- SafePilot®, USAA's behavior-based insurance (BBI) plan, rewards safe-driving behaviors with premium discounts. Members who enroll are eligible for initial policy discounts up to 10% for signing up, and continued policy discounts up to 30% for safe driving behaviors. Driver enrollment is more than 200% higher than in 2021 for SafePilot® which is now available in 43 states plus Washington D.C., with plans to expand to nearly all states in 2023.
- USAA is also now offering pay-as-you-drive, a usage-based insurance (UBI) option that determines rates based on how much and how safely you drive. USAA acquired the product from Noblr, Inc. in 2021, and it is currently available in 10 states, with plans to expand to the majority of states in 2023. This product is becoming popular for members now working from home or who use other forms of transportation (i.e., bike, public transportation) as a primary means of travel.
To learn more about these offerings, visit USAA.com/drive.
About USAA
Founded in 1922 by a group of military officers, USAA is among the leading providers of insurance, banking, and investment and retirement solutions to more than 13 million members of the U.S. military, veterans who have honorably served and their families. Headquartered in San Antonio, USAA has offices in eight U.S. cities and three overseas locations and employs more than 38,000 people worldwide. Each year, the company contributes to national and local nonprofits in support of military families and communities where employees live and work. For more information about USAA, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@USAA), or visit usaa.com.
Contact: USAA Media Relations
External_communications@usaa.com
210-498-0940
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SOURCE USAA | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/usaa-among-first-insurers-introduce-crash-detection-technology/ | 2022-08-17T16:47:44Z |
- UVeye joins with Tekion to integrate automated vehicle-inspection systems with the latest artificial intelligence-powered Automotive Retail Cloud
- General Motors dealership network will be the first to utilize the Tekion integration
DETROIT, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- – UVeye is integrating its advanced vehicle-inspection systems with Tekion's end-to-end cloud-native platform, Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC).
The two technology companies are joining forces following UVeye's recent collaboration with General Motors. The collaborative effort will enable dealers that utilize Tekion's ARC to benefit from the seamless integration of UVeye systems.
"Our partnership with Tekion is just one of many steps UVeye is taking to improve and revolutionize the customer-service experience at dealerships through unprecedented levels of transparency," says Amir Hever, the company's CEO and co-founder.
By combining UVeye's AI-powered vehicle scanning devices with Tekion's innovative cloud-native software, service customers and dealership employees will be able to receive comprehensive vehicle-condition reports instantaneously. The reports are designed to provide clarity and enhance the customer-service experience by helping users decide on the best service solutions possible.
Customers simply can drive through UVeye scanning units at the entrance of the dealership service department. Detailed reports then are delivered via text message, email or through Tekion's personalized consumer portal in ARC. Not only can the reports eliminate guesswork, but they also build customer trust through transparency.
Carl Black Chevrolet, Buick, GMC of Kennesaw, Georgia, is the first GM dealer to integrate UVeye's advanced vehicle-inspection systems with Tekion's game-changing Automotive Retail Cloud.
"We're incredibly excited to be collaborating with Tekion to provide an extraordinary experience for dealership customers across the country in the coming months," notes Hever. "With our integration into Tekion's ARC, GM customers and dealerships now can benefit from stronger and more transparent relationships from the data we provide both parties. It's a win-win for everyone."
The UVeye product suite includes three AI-driven systems that can detect mechanical issues such as fluid leaks and component and body damage as well as missing parts or modifications. They also can measure tire-tread depth, detect uneven wear and read sidewall information.
UVeye systems then summarize tire, underbody and exterior inspection data into a single detailed vehicle-condition report that instantly can be relayed to both customers and dealership service personnel.
"We look forward to working with UVeye to deliver a seamless and superior experience to consumers during their vehicle service experience," says Jay Vijayan, CEO and founder of Tekion. "Through this collaboration, consumers can access important safety data about their vehicle and in turn, dealers are improving efficiency and providing added value to their guests. This is another step in modernizing automotive retail."
About UVeye
Established in 2016, UVeye created one of the world's first fully automated and comprehensive vehicle inspection systems. Earlier this year UVeye's inspection technology was integrated with CDK's Fortellis Automotive Commerce Exchange. The company also plans to make its service-department technology available to new- and used-car dealers through other automotive retail-management systems.
Utilizing a bespoke combination of proprietary algorithms, cloud architecture, artificial intelligence, machine learning and sensor-fusion technologies, the company's groundbreaking drive-thru systems can detect any external or mechanical flaws and identify anomalies, modifications or foreign objects under and around any side of a vehicle within seconds.
Detections include but are not limited to oil leaks, exterior imperfections such as scratches and dents, tire sidewall and tread issues and other forms of underbody damage. Originally developed for use in the homeland security industry, UVeye expanded its technology applications to the auto industry, revolutionizing the multipoint inspection process and improving the customer experience by scanning for and identifying a wide variety of quality and repair concerns. Additional information is available at www.uveye.com.
About Tekion
Disrupting a 50-year reliance on aging Dealer Management System platforms, Tekion has challenged the paradigm with the first and fastest cloud-native automotive retail platform, Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC). This transformative dealership software platform uses cutting-edge technology, big data, machine learning, and AI to seamlessly bring together OEMs, retailers/dealers and consumers. With its highly configurable integration and greater customer engagement capabilities, ARC is simplifying the dealer/consumer relationship and journey. Founded in the Silicon Valley, Tekion employs over 2,000 innovators globally. For more information, visit www.tekion.com.
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SOURCE UVeye | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/uveye-tekion-partner-enhance-dealership-customer-service-experience/ | 2022-08-17T16:47:51Z |
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- De University of Ethereum (UETH), a decentralized global educational platform initiated by the Ethereum community, today has announced the initial speakers attending its "Ethereum a New Era." The top minds in Ethereum will take center court at Chase Center in San Francisco on August 28.
The all-star lineup includes Vitalik Buterin, Co-Founder of Ethereum; Justin Drake, Core Researcher of Ethereum Foundation; Aya Miyaguchi, Executive Director of Ethereum Foundation; Aditya Asgaonkar, Core Researcher of Ethereum Foundation; Dankrad Feist of Ethereum Foundation; Danny Ryan, Core Researcher of Ethereum Foundation; Cy Li, Director of UETH; Keith Chen, Co-Founder of SNZ as well as many other blockchain projects heads and research leaders. The full, updated list can be found at go.ueth.org
This event is open to blockchain enthusiasts as well as industry experts. The attendees will have unparalleled access to inspiring keynote speeches, panel discussions, Q&A sessions and networking opportunities.
Keynotes and panels at the event are set to address some of the most important questions from the community — from the process of PoS to consensus safety, layer 2 decentralization, blockchain regulation, and Ethereum's road to mass adoption.
"The Ethereum network could be made more secure, transactions sped up and costs lowered after the merge," said Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum. "It also opens Ethereum up to more upgrades and a green future for blockchain." Vitalik Buterin and core Ethereum developers will attend Ethereum a New Era on August 28 at Chase Center to speak on the upcoming Merge and what the future of blockchain entails.
Please find a link below to sign up and redeem your ticket for Ethereum: a New Era
go.ueth.org
This event is sponsored by SNZ, a crypto-native and community-oriented incubator and venture capital firm. SNZ and the team have been active for community building, incubation and investment, as one of the earliest backers of Ethereum. SNZ will continue to be a long term investor and supporter for the Ethereum ecosystem.
About UETH
De University of Ethereum (UETH) is a decentralized non profit community educational organization. UETH carries the mission for mass adoption of the Ethereum network. The goal for UETH is to establish a systematic and intuitive learning process for students of Ethereum at all levels.
For more details visit: https://ueth.org/
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deUETH
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/deUETH
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SOURCE De University of Ethereum | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/vitalik-buterin-discuss-ethereums-upcoming-merge-san-francisco/ | 2022-08-17T16:47:58Z |
In 1965, P.F. Sloan's heartfelt song "Eve of Destruction," performed by Barry McGuire, became a Billboard No. 1 hit.
The anti-war anthem was one of the first protest songs to make the pop charts. It became the rallying cry for supporters of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, which changed the voting age from 21 to 18.
Sloan wrote a string of hits in the '60s, including "Secret Agent Man" (recorded by Johnny Rivers), "You Baby" (The Turtles) and "Where Were You When I Needed You" (The Grassroots).
But Sloan slipped off the charts and nearly out of the music business more than 30 years ago. He made a few recordings that were released overseas, but rarely performed. Now he's back with a CD called Sailover, filled with songs both old and new.
Sloan speaks with NPR's Liane Hansen about his "unpublishable material" and the trauma of success.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2006-08-21/p-f-sloans-long-road-back-from-destruction | 2022-08-17T16:49:50Z |
A new grant program announced Wednesday by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, a think tank based at the University of Southern California that studies diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry, aims to support undergraduate filmmakers whose work focuses on reproductive rights.
According to a statement shared with NPR, the "Reproductive Rights Accelerator" program will provide a minimum of three students with $25,000 in funding each to support the script development and production of short films.
"There are too few stories focused on these topics, and they rarely come from young people," the initiative's founder Stacy Smith wrote in an email. "We want the generation who will be most affected by current policies around reproductive health to have the chance to illuminate how these policies affect them."
Smith said her organization is planning to reach students through social media and outreach to film schools. She added that any senior studying film in the U.S. can apply for a grant. Applications will open in September and winners will be selected later in the fall.
"Undergraduates have important stories to tell but often have limited opportunities to tell them," said Smith. "This program should help change that."
Films addressing abortion aren't a new phenomenon. For example, the silent movie Where Are My Children dealt with the topic way back in 1916. But the genre has exploded in recent times. The Sundance Film Festival identified films about reproductive rights as "a clear theme" in 2022, with such movies as Happening, Midwives and The Janes appearing on this year's festival lineup. And the organization issued a statement on social media presaging more such films in response to the Supreme Court decision overturning the federal right to an abortion.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Sundance Institute (@sundanceorg)
Supporters of the grant program point to the importance of the entertainment industry as a tool for highlighting important issues around human rights.
"The entertainment community plays a critical role in educating people about their sexual and reproductive health and rights, including abortion," said Caren Spruch, national director of arts and entertainment engagement for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a statement. "With Roe v. Wade overturned and birth control, LGBQT+ and other rights threatened, this new Annenberg Inclusion Initiative project will provide an invaluable tool to ensure audiences are reached with medically and legislatively accurate storytelling about these issues."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/a-new-student-filmmaking-grant-will-focus-on-reproductive-rights | 2022-08-17T17:07:14Z |
NEW YORK — The head of nation's top public health agency on Wednesday announced a shake-up of the organization, intended to make it more nimble.
The planned changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC leaders call it a "reset"— come amid ongoing criticism of the agency's response to COVID-19, monkeypox and other public health threats. The changes include internal staffing moves and steps to speed up data releases.
The CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, told the agency's staff about the changes on Wednesday. It's a CDC initiative, and was not directed by the White House or other administration officials, she said.
"I feel like it's my my responsibility to lead this agency to a better place after a really challenging three years," Walensky told The Associated Press.
The CDC, with a $12 billion budget and more than 11,000 employees, is an Atlanta-based federal agency charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. It's customary for each CDC director to do some reorganizing, but Walensky's action comes amid a wider demand for change.
The agency has long been criticized as too ponderous, focusing on collection and analysis of data but not acting quickly against new health threats. But public unhappiness with the agency grew dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts said the CDC was slow to recognize how much virus was entering the U.S. from Europe, to recommend people wear masks, to say the virus can spread through the air, and to ramp up systematic testing for new variants.
"We saw during COVID that CDC's structures, frankly, weren't designed to take in information, digest it and disseminate it to the public at the speed necessary," said Jason Schwartz, a health policy researcher at the Yale School of Public Health.
Walensky, who became director in January 2021, has long said the agency has to move faster and communicate better, but stumbles have continued during her tenure.
In April, she called for an in-depth review of the agency, which resulted in the announced changes. Her reorganization proposal must be approved by the Department of Health and Human Services secretary. CDC officials say they hope to have a full package of changes finalized, approved, and underway by early next year.
Some changes still are being formulated, but steps announced Wednesday include:
—Increasing use of preprint scientific reports to get out actionable data, instead of waiting for research to go through peer review and publication by the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
—Restructuring the agency's communications office and further revamping CDC websites to make the agency's guidance for the public more clear and easier to find.
—Altering the length of time agency leaders are devoted to outbreak responses to a minimum of six months — an effort to address a turnover problem that at times caused knowledge gaps and affected the agency's communications.
—Creation of a new executive council to help Walensky set strategy and priorities.
—Appointing Mary Wakefield as senior counselor to implement the changes. Wakefield headed the Health Resources and Services Administration during the Obama administration and also served as the No. 2 administrator at HHS. Wakefield, 68, started Monday.
—Altering the agency's organization chart to undo some changes made during the Trump administration.
—Establishing an office of intergovernmental affairs to smooth partnerships with other agencies, as well as a higher-level office on health equity.
Walensky also said she intends to "get rid of some of the reporting layers that exist, and I'd like to work to break down some of the silos." She did not say exactly what that may entail, but emphasized that the overall changes are less about redrawing the organization chart than rethinking how the CDC does business and motivates staff.
"This will not be simply moving boxes" on the organization chart, she said.
Schwartz said flaws in the federal response go beyond the CDC, because the White House and other agencies were heavily involved.
A CDC reorganization is a positive step but "I hope it's not the end of the story," Schwartz said. He would like to see "a broader accounting" of how the federal government handles health crises.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/after-criticism-over-covid-the-cdc-chief-plans-to-make-the-agency-more-nimble | 2022-08-17T17:07:20Z |
JUNEAU, Alaska — Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski advanced from her primary along with Kelly Tshibaka, her GOP rival endorsed by former President Donald Trump, while another Trump-backed candidate, Republican Sarah Palin, was among the candidates bound for the November general election in the race for Alaska's only House seat.
Murkowski had expressed confidence that she would advance and earlier in the day told reporters that "what matters is winning in November." Tshibaka called the results "the first step in breaking the Murkowski monarchy's grip on Alaska." Tshibaka also said she was thankful "for the strong and unwavering support President Trump has shown Alaska."
A Murkowski has held the Senate seat since 1981. Before Lisa Murkowski, who has been in the Senate since late 2002, it was her father, Frank Murkowski.
Under a voter-approved elections process being used for the first time in Alaska elections this year, party primaries have been scrapped and ranked choice voting is being used in general elections. The top four vote-getters in a primary race, regardless of party affiliation, are to advance to the general election.
The other two places in the Senate race were too early to call.
Murkowski voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Trump was acquitted. But he has had strong words for Murkowski, calling her "the worst" during a rally last month in Anchorage.
Murkowski said that if Tshibaka derives her sole strength from Trump's endorsement, "what does that really say about her as a candidate with what she has to offer Alaska? Is it just that she will be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump? I don't think that all Alaskans are really seeking that. Not the ones that I'm talking to."
Kevin Durling, a co-chair of Tshibaka's campaign, said Trump's endorsement of Tshibaka was an added bonus for him. He said Tshibaka's commitment to business and family and her values were important to him. He expressed frustration with Murkowski for the impeachment vote and for her support of the nomination of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
In the House primary, Democrat Mary Peltola, Palin and Republican Nick Begich advanced to the November election. It was too early to call the fourth spot. The winner of the November race will be elected to a two-year term.
Peltola, Begich and Palin were also competing in a special election to serve the remainder of the late-Rep. Don Young 's term, which ends early next year. Young died in March.
The special election was voters' first shot at ranked voting in a statewide race. The winner of the special election may not be known until at least Aug. 31. If successful, Peltola would be the first Alaska Native woman elected to the House.
There also were several write-in candidates in the special election, including Republican Tara Sweeney, who was also competing in the House primary. Sweeney was an assistant secretary for Indian Affairs in the U.S. Interior Department during the Trump administration.
The special election was on one side of the ballot; the other side contained primary races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor and lieutenant governor and legislative seats.
Palin, in a statement Tuesday evening, called this "the first test case of the crazy, convoluted, undesirable ranked-choice voting system."
Supporters of ranked voting have said it encourages positive campaigning but the House race has at times taken on harsh tones.
Begich, a businessman from a family of prominent Democrats, has come out hard against Palin, seeking to cast her as someone chasing fame and as a quitter; Palin resigned during her term as governor in 2009.
In one Begich ad, the narrator says Alaska has faced "years of disasters," including fires and COVID-19. "Sarah Palin is one disaster we can actually avoid," the narrator says.
A narrator in one of Palin's ads refers to Begich as "negative Nick" and says Palin wants to serve in Congress "to carry Don Young's torch."
Peltola, a former lawmaker who most recently worked at a commission whose goal is to rebuild salmon resources on the Kuskokwim River, has cast herself as a consensus builder.
She said one thing that would help her be a good representative is that she is "not a millionaire. I am just like every other regular Alaskan, and I understand the economic struggles that Alaskans face first-hand. My priorities are the priorities of everyday Alaskans."
In a statement early Wednesday, she said while the results of the special election won't be known for some time, "we are moving forward into the general election. We are going to build on this momentum and build a coalition of Alaskans that can win in November."
In the race for Alaska governor, Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy advanced, as did former Gov. Bill Walker, an independent, and Democrat Les Gara. It was too early to call the fourth spot.
Dunleavy and his running mate, Nancy Dahlstrom, in a statement said this "is only the start of the race. We'll dig into all the numbers as they come in over the next few days to find out where we need to shore up our campaign, and we're looking forward to reaching every Alaskan and earning their vote between now and November."
Walker is running with Heidi Drygas and Gara with Jessica Cook.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/murkowski-and-her-trump-backed-challenger-advance-in-alaska-senate-race | 2022-08-17T17:07:26Z |
MIAMI — A Florida prosecutor is suing Gov. Ron DeSantis for removing him from office.
The state attorney from Tampa, Andrew Warren, was ousted earlier this month by DeSantis. The Republican governor said he acted because of statements Warren had signed pledging not to prosecute people for violating abortion restrictions or a law prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors.
Warren filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, saying that the Governor violated his First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Although he spoke in favor of abortion rights and gender-affirming medical care, Warren had not taken any action on those issues and his office had no cases pending. Warren was twice elected as state attorney and Warren says DeSantis violated his right to freedom of speech and by his actions overturned an election.
At a news conference in Tallahassee, he said, "There's so much more at stake here than my job." Warren says DeSantis also violated Florida law by improperly removing him from office for political reasons. "The Governor's authority is not unlimited," Warren said. He's asking the court to rescind DeSantis' order and reinstate him as state attorney. And he's set up a legal defense fund.
DeSantis appointed a county judge to replace Warren, at least temporarily. The governor has dismissed other Democratic elected officials, including the sheriff of Broward County, Scott Israel, for failings in his department's response to the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School four years ago. Six years ago, then governor, now senator, Rick Scott, took a few dozen capital cases away from the state attorney in Orlando after she announced she would not be seeking the death penalty. But he did not remove her from office.
DeSantis' office hasn't responded to Warren's lawsuit. Depending on what happens in court, Warren's removal from office may also be reviewed by the state Senate. Florida's Senate is likely to defer action until after the court proceedings.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/suspended-florida-prosecutor-sues-governor-ron-desantis-to-get-his-job-back | 2022-08-17T17:07:32Z |
For mental health resources and support, call or text 9-8-8 or visit the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline website.
Payton Carter is 19 years old and about to start her second year at Texas Tech University. She’s enjoying her college experience, but school hasn’t always been a positive place for her.
In middle school, she said she struggled with being bullied on top of the hard and emotional changes you go through at that age.
“When you were an adolescent, your problems felt like life or death,” Carter said.
Looking for social connections, she turned to Instagram and Tumblr. She said she scrolled through social media with little supervision. A girl she didn’t know started following her, and she followed back.
“She started posting very graphic content about self-harming,” Carter recalled. “I was a very impressionable young girl. So I self-harmed for the first time. I was in the fifth grade.”
The average age for starting to self-harm is 13, according to one often-cited academic study that analyzed the behavior in over 40 countries.
Carter’s friends found out and told her parents, who helped her go to therapy. But she said she still struggled with self-harm off and on through high school.
“Almost every time something went wrong, or something bad happened, that's what I would turn to,” Carter said. “I don't know why I did it.”
She said she now thinks her unchecked social media use likely worsened the mental health challenges she needed help with.
It’s estimated that around 17% of people will self-harm in their lifetime. It’s most common among adolescents.
Self-harming is not a mental health disorder, but it could correlate with one, like anxiety or depression. Known cases of those afflictions increased by 23% for Texas kids in 2020, according to data released in August by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. More than 500,000 young Texans were diagnosed with anxiety or depression that year.
Anecdotally, self-harming behaviors also increased in Lubbock during the pandemic.
Cameron Brown is an assistant professor of couple, marriage, and family therapy at Texas Tech. He also practices at Desert Sky Family Therapy. He said the emotional effects of the pandemic could lead to self-harming behavior.
“The number one reason that individuals may participate in non-suicidal self-harm is to alleviate some type of overwhelming or negative emotion,” Brown said.
He said it can also be a type of self-directed anger.
Bethany Luna is another therapist in Lubbock who works with marginalized youth, at Phoenix Moon Healing. She said since the pandemic began, she has seen more kids with depression and anxiety about school and their futures. In her experience, the severity and consistency of self-harm has recently changed.
“Before, it might be, like, ‘I don't really want to be here,” Luna said about what she hears from patients. “But now it's like, ‘I'm going to steal my parents' pills and take them.’”
She said she has also seen a concerning increase in middle schoolers self-harming together.
“Because if you hurt yourself, then I'm gonna hurt myself,” Luna said. “And I maybe had heard that one time before, but this was escalated to a pretty drastic experience.”
These behaviors can be socially contagious, which is why knowing about them is important.
If someone you know is hurting themselves, it’s helpful to make them feel supported and not shamed. Finding healthier emotional releases can make a difference.
Payton Carter has worked on coping mechanisms that help, like journaling. She said she also looks for joy in everyday moments.
“Getting to listen to a new Taylor Swift album, getting to talk to my friends in our car for, like, five hours. You know, just small things in life that make it worth it,” Carter said. “All of those things are reasons why I don't self-harm anymore.”
If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support local nonprofit journalism. Thanks for donating today.
Have a news tip? Email Sarah Self-Walbrick at saselfwa@ttu.edu. Follow her reporting on Twitter @SarahFromTTUPM.
Copyright 2022 KTTZ 89.1FM. To see more, visit KTTZ 89.1FM. | https://www.keranews.org/education/2022-08-17/texas-kids-struggling-with-mental-health-self-harm-as-school-starts-back | 2022-08-17T17:15:56Z |
In the wake of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in May, millions of dollars support flowed into Uvalde to support the community as it recovered from the tragedy. In addition to $14 million in private donations for affected families, Gov. Greg Abbott set aside $6.5 million in state funds for mental health resources for residents.
In spite of all of this financial support, many in Uvalde are struggling to pay bills. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose district includes Uvalde, has made advocating for the community in the wake of the tragedy one of his key issues.
Gutierrez said the $14 million in private money went directly to the Robb Family Memorial Fund, created by city leaders and a local bank. The proceeds from that fund will be distributed in November.
“The nice thing is that they’re getting it done,” he said. “The not-so-nice thing, or the unfortunate thing, is that people are having to wait.”
That’s because the fund, which is being overseen by the National Compassion Fund, needed to leave its donation period open for six months, organizers have said.
“They distributed some small amounts of money individually from some other funds that the national organization has, but it has been kind of a drop in the bucket for families that needed to pay the bills,” Gutierrez said. “Everybody’s doing the best they can, and I understand that. It’s just, it’s going to be a bit.”
» Texas Standard special report: ‘The end of last year will be with us’: Are Texas schools any safer since the Uvalde shooting?
And the $6 million from the governor was allocated primarily for trauma funds, Gutierrez said, which gets split up a couple of different ways – including through Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) money distributed by the Attorney General’s Office.
“It’s all done by statute and rule,” he said. “My biggest concern around this is that we have locked families into this two-week or 10-day bereavement unemployment compensation, and as I’ve talked to families and continue to talk to families that are out of work, some that lost their jobs, some that can’t go back to work for obvious mental health crisis reasons. You can’t expect a family that’s lost a child to just be back to normal.”
Gutierrez said that, beyond his office, families haven’t been told about the resources that are available to them.
“You can go to a psychiatrist, and if that psychiatrist deems you unable to go to work, then this VOCA statute will give you $700 a week, up to $50,000 for that family,” he said. “But none of that has happened here. Every family that has tried to apply that has either lost their job, or can’t go to work, has been given two weeks of unemployment benefits” through the statute, which he said hasn’t been amplified to its fullest extent.
“We should try to open up the full breadth of the statutes and the laws before us to help people in an effective way,” Gutierrez said. “You know, we’ve asked the governor to take the trauma outside of the district attorney’s office – not because we don’t think that she can do it; she simply doesn’t have the adequate resources to do it, the human power.”
Gutierrez’s office has also requested emergency caseworkers who can give families individualized assistance in navigating through the bureaucracy.
“You know, [there are] a lot of critics about government. Government really offers a whole lot out there,” he said. “It’s just, we need to bring in the right staffing in order to get it done. You can’t just throw $5 million to the local district attorney who has four employees and say ‘here, have at it.'”
If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and KUT.org. Thanks for donating today.
