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SEALY, Texas, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hennessey Special Vehicles delivers a 1,817 bhp Roadster promising an unrivaled open-air experience.
- New Venom F5 Roadster is Hennessey's continuation following the premiere of last year's sold-out Venom F5 Coupe – both hypercars are engineered to exceed 300 mph
- 1,817 bhp 'Fury' V8 delivers unparalleled performance and the world's most exhilarating open-air driving experience
- Removable sculpted carbon fiber roof, and museum-quality pedestal stand, extend the Roadster's appeal as a moving work-of-art
- Priced at $3 million, with each of the 30 personalized examples individually commissioned to its owner
- Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster – DOWNLOAD
- Current World Record: Fastest convertible – 2016 Venom GT Spyder, 265.6 mph – WATCH
Hennessey Special Vehicles, the Texas-based hypercar manufacturer, has released details of its Venom F5 Roadster ahead of the new car's global debut at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in Monterey, California.
The Venom F5 Roadster is based on the Hennessey Venom F5 Coupe – the two are nearly identical mechanically – yet distinguishing the Venom F5 Roadster from its fixed-roof sibling are several attributes that set the open-air model apart – physically, cosmetically, and emotionally.
Mid-mounted in the carbon-fiber monocoque chassis is Hennessey's celebrated twin-turbocharged, 6.6-liter, 'Fury' V8 engine rated at an astonishing 1,817 bhp. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a robust automated single-clutch gearbox. With a dry weight of under 3,100 pounds, the Venom F5 Roadster promises phenomenal performance… and an engineered top speed exceeding 300 mph.
Hennessey expects the Venom F5 Roadster to surpass the company's own 'world's fastest convertible' record – 265.6 mph – currently held by the Hennessey Venom GT Spyder.
John Hennessey, company founder, and CEO: "We created the Venom F5 to be the ultimate expression of a hypercar. The Roadster version takes the Coupe's speed, exhilaration, and awe, plus a sprinkling of respect-inducing fear, to a new, truly visceral level that brings owners closer to the Venom F5's extreme performance. Our 1,817 bhp 'Fury' engine screams behind the exposed cockpit, with its roar unobstructed by a roof – it is an unmatched automotive experience."
Most conspicuous is the hypercar's new roofline. In contrast to the F5 Coupe, the F5 Roadster's roof has been re-engineered with a removable panel crafted from rigid carbon fiber composites. The single-piece roof is fully insulated against the elements and lined with soft Alcantara upholstery. The weatherproof panel is secured with four quick-release bolts and a pair of high-strength latches to withstand the hypercar's staggering acceleration capabilities and aerodynamic forces at extreme speed. The lightweight roof panel weighs a mere 18 lbs (8 kg), making removal and installation easy for one person.
Owners may choose to store the panel in a bespoke Merino wool travel bag or as a standalone work-of-art on a custom-made, sculptural pedestal – devised by Hennessey's in-house design team to enhance the ownership experience. The roof pedestal, crafted in carbon fiber like the roof panel, mirrors design themes from the Venom F5 Roadster. Viewed from above, its 'blade legs' trace the shape of the car's rear decklid, while the side profile uses the hypercar's bodyside air intake form for inspiration. In addition, the sharply angled, streamlined stand displays the 'Venom F5 Roadster' script on the front face of the base in the same eight-microns thin aluminum as the car's 'H' nose badge.
The Venom F5 Roadster features a new tempered glass engine viewing window. This panel, in the middle of the rear engine cover, spotlights the massive 'Fury' V8 engine in all its glory. Its engineering was no simple task – developed and certified for use in jet aircraft. The sizeable glass panel can withstand aerodynamic forces exceeding 300 mph and temperatures beyond 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (540 degrees Celsius). The detail is extraordinary – the engine viewing window is encapsulated within a removable carbon fiber engine cover that features intricately-milled heat extraction holes that match those in the rear bumper. Additional heat extraction is achieved by dual aluminum air vents, four on each side of the glass panel, which match the vents behind each front wheel.
The Roadster is further distinguished from its coupe sibling by its unique wheels. Forged from aluminum alloy and then milled to perfection, the lightweight wheels feature seven pairs of spokes, each resembling an elongated Hennessey 'H'. Milled into the outer face of each wheel rim is the 'Hennessey' script, mirrored by the 'Roadster' script on the opposite side. Owners may opt to upgrade the Hyper Silver wheels to highly polished aluminum – this exclusive finish requires a painstaking process of hand polishing that takes weeks to complete. The wheels are secured with five titanium nuts, an alloy revered for its strength, heat tolerance, corrosion resistance, and extremely low mass.