Copyright 2022 KUT 90.5. To see more, visit KUT 90.5. | https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2022-08-17/millions-of-dollars-have-been-sent-to-uvalde-why-are-shooting-survivors-struggling-financially | 2022-08-17T17:16:02Z |
STEVE INSKEEP, host:
There may never have been a book award for the book we're going to discuss next, but it is a classic by an award-winning novelist. It's a 1965 work called The Book of Bond. It contains advice on how to be like James Bond, 007, which might seem especially relevant since another Bond movie is coming out.
This book was written under a pseudonym by the late author Kingsley Amis. We've called a friend of the Amis family and Bond fan, the writer Christopher Hitchens.
Mr. Hitchens, welcome to the program.
Mr. CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS (Author; Journalist): Nice of you to have me.
INSKEEP: What does this book say, The Book of Bond?
Mr. HITCHENS: Well, it comes out of Kingsley's general feeling that Ian Fleming was greatly underrated as a writer.
INSKEEP: This is the author of the James Bond novels that led to the movies.
Mr. HITCHENS: Indeed. He was very eager to defend Fleming from what he thought was sort of snobbish charges and said that he was a great writer and that Bond was a terrific character. And then I think getting the bit really between his teeth, he began to do a guide as to how to be Bond yourself.
INSKEEP: How does one behave in a Bond-like manner?
Mr. HITCHENS: Well, it's not as sexy as you might think. I mean I'm sure a lot of men are drawn to the idea partly, as it were, by the women. And Kingsley points out that Bond on an average trip, let's say, in the course of an average adventure, never does better than one girl. He goes on to say, rather soberingly, is just about what an English businessman of average attraction and income might hope for on an average business trip.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Mr. HITCHENS: It's just a rather dispiriting way, perhaps, of deflating the Bond mystique. But on the other hand, there are always interesting hints and tips on how to mix a proper cocktail, how to tell whether your vodka is too oily. Do you know how to do that?
INSKEEP: No, no idea.
Mr. HITCHENS: You sprinkle some grains of black pepper on the top and see whether they sink or not.
INSKEEP: And if they sink?
Mr. HITCHENS: That's good. Also, it'll take some of the impurities with it.
INSKEEP: You end up with a kind of a peppery drink, I suppose.
Mr. HITCHENS: And you also get a pepper martini, if you play your cards right. And there's a big difference between vodka made from grain and vodka made from potatoes. And you must, whenever possible, go for the vodka that's made from grain.
INSKEEP: For those who haven't read them, are the books a little less over-the-top than some of the movies?
Mr. HITCHENS: Well, very much so because the movies, in a way, negate the idea of Bond, who goes as a loner rather despising gadgets. Everyone remembers, for example, Q Branch, the man who outfits Bond with the best weaponries.
INSKEEP: The ballpoint pen that's a cannon and...
Mr. HITCHENS: Classical character in most of the films, now played I think by John Cleese. He's the new one.
Well, the whole point of the novel is that Bond despises all that kind of thing, all that new-fangled short-cut stuff, and prefers to, where it possible, to rely on his own trusty Beretta weapon and his bare hands.
INSKEEP: Maybe that's the essence of how to be like James Bond: Rely on yourself.
Mr. HITCHENS: Very much so.
INSKEEP: Well, Christopher Hitchens, I've really enjoyed talking with you.
Mr. HITCHENS: Well, it's been a pleasure.
(Soundbite of music)
INSKEEP: Christopher Hitchens discussed Sir Kingsley Amis, who, under a pseudonym, wrote The Book of Bond, or Every Man His Own 007.
This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.
RENEE MONTAGNE, host:
And I'm Renee Montagne. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2006-11-16/a-guide-to-being-james-bond-007 | 2022-08-17T17:31:59Z |
It's been said that right-handed people live years longer than left-handed people. So when it comes to the "live-fast, die-young" luminaries of rock 'n' roll, it's not surprising that some of the great guitar players of all time are left-handed.
From Jimi Hendrix to Dick Dale, southpaw strummers are celebrated in John Engel's two-volume book set, Uncommon Sound: The Left-Handed Guitar Players that Changed Music.
Engel talks with Scott Simon about the legacy of left-handed players.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2006-11-24/the-uncommon-sound-of-left-handed-guitarists | 2022-08-17T17:32:05Z |
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Birthdays: 8.16.22
Happy Birthday to all who celebrate on this day!!
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Updated: Aug. 16, 2022 at 1:25 PM EDT
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2 deaths in Florida linked to raw oysters from Louisiana
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A restaurant customer in Fort Lauderdale has died of a bacterial infection after eating raw oysters. A Pensacola man died the same way this month. Both cases involved oysters from Louisiana.
Gary Oreal, who manages the Rustic Inn, told the South Florida SunSentinel that the man who died had worked years ago at the restaurant famous for garlic crabs.
“Over the course of 60 years, we have served a couple billion oysters, and we never had anyone get sick like this guy did,” Oreal said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Vibrio bacteria doesn’t make an oyster look, smell, or taste any different. The agency said about 80,000 people get vibriosis in the U.S. each year, and about 100 people die from it.
Inspectors from the Florida Department of Health checked out the restaurant’s kitchen and examined its oyster inventory the day after the man became ill, Oreal told the newspaper.
“We passed with flying colors and we were allowed to continue to sell oysters,” he said, adding the oysters being served currently are from Louisiana. “If there was a problem with the oyster bed we would know it because others would have gotten sick.”
The restaurant has a sign warning patrons about the risks of eating raw shellfish.
“Oysters are top of the mountain for dangerous foods to eat,” Oreal said. “I have eaten them my entire life, and will continue. But you are putting yourself at risk when you do it.”
The Florida Department of Health says 26 people have become infected with the bacteria and six of them later died after eating raw shellfish, including oysters, so far this year. In 2021, 10 people died out of 34 people sickened. In 2020, there were seven deaths among the 36 who became ill.
Last week, a man in Pensacola died after contracting the bacteria from oysters he bought at a market, the Pensacola News Journal reported. That oyster also came from Louisiana, officials said.
Infections linked to the bacteria are common in oysters and raw seafood during the summer months when water temperatures are warmer, University of West Florida Professor Robert “Wes” Farr told the newspaper.
“Serious infection is rare, but the risk is still there,” Farr said.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/17/2-deaths-florida-linked-raw-oysters-louisiana/ | 2022-08-17T17:38:31Z |
CDC director announces organization shake-up aimed at speed
NEW YORK (AP) — The head of the nation’s top public health agency on Wednesday announced a shake-up of the organization, intended to make it more nimble.
The planned changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC leaders call it a “reset”— come amid ongoing criticism of the agency’s response to COVID-19, monkeypox and other public health threats. The changes include internal staffing moves and steps to speed up data releases.
The CDC’s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, told the agency’s staff about the changes on Wednesday. It’s a CDC initiative, and was not directed by the White House or other administration officials, she said.
“I feel like it’s my my responsibility to lead this agency to a better place after a really challenging three years,” Walensky told The Associated Press.
The CDC, with a $12 billion budget and more than 11,000 employees, is an Atlanta-based federal agency charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. It’s customary for each CDC director to do some reorganizing, but Walensky’s action comes amid a wider demand for change.
The agency has long been criticized as too ponderous, focusing on collection and analysis of data but not acting quickly against new health threats. But public unhappiness with the agency grew dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts said the CDC was slow to recognize how much virus was entering the U.S. from Europe, to recommend people wear masks, to say the virus can spread through the air, and to ramp up systematic testing for new variants.
“We saw during COVID that CDC’s structures, frankly, weren’t designed to take in information, digest it and disseminate it to the public at the speed necessary,” said Jason Schwartz, a health policy researcher at the Yale School of Public Health.
Walensky, who became director in January 2021, has long said the agency has to move faster and communicate better, but stumbles have continued during her tenure.
In April, she called for an in-depth review of the agency, which resulted in the announced changes. Her reorganization proposal must be approved by the Department of Health and Human Services secretary. CDC officials say they hope to have a full package of changes finalized, approved and underway by early next year.
Some changes still are being formulated, but steps announced Wednesday include:
- Increasing use of preprint scientific reports to get out actionable data, instead of waiting for research to go through peer review and publication by the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
- Restructuring the agency’s communications office and further revamping CDC websites to make the agency’s guidance for the public more clear and easier to find.
- Altering the length of time agency leaders are devoted to outbreak responses to a minimum of six months.
- An effort to address a turnover problem that at times caused knowledge gaps and affected the agency’s communications.
- Creation of a new executive council to help Walensky set strategy and priorities.
- Appointing Mary Wakefield as senior counselor to implement the changes. Wakefield headed the Health Resources and Services Administration during the Obama administration and also served as the No. 2 administrator at HHS. Wakefield, 68, started Monday.
- Altering the agency’s organization chart to undo some changes made during the Trump administration.
- Establishing an office of intergovernmental affairs to smooth partnerships with other agencies, as well as a higher-level office on health equity.
Walensky also said she intends to “get rid of some of the reporting layers that exist, and I’d like to work to break down some of the silos.” She did not say exactly what that may entail, but emphasized that the overall changes are less about redrawing the organization chart than rethinking how the CDC does business and motivates staff.
“This will not be simply moving boxes” on the organization chart, she said.
Schwartz said flaws in the federal response go beyond the CDC because the White House and other agencies were heavily involved.
A CDC reorganization is a positive step but “I hope it’s not the end of the story,” Schwartz said. He would like to see “a broader accounting” of how the federal government handles health crises.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/17/cdc-director-announces-organization-shake-up-aimed-speed/ | 2022-08-17T17:38:38Z |
Daniels out as Rangers president after 17 years leading club
(AP) - Jon Daniels is out as president of baseball operations for the Texas Rangers after 17 years leading the club.
Team owner Ray Davis said Wednesday that Daniels was being relieved of his duties immediately after the decision was made not to renew his contract at the end of this season.
Daniels’ departure came two days after manager Chris Woodward was fired in his fourth season.
Daniels was the youngest general manager ever in the majors when he got the job with the Rangers at age 28 in October 2005. He added the title of president of baseball operations in 2013, and held both titles until Chris Young was brought in as the team’s general manager in December 2020.
“Jon’s accomplishments in his 17 years running our baseball operations department have been numerous. ... His impact on the growth of our player development, scouting, and analytics groups has been immense. Jon has always had the best interests of the Rangers organization in mind on and off the field and in the community,” Davis said. “But the bottom line is we have not had a winning record since 2016 and for much of that time, have not been competitive in the AL West division.”
The Rangers made their only World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011, then won AL West titles again in 2015 and 2016. But they are on pace for their sixth consecutive losing record, the franchise’s longest such streak since moving to Texas a half-century ago.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/17/daniels-out-rangers-president-after-17-years-leading-club/ | 2022-08-17T17:38:45Z |
DeSantis sued by Florida prosecutor he removed over abortion
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — An elected Florida prosecutor who was removed from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis because of his positions on abortion and transgender rights filed suit Wednesday to get his job back, saying the Republican leader violated his First Amendment rights.
DeSantis said he suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren this month for signing a national pledge to not prosecute women and doctors for violating state abortion laws or families seeking treatments for transgender minors.
“If the governor’s allowed to do this, what’s left of democracy? If the governor’s allowed to retaliate against me for speaking out, what’s left of the First Amendment,” Warren asked at a news conference in Tallahassee.
The lawsuit alleges that DeSantis did not identify any actual conduct involving criminal activity that would warrant a suspension and says the governor is punishing Warren for voicing positions that DeSantis opposes.
DeSantis, criticized by Democrats for signing abortion restrictions and bills seen as anti-LGBTQ into law, held a campaign-like event to announce Warren’s suspension where supporters cheered the decision. The governor’s office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday morning.
Now seeking re-election in November and positioning himself as a potential 2024 presidential candidate, the governor cited Warren’s “neglect of duty” and other alleged violations.
In his executive order, DeSantis cited Warren’s policy of not pursuing some lesser categories of crime, including “trespassing at a business location, disorderly conduct, disorderly intoxication, and prostitution.”
The suspension was backed by several law enforcement officers including Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, who said Warren had been acting as a kind of “supreme authority” to decide “what crimes will be legal or illegal in our county.”
Similar uses of prosecutorial discretion by progressives elected around the country in recent years have prompted some pushback.
In San Francisco, voters in June recalled Chesa Boudin, a former public defender who was elected district attorney in 2019 on a criminal justice reform platform. Boudin faced criticism over rising crime after declining to prosecute most drug offenses. A similar effort to recall the Los Angeles D.A. failed to garner enough signatures this week.
Warren, who was elected in 2016 by Tampa-area voters and re-elected in 2020, said the governor is overturning the will of the people who put him in office.
“The governor has attacked our democracy and it should worry everyone,” Warren told reporters. “If the governor’s attempt to unilaterally overturn an election is allowed to stand, it threatens to undermine the integrity and outcome of elections across our state for years to come.”
Warren described the pledge circulated by prosecutors around the country as “a value statement,” not a definitive decision on how he might handle any particular case. He also noted that Florida’s new ban on abortions after 15 weeks of gestation has been ruled unconstitutional, and that the state doesn’t even have a law against hormone treatments for transgender minors.
Warren’s lawsuit says the suspension was retaliatory after he opposed the governor on a number of issues, including DeSantis’ efforts to deny the restoration of voting rights for felons and create new crimes for public protests in response to the Black Lives Matter movement as well as the new abortion restrictions.
“Of course, DeSantis is free to express his views and his disagreements with Warren as often as he likes. Indeed, the Federal Constitution ensures that he is,” the suit says. “DeSantis went too far.”
The suit says Warren has an obligation to voters to say where he stands on such issues, and that as a prosecutor, he has the right to decide how the limited resources he has should be used to prosecute crimes. That priority should be on public safety, it said.
“The First Amendment protects the right of elected officials to speak out on matters of public controversy, and in fact it does so because it’s so important that the voters who choose these elected officials know where they stand on these issues,” Jean-Jacques Cabou, a lawyer for Warren, said in a phone interview.
Warren’s suspension is now an issue in the governor’s race as Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the state’s only statewide-elected Democrat, and Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist enter the final week of the primary to see who will challenge DeSantis.
“For this governor to weaponize his office and remove a state attorney — a prosecutor — who has prosecutorial discretion over which cases he brings forward and which he doesn’t, this is the overreaching and overstepping of this governor,” Fried said at a campaign event Tuesday night. “It is the most dangerous thing to our democracy that we have seen.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/17/desantis-sued-by-florida-prosecutor-he-removed-over-abortion/ | 2022-08-17T17:38:52Z |
Key insider: 2 men were ‘very eager’ to kidnap Gov. Whitmer
(AP) – Two men charged with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 were “very eager” to move forward with the plan and expressed no reluctance, a key witness testified Wednesday.
Ty Garbin also downplayed the influence of two FBI informants who trained with the group, saying he couldn’t recall them suggesting that Whitmer should be kidnapped.
“Not that I saw, no,” Garbin told jurors in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. are on trial for the second time on conspiracy charges. A jury in April couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict but acquitted two other men.
Garbin and Kaleb Franks are important witnesses for the government: They, too, were arrested in October 2020 but pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate.
“They were full in,” Franks testified Wednesday, referring to Fox and Croft and a kidnapping plot. “Every time I spent time with them that’s what they talked about.”
Prosecutors say Fox and Croft wanted to trigger a national revolt. The government said disgust over COVID-19 restrictions inspired them to make kidnapping plans in 2020. Defense lawyers, however, argue that undercover FBI agents and rogue operatives created the scheme.
Garbin and Franks said they trained with Fox, Croft and others in a remote area, practicing inside a handmade “shoot house” to simulate a kidnapping. They told jurors how a group traveled to Elk Rapids at night to see Whitmer’s vacation home and a bridge that could be blown up to distract police during an attack.
“It wasn’t anybody’s idea but my own to participate,” Garbin said when asked if he was entrapped by agents.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler asked if Fox and Croft were reluctant.
“No,” Garbin replied. “Very eager to continue forward with it.”
During a first round of testimony Tuesday, Garbin said he and Fox were at a gun-rights rally at the Michigan Capitol in June 2020, months before their arrest.
“Adam Fox had mentioned storming the Capitol building and arresting elected officials and holding them on trial for their crimes and treason,” Garbin said. “(A) particular elected official would be Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Hang her on public TV for the world to see.”
Garbin’s testimony this week was tighter than in the first trial. Last spring he said kidnapping the Democratic governor could be the “ignition” for civil war and “prevent Joe Biden from winning the presidency.”
But Kessler didn’t ask questions to draw out those answers Tuesday or Wednesday.
Fox, 39, was living in the Grand Rapids area, and Croft, 46, is from Bear, Delaware.
Whitmer has blamed then-President Donald Trump for stoking mistrust and fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn hate groups and right-wing extremists like those charged in the plot.
Trump recently called the kidnapping plan a “fake deal.”
___
Find the AP’s full coverage of the kidnapping plot trial: https://apnews.com/hub/whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/17/key-insider-2-men-were-very-eager-kidnap-gov-whitmer/ | 2022-08-17T17:39:02Z |
Lone survivor of White House lightning strike is on the mend
WASHINGTON (WUSA) – The sole survivor of a lightning strike outside the White House nearly two weeks ago is on the road to recovery.
Amber Escudero-Kontostathis, 28, says her physical wounds are slowly healing, but it will take a while for the emotional ones to mend. She now uses a walker to get around, and much of her body is covered in bandages, healing her severe burns.
Despite that, Escudero-Kontostathis is healing remarkably well for someone who nearly died. She doesn’t remember being struck by lightning Aug. 4, but she knows that it was the quick thinking of others that saved her life.
A Secret Service officer and two travel nurses jumped into action, performing CPR on Escudero-Kontostathis and – in her words – bringing her back to life, twice.
“They literally brought me back twice, no heartbeat, brought it back, nothing, 10 minutes-plus, they brought me back,” she said. “Without people like that, there is no amazing miracle story. They’re the miracle makers.”
Escudero-Kontostathis reunited with her heroes this week.
Escudero-Kontostathis was canvassing for Threshold Giving, a nonprofit that assists refugees, when the storm hit.
She was one of four people struck by lightning under a tree and the only person who survived.
“I’m not sure why I’m the one that made it,” she said. “I definitely have survivor’s guilt because I were to be this lucky, like, I feel like everyone should be.”
Escudero-Kontostathis said she thinks her shoes with thick rubber soles might have helped save her, and she plans on keeping them for the rest of her life.
The three victims were identified as 76-year-old James Mueller and 75-year-old Donna Mueller, a couple from Wisconsin, and 29-year-old Brooks Lambertson, who was visiting from Los Angeles on a business trip.
Before the storm hit, Escudero-Kontostathis had spoken with the Muellers, who told her they were retired and visiting Washington.
The journey to recovery for Escudero-Kontostathis is uncomfortable, requiring therapy and constant doctor’s visits. But through the pain, she said a second chance at life is motivating her to live with no regrets.
“When I’m crying in pain, I’m constantly reminding myself that I’m lucky,” she said.
Copyright 2022 WUSA via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/17/lone-survivor-white-house-lightning-strike-is-mend/ | 2022-08-17T17:39:09Z |
Mother charged with murder after leaving child in a hot car, sheriff says
LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC/Gray News) – A woman was charged with second-degree murder after being accused of leaving her 6-month-old daughter in a hot car for five hours, according to authorities.
The baby’s mother, Ivy Lee, 22, flagged down an off-duty deputy Sunday afternoon and told him her daughter, Carissa Lewis, wasn’t breathing, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kayla Vincent said.
The off-duty deputy and another deputy who was patrolling the area performed life-saving measures on the baby.
Carissa was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Her preliminary cause of death is heat-related, KPLC reported.
Lee originally told detectives that the child was not in her care. She later told detectives that she left the child in her SUV for around five hours at her workplace, Vincent said.
“She stated that she initially left the car running, but a co-worker later told her the car was later running, and she turned her vehicle off,” Chief Deputy Gary Guillory said.
She told authorities she thought the baby was sleeping.
“Ultimately she stated that she left the child in her car while she went to work from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.,” Guillory said.
The sheriff’s office said the Department of Children and Family Services has had prior contact with Lee after she was accused of abandoning another child in a hot car in 2019.
“Yes, DCFS was involved in the case. They were called out, but during the course of the investigation, the mother voluntarily gave us that baby before the state had to get involved,” Guillory said.
Lee’s sister, Ashley Lee, has custody of her first child, Avery.
She said her sister’s relationship with the family and her children was strained. She said they tried to help with Carissa and encouraged Ivy Lee to finish her classes with family services.
Carissa’s father said he was unaware of Ivy Lee’s previous criminal charge concerning her other child, KPLC reported.
Ivy Lee is being held in lieu of a $1.2 million bond.
Copyright 2022 KPLC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/17/mother-charged-with-murder-after-leaving-child-hot-car-sheriff-says/ | 2022-08-17T17:39:20Z |
PHOTOS: At this Hawaii hospital, most of the patients are endangered
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow/Gray News) - The Hawaii Wildlife Center cares for critical species ― native birds and bats that come to the Big Island animal hospital either sick or injured.
The center’s founder and president, Linda Elliot, said there are currently 40 animals at the hospital located in North Kohala.
“You never know from day to day what you’re going to get in as a patient,” she said.
The non-profit treats its patients for problems ranging from bodily injuries to poisonings. It could be a nene goose or a Hawaiian hoary bat that needs help.
HWC’s team of veterinarians nurse them back to health.
“We know that when they’re in care it’s not normal for them,” Elliott said. “They’re not like our domestic animals that like to be held or petted or talked to.”
The need to rehabilitate injured animals has grown by leaps and bounds. The center also takes in patients from Midway and Kure atolls, two ring-shaped reefs located in the Pacific ocean.
Elliott said since the center opened, HWC has cared for close to 3,000 birds and bats.
“We treat them and get them back into the wild,” she said.
This year marks the wildlife center’s 10-year anniversary. Its release rate is more than 80%.
“Our happiest moment is when we release them back into the wild and they fly away without looking back. Then we know we’ve done what we needed to do to get them back out,” Elliott said.
HWC depends on grants and contributions from businesses and individuals to continue the important work.
Its small staff receives help from volunteers and veterinarians statewide who assist with medical treatment and transportation.
“We always look for training new people within our own community, within the state, so that we have the expertise here to protect our native biodiversity,” Elliott said.
The Hawaii Wildlife Center cares for a lot more native birds and bats than Elliott envisioned it would when the hospital opened a decade ago, and that need is never-ending.
For more information or to donate, visit the Hawaii Wildlife Center website.
Copyright 2022 KHNL, KGMB via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/17/photos-this-hawaii-hospital-most-patients-are-endangered/ | 2022-08-17T17:39:27Z |
ANDREA SEABROOK, host:
From NPR News, this is WEEKEND EDITION. I'm Andrea Seabrook.
Here's the story. A former German SS officer sits down at his desk in a small French town to write an explanation of he's lived for the last 50 years with a false identity. Nearly a thousand pages later, he finishes his confessions. They reveal his descent from an intellectual dedicated to art, literature, and ideas to a butcher devoid of all human sympathy.
Grim as it may sound, the novel is the hottest volume to hit French bookstores in years. It was written in French by an American, Jonathan Little, and it's already been sold in more than a dozen languages.
Frank Browning prepared this report. And be warned, it contains some disturbing imagery.
FRANK BROWNING: It's called "Les Bienvaillantes," or roughly, "The Kindly," or "Benevolent Ones." It sold, in less than four months, more than 600,000 copies. Here's how it opens.
Unidentified Man: (Through translator) Brother humans, let me tell you how it all came to pass. I'm not your brother, you retort, and nobody wants to know. True enough. It's a dark story but also enlightening, a veritable mortal tale, I assure you. It risks being a bit long; after all, a lot happens. But if you find you're not in too much of a hurry, with a little luck you'll take the time. And anyway, it's about you.
BROWNING: From there, the narrator, Max, gives a cold, calm account of his life inside Germany, supervising the extermination of Jews and gypsies and Bolsheviks and homosexuals.
Tana Rassant(ph) bought the book right after it appeared and read all 903-pages in 13 nights.
Ms. TANA RASSANT: It's very hard. You have to have a stomach well in place. You have times where...
(Soundbite of gasping)
Ms. RASSANT: ...I had to stop.
BROWNING: Rassant, whose Jewish family survived the war by escaping to New York, said she would have stopped reading.
Ms. RASSANT: If it wasn't great writing, fabulous writing, fabulous style in the book. I think it's one of the greatest books I've ever read in my life.
BROWNING: Which for many is all the more surprising, because the writer, Jonathan Little, is a 39-year-old American whose first language is English, even though he was raised in France. Little is also the first American ever to win France's highest literary award, he Prix Goncourt, an honor he shares with André Malraux, Simone de Beauvoir, Marguerite Duras and Marcel Proust.
Jonathan Little is himself a bit of a mystery. He gave very few interviews, then cut off all media contact and retreated to Barcelona. And that in itself added to the mystique, says editor and bookstore owner Francis Jeffar(ph).
Mr. FRANCIS JEFFAR (Editor and Bookstore Owner): You know, comes a moment when a book is not seen only as a book, but as a wide array of things around it. So when you go to dinners, or when you go to parties, people are going to talk about this. So it almost became a social phenomenon.
BROWNING: And more, it touched a nerve that still runs raw through French life.
Mr. JEFFAR: I believe, you know, it was such a success because it was really focusing on something still at the core of French society, you know. This is part of our history and it is a very troubled period of our history.
BROWNING: Until the last decade, no French president had ever apologized or acknowledged the depth of French collaboration with the Nazi SS. Indeed, France's last president, Francois Mitterrand, had as a young man collaborated with the German-controlled Vichy regime that helped send more than 75,000 to the gas chambers.
Writer Jonathan Little spent some five years immersing himself in the documents and dairies of the Nazi era. Despite all that has been written, his book has revealed much that readers never knew. Tana Rassant, for example, had not understood that the gas chambers were created because of fear that young German soldiers might revolt over being ordered to shoot children and slash open the bellies of pregnant women.
Ms. RASSANT: The basic soldier, you know, foot soldier, started being disgusted because they saw their wives and their children in front of them. And they invented trucks where they packed people and gassed them in trucks, so the cadavers where one on top of the other one, all mixed up. So they decided that it was going to be cleaner if they had gas chambers.
BROWNING: More upsetting still for many readers is that Max, while describing horrible acts, seems to be an altogether normal fellow, a man of ideas who loves art. Early on, he says...
Unidentified Man: (Through translator) Like most people, I never asked to be an assassin. If I could have, as I've already said, I would have given myself to literature, to write, if I'd had the talent. If not, maybe teaching, living serenely among the best and the most beautiful things of human will. Who willingly, aside from a fool, would choose murder?
BROWNING: It is the nuanced juxtaposition of murder and sophisticated intellectual in the same character that has turned readers passionate about the novel, says Jonathan Burnham, head of Harper Collins, who paid more than $1.1 million to publish the novel in America.
Mr. JONATHAN BURNHAM (Harper Collins): The problem of imaginative sympathy, from the point of view of the reader, is made very acute because one's natural inclination is to side with the narrator, with the subject, but in this case, he is a truly repulsive, repellent individual. So it's a particular kind of challenge for the reader, and I think a completely new way of re-entering the horror of the Holocaust.
BROWNING: Jonathan Littel, though an American, will not translate his novel into English, but he will have a hand in approving the final text, and it won't always be easy. Even the title is hard to render in English. Technically, "Les Bienveillantes" means the kindly ones, but its reference is also to classical Greece, where mortals offered supplication to the Furies not to be plagued by the sword of torture and chaos that stretches from the German gas chambers to the killing fields of Rwanda.
For NPR News, I'm Frank Browning in Paris. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2006-12-17/france-honors-american-novelist-with-book-awards | 2022-08-17T17:50:43Z |
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CHEYENNE – Laramie County Community College isn’t just competing with other schools to attract students, it’s also up against rising wages in the local job market.
Factors such as the county’s 2.8% unemployment rate and high school graduates earning $30 an hour at some local retailers are playing a role in stagnating the community college’s enrollment numbers.
“Those are hard things to compete against when we’re talking about a four-year path to a degree that sometimes really earns similar to those wages,” LCCC President Joe Schaffer said during his State of the College address Monday. “And because at times it can take so long for us to respond, other places are starting to step up.”
Schaffer pointed out that companies such as Google, Amazon and the newest addition to our area, Bitwise Industries, are focused on providing short-term credentials and training for the workforce. Students have to consider their pathway to a career when there are many options, and whether investing in a traditional education can get them where they want to be.
Despite the fact that LCCC enrollment numbers increased from 5,307 to 5,389 between the 2020-21 school year and this fall, there has been a downward trend for the past decade. Schaffer said the college has experienced a -33.8% change since the fall of 2011, which is higher than the state community college enrollment decrease of close to 23%.
The Wyoming Community College Commission also reported the headcount between fall 2019 and 2020 declined 8%, and colleges nationwide experienced a drop of 15-18%. This was mitigated by short-term grants, online learning, and partnerships with industry and communities.
Schaffer assured attendees that there are still bright spots, such as retention, credential and graduation rates for students moving in the right direction.
“This will be the first time we’ve been above the national average of two-year graduation rates, going from the worst in the state, now to outpacing the national average,” he said. “That is something to be proud of.”
Tuition cost
Enrollment numbers are still a key factor in the college’s success, because tuition and fees are one of four sources of revenue.
Tuition rates have stabilized, even as LCCC modeled for a decrease. Wyoming community college tuition and fees were 110% of the national average, according to the state finance report, but this doesn’t translate to affordability. They ranked high in nation for the cost to attend, while the University of Wyoming was 34% of the U.S. average.
“One of the hallmarks of a community college is accessibility and affordability, and tuition is not moving in the right direction here,” said Schaffer. “And we’re starting to lose that value proposition from an affordable standpoint, especially when students are looking at choices.”
He said his focus for increased tuition revenue is not tied to increasing rates, but instead increased enrollment. He said the price tag of a college education is significant for students, especially those who come from low socio-economic backgrounds or are first generation attendees.
Budget environment
Other sources of funding include the state, which Schaffer noted provides significantly more per student than the national average. It contributes close to 50% of the revenue for Wyoming community colleges, and there was a slight increase from last year, but it was still lower for LCCC than what it was in 2018.
“We have yet to catch up to where we were, and that is not controlling for inflationary pressures that we know are out there and that we’re all experiencing,” he said.
In the Wyoming Community College Commission’s glance of 2022, it found that “local colleges reduced 114 positions and absorbed a 15% cut to state aid. Local revenue (mills and vehicle fees) are expected to decline 13%. Colleges are facing a state aid budget reduction of $94 million since 2010.”
Schaffer said there are plans for the Legislature to address the issue further, and strides were made recently in terms of increased appropriations for faculty salaries.
“They know they need to do more in this next year,” he said. “We’ll go back asking for more; we need to continue to focus on our people.”
LCCC’s second-largest portion of funding comes from Laramie County property taxpayers, and the 2022 assessed valuation is at close to $2.2 billion. This would be an increase from the $1.9 billion the previous year, and Schaffer said it is the result of the local economy thriving. The mill levies have been impacted positively by increased business, housing development and property values.
Moving forward, the priority investments for fiscal year 2023 are the faculty and staff, academic programs, strategic plan initiatives and critical operational support. Schaffer said with an emphasis on funding going toward the people who bring the community college together, there has been more than $1.5 million in compensation/wage increases and an increase for adjunct and overload to $850 per credit. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/economy_and_labor/lccc-enrollment-competes-with-local-job-market/article_fe1ceb74-1e54-11ed-bb35-0f249214eb02.html | 2022-08-17T17:59:31Z |
CHEYENNE – Gov. Mark Gordon defeated his two Republican opponents in the primary election for another term in a landslide Tuesday.
In another key race, Rep. Chuck Gray, R-Casper, was chosen to become the next secretary of state, in an open race because the current office-holder is becoming a judge.
Around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, all 23 counties had reported their unofficial results to the Wyoming Secretary of State's Office.
Gray and Gordon were among the candidates in five key Republican primary state races, including the secretary of state, state treasurer and state superintendent of public instruction. These races were highly contested.
Gordon won with 101,092 votes in the gubernatorial campaign, among GOP members. Rival Brent Bien had 48,549, while Rex Rammell earned 9,373 votes and James Scott Quick got 4,725. There were 533 write-ins.
Gordon will face Theresa Livingston, the winner of the Democratic primary, in the general election, after she defeated Rex Wilde. Livingston garnered 4,989 votes from Democrats, while Wilde had 2,016.
The incumbent Gov. Gordon said he will fight for a second term heading into the general election, and that he and his wife, Jennie Gordon, take nothing for granted.
“We’re very encouraged by what we’re seeing, and it feels good,” said Gordon from his election party in Buffalo. “I really want to thank all the supporters for doing such an incredible job.”
He faced Rammell and Bien in the Republican primary, both of whom accused Gordon of not standing by the Republican Party’s platform strictly enough.
Bien told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, before polls closed at 7 p.m. local time, it was an incredible experience to campaign throughout the state. He said he was privileged to meet so many Wyoming residents. He said because Wyoming is geographically so vast, and the incumbent, by virtue of being in office, has an advantage, it’s hard to overcome.
“It’s a challenge, but it’s very rewarding at the same time,” he said.
Bien and Rammell
Bien also faced backlash from Rammell in the weeks before election night, and accused him of running in the race illegally because he hadn’t lived in the state long enough.
Bien retired from active duty in the Marine Corps in 2019. He has repeatedly said he kept his residency throughout the entire time he served.
The Committee to Elect Rex Rammell Governor of Wyoming stated that outgoing Secretary of State Ed Buchanan did not say Bien was eligible to run for governor when Rammell’s camp made the complaint.
Rammell told the WTE Tuesday afternoon that he felt he ran a good campaign, but Buchanan should have never allowed Bien to run for governor. He said if Bien was not on the ballot, the votes would not have been split between the two of them.
“Mark Gordon was probably the weakest incumbent,” Rammell told the WTE. “And I really feel like I could beat him if Bien wasn’t in the race.”
Secretary of State
Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne, Rep. Gray and Mark Armstrong were the three candidates vying to be the secretary of state.
According to the unofficial results from the Secretary of State's Office, the winner of the race was Gray. Wyoming voters cast 75,938 votes for him, and Nethercott received 63,044.
Buchanan had earlier dropped out of the race. He later was appointed by Gordon to be a district court judge for the Eighth Judicial District serving Goshen County.
The secretary of state race was contentious leading up to primary election night as Nethercott and Gray made accusations against one another.
Nethercott said more than a week in advance that Gray should be disqualified following a complaint to the Federal Election Commission against him. The complaint was filed by former Secretary of State Max Maxfield, who questioned the financial disclosure from Gray when he previously sought the U.S. House seat for Wyoming. Gray, in turn, says he got the money legitimately, and an expert told the Casper Star-Tribune the candidate was free to contribute the money to his own campaign.
Maxfield endorsed Nethercott, alongside other political leaders in the state who said they doubted the qualifications of Gray and his stance the 2020 election was stolen.
Neither Nethercott or Gray commented Tuesday night.
Gray was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, and has made claims of his own against the Cheyenne attorney. WyoFile reported Monday that text messages paid for by the Committee to Elect Chuck Gray said his opponent was being sued for lying and slander, investigated for violating state campaign law and gave herself a $30,000 taxpayer-funded raise, which Nethercott denied.
Armstrong reflected on the campaign Tuesday before polls closed. He said it had been a long battle against Nethercott and Gray, and he didn’t have the funds they did.
“The other two have spent over $800,000 on their campaigns,” he told the WTE. “I don’t want them anywhere near public money.”
Armstrong garnered 14,292 votes, syphoning a significant portion from Nethercott. Dan Dockstader, who withdrew his candidacy after ballots had been printed, received 3,465 votes, and there were 410 write-ins.
There were no declared Democrats for secretary of state.
State Superintendent
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder was seeking a first full term in office, and lost to challenger Megan Degenfelder by more than 3,500 votes.
He was appointed to the office by Gordon after the former state superintendent, Jillian Balow, went to serve in a similar job under newly elected Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Degenfelder received 59,301 votes across the state. Schroeder followed closely behind with 55,746.
He told the WTE his campaign did everything humanly possible and left no stone unturned. He said he did the very best to get across the state to every event. He also received an endorsement from Trump.
The two other contenders in the Republican primary were Jennifer Zerba and Robert White III, who together received just over 18,000 votes.
Degenfelder will face Democratic candidate Sergio Maldonado Sr. in the general election, who received 6,690 votes in an uncontested primary.
Other statewide races
Incumbent State Treasurer Curt Meier also won his primary election for against challenger Bill Gallop, and was recently endorsed by Trump. According to unofficial results from the Secretary of State's Office, Meier received 97,489 votes to Gallop's 40,643.
Kristi Racines is currently the Wyoming state auditor and was the only candidate in the Republican primary. She received 133,724 votes. She doesn’t face an opponent in the general election for a second term, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/government_and_politics/gov-gordon-wins-gop-primary-gray-and-degenfelder-also-win/article_307a0cbe-1e55-11ed-ab13-b731dae17d7a.html | 2022-08-17T17:59:37Z |
CHEYENNE – Gov. Mark Gordon has defeated his two Republican opponents in the primary election for another term, in a projected landslide Tuesday night, as reported by the New York Times.
He was among the candidates in five key Republican primary state races, including the secretary of state, state treasurer and state superintendent of public instruction. These races were highly contested, and no official results were reported by the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office before 9:30 p.m.
Gordon was ahead with an estimated 63% of the vote in the gubernatorial campaign, among GOP members, the Times reported. Rival Brent Bien had an estimated 28%.
Gordon will likely face Theresa Livingston in the general election, and she was reported by media outlets as the winner of the Democratic primary, defeating Rex Wilde. Livingston was estimated by the Times to be ahead, garnering some 72% of votes from Democrats, while Wilde reportedly had 28%.
The incumbent Gov. Gordon said he will fight for a second term heading into the general election, and that he and his wife, Jennie Gordon, take nothing for granted.
“We're very encouraged by what we're seeing, and it feels good,” said Gordon from his election party in Buffalo. “I really want to thank all the supporters for doing such an incredible job.”
He faced Rex Rammell and Bien in the Republican primary, both of whom accused Gordon of not standing by the Republican Party's platform strictly enough.
Bien told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, before polls closed at 7 p.m. local time, it was an incredible experience to campaign throughout the state. He said he was privileged to meet so many Wyoming residents. He said because Wyoming is geographically so vast, and the incumbent by virtue of being in office has an advantage, it's hard to overcome.
“It’s a challenge, but it’s very rewarding at the same time,” he said.
Bien also faced backlash from Rammell in the weeks before election night, and accused him of running in the race illegally because he hadn’t lived in the state long enough. Bien retired from active duty in the Marine Corps in 2019, and said he kept his residency throughout the entire time he served.
The Committee to Elect Rex Rammell Governor of Wyoming stated that outgoing Secretary of State Ed Buchanan did not say Bien was eligible to run for governor when Rammell's camp made the complaint.
Rammell told the WTE Tuesday afternoon that he felt he ran a good campaign, but Buchanan should have never allowed Bien to run for governor. He said if Bien was not on the ballot, the votes would not have been split between the two of them.
“Mark Gordon was probably the weakest incumbent,” Rammell said. “And I really feel like I could beat him if Bien wasn’t in the race.”
Jasmine Hall is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s state government reporter. She can be reached by email at jhall@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3167. Follow her on Twitter @jasminerhphotos and on Instagram @jhrose25. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/government_and_politics/gov-gordon-wins-gop-primary-nyt-says/article_e286701a-1e54-11ed-a836-8796486ae51b.html | 2022-08-17T17:59:43Z |
CDC director announces shake-up, citing COVID mistakes
NEW YORK (AP) — The head of the nation’s top public health agency on Wednesday announced a shake-up of the organization, saying it fell short responding to COVID-19 and needs to become more nimble.
The planned changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC leaders call it a “reset”— come amid criticism of the agency’s response to COVID-19, monkeypox and other public health threats. The changes include internal staffing moves and steps to speed up data releases.
The CDC’s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, told the agency’s staff about the changes on Wednesday. It’s a CDC initiative, and was not directed by the White House or other administration officials, she said.
“I feel like it’s my my responsibility to lead this agency to a better place after a really challenging three years,” Walensky told The Associated Press.
The Atlanta-based agency, with a $12 billion budget and more than 11,000 employees, is charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. It’s customary for each CDC director to do some reorganizing, but Walensky’s action comes amid a wider demand for change.
The agency has long been criticized as too ponderous, focusing on collection and analysis of data but not acting quickly against new health threats. Public unhappiness with the agency grew dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts said the CDC was slow to recognize how much virus was entering the U.S. from Europe, to recommend people wear masks, to say the virus can spread through the air, and to ramp up systematic testing for new variants.
“We saw during COVID that CDC’s structures, frankly, weren’t designed to take in information, digest it and disseminate it to the public at the speed necessary,” said Jason Schwartz, a health policy researcher at the Yale School of Public Health.
Walensky, who became director in January 2021, has long said the agency has to move faster and communicate better, but stumbles have continued during her tenure. In April, she called for an in-depth review of the agency, which resulted in the announced changes.
“It’s not lost on me that we fell short in many ways” responding to the coronavirus, Walensky said. “We had some pretty public mistakes, and so much of this effort was to hold up the mirror ... to understand where and how we could do better.”
Her reorganization proposal must be approved by the Department of Health and Human Services secretary. CDC officials say they hope to have a full package of changes finalized, approved and underway by early next year.
Some changes still are being formulated, but steps announced Wednesday include:
- Increasing use of preprint scientific reports to get out actionable data, instead of waiting for research to go through peer review and publication by the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
- Restructuring the agency’s communications office and further revamping CDC websites to make the agency’s guidance for the public more clear and easier to find.
- Altering the length of time agency leaders are devoted to outbreak responses to a minimum of six months — an effort to address a turnover problem that at times caused knowledge gaps and affected the agency’s communications.
- Creation of a new executive council to help Walensky set strategy and priorities.
- Appointing Mary Wakefield as senior counselor to implement the changes. Wakefield headed the Health Resources and Services Administration during the Obama administration and also served as the No. 2 administrator at HHS. Wakefield, 68, started Monday.
- Altering the agency’s organization chart to undo some changes made during the Trump administration.
- Establishing an office of intergovernmental affairs to smooth partnerships with other agencies, as well as a higher-level office on health equity.
Walensky also said she intends to “get rid of some of the reporting layers that exist, and I’d like to work to break down some of the silos.” She did not say exactly what that may entail, but emphasized that the overall changes are less about redrawing the organization chart than rethinking how the CDC does business and motivates staff.
“This will not be simply moving boxes” on the organization chart, she said.
Schwartz said flaws in the federal response go beyond the CDC, because the White House and other agencies were heavily involved.
A CDC reorganization is a positive step but “I hope it’s not the end of the story,” Schwartz said. He would like to see “a broader accounting” of how the federal government handles health crises.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/cdc-director-announces-organization-shake-up-aimed-speed/ | 2022-08-17T18:11:29Z |
Daniels out as Rangers president after 17 years leading club
(AP) - Jon Daniels is out as president of baseball operations for the Texas Rangers after two World Series appearances during 17 years leading the club, likely finishing his tenure with a string of losing seasons.
Team owner Ray Davis said Wednesday that Daniels was being relieved of his duties immediately after the decision was made not to renew his contract at the end of this year.
Daniels’ departure came two days after manager Chris Woodward was fired in his fourth season. It also occurred less than nine months after the Rangers committed more than a half-billion dollars to sign free agent infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, and starting pitcher Jon Gray.
Daniels was the youngest general manager ever in the majors when he got the job with the Rangers at age 28 in October 2005. He added the title of president of baseball operations in 2013, and held both roles until Chris Young was brought in as the team’s general manager in December 2020.
“Jon’s accomplishments in his 17 years running our baseball operations department have been numerous. ... His impact on the growth of our player development, scouting, and analytics groups has been immense. Jon has always had the best interests of the Rangers organization in mind on and off the field and in the community,” Davis said. “But the bottom line is we have not had a winning record since 2016 and for much of that time, have not been competitive in the AL West division.”
The Rangers went to the World Series in 2010 and 2011, then won AL West titles again in 2015 and 2016. But they are on pace for their sixth consecutive losing record, the franchise’s longest such streak since moving to Texas a half-century ago. After splitting their first two games under interim manager Tony Beasley, they would have to win 29 of their last 46 games to avoid another losing season.
While Davis said he was certain the organization was heading in the right direction, he felt the team would benefit from a change in front-office leadership. The Rangers said Young will assume oversight of all aspects of their baseball operations department.
Young, a Dallas native, was working for Major League Baseball when he was hired by the Rangers as general manager. He pitched 13 seasons in the big leagues, for the Rangers and four other clubs.
“Chris Young is one of the top young baseball executives in the business and in his 21 months on the job has brought welcome energy and new ideas to the organization,” Davis said. “I am confident in Chris’ ability to lead our baseball operations with the goal of producing a consistent winner on the field.”
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/daniels-out-rangers-president-after-17-years-leading-club/ | 2022-08-17T18:11:36Z |
Doctors talk potential risk of spread of Monkeypox on college campuses
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - As colleges and universities in the Valley welcome back students for the fall semester, doctors are reminding those both on and off campus to be mindful of the potential spread of Monkeypox.
“There’s of course a lot of interaction and that interaction, of course, is going to involve speaking closely and a lot of touches,” Family Medicine Physician Dr. Trent Mazer with Sentara Timber Way Health Center said.
Although there are currently only around 190 confirmed cases of Monkeypox in the Commonwealth, medical professionals on the state and local level said there is a risk of spread as college students return to campus where students are in close quarters.
“Monkeypox spreads through both respiratory droplets when there are people that are close enough together for long periods of time, along with any sexual type of contact as well as just physical contact of any type if there are exposed lesions,” Dr. Mazer said.
Dr. Mazer said exposure and fever-type symptoms can occur almost two weeks before any rash develops, and both he and other doctors said that with any illness going back to basics can help students stay prepared.
“Making sure that you have as clean as an area in your dormitory as possible, as well as just keeping up with washing your hands,” Dr. Mazer said.
“If you are aware that someone you’re living with has Monkeypox or you notice that they have an unusual rash, understanding the signs and symptoms of Monkeypox is the first step to preventing it,” Deputy Director of VDH Office of Epidemiology Dr. Laurie Forlano said.
A spokesperson for Bridgewater College said their Student Health Center will help arrange testing for Monkeypox and treatment for students should they need it. Eastern Mennonite University has a similar approach, and a spokesperson for the school says Health Services will continue to monitor developments.
James Madison University has specific information on their University Health Center site, that provides information on testing coordination as well as treatment. Some JMU staff are also undergoing additional training on Monkeypox specifically.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/doctors-talk-potential-risk-spread-monkeypox-college-campuses/ | 2022-08-17T18:11:43Z |
Ex-Indiana lawmaker sentenced in casino money scheme
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A former Indiana state senator was sentenced Wednesday to 10 months in prison for his role in a scheme that illegally funneled money from a casino company to his unsuccessful 2016 congressional campaign.
The federal investigation into contributions to Republican Brent Waltz’s campaign tied to a former casino executive led the Indiana Gaming Commission to force the company out of its lucrative ownership of projects for new casinos in Gary and Terre Haute.
Waltz, 48, of Greenwood, pleaded guilty in April to helping route about $40,000 in illegal contributions to his campaign and making false statements to the FBI.
Waltz said during Wednesday’s court hearing that his “greatest regret” was that his actions tarnished his reputation as a public servant, which included 12 years as a state senator representing the southern suburbs of Indianapolis, The Indianapolis Star reported.
Federal prosecutors had requested the 10-month sentence. U.S. District Judge James Sweeney, who also ordered Waltz to pay a fine of $40,500, could have sentenced him to up to five years in prison on each charge.
A sentencing hearing was scheduled Wednesday afternoon for John Keeler, a former top executive of Indianapolis-based Centaur Gaming.
Keeler, a lawyer who was a Republican legislator for 16 years in the 1980s and 90s, pleaded guilty in April to filing a false tax return for claiming as a business expense $41,000 that the casino company paid to a political consultant who, prosecutors say, made the contributions through straw donors.
Centaur Gaming sold two Indiana two horse track casinos to Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment Corp. in 2018 for $1.7 billion. Keeler and longtime Indiana casino heavyweight Rod Ratcliff later led a group that then formed Spectacle Entertainment to buy the Gary casino operation.
The September 2020 indictment of Keeler and Waltz led to Spectacle Entertainment being forced from ownership of Gary and Terre Haute casino projects now run by other companies.
The state gaming commission also raised financial misconduct allegations against Ratcliff, who agreed to give up his state casino license and exit the gambling industry. Ratcliff has not faced any criminal charges.
Federal prosecutors urged the judge to sentence Waltz and Keeler to at least 10 months in prison to discourage similar crimes by others. Prosecutors described both men as wealthy with successful careers.
“None of this was enough for either defendant,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing. “They wanted more, and they chose to commit crimes of opportunity — not economic necessity — to get what they wanted.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/ex-indiana-lawmaker-sentenced-casino-money-scheme/ | 2022-08-17T18:11:49Z |
Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation introduces Passio Go! app
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - ”Even if you are trying to explore our system a little bit, this will give you an idea if you haven’t used our buses before,” Elliot Menge said.
Earlier this month, the Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation introduced the Passio GO to riders in the Friendly City.
Recently, HDPT has been working on ways to enhance the rider experience, including an information transit system.
“A system that tracks our miles, data, passenger counts, GPS and all of it goes together to hopefully give you a better experience as a passenger in what also comes with a brand new app,” Elliot Menge, transportation superintendent for the department, said.
Passio Technologies serve a number of transportation agencies across the country and now Harrisonburg as well.
“[The app] is available on both the App Store and Google Play. It is specifically for the rider. You can see where your route is in real-time. You can also see when it is expected to arrive at certain bus stops and you can also plan a trip in the app itself,” Menge added.
Menge said the app is available to all riders at no cost and is very user-friendly.
He said some parts of the app require you to familiarize yourself with where you are going and which stop you use, saying the most useful part of the app is the live map function.
“You can click on any different route or different bus, and you will be able to see that is route five, I want to know about that. It is just a matter of narrowing it down to look at one route at a time and just exploring where it goes in the city,” he added.