Hennessey's Venom F5 Coupe was engineered from the outset with an open-top version in mind, so only minor adjustments were required to deliver coupe-rivaling chassis rigidity, strength, and stiffness – this ensures that drivers may access the same crisp handling characteristics as the Venom F5 Coupe with or without the roof in place.
As with the Venom F5 Coupe, discerning Roadster buyers may specify any exterior and interior color combination or leave areas of the Venom F5's carbon fiber chassis and body panels exposed. Opting for either a gloss or satin finish allows the stunning woven composite to be appreciated fully (pre-exposed areas of carbon fiber on the Venom F5 Roadster are standard, as they were on the Coupe). The same minimalist yet high specification of the coupe model is retained within the passenger cabin.
"It's exciting to see the continued innovation from Hennessey from the test track to the road," said Steve Reindl, President of Shell Lubricants Americas. "We share a passion for performance, and our co-engineering alliance provides us with an extreme testbed for Pennzoil in some of the fastest road cars."
The Venom F5 Roadster will be manufactured in Texas in an exclusively low volume of just 30 units (this approach of guaranteeing a unique ownership experience saw the 24-unit Venom F5 Coupe production run sell out shortly after its appearance at Monterey Car Week in 2021). Roadster production begins in late 2022, with validation of the model's high-speed capabilities set to occur as the production rate levels out.
Hennessey Special Vehicles has priced the new Venom F5 Roadster at $3 million, with each of the 30 personalized examples individually commissioned to its owner. Potential buyers may find out more or express their interest at hennesseyspecialvehicles.com or by calling +1 979.885.1300.
Download high-resolution images of the Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2dbezprb3899to5/AAAs8RSGguqhX3j9-ngvJD9Ua?dl=0
Current World Record: Fastest convertible – 2016 Venom GT Spyder, 265.6 mph – https://youtu.be/ZWy6GiWJxHs
Based in Sealy, Texas, the Hennessey business comprises Hennessey Special Vehicles, Hennessey Performance (HPE), Tuner School, and the Lonestar Motorsports Park. The company has re-engineered more than 12,000 vehicles for performance enthusiasts worldwide to deliver unparalleled driving thrills. Alongside modifying a diverse range of sports, and muscle cars since 1991, the company also applies its high-performance expertise to trucks and SUVs – and boasts its own hypercars – the Venom GT and the Venom F5.
Every Hennessey product is dyno-proven, fully track-tested, street-legal, and warrantied. Customers can choose from road-ready performance-enhanced cars by Hennessey from a wide variety of brands, including Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, and Jeep, in addition to benefitting from a host of high-performance upgrades.
With its own test track, engineering curriculum for aspiring tuners, more than 85 team members, and capacity to work on 40-50 vehicles at a time, Hennessey Performance is one of the world's leading specialist vehicle engineering companies. The twin-turbocharged, 6.6-liter V8 Venom F5 hypercar sold out in 2021, with customer deliveries taking place from 2021-2023. Boasting 1,817 bhp and capable of speeds in excess of 300 mph, the company is delivering like never before on its mission of 'making fast cars faster'. HennesseySpecialVehicles.com | HennesseyPerformance.com
As the company founder and CEO, John Hennessey lives and breathes fast, fun cars. John developed a passion for performance while competing at world-renowned motorsport events, including Pikes Peak, the Silver State Classic, and the Bonneville Salt Flats (where he set a class world record).
What started in 1991, modifying imports out of his garage, soon morphed into building 1,000-horsepower twin-turbo Dodge Vipers that gained international recognition in car magazines such as Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Top Gear, and Road and Track.
Known as an American icon of speed, John has achieved his vision to be the top automotive tuner and builder in the U.S. With a global sales footprint covering the U.S., Europe, Asia, South America, and the Middle East, he continues to find ways to engineer greater performance from some of the world's most iconic vehicles alongside the creation of the company's world-class hypercar – the Hennessey Venom F5.
YouTube: HennesseyPerformanceF5 | Instagram: HennesseyPerformance | Facebook: @hennesseype | Twitter: @HennesseyPerf
Media contacts
For further information, images, or comment, contact the Hennessey PR team:
North America
Michael Harley
michael@hennesseyperformance.com
+1 805-402-3613
Europe / Asia
Jon Visscher
Communications@vcomm.co.uk / Jon.Visscher@vcomm.co.uk
+44 (0)7816 906 794
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SOURCE Hennessey Performance | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/hennessey-presents-worlds-fastest-most-powerful-roadster/ | 2022-08-18T15:39:56Z |
IEA's Certified Professional in Disability Management (CPDM) Designation Now Available On-Demand
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insurance Education Association (IEA), a leading provider of professional training programs in workers' compensation, disability management, risk management, and human resources, announces the launch of its on-demand curriculum in Disability and Absence Management.