Officials said while the app is still new, they want to hear your feedback on how it is working, and you can do that through the app itself, or you can submit your thoughts online.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/harrisonburg-department-public-transportation-introduces-passio-go-app/ | 2022-08-17T18:11:56Z |
Key insider: 2 men were ‘very eager’ to kidnap Gov. Whitmer
(AP) – Two men charged with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 were “very eager” to move forward with the plan and expressed no reluctance, a key witness testified Wednesday.
Ty Garbin also downplayed the influence of two FBI informants who trained with the group, saying he couldn’t recall them suggesting that Whitmer should be kidnapped.
“Not that I saw, no,” Garbin told jurors in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. are on trial for the second time on conspiracy charges. A jury in April couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict but acquitted two other men.
Garbin and Kaleb Franks are important witnesses for the government: They, too, were arrested in October 2020 but pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate.
“They were full in,” Franks testified Wednesday, referring to Fox and Croft and a kidnapping plot. “Every time I spent time with them that’s what they talked about.”
Prosecutors say Fox and Croft wanted to trigger a national revolt. The government said disgust over COVID-19 restrictions inspired them to make kidnapping plans in 2020. Defense lawyers, however, argue that undercover FBI agents and rogue operatives created the scheme.
Garbin and Franks said they trained with Fox, Croft and others in a remote area, practicing inside a handmade “shoot house” to simulate a kidnapping. They told jurors how a group traveled to Elk Rapids at night to see Whitmer’s vacation home and a bridge that could be blown up to distract police during an attack.
“It wasn’t anybody’s idea but my own to participate,” Garbin said when asked if he was entrapped by agents.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler asked if Fox and Croft were reluctant.
“No,” Garbin replied. “Very eager to continue forward with it.”
During a first round of testimony Tuesday, Garbin said he and Fox were at a gun-rights rally at the Michigan Capitol in June 2020, months before their arrest.
“Adam Fox had mentioned storming the Capitol building and arresting elected officials and holding them on trial for their crimes and treason,” Garbin said. “(A) particular elected official would be Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Hang her on public TV for the world to see.”
Garbin’s testimony this week was tighter than in the first trial. Last spring he said kidnapping the Democratic governor could be the “ignition” for civil war and “prevent Joe Biden from winning the presidency.”
But Kessler didn’t ask questions to draw out those answers Tuesday or Wednesday.
Fox, 39, was living in the Grand Rapids area, and Croft, 46, is from Bear, Delaware.
Whitmer has blamed then-President Donald Trump for stoking mistrust and fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn hate groups and right-wing extremists like those charged in the plot.
Trump recently called the kidnapping plan a “fake deal.”
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Find the AP’s full coverage of the kidnapping plot trial: https://apnews.com/hub/whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/key-insider-2-men-were-very-eager-kidnap-gov-whitmer/ | 2022-08-17T18:12:02Z |
Man charged with election interference tied to Capitol riot
(AP) - A Virginia man who is facing trial on charges that he drove a Hummer packed with guns to Philadelphia to interfere with the 2020 presidential election has been arrested in a separate case that alleges his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Antonio LaMotta was arrested Tuesday in the southeastern Virginia city of Chesapeake, according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Washington.
He faces federal misdemeanor offenses, including illegal entry and disorderly conduct at the U.S. Capitol in January 2021. Lawmakers had gathered that day to count Electoral College results, which showed that President Joe Biden won the election.
LaMotta, 63, is among more than 850 people charged with federal crimes for their alleged conduct inside the Capitol building. But he stands out for the case already pending against him and another man in Philadelphia.
In November 2020, LaMotta and Joshua Macias drove to a Philadelphia convention center where votes were being counted for the presidential election, prosecutors have alleged. The men arrived in a Hummer adorned with a QAnon sticker and loaded with an AR-15-style rifle, more than 100 rounds of ammunition and other weapons.
QAnon centers on the baseless belief that former President Donald Trump had waged a secret campaign against enemies in the “deep state” and a child sex trafficking ring run by satanic pedophiles and cannibals.
Prosecutors say Macias and LaMotta had planned a mass shooting as the election hung in the balance but were thwarted by an FBI tip about their travels. A trial for the men is scheduled for October. Charges include interfering with an election.
At a preliminary hearing last year, lawyers for both men argued there was no evidence they interfered or tried to interfere with election-related activities. The lawyers said that it appeared the men were being punished for their beliefs, including support for false theories that the presidential election was fraudulent.
The criminal complaint against LaMotta for his alleged actions on Jan. 6 states he was identified through images captured on Capitol surveillance cameras as well as police body cameras. LaMotta also was identified by an FBI agent who had interviewed him after his arrest in Philadelphia.
“LaMotta entered the Capitol building through the east Rotunda doors at approximately 3:21 p.m.,” the federal complaint stated. “He was part of a group of rioters that pushed past police officers working to bar entry into the building. Police pushed LaMotta out of the building, along with other rioters, at approximately 3:29 p.m.”
More than 350 Capitol riot defendants have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanor offenses. People convicted of misdemeanors have received sentences ranging from probation to eight months behind bars.
An attorney was not listed for LaMotta in federal court documents related to the Capitol riot case. His attorney for the case in Philadelphia, Lauren Wimmer, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
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Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/man-charged-with-election-interference-tied-capitol-riot/ | 2022-08-17T18:12:14Z |
Mother charged with murder after leaving child in a hot car, sheriff says
LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC/Gray News) – A woman was charged with second-degree murder after being accused of leaving her 6-month-old daughter in a hot car for five hours, according to authorities.
The baby’s mother, Ivy Lee, 22, flagged down an off-duty deputy Sunday afternoon and told him her daughter, Carissa Lewis, wasn’t breathing, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kayla Vincent said.
The off-duty deputy and another deputy who was patrolling the area performed life-saving measures on the baby.
Carissa was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Her preliminary cause of death is heat-related, KPLC reported.
Lee originally told detectives that the child was not in her care. She later told detectives that she left the child in her SUV for around five hours at her workplace, Vincent said.
“She stated that she initially left the car running, but a co-worker later told her the car was later running, and she turned her vehicle off,” Chief Deputy Gary Guillory said.
She told authorities she thought the baby was sleeping.
“Ultimately she stated that she left the child in her car while she went to work from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.,” Guillory said.
The sheriff’s office said the Department of Children and Family Services has had prior contact with Lee after she was accused of abandoning another child in a hot car in 2019.
“Yes, DCFS was involved in the case. They were called out, but during the course of the investigation, the mother voluntarily gave us that baby before the state had to get involved,” Guillory said.
Lee’s sister, Ashley Lee, has custody of her first child, Avery.
She said her sister’s relationship with the family and her children was strained. She said they tried to help with Carissa and encouraged Ivy Lee to finish her classes with family services.
Carissa’s father said he was unaware of Ivy Lee’s previous criminal charge concerning her other child, KPLC reported.
Ivy Lee is being held in lieu of a $1.2 million bond.
Copyright 2022 KPLC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/mother-charged-with-murder-after-leaving-child-hot-car-sheriff-says/ | 2022-08-17T18:12:20Z |
PHOTOS: At this Hawaii hospital, most of the patients are endangered
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow/Gray News) - The Hawaii Wildlife Center cares for critical species ― native birds and bats that come to the Big Island animal hospital either sick or injured.
The center’s founder and president, Linda Elliot, said there are currently 40 animals at the hospital located in North Kohala.
“You never know from day to day what you’re going to get in as a patient,” she said.
The non-profit treats its patients for problems ranging from bodily injuries to poisonings. It could be a nene goose or a Hawaiian hoary bat that needs help.
HWC’s team of veterinarians nurse them back to health.
“We know that when they’re in care it’s not normal for them,” Elliott said. “They’re not like our domestic animals that like to be held or petted or talked to.”
The need to rehabilitate injured animals has grown by leaps and bounds. The center also takes in patients from Midway and Kure atolls, two ring-shaped reefs located in the Pacific ocean.
Elliott said since the center opened, HWC has cared for close to 3,000 birds and bats.
“We treat them and get them back into the wild,” she said.
This year marks the wildlife center’s 10-year anniversary. Its release rate is more than 80%.
“Our happiest moment is when we release them back into the wild and they fly away without looking back. Then we know we’ve done what we needed to do to get them back out,” Elliott said.
HWC depends on grants and contributions from businesses and individuals to continue the important work.
Its small staff receives help from volunteers and veterinarians statewide who assist with medical treatment and transportation.
“We always look for training new people within our own community, within the state, so that we have the expertise here to protect our native biodiversity,” Elliott said.
The Hawaii Wildlife Center cares for a lot more native birds and bats than Elliott envisioned it would when the hospital opened a decade ago, and that need is never-ending.
For more information or to donate, visit the Hawaii Wildlife Center website.
Copyright 2022 KHNL, KGMB via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/photos-this-hawaii-hospital-most-patients-are-endangered/ | 2022-08-17T18:12:26Z |
Valley Open Doors looking for physical location, preparing for thermal shelter season
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Valley Open Doors temporarily shut down its services last week as the organization searches for a new physical location to house unhoused individuals in the Valley.
The nonprofit is also gathering items to provide for those community members once they arrive at the shelter this fall and winter.
Administrative Director Hannah Bailey said Open Doors is looking for clothing and hygiene items like deodorant and men’s and women’s underwear, along with food items like breakfast bars and portable coffee cups.
“Although we don’t have a physical location that we’re operating out of at this very moment, all of that community support is being poured into the preparation of preparing to do so,” Bailey said.
If you are interested in making a donation or helping out, you can find out more information here.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/17/valley-open-doors-looking-physical-location-preparing-thermal-shelter-season/ | 2022-08-17T18:12:32Z |
AdCellerant makes quality digital marketing accessible to every business.
DENVER, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. Magazine revealed today that AdCellerant is No. 2,418 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious running of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. AdCellerant ranked in the top 0.07 percent of all companies in growth. This list represents a unique look at successful companies within the American economy's most dynamic segment–independent small businesses. Companies like Sugarwish, Casely, Eon, Bluestaq, and many other well-known names, gained their first bit of exposure as honorees or served as repeat honorees on this year's Inc. 5000 list.
"When we started the company in 2013, one of our early goals was to make the Inc. 5000 list, and after nine years, we're humbled to post 240% growth, especially with a pandemic year during the period," said Brock Berry, CEO, and Co-Founder of AdCellerant. "To be here on the Inc. 5000 list for the fifth consecutive year in a row is an honor we never thought possible, but it proves our goal to make Madison Avenue level digital marketing solutions available to Main Street businesses resonates with the market."
AdCellerant's core business model provides digital advertising solutions to small and medium-sized businesses through white-label channel sales partners. Through even the toughest of circumstances like a global pandemic and economic downturn, AdCellerant shifted our focus to creating sustainable business models that gave local businesses the tools they needed to succeed beyond the most challenging times.
Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 list are competitive within their markets, and among this list, only 276 honorees have made it on the list five times in a row, AdCellerant being one of them.
Among the list, the average three-year growth rate soared to 230 percent, and median revenue reached $317.6 billion. These companies, on average, had grown since 2016 during a stretch when the economy only increased by 15 percent. Together, those companies added more than 1,179,282 jobs over the last few years. The final ranking results for AdCellerant:
- 79 in Colorado
- 210 in Advertising and Marketing
- 56 in Denver
- 2,418 overall rank
"My biggest high five goes to our team who built a technology and product platform with a 98.5% retention rate. We wouldn't be here without them and what they've built for our clients," Berry said. "Our team is honored to see the success we're driving for our partners and their small-to-medium-sized business advertisers, which is an even greater achievement. The success we drive for them drives our team."
Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. The top 500 companies are featured in the September issue of Inc., which will be available on newsstands on August 16, 2022.
AdCellerant provides businesses access to high-quality digital marketing technology and solutions through partnerships with media companies and agencies. Focused on generating results and growth for businesses of all sizes, AdCellerant offers best-in-class technology and software, award-winning customer service, expert education, and exceptional operational support to ensure customer campaign performance.
Leveraging proprietary technology Ui.Marketing, AdCellerant effectively connects businesses with their ideal customer at the right time. Harnessing an easy-to-use and nimble digital advertising tool, users can manage the entire buyer's journey from quick and accurate comprehensive proposal creation, campaign launch, and campaign performance. All within a single platform.
For more information or to book a demo, visit www.adcellerant.com.
Contact information:
Senior Vice President, Marketing
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SOURCE AdCellerant LLC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/adcellerant-lands-inc-5000-list-5th-year-row/ | 2022-08-17T18:12:39Z |
Signature Bank Provides $27.5M of new Debt for Nine Multi-Family Properties
NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New York City based Alchemy Ventures announced today that they recapitalized a portfolio in Brooklyn, NY, consisting of nine buildings and 113 residential units, for $36 million. Simultaneously, they secured a new financing loan for the portfolio from Signature Bank totaling $27.5 million. The 5-year loan was provided has a 4.125% interest rate with three years only incumbering the following assets: 216 Macon Street, 1050 Lafayette Ave, 223 Bainbridge Street, 475 Hancock Street, 442 Decatur Street, 45 Kingston Ave, 910 Prospect Place, 788 Madison Street, and 790 Madison Street.
"We successfully paid off existing debt and secured a new financing for our Brooklyn portfolio by executing a value-add strategy for these nine assets. We renovated these properties and also plan to implement a capex business plan over the next six months to continue improving the buildings and modernizing apartments," said Sam Kooris, Principal of Alchemy Ventures and Alex Horn, Principal of Alchemy Ventures in a joint statement.
Alchemy Ventures is an extremely active investor in New York City, with over 20 recent acquisitions including 203 West 80th Street in Manhattan's Upper West Side, as well as properties across the East Village and West Village neighborhoods and Brooklyn's Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and Prospect Heights neighborhoods. Alchemy Ventures and its partners have been most active in the desirable West Village neighborhood with the acquisition of over 88 residential units and 11 retail stores.
For additional information about Alchemy Ventures, please visit https://alchemy-properties.com/alc-ventures/
Alchemy Ventures, formed by Sam Kooris and Alex Horn in 2014, is an independent affiliate of Alchemy Properties with a staff of over 25 people. Alchemy Ventures invests in vertically integrated development and established neighborhoods which contribute to the rich fabric of NYC and Kansas City. Benefitting from Alchemy Properties' three-decade track record, they have quickly established a reputation for integrity, reliability and continuity while amassing a portfolio valued at over $400 million encompassing over 60 and counting individual assets.
Optimist Consulting
Alyssa Maltese, amaltese@optimistconsulting.com
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SOURCE Alchemy Ventures | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/alchemy-ventures-recapitalizes-refinances-nine-assets-within-their-brooklyn-ny-portfolio/ | 2022-08-17T18:12:45Z |
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Amtrak has more than 4,000 positions available that span a number of disciplines, including project management, finance, technology, onboard services, electrical, customer service and many more. To address this significant demand, Amtrak is hosting hiring events and career fairs to attract new talent, with a concentration in Los Angeles, Seattle, New Orleans, New York, Washington, DC, Chicago, Oakland, Philadelphia, Miami and Wilmington, Del.
"As we connect communities, economies and families, Amtrak employees have a significant opportunity to engage in truly meaningful project work," said Qiana Spain, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer at Amtrak. "As our recruitment teams pave the way to secure top talent across Amtrak, I am proud to lead such remarkable hiring efforts."
Amtrak is planning over 54 hiring events in FY23, including the following virtual events:
- Walk-In Wednesday Career Fair: Second Wednesday of every month, 1 to 3 p.m. ET
- Hiring Our Heroes - Skilled Trades & Advanced Manufacturing: August 18, 1 to 3 p.m. ET
- Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) STEM Career Fair: August 24, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET
- Next stop Amtrak - Women in Tech: August 25, 1 to 3 p.m. ET
- Hiring our Heroes - Transportation, Supply Chain, & Logistics: September 22, 1 to 3 p.m. ET
- Next stop Amtrak - Latinx/Hispanic Individuals: September 29, 1 to 3 p.m. ET
At Amtrak, the starting pay rate for all onboard service crafts is $21.00 per hour. On the mechanical side, journeyman electricians start at $34.07 per hour and Amtrak offers hiring bonuses and relocation packages to fill critical positions.
In addition to actively hiring for 4,000 regular, full-time positions, the company also has programs for paid internships and co-ops for both undergrad and graduate students as well as Apprenticeship Programs for those looking for entry level, skilled labor learning opportunities. Offering competitive wages, Amtrak aims to convert 50% of all eligible interns to full-time roles. This includes early career rotational programs in finance, human resources, IT, marketing, safety and engineering.
Along with offering well-paying, rewarding work that has already led to more than 2,800 new employees this year, Amtrak provides a competitive benefits program that supports employees. This includes rail pass travel privileges where employees and their eligible dependents are entitled to free and reduced-rate rail transportation; a generous amount of paid time away from work each year; educational assistance; comprehensive health and wellness benefits; and much more.
As Amtrak expands its workforce, the company remains committed to fostering an environment where diverse ideas, backgrounds and perspectives thrive. Whether starting a career, looking for new opportunities or an experienced career professional, Amtrak's goal is to connect talented people to career opportunities, including rebuilding and expanding passenger rail. Entering a new era of growth and modernization in markets across America, historic levels of funding received from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress and enacted by the Biden Administration changed what is possible, including comprehensive modernization for aged assets, infrastructure improvements, and advancing the Amtrak Connects US vision.
To stay up to date on career opportunities and upcoming hiring events, please visit the Amtrak career site at careers.Amtrak.com.
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SOURCE Amtrak | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/amtrak-seeks-fill-over-4000-new-roles/ | 2022-08-17T18:12:52Z |
BOSTON, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ArcLight Capital Partners, LLC ("ArcLight") announced the formation of OnPoint Energy, LLC ("OnPoint"), a newly formed retail electric provider, focused on residential, commercial and industrial retail electricity solutions initially serving the ERCOT market. OnPoint is led by its Chief Executive Officer, Cullen Hay, and a seasoned management team of industry executives. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
"ArcLight is excited to partner with the OnPoint team to enter the retail market," said Carter Ward, Partner at ArcLight. "As one of the largest power generators in North America, the launch of this platform is an important step in maximizing the value of our fleet. ArcLight has committed $50 million to retail initiatives and look to expand into additional competitive markets in the coming year."
"We are excited to bring to market OnPoint Energy, a company that is focused on changing the relationship between electricity retailer and customer, by providing an excellent customer experience, while maintaining a focus on fair, cost effective electricity plans and pricing," said OnPoint CEO Cullen Hay. "Our initial focus will be in ERCOT with expansion expected within the year to other competitive markets in the U.S., where we will work closely with residential and commercial and industrial customers to deliver on our promises of fairness and loyalty."
ArcLight is a leading private equity firm focused on energy, infrastructure and energy transitions with a successful long-term track record. Founded in 2001, the firm helped pioneer an asset-based approach to investing across the power, renewables, infrastructure and broader energy value chain. Since then, ArcLight has invested approximately $27 billion in 122 transactions, including over $11 billion of equity capital into the electrification segment, which includes power, transmission, renewable infrastructure and energy transition investments. Through its large infrastructure portfolio, ArcLight is focused on providing decarbonizing energy solutions with a strong ESG focus. Based in Boston, the firm's investment team employs a value-added investment approach that benefits from its dedicated in-house technical, operational, and commercial specialists and partners, as well as the firm's approximately 1,800-person asset management affiliate. More information about ArcLight can be found at www.arclight.com.
Kirkland & Ellis served as legal counsel on the transaction to ArcLight. King & Spalding served as legal counsel on the transaction to OnPoint.
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SOURCE ArcLight Capital Partners | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/arclight-announces-launch-energy-retailer-onpoint-energy/ | 2022-08-17T18:12:59Z |
AURA Strap 2 Now Available in Navy Blue, Summer Gray, Crimson Red, and Original Coal Black; NEW Infinite Loops in all Four Colors also available
BOSTON, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AURA Devices today unveiled the AURA Strap 2 in three new stylish and functional colors — deep navy blue, calm summer gray, and stunning crimson red — along with new Infinite Loops in all four colors, including black. The AURA Strap 2, which launched in coal black in May 2022, is the only accessory band for Apple Watch that provides a revolutionary and proven health and wellness data tracking experience that helps users achieve their health goals by providing precise bioimpedance measurements of body composition and water level tracking.
Users can now choose from three new colors, in addition to the original coal black, to personalize their AURA Strap 2 experience. Together, these four colors symbolize the harmony of nature in its major elements: earth (coal black), water (navy blue), air (summer gray), and fire (crimson red). The elements reflect one's individual mood and emotion, via different hues and accentuating individual style.
"We want to provide our users with new options that inspire and harmoniously connect them with individual style to more personally motivate them to achieve their desired sports, health and fitness goals," said Vitaliy Rynskiy, Co-founder and Chief Design Officer of AURA Devices. "We also redesigned the Infinite Loops to bring a seamless experience to our users without dealing with any complex clasps."
The AURA Strap 2 is a wrist-wearable accessory exclusively for Apple Watch, Series 3 or later, created by an international group of passionate and bold inventors, engineers, and scientists committed to changing the worlds of health and fitness. The unique smart device takes hand-to-hand bioelectrical impedance (BIA) measurements to provide the user with information about body composition and water level. Users can set goals and track their workout performance on their Apple Watch. In addition, they can use AURA Plus, a premium service offering advanced analytics and workout content.
In its recently published study, AURA Devices verified the accuracy of AURA Strap 2's bioimpedance measurements by comparing it with the industry gold standard DEXA scan.
The AURA Strap 2 ($149) in coal black is available on auradevices.io and Amazon.
The AURA Strap 2 in NEW deep navy blue, calm summer gray, and stunning crimson red, and the New Infinite Loops ($49) for AURA Strap 2 are available on auradevices.io beginning August 17, 2022. *Get a new AURA Strap 2 with an extra loop in any color and get $10 off your purchase on auradevices.io.
Founded in 2016, AURA Devices develops and engineers products that make people happier and healthier. The company is led by a bold team of inventors developing mobile devices based on science to monitor health, wellness, and activity that help users to achieve their goals and change health perceptions. The team believes that every person should know everything about their health on-demand. The company is pushing the boundaries to change the healthcare and fitness world, combining technology with human effort. To learn more, visit AURA Devices.
Media Contact:
Vijay Lalwani
v.lalwani@auradevices.io
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SOURCE AURA Devices | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/aura-devices-releases-body-composition-tracker-aura-strap-2-three-new-colors-with-accessories-highlight-individual-style-detailed-fitness-data/ | 2022-08-17T18:13:05Z |
Year-Over-Year Decline Fueled by Continued Enhancements to Overdraft Program, Including No-Overdraft Fee SafeBalance® Account and the Elimination of Non-Sufficient Funds Fees
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America today announced that in June and July fees related to overdraft services for its more than 35 million Consumer checking accounts declined 90% compared to the same period in the prior year. June and July were the first two months after sweeping changes related to these services were implemented.
Earlier this year, the bank announced industry leading changes that included the elimination of non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees and the reduction of overdraft fees from $35 to $10. Clients can also avoid overdraft fees altogether by choosing a SafeBalance checking account, which now represents approximately 45% of new checking account openings. Consumer client overdraft fees made up less than 0.4% of the company's total revenue in the second quarter of 2022.
"For more than a decade, Bank of America has invested heavily in supporting our clients' financial health through industry-leading solutions and ongoing enhancements to our overdraft services," said Holly O'Neill, President of Retail Banking, Bank of America. "Our scale, client focus and technology investments have allowed us to adopt policies and innovate in ways that help clients manage their everyday finances and liquidity needs on their own terms, while also delivering for our shareholders."
By next year, new solutions and enhanced programs introduced over the last decade will reduce consumer overdraft fees by 97% from 2009 levels.
Progress toward reducing overdraft fees
Since 2010, Bank of America has taken many steps to empower its consumer clients to bank with greater confidence and reduce overdraft usage. The company leads the industry in helping clients avoid overdrafts and, in doing so, has significantly reduced the vast majority of fees related to overdraft. Key milestones along this journey have included:
- 2010 – Eliminated overdraft fees for consumer clients when using debit cards at the point of sale
- 2011 – Introduced courtesy low balance alerts
- 2014 – Launched the SafeBalance "no overdraft fee" account
- 2017 – Eliminated the extended overdrawn balance charge
- 2020 – Created Balance Assist, a low-cost solution to manage short-term liquidity needs
- 2021 – Launched Balance Connect , our enhanced overdraft protection service, which lets clients link to up to five accounts to avoid overdrafts
- Feb 2022 – Eliminated non-sufficient funds fees on consumer deposit accounts
- Feb 2022 – Removed ability for clients to overdraw their accounts at the ATM
- May 2022 – Reduced consumer overdraft fees from $35 to $10
- May 2022 – Eliminated Balance Connect for overdraft protection transfer fee (formerly $12)
Essential Solutions
In addition to the changes to overdraft related fees, Bank of America's suite of Essential Solutions offers a powerful combination of transparent, low and no cost, easy-to-use offerings that help clients budget, save, spend and borrow carefully and confidently. The full array of solutions includes:
- SafeBalance® – With SafeBalance, there are no overdraft fees, and the monthly maintenance fee is waived for eligible students under the age of 25 as well as for clients enrolled in our Preferred Rewards program with qualifying balances.
- Balance Assist – Balance Assist provides an affordable way for clients to manage their short-term liquidity needs, borrowing only the amount they need, up to $500 (in increments of $100) for a $5 flat fee regardless of the amount borrowed. Repayments are made in three equal monthly installments over a 90-day period. To learn more, review these additional product details and eligibility criteria. Borrowers must have been a Bank of America checking account client for at least one year. More than 400,000 Balance Assist loans have been completed since the start of the program.
- Balance Connect – Balance Connect allows our clients overdraft protection through the ability to link up to five accounts to their checking, while increasing simplicity and accessibility through digital sign-up and management.
- Secured Credit Cards – The Customized Cash Rewards, Unlimited Cash Rewards and BankAmericard® Secured Cards can help clients establish, strengthen or rebuild credit, and they can apply for an account with a security deposit starting as low as $200. With responsible credit behavior, over time, this could help clients improve their credit score.
- Affordable Home Loans – In early 2019, Bank of America launched its now expanded $15 billion Community Homeownership Commitment, which has already helped 36,000 low- and moderate-income homebuyers achieve homeownership through low down payment loans and down payment and closing cost grants. By 2025, Bank of America anticipates helping more than 60,000 individuals and families to purchase homes through the program.
- Keep the Change® – This tool helps clients build savings by automatically depositing spare change from rounded up debit card transactions into a savings account. Over the last 15 years, this program has helped clients direct more than $15 billion in excess change to client savings.
- Better Money Habits® – A free financial education platform that provides a simple, accessible way to connect people to the tools, resources and education they need to take control of their finances.
Recognized Leadership
Last year, Bank of America was recognized with more than 280 industry awards for its innovation, financial technology, and delivering exceptional client services and solutions.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements represent the current expectations, plans or forecasts of Bank of America based on available information. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements often use words like "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "targets," "intends," "plans," "predict," "goal" and other similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "may," "might," "should," "would" and "could." Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Bank of America undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statement was made.
Forward-looking statements represent Bank of America's current expectations, plans or forecasts of its future results, revenues, expenses, efficiency ratio, capital measures, and future business and economic conditions more generally, and other future matters. These statements are not guarantees of its future results or performance and involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict and are often beyond Bank of America's control. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement and should consider all of the uncertainties and risks discussed under Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of Bank of America's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and in any of Bank of America's other subsequent Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,000 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000 ATMs and award-winning digital banking with approximately 55 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, register for email news alerts.
Reporters May Contact:
Don Vecchiarello, Bank of America
Phone: 1.980.387.4899
don.vecchiarello@bofa.com
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SOURCE Bank of America Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/bank-america-consumer-overdraft-fees-drop-90-june-july-following-industry-leading-changes/ | 2022-08-17T18:13:12Z |
Sculptors begin construction of the 54th Annual Butter Sculpture at the New York State Fairgrounds
SYRACUSE, N.Y., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 800 pounds of butter has arrived at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, N.Y., as construction of one of Central New York's best-kept secrets and most beloved attractions gets underway – the 54th Annual American Dairy Association North East Butter Sculpture, sponsored by Wegmans.
Sculptors Jim Victor and Marie Pelton unpacked the butter and their tools and have begun work on the sculpture. The butter comes from Batavia, N.Y.-based producer O-AT-KA Milk Products.
The butter used for the sculpture is out of specification for retail sale for a variety of reasons, so American Dairy Association North East works with the sculptors to put it to good use by creating a beautiful piece of art that thousands enjoy.
Even after the Fair, the butter doesn't go to waste. Instead, it will be sent to Noblehurst Farms, a dairy farm in Pavilion, N.Y., where it will be recycled into renewable energy in a digester along with other food waste.
"I really love that this iconic attraction repurposes butter not just once, but twice – first by turning unusable product into an artistic sculpture, and then after the fair, by recycling it into renewable energy on a dairy farm," says John Chrisman, CEO, American Dairy Association North East. "I encourage fairgoers to visit the Dairy Products Building and see the annual Butter Sculpture that always pays tribute to our hardworking dairy farm families who work 365 days a year to sustainably and responsibly produce milk."
American Dairy Association North East will unveil the 54th Annual Butter Sculpture to the media and live on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AmericanDairyNE/ on Tuesday, August 23rd, the day before the Fair officially opens. It will then be on display in the Dairy Products Building for the duration of the 13-day Fair.
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SOURCE American Dairy Association North East | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/butter-has-arrived-syracuse/ | 2022-08-17T18:13:18Z |
SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Certified Group, a leading provider of laboratory testing services for customers working in FDA and USDA-regulated markets, today announced a partnership with Groundswell Strategy. The partnership enables Certified Group companies, Food Safety Net Services (FSNS) and EAS Consulting Group (EAS), leading North American providers of laboratory testing and regulatory consulting services, to engage with customers to meet regulatory compliance objectives, ultimately helping respond to and prevent foodborne illness.
Led by former Administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, Carmen Rottenberg, Groundswell Strategy will leverage its expertise in the food and agriculture regulatory space to assist customers meet and exceed regulatory requirements for food safety. Carmen will complement Barry Carpenter, who has a distinguished 37-year career at USDA, heading the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) Livestock and Seed Division. Barry has worked at FSNS over the past few years and adding Carmen to the team will strengthen Certified Group's regulatory representatives. As Certified Group looks to expand opportunities in industry and government for laboratory-testing and consulting services, this partnership will enhance public health outcomes for customers.
"We have a strong history in laboratory testing and FDA regulatory work," said John Bellinger, CEO of Certified Group. "This partnership will help us expand our capabilities in regulated industries and serve both new and existing customers. Ultimately, it will help us broaden our mission of ensuring a high-quality, safe food supply for consumers across North America, and we're excited to get to work."
"Certified Group is a leader in the laboratory testing space, and I'm excited to partner with Certified companies to identify new ways to leverage their services to improve public health," said Groundswell Strategy's Managing Director, Carmen Rottenberg. "As a former government regulator, I experienced firsthand the significant value that testing and regulatory consulting can add to a company's food safety and quality assurance programs. Together, we will provide tools and solutions that benefit our customers and, more importantly, public health."
Certified Group, owned by Warburg Pincus and Tilia Holdings, operates over 30 laboratory testing facilities across North America. For more information on laboratory testing, visit www.fsns.com and www.certified-laboratories.com. For more information on regulatory consulting, visit www.easconsultinggroup.com.
Certified Group is a leading North American provider of laboratory testing, regulatory consulting and audit and certification services. The Certified Group of companies includes Food Safety Net Services (FSNS), Certified Laboratories, EAS Consulting Group, Labstat International Inc., Labs-Mart Laboratories, Advanced Botanical Consulting & Testing (ABC Testing Inc.), Microconsult Inc. and Micro Quality Labs Inc. The Certified Group provides analytical testing and regulatory guidance services in the food & beverage, dietary supplements & NHP, cosmetics, OTC, personal care, tobacco, cannabis, nicotine and hemp industries.
For more information about Certified Group, contact:
Nishat Jones
Chief Marketing Officer
nishat.jones@certifiedgroup.com
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SOURCE Certified Group | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/certified-group-partners-with-groundswell-strategy-strengthen-their-position-food-safety-experts/ | 2022-08-17T18:13:25Z |
The company's tremendous growth comes as organizations strive to manage the increasing volume of threats and the gap in cybersecurity talent
PLANO, Texas, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Critical Start, a leading provider of Managed Detection and Response (MDR) cybersecurity solutions, today announced that it has been named to the 2022 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Returning to the Inc. 5000 list again this year, the company's rapid growth comes at a time when organizations continue to find themselves ill-equipped to battle the increasing volume of cyber threats amid widespread staff shortages.
"Stopping business disruptions caused by security breaches in today's volatile and sophisticated threat environment requires around-the-clock detection of virtually every security event with a quick response," said Rob Davis, Founder and CEO of Critical Start. "Understaffed IT teams simply can't keep up and the demand for MDR services has soared. Critical Start empowers our customers to stay ahead of adversaries with effective 24/7/365 monitoring of security alerts with far fewer headcount and in a fraction of the time."
Critical Start serves hundreds of MDR customers with a focus on medium and large enterprises across a broad range of industries including manufacturing, retail, government, healthcare, financial services and energy. The company's technology and security operation center analysts leverage a deep pool of behavioral data to automatically resolve over 99% of security alerts, while providing critical outcomes to customers that include reduced risk and improved team productivity. In addition to the company's MDR platform, Critical Start's Cyber Incident Response Team provides hands-on readiness, response and forensic services for enterprise security teams.
In the last three years, Critical Start has grown annual recurring revenue by more than 400% and diversified its channel network across 90 channel partners through its integrations with third-party cybersecurity software providers. In April 2022, the company secured a $215 million strategic investment from Vista Equity Partners to help further develop technology, product and service offerings and meaningfully expand its talented teams to meet the massive market demand.
"The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. "Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today."
For more information on the Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala, visit http://conference.inc.com/.
Methodology
Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2021. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2021 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to four decimal places. The top 500 companies on the Inc. 5000 are featured in Inc. magazine's September issue. The entire Inc. 5000 can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.
About Critical Start
Today's enterprise faces radical, ever-growing, and ever-sophisticated multi-vector cyber-attacks. Facing this situation is hard, but it doesn't have to be. Critical Start simplifies breach prevention by delivering the most effective managed detection and incident response services powered by the Zero Trust Analytics Platform (ZTAP) with the industry's only Trusted Behavior Registry (TBR) and MOBILESOC. With 24x7x365 expert security analysts, and Cyber Research Unit (CRU), we monitor, investigate, and remediate alerts swiftly and effectively, via contractual Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for Time to Detection (TTD) and Median Time to Resolution (MTTR), and 100% transparency into our service. For more information, visit criticalstart.com. Follow Critical Start on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.
About Inc.
The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
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SOURCE CRITICALSTART | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/criticalstart-named-2022-inc-5000-list-fastest-growing-private-companies-america-second-time/ | 2022-08-17T18:13:32Z |
POTOMAC, Md., August 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Curbio, Inc., the leading fix now, pay-at-closing home improvement solution for real estate, has been ranked No. 66 on Qualified Remodeler's annual list of Top 500 remodelers for 2022. Since 1978, the Qualified Remodeler Top 500 has tracked the industry's largest and fastest growing companies. In 2022, the Top 500 represented $10 billion in remodeling sales volume on over one million jobs.
Curbio was chosen as a 2022 Top 500 remodeler by the Qualified Remodeler editorial staff for meeting a set of criteria including installed remodeling dollar volume, total years in business, industry association membership, industry certification, industry awards and community service.
"We are thrilled that Curbio has been ranked No. 66 on the 2022 Top 500 remodeler list, up from No. 95 last year. This recognition is a testament to our team's hard work and dedication to modernizing home improvement for the real estate industry," said Olivia Mariani, VP of Marketing at Curbio. "We are so proud of our team at Curbio, and are looking forward to our continued growth and success as we expand and optimize our innovative solution."
Curbio is the only tech-enabled home improvement solution that partners exclusively with real estate agents, brokerages, and their listing clients to repair and update homes before they go on the market, so they sell quickly and for top dollar, with no payment due until the home sells. Its innovative service removes all barriers to the home improvement process, making it streamlined, simple and stress- free.
"Based on Qualified Remodeler's analysis, the Top 500 firms tend to share several common attributes, including strong revenues, a commitment to customer service, insightful sales techniques and strong customer loyalty," says Qualified Remodeler owner and editorial director, Patrick O'Toole. "These attributes helped put the firms on this list and contribute to their success."
Additional information on the Top 500 can be found in the July/August issue of Qualified Remodeler and at www.qualifiedremodeler.com. For more information about Curbio, visit www.Curbio.com.
Curbio was founded in 2017 to transform the multi-billion-dollar home improvement industry and has quickly become the nation's leading pay-at-closing home improvement solution. The company partners exclusively with real estate agents and their clients to get any home ready for the market, allowing it to sell faster and for top dollar. Using technology to power their service, Curbio completes pre-listing home improvement projects of any size quickly and without hassle, from start to finish, with zero payment due until the home sells. Curbio is trusted by thousands of realtors and brokerages nationwide, and has been continuously recognized for its exemplary solution, receiving nods in HousingWire, Qualified Remodeler and Comparably, to name a few.
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SOURCE Curbio | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/curbio-named-qualified-remodeler-top-500-2022/ | 2022-08-17T18:13:38Z |
LAKE OCONEE, Ga., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Escape to a destination like no other and discover your love for independent lodging and the passion and hospitality the innkeepers have at Select Registry Distinguished Inns of North America properties. Our upscale boutique hotels, inns, and bed and breakfasts give travelers an exceptional and authentic guest experience that only a select group of independent properties can offer.
In an increasingly impersonal world, there are advantages to the hospitality and service of a seasoned innkeeper. It's all in the details at our quality-approved properties. At these unique properties, some of the special touches you may find include made-to-order breakfasts, afternoon snacks, social hour, and inviting accommodations. The spirit of hospitality is alive at Select Registry's collection of distinguished inns.
"With over 260 properties in the Select Registry collection, guests are guaranteed a one-of-a-kind experience, a high level of professionalism, and a warm welcome," said Mark Reichle, CEO of Select Registry. "Though the industry has changed with evolving technology and trends, especially in recent years– nothing can replace the dedication of a hospitable innkeeper. Select Registry properties have provided unparalleled hospitality for over 50 years."
Though the properties in Select Registry are each unique in their own way, they all share the same enthusiasm for community and commitment to a wonderful guest experience. Many travelers visit specific properties repeatedly because of the warm reception and bond they have forged with the innkeepers over the years.
Sherri Campbell Fenton, owner and operator of Inn at Black Star Farms, a Select Registry property located in Suttons Bay, Michigan, received this recent feedback from a guest, "Black Star Farms is truly one of our happy places. The service delivery in all aspects is and always has been excellent. Everyone makes the place feel like home. Thank you for making our first post-covid adventure such a wonderful memory."
Walt Wyss, owner, and innkeeper of Select Registry properties El Farolito Bed & Breakfast and Four Kachinas Inn received this feedback from a recent guest, "We spent six nights at this beautiful, quiet, and well-located bed and breakfast and did not want to leave. Our room was one of the most comfortable we have experienced and the owners and staff do their utmost to make sure that you enjoy your stay. As we were leaving for the airport, our rental car wouldn't start. Walt, one of the Four Kachinas owners, drove us in his car so we wouldn't miss our plane. His prompt and helpful response got us to the airport on time and was very appreciated. We loved Santa Fe and highly recommend Four Kachinas."
These types of reviews, when an innkeeper goes above and beyond are not an anomaly with our inns, but rather the standard that they continually raise. Personalized services and a focus on local products, services, and culture are only a few of the ways Select Registry continues to elevate the guest experience. Genuine hospitality at our collection of properties has foraged long-standing relationships and innumerable memories. Discover the difference when you Stay Select.
About Select Registry:
For 50 years, Select Registry Distinguished Inns of North America has set the standard for excellence in personal hospitality at independently owned inns and bed and breakfasts. Today, our upscale properties include over 260 boutique properties. They're located everywhere from backcountry roads to big-city neighborhoods, along coastlines, and in heartlands across the United States. Learn more at www.SelectRegistry.com.
Media contact: Heather Taylor, Director of Marketing
Select Registry
+410 982 6252
Heather@SelectRegistry.com
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SOURCE SELECT REGISTRY | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/discover-spirit-hospitality-select-registrys-quality-approved-properties/ | 2022-08-17T18:13:45Z |
Small business owners have the chance to be featured on America's Big Deal and/or network with major retailers
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Entrepreneurs nationwide are competing this summer to gain national exposure and product placement at major retailers through the 'Perfect Pitch', sponsored by SCORE, mentors to America's small businesses, and the MagicMakers Group (MMG), a collective of former Disney executives and experts.
'Perfect Pitch' participants have the chance to be featured on the TV program America's Big Deal to pitch their products to home viewers. At the end of each episode, the contestant with the highest sales gets the chance to strike a deal with either Lowe's, Macy's or QVC/HSN.
Contestants of SCORE's 'Perfect Pitch' event also receive national exposure and the opportunity to secure major investments, distribution or networking opportunities with Walmart, Sam's Club and other retailers.
How 'Perfect Pitch' works
To help entrepreneurs prepare for the contest, SCORE offered free training on how to successfully pitch a product. Each of the 237 entrepreneurs competing were then paired with one of SCORE's expert, volunteer mentors to provide one-on-one coaching and guidance. Mentors worked with their mentees to review business plans, provide feedback, resources, tools and support.
Entrepreneurs presented their product pitch to panelists from SCORE, MMG, retail launchpad pop-up shops for Sam's Club and America's Big Deal for the chance to be selected to appear on America's Big Deal or secure an opportunity with a major retailer.
"Pitch events are a prime example of how SCORE fosters small business success through mentoring and education," explains Ed Coleman, a certified SCORE mentor and district director for SCORE Washington DC. "SCORE can help small business owners prepare their products to sell, pitch to key retail executives and ultimately achieve their business dreams."
Small business owners benefit from mentor support
Entrepreneurs and 'Perfect Pitch' participants Javier and Jasmine Huertas, owners of Cusina Maya Cookware based in Chesterland, Ohio, appreciated the opportunity: "Not only did we receive excellent coaching, but it enabled us to focus our message and brand and perfect our elevator pitch. SCORE consistently pushed us to be better, giving us the tools, support and opportunities that we would not have found on our own. We are thankful for this opportunity to grow and for the mentors that are cheering us on."
SCORE New York City client Odaisha Ajayi, owner of Bailey's Furr Pup Cafe, said 'Perfect Pitch' helped her grow: "When I partnered with a SCORE mentor, it challenged me as a business owner to think and grow in areas I had not considered before."
SCORE supports entrepreneurs in all stages of their small business journey, offering expert mentoring, resilience training and on-demand educational resources. Visit SCORE.org to learn more.
Since 1964, SCORE has helped 11 million entrepreneurs start or grow a business. SCORE's 10,000 volunteers provide free mentoring, workshops and educational services to 1,500+ communities nationwide, creating 25,084 new businesses and 71,475 non-owner jobs in 2021 alone. Visit SCORE at www.score.org. Follow @SCOREMentors on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Contact:
Meghan Dooley
SCORE
202-968-6428
media@score.org
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SOURCE SCORE | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/entrepreneurs-compete-national-exposure-perfect-pitch-event/ | 2022-08-17T18:13:52Z |
With 75% semi-annual revenue growth, company now supports transparency and trust-building for 18.3 million total residents across the U.S. and Canada
VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Envisio, the leading provider of strategic planning, performance management, and transparency solutions for local governments and other public sector organizations, today announced the results of a record-breaking first six months of 2022.
In the first half of the year, Envisio welcomed new public sector clients serving more than 8 million new residents, increasing the total number of residents served to 18.3 million. The company also announced 75% revenue growth compared to the same 6-month period of 2021. Envisio's momentum speaks to a growing demand for transparency and accountability in the public sector.
"Public sector leaders are increasingly aware that transparency is critical to building trust," said Mike Bell, CEO and Founder of Envisio. "We are incredibly fortunate to work with some of the most forward-thinking cities, counties, and other public institutions that not only value transparency but understand the necessity of streamlined plans and data in serving residents, constituents, and other stakeholders."
Additionally, Envisio acknowledged new engagements with a number of cities with proven dedication to data-driven decision making. The following seven Envisio customers have been awarded the Bloomberg Philanthropies distinction of "What Works Cities," in recognition of exceptional use of data to inform policy and funding decisions, create operational efficiencies, and engage residents:
- Irving, TX
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Tempe, AZ
- Kansas City, MO
- Bellevue, WA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Salinas, CA
Accountability and transparency have become fundamental to public sector strategic planning and performance management. With Envisio, customers have the capacity to effectively track and manage organizational performance and publicly share results with elected officials and the communities they serve. Nationwide, government agencies have been successful in using Envisio to deliver and report on organization-wide strategic plans, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) plans, climate action plans, community safety plans, public works plans, and more.
Envisio is the most widely used strategic planning and performance management solution in local government. Leaders from more than 130 cities, counties, school districts, and other public sector organizations use Envisio to execute plans, measure and report on performance, make evidence-based decisions, and build trust and transparency with elected officials and communities.
For more information, visit www.envisio.com.
Ashley Hunt, 515-868-2403
ashley@keetonpr.com
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SOURCE Envisio | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/envisio-announces-2022-momentum-celebrates-expanding-client-roster-prestigious-what-works-cities/ | 2022-08-17T18:13:58Z |
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Farmhouse Inc. (OTCQB: FMHS) (the "Company") announced today the licensing agreement for Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) #30000, "Mega Robot," as the face of a new web3 enabled brand launching in the cannabis industry.
The licensing agreement is part of the Company's planned growth strategy into web3 by connecting the Farmhouse network of cannabis brands to exclusive and exciting NFT communities. Since June, the Company has grown its NFT licensing portfolio to include Bored Ape Yacht Club, Mutant Ape Yacht Club, CryptoPunks, Meebits, CrypToadz, Doodles, and more.
"Our licensing deal with 'Mega Robot' firmly places Farmhouse as the connector for cannabis brands and NFT holders. Cannabis brands now have the opportunity to license one of the most iconic Mutant Apes and connect with one of the most prestigious brands in web3," said Evan Horowitz, CEO of Farmhouse.
Mega Robot is one of 12 Mega Mutant Apes and one of the most exclusive NFTs in the Bored Ape Yacht Club universe. Mega Robot is the first to use the Mega Serum to mutate their Bored Ape into a Mega Mutant Ape. The Mega Serum has previously sold for 1,540.069 ETH (~$5.8M) and a Mega Mutant recently sold for 2,300 ETH (~$3.91M).
The licensing agreement represents the Company's ability to connect NFT holders with licensing opportunities with established cannabis brands. With over 97,000 Twitter followers and a network of over 5,000 cannabis professionals, the Company is positioned at the forefront of NFTs and cannabis.
Follow @420 https://twitter.com/420 to stay up to date on the Company's NFT developments.
Follow @Mr_Robot_v1 https://twitter.com/Mr_Robot_v1 (Mega Robot's Owner)
Farmhouse has multiple divisions, including the WeedClub® Platform, a professional social platform, that enables professionals to connect, discover products and services to scale their businesses. The Company believes it has established itself as the trusted brand to connect the industry through the WeedClub® Platform and its @420 Twitter handle.
The Company cautions you that statements in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation that any of our plans will be achieved. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risk and uncertainties inherent in our business.
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SOURCE Farmhouse, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/farmhouse-announces-licensing-agreement-with-mutant-ape-yacht-club-30000/ | 2022-08-17T18:14:10Z |
SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zynteglo (betibeglogene autotemcel), the first cell-based gene therapy for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with beta-thalassemia who require regular red blood cell transfusions.
"Today's approval is an important advance in the treatment of beta-thalassemia, particularly in individuals who require ongoing red blood cell transfusions," said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "Given the potential health complications associated with this serious disease, this action highlights the FDA's continued commitment to supporting development of innovative therapies for patients who have limited treatment options."
Beta-thalassemia is a type of inherited blood disorder that causes a reduction of normal hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood, through mutations in the beta-globin subunit, leading to insufficient delivery of oxygen in the body. The reduced levels of red blood cells can lead to a number of health issues including dizziness, weakness, fatigue, bone abnormalities and more serious complications. Transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia, the most severe form of the condition, generally requires life-long red blood cell transfusions as the standard course of treatment. These regular transfusions can be associated with multiple health complications of their own, including problems in the heart, liver and other organs due to an excessive build-up of iron in the body.
Zynteglo is a one-time gene therapy product administered as a single dose. Each dose of Zynteglo is a customized treatment created using the patient's own cells (bone marrow stem cells) that are genetically modified to produce functional beta-globin (a hemoglobin component).
The safety and effectiveness of Zynteglo were established in two multicenter clinical studies that included adult and pediatric patients with beta-thalassemia requiring regular transfusions. Effectiveness was established based on achievement of transfusion independence, which is attained when the patient maintains a pre-determined level of hemoglobin without needing any red blood cell transfusions for at least 12 months. Of 41 patients receiving Zynteglo, 89% achieved transfusion independence.
The most common adverse reactions associated with Zynteglo included reduced platelet and other blood cell levels, as well as mucositis, febrile neutropenia, vomiting, pyrexia (fever), alopecia (hair loss), epistaxis (nosebleed), abdominal pain, musculoskeletal pain, cough, headache, diarrhea, rash, constipation, nausea, decreased appetite, pigmentation disorder and pruritus (itch).
There is a potential risk of blood cancer associated with this treatment; however, no cases have been seen in studies of Zynteglo. Patients who receive Zynteglo should have their blood monitored for at least 15 years for any evidence of cancer. Patients should also be monitored for hypersensitivity reactions during Zynteglo administration and should be monitored for thrombocytopenia and bleeding.
This application was granted a rare pediatric disease voucher, in addition to receiving Priority Review, Fast Track, Breakthrough Therapy, and Orphan designations.
The FDA granted approval of Zynteglo to bluebird bio, Inc.
Media Contact: Veronika Pfaeffle, 301-310-2576
Consumer Inquiries: Email or 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.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/fda-approves-first-cell-based-gene-therapy-treat-adult-pediatric-patients-with-beta-thalassemia-who-require-regular-blood-transfusions/ | 2022-08-17T18:14:16Z |
CHICAGO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AArete, a global management and technology consulting firm, has been named to the inaugural list of Forbes World's Best Management Consulting Firms 2022. AArete was awarded in the Healthcare and Life Sciences category based on recommendations from clients and consultants surveyed globally.
"Data-driven strategies to improve financial and operational performance have been the key to successfully delivering results for our clients," said Loren Trimble, CEO of AArete. "It is a great honor to be recognized amongst our peers globally, as AArete continues to help clients navigate business transformation and address their most complex challenges."
This prestigious award is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The World's Best Management Consulting Firms 2022 list is the result of Statista's years of experience in evaluating the consulting market in numerous countries. For the analysis, Statista's national top lists of consulting firms, including the recommendations of thousands of consultants and clients, were evaluated.
AArete was named to the Forbes list of America's Best Management Consulting Firms in 2021 and 2022, and was one of two firms featured in a Forbes article for its work with healthcare clients. AArete healthcare consulting expertise includes serving hundreds of health plans and healthcare provider organizations.
AArete is a global management and technology consulting firm specializing in strategic profitability improvement, digital transformation, and advisory solutions. Our cross-industry solutions are powered through modern technology, market intelligence and data-driven strategies to drive purposeful change and actionable outcomes. We work across all industries and business functions to optimize profits in a compressed timeframe. AArete humanizes data by translating numbers into actionable insights, helping clients make better decisions and standing by their side to foster change with confidence, empathy, and purpose. Learn more at AArete.com or follow us @AArete on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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SOURCE AArete | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/forbes-recognizes-aarete-one-worlds-best-management-consulting-firms-2022/ | 2022-08-17T18:14:23Z |
New Model incorporates a wide selection of shimmering original elements inspired by the romantic transformational capabilities of Sailor Moon
DOVER, N.J., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Casio America, Inc. is pleased to announce the latest addition to G-SHOCK's BABY-G model, created in collaboration with Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. A blast from the past, this timepiece conjures up nostalgia for those who remember Sailor Moon and BABY-G's popularity in the 90s. The new watch, BA110XSM, is based on the popular BABY-G BA110 and incorporates a wide selection of shimmering original elements inspired by the romantic transformational capabilities of Sailor Moon.
The navy blue semi-transparent body, which recalls the night sky, is decorated with blue, red, and yellow stars, moons, hearts, and other Sailor Moon images, creating a glamorous look. The face is studded with sparkling shapes, and the hands are gold-colored. This special design evokes the exciting and unforgettable Sailor Moon transformation scene. The band loop is printed with the silhouette of Sailor Moon, which is also engraved on the case back of the watch. The design of the packaging of this model was also inspired by Sailor Moon. Everything about this model is designed to make this a very special collaboration model between BABY-G and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, the heroine of every girl's dreams.
The new timepiece is equipped with G-SHOCK's technology including:
- Shock resistant
- 100M water resistant
- 2 Year battery life
- LED light
- 5 daily alarms (with 1 snooze alarm)
- 1/100-second stopwatch (24 hour)1s,24H time
- Full auto-calendar
- World time 29 time zones (48 cities +coordinated universal time), daylight saving on/off
The BA110XSM will retail for $160, while the additional models and pricing should follow. The new model will be available for purchase starting this August at select retailers, gshock.com, and the G-SHOCK Soho store. For more information about the G-SHOCK brand, visit gshock.casio.com/us.
CASIO's shock-resistant G-SHOCK watch is synonymous with toughness, born from the developer Mr. Ibe's dream of 'creating a watch that never breaks'. Over 200 handmade samples were created and tested to destruction until finally in 1983 the first, now iconic G-SHOCK hit the streets of Japan and began to establish itself as 'the toughest watch of all time'. Each watch encompasses the 7 elements; electric shock resistance, gravity resistance, low temperature resistance, vibration resistance, water resistance, shock resistance and toughness. The watch is packed with Casio innovations and technologies to prevent it from suffering direct shock; this includes internal components protected with urethane and suspended timekeeping modules inside the watch structure. Since its launch, G-SHOCK has continued to evolve, continuing to support on Mr. Ibe's mantra "never, never give up." www.gshock.casio.com/us/
Casio America, Inc., Dover, N.J., is the U.S. subsidiary of Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, one of the world's leading manufacturers of consumer electronics and business equipment solutions. Established in 1957, Casio America, Inc. markets calculators, keyboards, mobile presentation devices, disc title and label printers, watches, cash registers and other consumer electronic products. Casio has strived to realize its corporate creed of "creativity and contribution" through the introduction of innovative and imaginative products. For more information, visit www.casio.com/us/
Samantha Horowitz/Maria Soubbotina
5WPR
shorowitz@5wpr.com
msoubbotina@5wpr.com
Sue Vander Schans / Cecilia Lederer
CASIO AMERICA, INC.
(973) 361-5400
SVanderSchans@casio.com
clederer@casio.com
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SOURCE Casio America, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/g-shock-pretty-guardian-sailor-moon-team-up-anime-themed-baby-g-timepiece/ | 2022-08-17T18:14:30Z |
Timberline Solar™ Boasts World's First Nailable Solar Shingle and Installs Like a Traditional Roof
HONOLULU, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GAF Energy, a Standard Industries company and the leading provider of solar roofing in North America, today announced the launch of sales of its innovative Timberline Solar™ roof to Hawaii residents. Timberline Solar™ is the only system to directly integrate solar technology into traditional roofing processes and materials. The system, launched earlier this year, incorporates the world's first nailable solar shingle, the Timberline Solar™ Energy Shingle (ES), which is assembled at GAF Energy's U.S. manufacturing and R&D facility.
"We're thrilled to launch our Timberline Solar roof in Hawaii through our roofing partners in the state. Hawaii residents, who have some of the highest energy costs in the country, now have access to our award-winning solar roof that can pay for both itself and the new roof over the lifetime of the solar roof," said Martin DeBono, President of GAF Energy. "Solar roofs are the future of clean energy, and Timberline Solar is in a class of its own: reliable, durable, cost-effective, easy to install, and aesthetically superior. We're excited to bring the next generation of solar to Hawaii."
The Timberline Solar ES™ has received multiple awards and honors since its launch earlier this year, including the Best of Innovation award from CES, Fast Company's World Changing Ideas, the Green Builder Sustainable Home Award, Good Housekeeping Editor's Choice for CES 2022, and the NAHB Best of IBS Awards, Most Innovative Construction Tool. Earlier this year, GAF Energy announced that it's building a second manufacturing facility, in Texas, to meet the growing demand for Timberline Solar™.
Hawaiian homeowners interested in solar roofing options and roofers interested in installing GAF Energy products can find out more at: www.gaf.energy.
GAF Energy is transforming the solar and roofing industries to generate energy from every roof. A Standard Industries company, GAF Energy works with North America's largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, GAF, to offer homeowners elegant, roof-integrated solar options through a national network of roofer partners. The company's leading product, Timberline Solar™, incorporates the world's first nailable solar shingle to create an attractive, durable, and reliable solar roof. GAF Energy's products have received numerous awards and honors, including the Fast Company 2022 World Changing Ideas Award, the CES Best of Innovation Award, and the NAHB Best of IBS Award. GAF Energy develops and assembles its products at its R&D and manufacturing facility in San Jose, California.
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SOURCE GAF Energy | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/gaf-energy-launches-sales-timberline-solar-roof-hawaii/ | 2022-08-17T18:14:36Z |
PALM BEACH, Fla., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. announced that Galvanized Media is No.1747 on its 2022 Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America.The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy's most dynamic segment—privately held, independent growth businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.
"We couldn't be happier to join Inc.'s list of the most successful private companies in the US," says David Zinczenko, Founder and CEO of Galvanized. "Our extraordinary team's mission to create, launch and grow brands that help improve the way people look, feel and live continues unabated, and we're looking forward to heading into 2023 even more strongly positioned."
The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful, but have also demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of Covid-19. Despite these market forces, Galvanized Media experienced revenue growth of 352 percent from 2018 to 2021 putting the company firmly in the top 0.07% of all privately held companies in America in terms of multi-year growth.
Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000.
"The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. "Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today."
Galvanized Media is a leader in healthy, active living and one of the fastest-growing publishers in digital media. With a global audience of more than 225 million readers, Galvanized Media has a portfolio of brands that includes Eat This, Not That!, Best Life, Celebwell, ETNT! Health, Mind+Body, Travelicious, and more. These brands deliver life-altering content that engages, inspires, and informs readers across multiple platforms. The company was founded by David Zinczenko, author of 21 New York Times Bestsellers and one of the leading voices in health and wellness. Galvanized Media's sites are part of the Dotdash Meredith Digital Network and AllRecipes Network in partnership with Dotdash Meredith Corp. Galvanized Media is proud to partner with MSN on providing content to MSN's tens of millions of readers.
Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2021. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2021 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to four decimal places. The entire Inc. 5000 can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.
The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States.
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SOURCE Galvanized Media | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/galvanized-media-ranks-no-1747-2022-inc-5000-annual-list/ | 2022-08-17T18:14:42Z |
First-in-Nation Program Will Provide Zero-Interest, No-Fee Loans to Enable Students to Train for Family-Sustaining Careers and Power NJ's Economy
JERSEY CITY, N.J., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Phil Murphy, the New Jersey CEO Council, and Social Finance today announced the launch of the New Jersey Pay It Forward Program—a new and innovative workforce development program that furthers the Governor's ongoing commitment to helping residents obtain quality postsecondary education and training to advance their careers, as outlined in the New Jersey Higher Education State Plan and Jobs NJ. The Pay It Forward Program, which is the first of its kind in the nation, will help build a robust and talented workforce while supporting economic growth in the state. Participants in the program will receive zero-interest, no-fee loans at no upfront cost, as well as non-repayable living stipends and wraparound supports, to allow them to affordably prepare for good-paying, career-track jobs in the health care, information technology (IT), and clean energy sectors.
The loans will enable participants to enroll in credential, certificate, and degree programs at one of three inaugural training providers: Registered Nursing at Hudson County Community College, Cybersecurity at New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Welding at Camden County College. Loan terms are designed to be more borrower-friendly than even federal student loans.
All loan payments will be recycled back into the fund to 'pay it forward' for subsequent students' training costs. The program aims to help participants find jobs while also helping employers fill in-demand positions in high-growth sectors to promote economic growth in New Jersey.
"With today's launch of Pay It Forward, New Jersey is the first state in the nation to model this innovative approach that will help residents obtain family-sustaining jobs and then pay their success forward by supporting future cohorts of students," said Governor Murphy. "This initiative is another way in which my Administration is working to give more residents access to high-quality education and training that will lead to good-paying jobs and successful careers. Investing in our residents will not only give them the opportunity to create a better life for themselves and their families, but will also help meet employers' needs and promote economic development throughout the state."
"I share the excitement of the Governor and my fellow council members about the launch of the Pay It Forward program," said Charles Lowrey, Chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial and Co-Chair of the NJ CEO Council. "I am confident this program will help under-resourced New Jerseyans develop valuable skills, access new job opportunities, and achieve financial security for their families they may have thought was unattainable."
"On behalf of Verizon, I am proud to support this cutting-edge educational funding program," said Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO of Verizon and Co-Chair of the NJ CEO Council. "It will enable more people to participate in a future driven by mobility, broadband, and cloud computing, which are the essential pieces of infrastructure driving New Jersey's economy. This is good for the state, good for Verizon, and good for the country."
Participants who find jobs earning above a specific income threshold will repay the cost of their tuition over time. Any loan balance remaining after five years will be forgiven for borrowers in good standing. To help them succeed throughout the program, participants will also receive living stipends and free wraparound supports, including access to an emergency aid fund and mental health counseling services. Under the program, students will not have to repay the living stipends or wraparound supports. The loans are intended to be a last-dollar option, allowing students to maximize the free resources available to them to minimize the amount they need to repay.
"We're excited to partner with the State of New Jersey and the NJ CEO Council to launch this first-of-its kind public-private partnership that brings the state's economic and workforce development priorities together," said Tracy Palandjian, CEO and Co-Founder of Social Finance, the nonprofit designing and managing the fund. "This sustainable, innovative fund is helping to advance New Jersey's business goals while putting the learner's success at the center of the arrangement."
"Thanks to the leadership of Governor Murphy and a visionary group of business leaders, the Pay It Forward initiative will prepare job seekers for opportunities and strengthen New Jersey's economy," said David J. Socolow, Executive Director of the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. "To boost students' chances of success, this first-in-the-nation program provides both living stipend grants and zero-interest loans that require affordable, income-based repayments only when students get hired at a family-sustaining wage after completing a training course. Because all loan repayments from graduates will be recycled to train future students, state funds and private donations will stretch further to reach more New Jerseyans."
"Hudson County Community College is honored to be selected as an inaugural provider for Governor Murphy's 'Pay It Forward' program," said Dr. Christopher M. Reber, President of Hudson County Community College. "Our RN program is one of the finest and most successful anywhere. We have committed, experienced faculty who assist students who come from diverse backgrounds and have a variety of learning needs, and we have affiliations with every major area hospital so students receive clinical experience that prepares them for today's nursing practice."
Members of the New Jersey CEO Council, a coalition of CEOs from some of the state's largest and most widely recognized companies, provided corporate contributions of approximately $5 million to the Pay It Forward Program. The State added to this commitment with appropriations of $5 million in Fiscal Year 2022 and $2.5 million in Fiscal Year 2023. The CEO Council is made up of the CEOs of BD, Campbell Soup Company, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Prudential Financial, PSEG, RWJBarnabas Health, and Verizon.
After a thorough due diligence process, the New Jersey Pay It Forward Program selected a set of inaugural training providers with high-quality, industry-recognized training programs and a track record of strong employment outcomes, employer relationships, and experience serving learners from diverse backgrounds.
New Jerseyans have the option to enroll in Hudson County Community College's Nursing Program, a two-year, full-time associate degree program in Jersey City designed to prepare learners for careers as registered nurses. Participants complete clinical placements to gain on-the-job nursing experience and prepare for roles as nurses in hospitals and other health care settings. The program offers evening, weekend, and daytime class schedules to accommodate working learners and learners with families.
Learners can also enroll in New Jersey Institute of Technology's Cybersecurity Professional Bootcamp, a 10-month, part-time, online training program designed to prepare learners for cybersecurity careers. This course, which includes topics such as computer networking, cloud security, network security, and Python, takes place on nights and weekends to better serve the needs of working learners and learners with families.
Finally, New Jerseyans have the option to enroll in Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) or Welding courses at Camden County College. Classes take place at Camden County Technical School's Sicklerville Campus or Pennsauken Campus. Both programs, which meet in-person on weekday evenings, are nine-month, part-time courses with strong completion and job placement outcomes.
The New Jersey Pay It Forward Program plans to partner with additional training providers in the coming months.
"In order to create a stronger and fairer New Jersey, we must ensure that there are equitable opportunities for all to obtain high-quality credentials and secure economic stability," said Dr. Brian K. Bridges, Secretary of Higher Education. "Especially as we recover from the pandemic, the Pay It Forward Program allows individuals interested in acquiring industry-valued training opportunities to pursue upward economic mobility for themselves and their families without the burden of high-interest, overly burdensome student loans."
"Pay It Forward will pave the way for more equitable access to opportunities for New Jerseyans seeking to prepare themselves for lucrative careers in high-growth fields," said Tim Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer of NJEDA. "This creative approach developed by Governor Murphy and the CEO Council will open doors to higher education that will enhance the lives of New Jersey workers by enabling them to advance their careers while avoiding crippling debt that can jeopardize economic security. This program will also add to New Jersey's ability to attract savvy companies that recognize the state for its skilled, talented labor pool."
"This innovative program is the latest example of the Murphy Administration's commitment to workforce development," said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. "Pay It Forward opens career paths to residents who otherwise could not afford them and prepares them for in-demand occupations. I am proud to be part of an administration that promotes economic opportunities for all."
"Over Campbell's 150 years in Camden, we've seen the benefits of businesses and government working together to serve the community," said Mark Clouse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Campbell Soup Company. "The Pay It Forward Program is an innovative workforce development investment that will support and train residents for critical jobs and help fuel economic growth in Camden County and throughout the Garden State."
"We are proud to help advance this important program," said Robert M. Davis, CEO & President, Merck & Co. "As the world recovers from Covid-19, initiatives like Pay It Forward help job seekers by providing interest-free loans and removing barriers to continuing education and career advancement. We're a New Jersey-based company, and we're excited this first-in-the-nation initiative will help support other NJ-based companies and talent."
"Nurses are the backbone and heart of the healthcare system, which is why Johnson & Johnson has advocated for the nursing profession for 125 years," said Joaquin Duato, CEO of Johnson & Johnson. "Our support of New Jersey's Pay It Forward Program addresses the nursing shortage by helping new nurses finance their education, receive training and launch their careers."
"In today's economic environment, it is incumbent on businesses and communities to make the most of the skilled resources that exist," said Ralph Izzo, Chairman, President and CEO, PSEG. "Pay It Forward is a timely effort for individuals and also for companies like PSEG with opportunities across energy and infrastructure, today and well into the future. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Murphy and others, the training that takes place today will benefit our industry and communities for generations to come."
"New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is proud to have been selected as a training provider for the New Jersey Pay It Forward Program," said Dr. Teik C. Lim, President of New Jersey Institute of Technology. "Our university is a catalyst for STEM workforce development and for the upward economic mobility of students. In essence, NJIT is an engine for opportunity, and that is what NJ Pay It Forward is about."
"Once again New Jersey is leading the way in producing not just the best educated but also the best trained workforce," said Wesley Mathews, President & CEO, Choose New Jersey. "This innovative program from the Governor and the CEO Council will generate a strong, diverse talent pipeline to support the growth of key industries in New Jersey."
"RWJBarnabas Health is committed to creating career opportunities and economic growth throughout the State of New Jersey," said Barry H. Ostrowsky, CEO of RWJBarnabas Health. "We are proud to work with the Governor's office to launch the Pay It Forward initiative, which promises to develop New Jersey's most precious resource, its people, and drive employment in years to come."
"BD is proud to be part of this important public-private partnership to address education equity across the state," said Tom Polen, Chairman, CEO and President of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company). "BD is helping to drive the convergence of health care and information technology to accelerate smart, connected care to improve patient outcomes, enable new care settings, and address chronic disease—all with an emphasis on cybersecurity as an integral part of the process. The Pay It Forward program aligns with the real-world needs within the New Jersey business community, and we look forward to seeing the benefits of a diverse and well-trained workforce of the future."
Interested participants can learn more at njpayitforward.org.
Social Finance is a national impact finance and advisory nonprofit. We work with the public, private, and social sectors to create partnerships and investments that measurably improve lives. Since our founding in 2011, we have mobilized $350 million in new investments designed to help people and communities realize improved outcomes in education, economic mobility, health, and housing. In addition to managing the investment program funded by the Google Career Certificates Fund, our economic mobility portfolio includes the UP Fund, place-based Pay It Forward Funds, and the Dreamers Graduate Loan Fund. Learn more at socialfinance.org.
Media Contacts:
Christi Peace
Deputy Press Secretary
Office of NJ Governor Phil Murphy
(609) 815-0391
christi.peace@nj.gov
Carrie Benjamin
Director of Media & Communications
Social Finance
(857) 340-6064
cbenjamin@socialfinance.org
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SOURCE Social Finance | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/governor-murphy-nj-ceo-council-amp-social-finance-launch-new-jersey-pay-it-forward-program-prepare-students-good-paying-jobs-health-care-it-clean-energy/ | 2022-08-17T18:14:49Z |
Strategic Acquisition Strengthens American Regent's Pipeline and Expansion in the U.S.
SHIRLEY, N.Y. , Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American Regent, Inc., a U.S. manufacturer of pharmaceuticals for human and veterinary use with manufacturing sites in New York and Ohio, today announced it acquired HBT Labs, Inc. based in California. HBT Labs has a pipeline of generic and 505(b)(2) pharmaceutical products that target various treatment indications including cancer and Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders.
"Our acquisition of HBT Labs supports our growing product portfolio, efforts to expand into the oncology market, and dedication to better meeting the needs of providers and patients," said Paul Diolosa, President and CEO of American Regent. "HBT's proprietary processes and technologies to produce complex drugs will enable us to achieve our business objectives of applying innovative thinking to respond to customer needs. We look forward to working with the management team and respected staff of HBT, who are leaders in highly specialized drugs and delivery systems."
With the acquisition, American Regent will support the existing commercialization of HBT's authorized generic that is managed through a partner, in addition to supporting the launch of HBT's FDA approved 505(b)(2) New Drug Application (NDA) providing for the use of Paclitaxel Protein-Bound Particles for Injectable Suspension (Albumin-Bound), lyophilized powder for reconstitution, 100 mg/vial.
HBT Labs, Inc. will function as a wholly owned subsidiary of American Regent, Inc., and will continue research and development and commercial operations in Brea, California.
American Regent financed the transaction with existing cash on hand.
American Regent, Inc., a Daiichi Sankyo Group company, is a leading injectable manufacturer. For over 50 years, American Regent has been developing, manufacturing, and supplying quality generic and branded injectables for healthcare providers. For nearly 20 years, we have been a leader in IV iron therapy.
American Regent is committed to U.S.-based manufacturing. To that end, over the last several years, we have made significant investments in expanding and modernizing our manufacturing facilities in Ohio and New York. This expansion will nearly double our capacity and allow us to better serve our customers now and in the future.
Speed counts. Flexibility matters. Reliability and quality are paramount. Because patients should never have to wait for the medications they need.
For more information, please visit www.americanregent.com.
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SOURCE American Regent, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/hbt-labs-inc-join-american-regent-inc/ | 2022-08-17T18:14:56Z |
ANADARKO, Okla., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Anadarko Warriors have stepped foot on their brand-new Matrix Helix® synthetic turf field installed by Hellas. This striking purple and gold color scheme really accents the end zones with their italic "Laker Gold" lettering with a purple background. New 30-foot goal posts and pads installed by Hellas cap off the endzones as part of the field amenities.
"The 'A' in Anadarko is emblazoned with a Warrior spear as our midfield logo, which truly represents the pride of the Anadarko public schools," says Anadarko Superintendent Jerry McCormick.
Matrix with Helix has curled monofilament fibers and shape memory technology. The curled fibers are resilient, stable, and the fibers bounce back after use to secure the RealFill™ infill. This process prevents migration and 'splash-out' for a uniform, aesthetically pleasing playing surface. Hellas' Matrix Helix® synthetic turf is trusted by ten NFL teams for their game field or practice facilities.
Hellas Business Development Manager David Fisher says "The Warriors are certainly deserving of a field built to exacting specs. Hellas' Matrix Helix is the same turf that multiple NFL teams play on including the Dallas Cowboys and the Vince Lombardi Trophy winning Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. I know the Warrior's new field will make a lasting impression on the athletes and fans for many years to come."
Crews from Hellas arrived in March and removed the existing sod before grading, adding a new drainage system, new concrete curbs, retaining walls and fencing. Hellas also installed new Econailer® perimeter boards, which are made of 100% recycled turf that is non-toxic and is water-resistant. Econailer will not rot-mildew-decay or warp under extreme freeze-thaw cycles.
RealFill infill is made of pea gravel and dust-free cuboidal SBR rubber that has a deliberate shape and size designed to minimize migration. RealFill offers a uniform, predictable playing surface with a consistent GMAX reading throughout the life cycle of the turf.
Hellas is also installing TPS Court Surfacing® at the Post Tension Tennis Courts at Anadarko High School which are constructed with a heavy-coated system manufactured by Hellas to provide superior filling and leveling characteristics in multiple colors.
Hellas Construction Inc., headquartered in Austin, Texas, is America's largest sports contractor specializing in the manufacturing, construction, and installation of sports surfaces. The firm owns and operates its own heavy construction equipment staffed by specially trained and certified employee crews. Controlling the supply chain and retaining a direct workforce ensures that Hellas can complete any turf, track, sports lighting, or court project – start to finish- without delay.
Hellas has positioned operational hubs across the United States to serve local markets nation-wide. It has offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, Seattle, Wichita, Youngstown, and Miami. Hellas has built NFL fields from coast to coast. The Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, Washington Commanders, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Miami Dolphins all play or practice on Hellas fields.
About Hellas Construction Inc., headquartered in Austin, Texas, is America's largest sports contractor specializing in the construction and installation of sports surfaces. The firm owns and operates its own heavy construction equipment staffed by specially trained and certified employee crews. Controlling the supply chain and workforce means that Hellas can complete any turf, track, or court project – start to finish- without delay. For more information visit www.hellasconstruction.com
About Anadarko Public Schools will provide flexible on-going instruction and differentiated learning opportunities to prepare all students to achieve at high levels in a global society.
Media Contact: Jeff Power
Hellas Director of Communications
jpower@hellasconstruction.com
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ATLANTA, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IHRC Senior Scientific Advisor, Dr. Stephen A. Morse, and his colleagues Dr. Segaran Pillai of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Jianming Qiu of University of Kansas Medical Center, and Dr. Yao-Wei Huang of Zhejiang University, China recently co-edited the Frontiers Research Topic "Biosafety and Biosecurity Approaches to Counter SARS-COV-2: From Detection to Best Practices and Risk Assessments." The collection of papers was published as an open-access E-book by Frontiers.
The 18 accepted papers that comprise this Research Topic consist of original research articles (N=7), brief research reports (N=4), methods articles (N=1), opinions (N=2), and review articles (N=4). The ten countries from which the accepted manuscripts were submitted truly represents the scope of the pandemic: United States (N=5), China (N=4), and 1 each from France, Lebanon, Panama, Russia, Mexico, Bahrain, Spain, Portugal, and Greece.
When this Research Topic began, there were many unanswered questions including the origin of the novel SARS-CoV-2, its pathogenicity, transmissibility, efficacy of existing medical countermeasures and supportive therapies, and its survival in the environment. The papers included in the Research Topic have enhanced our knowledge and understanding about this virus though recognizing that more needs to be done. This Research Topic has generated considerable interest and has been viewed more than 100,000 times since its publication.
Access to the E-Book can be found here.
About IHRC, Inc.
Founded in 2007, IHRC, Inc. is an international consulting and professional services corporation that specializes in supporting federal and state government organizations, international public health organizations, and industry.
IHRC offers a robust profile of services spanning the areas of Science and Health, Information Management, Management Consulting, Bioinformatics, and Global Health.
For more information about IHRC, Inc., please visit www.ihrc.com.
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SOURCE IHRC, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/ihrc-inc-scientist-authors-e-book-biosafety-biosecurity-approaches-counter-sars-cov-2/ | 2022-08-17T18:15:09Z |
MIAMI, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovative Eyewear, Inc. ("Innovative Eyewear" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: LUCY; LUCYW), a developer and retailer of cutting-edge eyeglasses and sunglasses designed to allow the users to remain connected to their digital lives, today announced the closing of its previously announced initial public offering of 980,000 units consisting of 980,000 shares of its common stock and 1,960,000 Warrants to purchase 1,960,000 shares of common stock at a combined offering price of $7.50 per unit, for gross proceeds of approximately $7.35 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses. Each share of common stock was sold together with two Warrants, each Warrant to purchase one share of common stock with an exercise price of $7.50 per share. In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 147,000 shares of common stock and/or warrants to purchase up to an additional 294,000 shares of common stock to cover over-allotments, of which Maxim Group LLC has exercised its option to purchase additional warrants to purchase 294,000 shares of common stock.
The shares of common stock and warrants began trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market on August 15, 2022, under the symbols "LUCY" and "LUCYW," respectively.
The Company intends to use substantially all of the net proceeds from the offering for advancing its sales and marketing, expanding inventory, updating and producing in-store displays, developing new styles and sizes of the Company's smart eyewear, and for working capital and other general corporate purposes.
Maxim Group LLC acted as the Sole book-running manager in connection with the offering.
A registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-261616) was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which became effective on August 12, 2022. A final prospectus relating to the offering was filed with the SEC and is available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The offering was made only by means of a prospectus forming part of the effective registration statement. Electronic copies of the prospectus relating to this offering, may be obtained from Maxim Group LLC, 300 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10022, at (212) 895-3745.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
Innovative Eyewear is a developer and retailer of smart eyewear, which are designed to allow the users to remain connected to their digital lives, while also offering prescription eyewear and sun protection. The Company believes that traditional frames, no matter how attractive, do not possess the functionality that many eyeglass wearers need and want. Smart eyewear is a multifunctional product that addresses the needs of the optical, hearables and digital assistant markets. We believe that the Company's products are well positioned in this rapidly growing wearables ecosystem, with the mission to Upgrade Your Eyewear®. For more information, please visit www.lucyd.co.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including those relating to the anticipated timing of completion of the offering and other statements that are predictive in nature. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations and assumptions. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe-harbor for forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking expressions, including, but not limited to, "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "future," "intend," "may," "outlook," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would" and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the intended use of proceeds. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its registration statement on Form S-1, as amended from time to time, under the caption "Risk Factors."
Investor Relations Contact:
Scott Powell
Skyline Corporate Communications Group, LLC
Office: +1 (646) 893-5835
Email: scott@skylineccg.com
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SOURCE Innovative Eyewear, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/innovative-eyewear-inc-announces-closing-735-million-initial-public-offering/ | 2022-08-17T18:15:16Z |
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kevin Graham Ford, Chief Catalyst of Leighton Ford Ministries is pleased to announce that Dr. John E. Walker, Ph.D. has joined the Strategic Advisory Board.
Dr. Walker has been an economics professor and a highly successful entrepreneur. As the founder of Andesa Services, he is a pioneer of the information economy, whose business vision was a direct outgrowth of his economics training. Because of his belief in the fundamental importance of economics as a field of study, in 2001 he announced a gift of nearly $7 million to fund the expansion and enhancement of Clemson University's economics department.
"John Walker is a humble and values-driven leader," said Kevin Graham Ford. "He has always placed others before himself in service of the mission. We are grateful that he will bring his wisdom and values to LFM's Strategic Advisory Board."
Dr. Walker was also a primary donor in developing The John E. Walker Golf Course at Clemson University.
Founded in 1986, Leighton Ford Ministries is an organization designed to be a catalyst for mentoring a new generation of healthy leaders who sustain thriving ministries for the sake of the Gospel.
For over 30 years, Leighton served as the Vice President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Learn more about Leighton Ford Ministries at www.leightonfordministries.org
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SOURCE Leighton Ford Ministries | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/john-walker-joins-leighton-ford-ministries-strategic-advisory-board/ | 2022-08-17T18:15:23Z |
WESTERVILLE, Ohio, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lancaster Colony Corporation (Nasdaq: LANC) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 80 cents per common share, payable September 30, 2022 to shareholders of record on September 9, 2022.
The quarterly cash dividend amount of 80 cents per share maintains the higher level set nine months ago, which marked the company's 59th consecutive year of increased regular cash dividends. Lancaster Colony is one of only 13 U.S. companies with 59 straight years of regular cash dividend increases.
CEO David A. Ciesinski said, "The dividend reflects the company's continued strong financial position and will be the 237th consecutive quarterly cash dividend paid by the company since September 1963."
The company also announced that its Board of Directors has set the date and time for the annual meeting of shareholders to be 1:00 p.m. ET, Wednesday, November 9, 2022. This year's annual meeting will be a virtual-only format via live webcast and shareholders will be able to participate, vote and submit questions during the virtual meeting. The record date for shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting is Monday, September 12, 2022. Shareholders of record will receive additional details and instructions for meeting participation in the proxy materials that will be made available to them in October. Access to the live webcast of the shareholder meeting will also be available through the company's website, www.lancastercolony.com.
Common shares currently outstanding are approximately 27,520,000.
Lancaster Colony Corporation is a manufacturer and marketer of specialty food products for the retail and foodservice channels.
Forward-Looking Statements
We desire to take advantage of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "PSLRA"). This news release contains various "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the PSLRA and other applicable securities laws. Such statements can be identified by the use of the forward-looking words "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "believe," "intend," "plan," "expect," "hope," "indicated" or similar words. These statements discuss future expectations; contain projections regarding future developments, operations or financial conditions; or state other forward-looking information. Such statements are based upon assumptions and assessments made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments; and other factors we believe to be appropriate. These forward-looking statements involve various important risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control and could be amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements.
Some of the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements include:
- changes in our cash flow or use of cash in various business activities; and
- risks related to other factors described under "Risk Factors" in other reports and statements filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q (available at www.sec.gov).
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update such forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Management believes these forward-looking statements to be reasonable; however, you should not place undue reliance on such statements that are based on current expectations.
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SOURCE Lancaster Colony Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/lancaster-colony-continues-higher-cash-dividend-board-directors-sets-annual-meeting-date-time/ | 2022-08-17T18:15:30Z |
Care orchestration leader recognized as most valuable technical innovation for work with NYC Health + Hospitals in automating care coordination for COVID-19
BOSTON, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumeon, the care orchestration leader, received a Gold Stevie® Award today as the most valuable technical innovation in the 19th Annual International Business Awards®.
Lumeon's automated care orchestration platform integrates real-time data, applies clinical knowledge, and employs intelligent automation to orchestrate care based on the individual needs of each patient, alleviating the burden on clinicians and staff, who otherwise coordinate care manually. The Lumeon platform dramatically enhances clinician and staff productivity while enhancing care team efficiency and reducing operating costs.
Among the award judges' comments:
- Quite inspiring technical innovation, supporting a great cause. I am impressed by the clarity and creativity of your innovation, the achievements supported with strong evidence. Brilliant!
- Great solution during challenging times, and demonstrating actual, quantitative results
- The nominee has contributed significantly to the fight against Covid-19. They were able to provide a scalable solution to mitigate the influx of patients in hospitals and help triage effectively
- Precisely the kind of solution needed at the height of the pandemic. I hope this model would be available also to other emerging countries where there is a spike of cases. Imagine the impact it could have to HC management and response
"Our care orchestration platform throws a lifeline to clinicians and care teams facing endless, time-consuming manual tasks and workflows, which inhibit them from delivering the most value to their patients," said Greg Miller, chief growth officer of Lumeon. "We're honored to receive the prestigious Stevie Award, which affirms our leadership in automated care coordination."
To help health systems better manage the surge of incoming patients during COVID-19, Lumeon developed a remote home monitoring solution, designed for patients that presented at the ED with COVID symptoms and even tested positive for the virus, but whose oxygen saturation levels did not warrant hospital admission. Upon discharge from the ED, patients self-enrolled in the Lumeon-powered solution for New York City Health & Hospitals, which sent secure text messages to them every 12-24 hours to assess symptoms. Lumeon initially worked with NYC Health + Hospitals on the initiative and deployed the solution in only eight days.
Lumeon also powered a solution, integrated with the health system's Epic EHR platform, designed to combat the 20% to 40% no-show and late cancellation rates experienced during the height of the pandemic. By supporting patient communication preferences in multiple languages and flagging cancellations in the EHR, the solution streamlined the care coordination process and alleviated care team manual tasks. It helped reduce the hospitals' no-show rate by 29%, contributing to approximately $18.2 million in projected revenue gains.
The International Business Awards are the world's premier business awards program. All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for-profit, and non-profit, large, and small – are eligible to submit nominations. The 2022 IBAs received entries from organizations in 67 nations and territories.
Winners will be celebrated during a gala banquet October 15 at the InterContinental London Park Lane Hotel – the first live IBA awards ceremony since 2019. Details about The International Business Awards and the lists of Stevie Award winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/IBA
Lumeon believes that care better coordinated is care better delivered. Lumeon is a digital health company that provides a cloud-based care orchestration platform that automates the tasks, workflow, activities, and events that occur during the process of coordinating care. With real-time, bi-directional data/system integration and the dynamic application of clinical intelligence and automation, Lumeon ensures that each patient receives the right care at the right time – every time. By automating care coordination, care teams deliver care faster, more efficiently, effectively, and consistently across the continuum of care, while also empowering clinicians and staff to work at the tops of their licenses and spend time with patients that need it most.
Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.
Media Contact
Philip Anast
Amendola (for Lumeon)
312-576-6990
panast@acmarketingpr.com
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SOURCE Lumeon | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/lumeon-wins-gold-stevie-award-2022-international-business-awards/ | 2022-08-17T18:15:37Z |
- Launches two EV brands –Iconic brand XUV with the Twin Peak logo in Copper and the all-new electric-only brand called BE
- Showcases five new electric SUVs based on the modular INGLO platform, using VW MEB platform components
- INGLO features one of the lightest skateboard and class-leading high energy-density batteries
- First of these e-SUVs to be launched towards end of 2024, starting with the Indian market
MUMBAI, India, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mahindra & Mahindra, India's leading SUV manufacturer, today unveiled its new state-of-the-art INGLO EV platform and five e-SUVs under two EV brands showcasing its vision for the future of electric mobility.
Mahindra's vision is to lead the electric mobility revolution in India by bringing authentic electric SUVs with cutting-edge technology, through the three key strategic pillars of Brand, Design and Technology.
Brand:
Bringing alive the sport in electric SUVs, Mahindra unveiled two new brands, created specifically to house the company's EV portfolio – Iconic brand XUV with the Twin Peak logo in Copper and the all-new electric-only brand called BE.
The iconic brand XUV will host a range of products that builds upon the Mahindra legacy while embracing the future. With a sophisticated futuristic design, pulsating performance and dynamic innovation, it is targeted at customers who have the passion to live life beyond boundaries while making a difference.
The bold, evocative and exhilarating BE brand, with its audacious new design language will target customers who want to define their life's journey their own way while making a difference: A brand that will let customers be who they want to be.
The manifestation of these two brands have been showcased via five e-SUVs: the XUV.e8, XUV.e9, BE.05, BE.07 and BE.09. The first four of these are to be launched between 2024 and 2026.
Design:
Common to these SUVs is the Mahindra new Heartcore design philosophy – a blend of unmissable presence, inner strength and attitude. Breaking new ground, these all-new e-SUVs will create an electrifying presence, both on the road and off it, while retaining the Mahindra core SUV heritage.
INGLO Technology:
Indian at heart and global in its reach, the INGLO platform encapsulates progressive battery technology, platform architecture, brain power and human machine interface. The name also symbolizes the flow and exchange of energy and emotion, a GLO of well-being, a system that brings complete harmony.
The cutting-edge INGLO platform will underpin all the Mahindra EVs going forward. The purpose-built platform will pack intuitive, intelligent and immersive innovations that will serve as the backbone of the Mahindra EV architecture and is the heart of its ultimate human-machine interface.
INGLO offers class-leading safety standards, exhilarating performance, excellent range and efficiency, exemplary driving dynamics, versatility and intelligent HMI. INGLO also delivers a multi-sensorial driving experience with a futuristic, augmented reality-enabled heads-up display, edge-to-edge screen, 5G network capability and Over-The-Air updates that will keep the EVs as good as new.
Dr Anish Shah, Managing Director & CEO, Mahindra Group, said, "We are proud and delighted to showcase our Born Electric vision. It provides a strategic direction that is in line with our core philosophy of 'Rise' – to be an organisation that will be counted among the best in the world and at the same time rise for our planet to fight against climate change. Mahindra will offer customers future-ready technology, head-turning design, world-class products and the benefits of global partnerships. By 2027, we expect that a quarter of the SUVs we sell will be electric."
Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director – Auto and Farm Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, "Our vision of Born Electric is underpinned by the future-ready INGLO platform, two new exciting brands and the Heartcore design philosophy. The five electric SUVs provide a powerful glimpse of our strategic direction and hews to the Mahindra attitude of a racing spirit and the attitude of adventure. We aim to not only electrify the roads but also the hearts and minds of SUV aficionados in India and around the world."
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SOURCE Mahindra & Mahindra | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/mahindra-unveils-five-electrifying-suvs-under-two-brands-based-purpose-built-inglo-platform/ | 2022-08-17T18:15:44Z |
Dripping Springs Now Open as Demand for Holistic Wellness Options Grows
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Massage Heights, the franchise known for its resort-quality massage, skincare and wellness services strengthens its brand presence by adding its newest location in Dripping Springs. The retreat located just west of Austin, Texas opened last month to provide better accessibility to consumers in the suburban area.
This retreat marks the seventh location in the area, and 54 for the home-based state of Texas.
The local entrepreneurs behind the latest retreat are Joe Kelly and Patrick Kinsella whose retreat is located at 12680 W. US 290, Suite 140 in Austin, TX 78737. Together they have a background of over 20 years in retail management. They have lived in Austin for over 20 years and have been in the Dripping Springs area for the last four.
"While there is a significant amount of Massage Heights Retreats throughout Austin, we wanted to offer the community of Dripping Springs better access to our personalized massage and facial services," said franchisee Patrick Kinsella. "As one of the only wellness businesses in the area that focuses 100% on massage and skin therapy, we are already hearing positive feedback from members who are eager to utilize our top-quality services."
The Dripping Springs' population, along with most central Texas cities, continues to grow as areas develop.
The 2022 Franchising Outlook report by the International Franchise Association, reported Texas as one of the top 10 states for franchise growth in 2022. In addition, the 2022 franchising outlook for the Southwest region estimated 112,718 total establishments by yearend, employing over 1.1 million workers and contributing $109.9 billion in output to the U.S. economy.
"Individuals across the globe are prioritizing their physical and mental health now more than ever before," said CEO & President Susan Boresow. "As we continue to grow throughout the U.S., we look forward to providing communities access to our unparalleled, routine wellness services, and look forward to welcoming additional hands-on franchise partners like the ones we have throughout our home state."
The massage franchise started in 2004 and has grown to more than 120 Retreats throughout North America by providing personalized wellness treatment options through therapeutic massage and skincare services. Massage Heights is a family-owned massage and wellness franchise dedicated to elevating the lives of others by providing Members and Guests with professional, affordable and resort-quality massage, skincare and wellness services. For more information about Massage Heights and its franchise opportunities, please visit MassageHeightsFranchise.com.
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SOURCE Massage Heights | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/massage-heights-adds-7th-retreat-greater-austin/ | 2022-08-17T18:15:51Z |
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IMF staff lauded the Kingdom's economic and financial condition in their final statement made at the end of their visit about Article IV consultation with the Kingdom in 2022. They reiterated their constructive prognosis for the Kingdom's economy in the short and medium term, with further rebound in economic growth rates and inflation control, as well as enhanced strength in the Kingdom's external economic position.
According to the statement, the IMF anticipated the Kingdom's GDP to rise by 7.6% in 2022, the non-oil sector to grow by roughly 4.2%, the current account surplus to climb to 17.2% of GDP, and overall inflation to remain at an average of 2.8%.
The statement noted that the Kingdom successfully dealt with the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), emphasizing that it is in a position to overcome the risks posed by the Ukrainian crisis and the tightening monetary policy cycle in developed economies, noting that the impact of tightening global conditions on the Kingdom's economy is limited due to the banking sector's high levels of liquidity and capitalization. Economic activity is also improving significantly, aided by increased oil prices and government reforms implemented in accordance with Vision 2030.
The report also emphasized that the kingdom's economy's future prognosis is optimistic in the short and medium term, with ongoing recovery of economic growth rates, containment of inflation, and strengthening of its external economic position. The IMF staff noted that the continuation of its implementation of structural reforms will help ensure a strong, comprehensive and environmentally friendly recovery, pointing out that the Kingdom is strongly recovering from pandemic-caused recession, indicating that the support provided by public finances, the momentum of reforms, high oil prices and increased oil production helped the Kingdom recover, as it witnessed a strong boost.THE REAL NON-OIL GDP GREW BY 4.9% IN 2021 driven primarily by the recovery of the manufacturing and retail sectors (including e-commerce) and the commercial sector.
The statement noted that The Kingdom's unemployment rate fell to 10.1% in the first quarter of 2022 as a result of the high rates of employment of Saudi citizens in the private sector, while praising the effective initiatives to increase women's participation in the workforce, which led to exceeding the Kingdom's Vision 2030 targets.
In terms of fiscal policy, the mission applauded the Kingdom's commitment to ensuring the sustainability of public finances and efforts to avoid keeping up with economic cycle tendencies by establishing a spending cap unaffected by oil price variations. IMF staff also expected that public finances would outperform budget forecasts in 2022, and that the debt-to-GDP ratio would decline.
The mission also emphasized that financial stability risks are well contained, as levels of profitability, liquidity, and capitalization are good at the banking system level, and that the impact of further tightening of global monetary policy conditions will be limited on credit growth and non-oil GDP, but positive on banking sector profitability.
The IMF staff's final statement welcomed the Kingdom's efforts regarding climate policies, stressing that the government is working to intensify investments in the production of blue and green hydrogen, in addition to its continuous efforts in research and development with a focus on the circular carbon economy.
For his part, His Excellency the Minister of Finance, Mr. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, said: The statement highlighted the current indicators and positive future prospects for the Saudi economy, which has overcome many of the obstacles and challenges confronting the global economy over the last two years while maintaining financial sustainability, enhancing the Saudi economy's solidity and strength; stressing the importance of the Kingdom's economic and structural changes under Vision 2030, as well as their contribution to attaining sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
His Excellency welcomed the IMF staff' praise of the Kingdom's efforts to mitigate the economic, social and health effects of the Corona pandemic, stressing that the Kingdom is currently experiencing a strong recovery following the pandemic-induced recession, and that rising oil prices provides an opportunity to accelerate the pace of reforms being implemented under the Saudi Vision 2030.
It is noteworthy that an initial statement was issued by the IMF mission following the conclusion of Article IV consultation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2022, which took place during April 2022. This final statement confirms the preliminary findings of the previous statement.
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SOURCE Ministry Of Finance | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/mof-welcomes-imf-staffs-statement-article-iv-consultation-with-kingdom-2022/ | 2022-08-17T18:15:57Z |
SAVE up to $225 on Certified Organic Mattresses August 19 – September 6
CHICAGO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning My Green Mattress is celebrating Labor Day by offering savings up to $225 on their handcrafted certified organic, green mattresses. Plus, save 10% on all organic sleep accessories including organic mattress protectors, latex pillows, and latex toppers with code: USAMADE from August 19 – September 6.
My Green Mattress proudly handcrafts their affordable organic certified mattresses in the USA. The eco-friendly mattresses are made with Earth's finest materials including organic cotton, organic wool and organic latex. The company is a tried and true made in the USA success story. The company manufactures their own innerspring systems made with recycled steel coils ensuring the best quality, comfort and support for back sleepers, stomach sleepers and side sleepers.
Back to School Shopping? Now is the perfect time to refresh your bedroom and invest in non-toxic and healthy sleep accessories to guarantee a deep and restful night's sleep. Savings on GOTS and GOLS certified organic mattresses include $225 off any size luxurious Natural Escape and all-latex Hope Mattresses; $135 off the award-winning children's Kiwi Mattress and latex free Pure Eco Mattress. Plus, Save 10% on the Emily Organic Crib Mattress and all sleep accessories including the organic waterproof mattress protector and popular plush organic latex topper.
Each sustainable mattress comes with a risk-free 120-Night Sleep Trial, a 20-year warranty, and free shipping in the continental USA. In addition, the company is pleased to offer an additional $50 discount on every order to active US military and veterans. The family-owned and operated company is committed to donating 1% of their total sales to environmental organizations working to create a healthier planet for all through their partnership with 1% For The Planet.
About My Green Mattress:
In 2007, Tim Masters, a mattress craftsman, launched a nontoxic organic line of mattresses called My Green Mattress when his daughter Emily was diagnosed with eczema and allergies. Masters created the hypoallergenic Emily Organic Crib Mattress made with organic materials for her, and soon after he developed MyGreenMattress.com where customers across the country can purchase safe, healthy, and affordable mattresses for the entire family. For a virtual tour of the factory and additional information, please visit www.mygreenmattress.com
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SOURCE My Green Mattress | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/my-green-mattress-announces-labor-day-sale/ | 2022-08-17T18:16:04Z |
myDigitalOffice continues its rapid momentum with 1,047% 3-year growth, earning a top spot on the 2022 Inc. 5000 List.
BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- myDigitalOffice (MDO), the world's fastest growing hotel performance management platform, today announced its rank on the annual Inc. 5000 List, which highlights the fastest-growing private companies in America. Following a three-year run where the company grew by over 1,000%, MDO came in at #608 overall, and is the sixth fastest growing private company in all of Travel and Hospitality.
"The accomplishment of building one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S, especially in light of the economic headwinds that continues to impact our industry, is a testament to our team's dedication and the resiliency of our amazing customers," says MDO Founder & CEO, Ali Moloo. "We are honored to be part of this list of innovative companies, and I congratulate the entire myDigitalOffice family on this momentous achievement."
Over the past few years, MDO has continued to expand within forward-thinking REITs, global hospitality brands, hotel owner & operator groups such as Highgate, Hotel Equities, Commonwealth, and many others. With over 5,000 hotels using MDO's platform today, the momentum is a testament to the company's people, product, and process, and to the business results achieved by its customers.
To be selected as one of the 5,000 fastest growing companies out of over six million privately held companies in the U.S. speaks volumes regarding the capabilities of myDigitalOffice. This year's list is particularly special because it showcases organizations that have flourished amidst a highly challenging and unprecedented economic landscape.
"We're excited to build on this momentum and continue to provide our customers with best-in-class hotel software that solves real-world problems." Moloo shared.
myDigitalOffice (MDO) is the world's fastest growing hotel data platform, providing customers with centralized, digital access to all of their hotel's most critical documents and cross-functional performance metrics. The visibility, connectivity, and control delivered by our award-winning cloud-based dashboards, document management software and integrated data feeds allow teams to reach greater levels of productivity, budget and forecast, and reduce environmental impact while optimizing profitability. Learn more at www.mydigitaloffice.com.
Contact:
Brenna Sansing
+1-678-763-4793
brenna@mydigitaloffice.com
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SOURCE myDigitalOffice | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/mydigitaloffice-top-12-fastest-growing-private-companies-us/ | 2022-08-17T18:16:11Z |
Website was built for creators, collectors, and Metaverse adventurers.
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Metaverse and Web3 begin to infiltrate all areas of life and a growing number of industries, the founders of Mystic.com want to simplify the complex and confusing Web3 ecosystem, so everyone feels comfortable to claim their seat at the table.
"Mystic is a Web3 crystal ball for the Metaverse, NFT and gaming ecosystems," said Roger Clark, co-founder of Mystic. "We're building a cohesive, cross-platform experience to help our customers see beyond the hype."
Mystic was founded by a proven team of veterans from finance, crypto, and big tech, whose experience spans 30+ years at companies like Apple, Microsoft, Binance, BlackRock, and Goldman Sachs.
It's no secret that Web3 assets are fragmented, siloed, and technologically immature, creating a slew of problems that Mystic has set out to solve, including:
- Difficult discovery
- Broken metadata
- Unreliable asset storage
- Low-quality market data
- Complexity and confusion
- High barriers to entry
- Negative associations
The website is quickly scaling its NFT platform to include key data for millions of NFTs from thousands of collections. The Web3 NFT search engine, which makes searching for NFTs as simple as a Google search, is now in public beta mode.
Mystic lets users conduct simple "Google-like" searches for NFTs and receive real-time market data – with easy-to-understand values displayed in US dollars or cryptocurrencies, whichever the user prefers.
Users can easily see an indexed list of top NFTs, marketplaces, and new collections, all by volume within the past 24 hours. They can also use the search bar to find a specific NFT or collection.
"The Mystic team is building an ecosystem of creators and tastemakers to co-create the next cultural phenomenon – before it reaches the mainstream," Clark said. "Together with our community, Mystic will lead the digital renaissance using a blend of user-generated content, competitive leaderboards, rarity rankings, APIs, investor tools, charts, and more."
Since its launch, Mystic.com has been experiencing traction and momentum and already has:
- 20,000,000+ pages of SEO content
- 21,000,000+ assets tracked
- 3,000+ NFT collections
- Four blockchains, with more coming soon
Mystic is a data aggregation and analytics tool spanning the Web3, NFT, and gaming ecosystems. For creators, collectors, and adventurers from all platforms.
To learn more, visit: https://mystic.com
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SOURCE Mystic Unlimited Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/mysticcom-launches-with-goal-demystifying-web3-metaverse/ | 2022-08-17T18:16:17Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- King & Spalding announced today that Randy Mastro, a leading New York-based business litigator and trial lawyer, will join the firm as a partner in its Trial and Global Disputes practice group.
Mastro previously served as the Chair of the Litigation Practice at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher for more than 20 years and was a long-time member of both its Management and Executive Committees.
"Building our trial practice even more in New York is a cornerstone of our firm strategy. Bringing on Randy – an exceptional trial lawyer and proven leader – helps propel us further," said Robert D. Hays, the firm's Chairman. "Excellence, energy, entrepreneurship and collaborative growth are all hallmarks of our firm's culture. Randy ticks every one of those boxes and then some."
Mastro has tried dozens of cases in private practice and as a federal prosecutor and has also argued more than 100 appeals in federal and state appellate courts throughout the country. He routinely ranks among the nation's leading litigators and trial lawyers in prominent ranking directories and other prominent surveys of corporate counsel and other practitioners. Chambers USA recently named him "Trial Lawyer of the Year," and Law360 has recognized him as an "MVP" for trials.
"I have had the pleasure of partnering with so many great lawyers from King & Spalding over the years on cases we've handled together and won together. Now, I'm thrilled to become a partner there and help the firm expand its litigation and trial practices in New York and throughout the world," Mastro said. "I am a builder by nature and always have been, including at my departing firm, where we achieved exponential growth in New York and a legacy for all to be proud of. Now, I'm looking forward to this exciting opportunity to help King & Spalding grow in New York and elsewhere, continue to work among friends and colleagues dedicated to excellence and striving to be the best, and, from this shining platform, build an even brighter future."
Mastro has a diverse practice representing clients across many industries and categories of dispute. Among many high-profile matters, Mastro won a two-month RICO trial barring the enforcement of a $9 billion Ecuadorian judgment against Chevron that The American Lawyer called "The Case of the Century." He also won a month-long trial against the SEC, obtaining the dismissal of all charges against high-profile entrepreneur, Lynn Tilton, and thereby defeating the largest individual enforcement action the SEC ever brought before its in-house tribunal. He also led the successful effort to defeat New York City's controversial West Side Stadium project, and he represented the State of New Jersey's Governor's Office in conducting a high-profile investigation into allegations concerning the "Bridgegate" controversy. Over the past two years, he won breakthrough Supreme Court victories in COVID-related cases, overturning New York's fixed-capacity restrictions on "houses of worship" and the State's eviction moratorium – both "firsts" in convincing the Supreme Court to void such COVID regulations.
Mastro served as an Assistant United States Attorney and Deputy Chief of the Civil Division in the Southern District of New York, where he received the Attorney General's Distinguished Service Award, among other accolades. Mastro earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his J.D. from University of Pennsylvania.
Celebrating more than 130 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 1,200 lawyers in 23 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality, and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com.
Micheline Tang
+1 212 556-2301
mtang@kslaw.com
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SOURCE K&S | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/nationally-recognized-trial-lawyer-randy-mastro-joins-king-amp-spaldings-trial-global-disputes-practice-new-york/ | 2022-08-17T18:16:24Z |
LANSING, Mich., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Neogen Corporation ("Neogen") (NASDAQ: NEOG) announced that, at the special meeting of Neogen shareholders held today, Neogen shareholders voted to approve all proposals required in connection with the pending combination of the food safety business of 3M Company ("3M") (NYSE: MMM) with Neogen, including the issuance of shares of Neogen common stock pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 13, 2021, among Neogen, 3M, Nova RMT Sub, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Neogen, and Garden SpinCo Corporation, currently a wholly owned subsidiary of 3M, and certain amendments to Neogen's organizational documents. The transaction is expected to be completed on September 1, 2022, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining customary closing conditions.
"We are pleased to have received the support of our shareholders and the approval of the necessary proposals as we look toward the expected close of this transaction," said John Adent, Neogen's President and CEO. "I want to thank all of our investors for their continued support, and I am excited for Neogen's future growth as we strengthen our position at the forefront of the new era in food security."
Neogen will file the final voting results, as certified by the independent Inspector of Election, on a Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
About Neogen
Neogen Corporation develops and markets comprehensive solutions dedicated to food and animal safety, operating with the intention to "Every day, protect the people and animals we care about." The company's Food Safety segment markets dehydrated culture media and diagnostic test kits to detect foodborne bacteria, natural toxins, food allergens, drug residues, plant diseases, and sanitation concerns. Neogen's Animal Safety segment is a leader in the development of genomic solutions along with the manufacturing and distribution of a variety of animal healthcare products, including diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, veterinary instruments, wound care, and disinfectants, as well as rodent and insect control solutions.
Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This release includes "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the proposed transaction between Neogen, 3M and Garden SpinCo Corporation ("SpinCo"). These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "forecast," "outlook," "target," "endeavor," "seek," "predict," "intend," "strategy," "plan," "may," "could," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. All statements, other than historical facts, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the expected timing and structure of the proposed transaction, the ability of the parties to complete the proposed transaction, the expected benefits of the proposed transaction, including future financial and operating results and strategic benefits, the tax consequences of the proposed transaction, and the combined Neogen-SpinCo company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, legal, economic and regulatory conditions, and any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing, are forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are based on Neogen and 3M's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from Neogen and 3M's current expectations. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. The inclusion of such statements should not be regarded as a representation that such plans, estimates or expectations will be achieved. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such plans, estimates or expectations include, among others, (1) that one or more closing conditions to the proposed transaction may not be satisfied or waived, on a timely basis or otherwise; (2) the risk that the proposed transaction may not be completed on the terms or in the timeframe expected by Neogen, 3M and SpinCo, or at all; (3) unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction; (4) uncertainty of the expected financial performance of the combined company following completion of the proposed transaction; (5) failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, including as a result of delay in completing the proposed transaction or integrating the business of Neogen and 3M's food safety business (the "Food Safety Business"), on the expected timeframe or at all; (6) the ability of the combined company to implement its business strategy; (7) difficulties and delays in the combined company achieving revenue and cost synergies; (8) inability of the combined company to retain and hire key personnel; (9) the occurrence of any event that could give rise to termination of the proposed transaction; (10) the risk that stockholder litigation in connection with the proposed transaction or other litigation, settlements or investigations may affect the timing or occurrence of the proposed transaction or result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and liability; (11) evolving legal, regulatory and tax regimes; (12) changes in general economic and/or industry specific conditions; (13) actions by third parties, including government agencies; (14) the risks that the anticipated tax treatment of the proposed transaction is not obtained; (15) the risk of greater than expected difficulty in separating the Food Safety Business from the other businesses of 3M; (16) risks related to the disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the pendency of the proposed transaction, or other effects of the pendency of the proposed transaction on the relationship of any of the parties to the proposed transaction with their employees, customers, suppliers, or other counterparties; and (17) risk factors detailed from time to time in Neogen's and 3M's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including Neogen's and 3M's annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and other documents filed with the SEC, including Neogen's registration statement filed on Form S-4, which was declared effective by the SEC on August 4, 2022, Neogen's definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A with respect to the special meeting of Neogen shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction filed with the SEC on July 18, 2022, as amended and supplemented, and SpinCo's registration statement filed on Form S-4 and Form S-1, which was declared effective by the SEC on August 4, 2022. The foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive.
Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication. None of Neogen, 3M or SpinCo undertakes, and each party expressly disclaims, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or development, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements.
Additional Information About the Transactions and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed transaction, SpinCo filed a Registration Statement on Form S-4 and Form S-1 (Reg. No. 333-263669) in connection with its separation from 3M that contains a prospectus relating to the shares of SpinCo common stock to be distributed in the proposed transaction (as amended and supplemented, the "SpinCo Registration Statement") and Neogen filed a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Reg. No. 333-263667) that includes a prospectus relating to the shares of Neogen common stock to be issued in the proposed transaction (as amended and supplemented, the "Neogen Registration Statement"), which registration statements were declared effective by the SEC on August 4, 2022. In addition, 3M has filed with the SEC a Schedule TO related to 3M's exchange offer in connection with the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE SPINCO REGISTRATION STATEMENT, NEOGEN REGISTRATION STATEMENT, 3M'S SCHEDULE TO AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE MADE AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT NEOGEN, 3M, GARDEN SPINCO AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The SpinCo Registration Statement, Neogen Registration Statement, 3M's Schedule TO and other documents relating to the proposed transaction (as they become available) can also be obtained free of charge from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The SpinCo Registration Statement, Neogen Registration Statement, 3M's Schedule TO and other documents (as they become available) can also be obtained free of charge from 3M upon written request to 3M Investor Relations Department, Bldg. 224-1 W-02, St. Paul, MN 55144, or by e-mailing investorrelations@3M.com or upon written request to Neogen's Investor Relations, 620 Lesher Place, Lansing, Michigan 48912 or by e-mailing ir@neogen.com.
No Offer or Solicitation
This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote of approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
For more information, contact:
Neogen Media Contact:
Blake Sonnenshein, Partner
Brunswick Group
Neogen@brunswickgroup.com
Neogen Investor Contact:
Steve Quinlan, Chief Financial Officer
squinlan@Neogen.com
(517) 372-9200
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SOURCE Neogen Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/neogen-shareholders-approve-all-proposals-required-combination-with-3ms-food-safety-business/ | 2022-08-17T18:16:30Z |
White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin Talks to Tony Award-Winning Director Bartlett Sher About the Portrayal of American History in Theater
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The White House Historical Association released a new episode of The White House 1600 Sessions podcast today, "American Storyteller Bartlett Sher," which explores how one of our nation's greatest storytellers uses theater to explain and illuminate stories of American history.
In this episode, Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, and Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher discuss the portrayal of the White House and iconic moments in history on the main stage.
"Here in Washington, on any given night, you have White House staff, members of Congress, policymakers, leaders in every sector, in a theater audience," said McLaurin. "What they're seeing has to have an impact on their thinking, and they apply these things to what they're going through in their own lives."
Sher details the process of putting together a story to share with others, and what audiences can take away from his productions.
"Looking for those stories which tell us something about who we are, especially American stories, and bringing them to audiences so they can read, reconsider them, look at them freshly, is one of the tasks of my work," said Sher. "It's one of the great accomplishments of my work when I can pull it off."
Next spring, Sher will direct a revival of the musical Camelot on Broadway, a collaboration with screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, with whom he most recently worked with on a stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy said Camelot was JFK's favorite musical, and after his death, the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable came to symbolize the Kennedy administration.
Sher says the new version of Camelot allows Sorkin "to intersect his ideas and interest in the roundtable and democracy, and the struggles of Arthur to make it a special new place" against the ideas of how to make a musical and how to ramp into songs.
When asked by McLaurin what it is like to have a president of the United States in the audience of a play, Sher recalled then-President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama seeing his 2009 revival of playwright August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone on Broadway, and called the moment "extraordinary."
"When presidents have this close relationship to the arts, it allows there to be better, deeper discourse," continued Sher. "I think it's more powerful, and I think it's really extraordinary."
Watch the full video of this podcast episode here.
The White House 1600 Sessions is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
To hear the full episode, visit https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-white-house-1600-sessions.
For more information, please contact press@whha.org.
White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin is the host of "The White House 1600 Sessions," the Association's official audio and video podcast devoted to exploring the history, cultural impact, untold stories, and personal accounts of America's most iconic residence and highest office.
The White House Historical Association was founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to support her vision to restore and preserve the Executive Mansion and its legacy for generations to come. Mrs. Kennedy sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has contributed more than $100 million to the White House in fulfillment of its mission. To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit WhiteHouseHistory.org.
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SOURCE White House Historical Association | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/new-episode-white-house-1600-sessions-podcast-american-storyteller-bartlett-sher/ | 2022-08-17T18:16:36Z |
DENVER, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mother Teresa of Calcutta is one of the most widely revered saints in the world, and one of the greatest spiritual giants of the 20th century. She is a powerful witness of authentic Christian charity and a guidepost for all who seek hope in our turbulent times. "Mother Teresa: No Greater Love" is a unique film that reveals not just who Mother Teresa was, but how her singular vision to serve Christ through the poor is realized to this day, through the religious order she founded, the Missionaries of Charity.
Twenty-five years after Mother Teresa's death, Fathom Events will present an exclusive two-day only event, "Mother Teresa: No Greater Love," in theaters Monday, Oct. 3 and Tuesday, Oct. 4. The film is part of Fathom Events' "Saint Series," a curated collection of films chronicling the lives of Catholic saints.
"Mother Teresa taught us that there are no expendable people," Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly said. "Everyone we encounter is made in the image of God. So, when she was feeding the hungry or holding the hands of someone as they lay dying, she was treating them as she would the most important person in her life, Jesus Christ himself. And, in all of this, she was teaching us to have a heart that sees, and if we can learn to see as she did, the world would be a radically different and, I would say, better place."
Produced by the Knights of Columbus, filmed on five continents and featuring unprecedented access to both institutional archives and the apostolates of the Missionaries of Charity, "Mother Teresa: No Greater Love" chronicles the life of Mother Teresa and the profound spiritual and physical impact she and the Missionaries of Charity have had — and continue to have — on Catholics and non-Catholics alike throughout the world. The documentary also addresses Mother Teresa's admitted periods of spiritual darkness while serving the poorest of the poor, and her friendship with another revered saint, Pope John Paul II.
"Mother Teresa's incredible acts of kindness changed the world," said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events. "We are proud to partner with the Knights of Columbus to bring this film to theaters nationwide and hope that it can not only shine a light on this saint of our times but to change lives in the process."
Watch the "Mother Teresa: No Greater Love" trailer: https://youtu.be/kcIr9pOXtv8.
"Mother Teresa: No Greater Love" is produced by David Naglieri of the Knights of Columbus and features commentary from prominent Catholics, such as Patrick E. Kelly, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus; Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester and founder of the Catholic ministerial organization Word on Fire; Jim Wahlberg, filmmaker and humanitarian; Fr. Donald Haggerty, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York; Jim Towey, a trusted advisor and personal friend of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and author of "To Love and Be Loved: A Personal Portrait of Mother Teresa"; and Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk, postulator of Mother Teresa's cause of canonization and author of three books on Mother Teresa.
Tickets for "Mother Teresa: No Greater Love" can be purchased online by visiting Fathom Events or at participating theater box offices. For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change). Groups of 25 or more can reserve tickets, including entire showtimes in select cities, here.
For artwork/photos related to "Mother Teresa: No Greater Love," please visit www.motherteresamovie.com.
About Fathom Events
Fathom is a recognized leader in the entertainment industry as one of the top distributors of content to movie theaters in North America. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC); Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L). Fathom operates the largest cinema distribution network, delivering a wide variety of programming and experiences to cinema audiences in all of the top U.S. markets and to more than 45 countries. For more information, visit www.FathomEvents.com.
About The Knights of Columbus
In 1882, Blessed Michael McGivney, a young parish priest in New Haven, Conn., founded the Knights of Columbus to serve the needs of a largely immigrant Catholic community. What began as a small fraternal benefit society has since grown into one of the world's leading international charitable organizations, with 2 million members in more than 16,000 local councils. From July 2021 to June 2022, Knights around the world donated nearly 48 million service hours and nearly $154 million for worthy causes in their communities. The Knights of Columbus also offers extensive life insurance products to members and their families. Knights of Columbus Insurance currently has more than $119 billion of life insurance policies in force and was named by Forbes as one of America's Best Insurance Companies 2022. In addition, the Knights provides investment services in accord with Catholic social teaching through Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors, which holds total assets of more than $28 billion in assets under management. Based on the founding principles of charity, unity and fraternity, the Order remains committed to strengthening Catholic families and parishes and to practicing faith in action through service to all in need. To learn more or to join the Knights of Columbus, please visit kofc.org/join.
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SOURCE Fathom Events | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/no-greater-love-film-remarkable-life-mother-teresa-premiere-theaters-october-3-4/ | 2022-08-17T18:16:42Z |
HAMPTON, Va., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Old Point Financial Corporation declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.13 per share on its common stock to be paid on September 30, 2022 to shareholders of record as of September 7, 2022. The dividend amount is the same as the prior quarter's dividend and based on the stock's closing price of $23.50 on August 16, 2022, the dividend yield is approximately 2.2%.
ABOUT OLD POINT FINANCIAL CORPORATION
Old Point Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: OPOF) is the parent company of Old Point National Bank and Old Point Wealth Management, which serve the Hampton Roads and Richmond regions of Virginia as well as operate a mortgage loan production office in Charlotte, North Carolina. Old Point National Bank is a locally owned and managed community bank which offers a wide range of financial services from checking, insurance, and mortgage products to comprehensive commercial lending and banking products and services. Old Point Wealth Management is the largest wealth management services provider headquartered in Hampton Roads, Virginia, offering local asset management by experienced professionals. Additional information about the company is available at oldpoint.com.
Contact: Laura Wright, VP/Marketing Director, 757.728.1743
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SOURCE Old Point Financial Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/old-point-financial-corporation-declares-quarterly-dividend/ | 2022-08-17T18:16:49Z |
Overjet, the leader in dental AI for providers and payers, received a Medical Device Establishment License (MDEL) from Health Canada for its innovative X-ray analysis technology.
BOSTON, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Overjet, the dental industry leader in artificial intelligence solutions, announced today it's expanding into Canada. The company received a Medical Device Establishment License (MDEL) from Health Canada for its AI-powered radiograph analysis and annotation software designed to help dentists offer more comprehensive care.
Overjet is collaborating with several of Canada's largest dental groups, insurers, and product distribution companies to implement the AI technology. The software analyzes dental X-rays in real time to detect cavities and calculus, as well as identify restorations, root canals, and other prior treatment. It also quantifies bone loss to aid in the diagnosis of periodontal disease, a common gum infection that causes the bone and tissue supporting teeth to deteriorate.
The objective analysis helps dentists know where to take a deeper look so they can provide comprehensive patient care. The software also reviews the past 18 months of X-rays of every patient in the practice and cross-references with the treatment plans on file to identify patients with potentially undiagnosed conditions.
"Canada is one of the leading countries in AI and technology adoption, and we look forward to bringing Overjet to Canada to enhance oral health," said Wardah Inam, PhD, the CEO and co-founder of Overjet. "We look forward to working with our Canadian partners to create a future that is clinically-precise, efficient, and patient-centric."
"It's an honor to have the opportunity to introduce AI technology to advance patient care in the country where I grew up," said Chris Balaban, DMD, VP of Clinical Affairs at Overjet. "Overjet not only provides data-driven insights to help dentists determine the right treatment at the right time, but it helps educate and empower patients to make more informed decisions about their oral and overall health."
In the United States, Overjet has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration and is used by dental support organizations (DSOs), independent dentists, and dental insurance carriers, representing more than 100 million patients.
Canadian providers, payers, and industry partners seeking more information are urged to visit overjet.com.
Founded by experts from MIT and Harvard School of Dentistry, Overjet is the industry leader in dental artificial intelligence, helping both providers and payers improve patient care. By combining deep expertise in dentistry and advanced engineering, Overjet develops accurate and quantified ways to detect pathologies, and integrates actionable insights into workflows to operationalize a feedback loop between providers, payers, and patients. Every day, some of the largest DSOs and insurance companies rely on accurate information provided by Overjet's FDA-cleared platform to drive better care and service to patients. Learn more at overjet.com.
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SOURCE Overjet | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/overjet-enters-canadian-market-with-powerful-dental-ai-improve-oral-health/ | 2022-08-17T18:16:55Z |
The Industry Disruptor's Stellar Growth Continues With New Digital Storefront, Providing Americans Access to Delivery of South Asian Groceries in Seven Cities
CHICAGO, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Quicklly, a comprehensive, one-stop marketplace for Indian/South Asian groceries, tiffins, meal kits and fully-prepared restaurant dishes, and Instacart today announced the companies' expanded partnership to offer delivery of Quicklly's Indian pantry staples, desi spices and sauces in as fast as an hour across seven U.S. cities: New York City, N.Y., Chicago, Ill., Austin, Texas, Fremont, Calif., Sunnyvale, Calif., Naperville, Ill. and Edison, N.J. The Instacart app also offers nationwide delivery of Quicklly's ready-to-eat Indian meals kits in three to four days, creating new opportunities for Americans to engage with and consume authentic South Asian and Indian food.
"We're thrilled to grow this partnership with Instacart and bring authentic and delicious Indian and South Asian food to Americans of all backgrounds, identities and locations," said Keval Raj and Hanish Pahwa, co-founders of Quicklly. "With Quicklly, we've seen hundreds of thousands of customers engage with Indian and South Asian cuisine in new and exciting ways. We're excited to continue to connect consumers with tasty staples and a diverse array of groceries, meal kits and more."
The Quicklly Indian Meals Kit on the Instacart app offers customers an array of authentic vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian meals and sauces, shipped directly to their door. The new Quicklly grocery storefront allows customers in seven cities to get same-day delivery of the items ordered.
"We're proud to expand our partnership with Quicklly to provide access to same-day delivery of its assortment of authentic Indian groceries, food, fresh produce and customers in seven cities," said Elise Metzger, Director of Retail Accounts at Instacart. "At Instacart, we're dedicated to helping retailers compete and better serve their customers.
Quicklly plans to expand same-day delivery to six additional cities including Seattle, Atlanta, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Boston and Los Angeles in the coming months.
Customers in select cities can shop for 60-minute Quicklly delivery or Indian Meal Kits via Instacart at https://www.instacart.com/quicklly or through the Instacart app. To learn more about Quicklly, its initiatives and offerings, visit www.quicklly.com.
Quicklly is the nation's most comprehensive, one-stop marketplace for Indian/South Asian groceries, tiffins, meal kits and fully prepared restaurant dishes, offering everything needed to enjoy authentic South Asian and Indian cuisine in one place. Founded in 2017, Quicklly has made waves as a true industry disruptor, with rapid revenue growth year-over-year. From H1 of 2021 to H1 of 2022, Quicklly doubled its revenue and experienced an 85% increase in orders and 44% increase in users. The digital marketplace has been aggressive with constant new launches and partnerships, including partnerships with Instacart and Shef, nationwide delivery of iconic products like Mithaas sweets and Alphonso mangoes, and brand initiatives such as Quicklly Go and a brand ambassador program. To date, Quicklly partners with nearly 300 independent local businesses across greater Chicago, New York, New Jersey, the San Francisco Bay Area and nationwide. Learn more at https://www.quicklly.com or visit the platform's storefront on Instacart. The Quicklly app is available for download via iOS or Android at https://quicklly.page.link/quickllyapp.
MEDIA CONTACT
CHARISSE BARNACHEA
MEKKY MEDIA RELATIONS
847-404-5216
Quickllypr@mekkymedia.com
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SOURCE Quicklly | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/quicklly-instacart-put-indian-groceries-map-with-60-minute-delivery/ | 2022-08-17T18:17:06Z |
BELOIT, Wis., Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Regal Rexnord Corporation (NYSE: RRX) will host an investor conference on Tuesday, September 13, 2022, from 8:00 AM ET to 12:00 PM ET at the New York Stock Exchange. Presentations will also be available via live webcast. A web replay will be available on our website after completion of the event.
Those interested in attending, either in-person or virtually, should register here. Registration is also possible on our Investor Relations website, regalrexnord.com/investors under the Events & Presentations section. The event itself will be accessible in person and on regalrexnord.com/investors/events & presentations by clicking here.
About Regal Rexnord
Regal Rexnord Corporation is a global leader in the engineering and manufacturing of industrial powertrain solutions, power transmission components, electric motors and electronic controls, air moving products and specialty electrical components and systems, serving customers around the world. Through longstanding technology leadership and an intentional focus on producing more energy-efficient products and systems, Regal Rexnord helps create a better tomorrow – for its customers and for the planet.
Regal Rexnord is comprised of four segments: Motion Control Solutions, Climate Solutions, Commercial Systems and Industrial Systems. Regal Rexnord is headquartered in Beloit, Wisconsin and has manufacturing, sales, and service facilities worldwide. For more information, visit RegalRexnord.com.
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SOURCE Regal Rexnord Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/17/regal-rexnord-corporation-host-investor-conference/ | 2022-08-17T18:17:13Z |
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