The Certified Professional in Disability Management (CPDM) designation addresses the challenges faced by employers in the ever-changing leave and disability landscape, explores integrated disability and absence management (IDAM) components, and identifies the roles and responsibilities of those involved.
Created with contributions by leading experts in the field, the CPDM curriculum offers the mission critical skills needed to develop and manage integrated disability and absence management programs that reduce costs, increase productivity, and maintain compliance.
Now students can drive their own success at their own pace with an on-demand curriculum that offers the flexibility working adults need, while still providing the rigorous content
needed for on-the-job success.
For more information on the CPDM program, visit our website at ieatraining.org/cpdm
ABOUT IEA
IEA creates and delivers professional development and continuing education in workers' compensation, disability management and risk management. With more than 140 years in service, it provides a range of courses, seminars, and on-demand training to help insurance professionals meet their career development goals.
Learn more at ieatraining.org, Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram
Media Contact: Martina Quinn, 1-714-689-0169, or email martina@ieatraining.org
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SOURCE Insurance Education Association | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/insurance-education-association-iea-announces-launch-on-demand-curriculum-disability-absence-management/ | 2022-08-18T15:40:02Z |
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Invicti Security - an application security leader for over 15 years - was named to the Inc. 5000 list. In its first year on the list, Invicti was ranked at #2287 overall, #216 in Texas, #62 in Austin, and #311 in software.
The Inc. 5000 is a prestigious award highlighting the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the US. This list is a hallmark of entrepreneurial success for some of the biggest household names and ranks companies based on three consecutive year growth rates.
"There are millions of web applications powering the world we live in and with more than 40% of all data breaches stemming from attacks on web apps,1 robust application security programs are a necessity for organizations," said Michael George, CEO of Invicti Security. "The 256% growth we've experienced over the most recent three years reflects the global need for appsec program sophistication, the skills and commitment of our team, and the quality and accuracy of our solutions. I'm very proud of how far we've come and excited for what the future holds."
Invicti provides the market's best dynamic application security testing (DAST) solution by bringing together the power of Acunetix and Netsparker. It enables its customers to discover their full application landscape, continuously test for vulnerabilities and prioritize fixes. Accurate, scalable, and integrated into application development processes, its DAST capabilities provide the critical element of any successful appsec program and overall cybersecurity posture. Delivering on its commitment to providing the most accurate application security with zero noise earned Invicti the highly coveted Challenger position in Gartner's Magic Quadrant earlier this year.
"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."
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.
Invicti Security - which acquired and combined respective DAST leaders Acunetix and Netsparker - is transforming the way web applications are secured. An AppSec leader for more than 15 years, Invicti enables organizations in every industry to continuously scan and secure all of their web applications and APIs at the speed of innovation. Invicti provides a comprehensive view of an organization's entire web application portfolio, and powerful automation and integrations enable customers to achieve broad coverage of thousands of applications. Invicti is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and serves more than 3,600 organizations of all sizes in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn.
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, analyses company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
Media Contact:
Invicti Security
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SOURCE Invicti Security | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/invicti-security-named-inc-5000-list-fastest-growing-companies-us/ | 2022-08-18T15:40:08Z |
PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "The effect of the pandemic on travel and lodging probably hit Las Vegas harder than any other city in the country, and we learned fast how to cope with the unforeseen and frankly, unthinkable," says Stavros S. Anthony, 4th Ward Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem of Las Vegas. Anthony will be presenting on "lessons learned during the pandemic" at Springbrook's annual Activate event, September 14-16, 2022, at the Virgin Resort in Las Vegas. Register here for the event's early bird special.
The pandemic influenced local government agencies across the country, requiring fast and nimble responses to maintain delivery of services. With an economy based largely on hospitality and entertainment, the challenges were multiplied exponentially for Las Vegas.
"The gaming industry is a major employer in the state and tourism drives that engine. When we shut down during the pandemic, the city had to keep going despite the domino effect of revenue shortfalls. In March 2020 the state of Nevada put an emergency COVID 19 declaration into place, effectively closing the doors to Las Vegas commerce," observes Anthony.
Las Vegas was the recipient of CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act), ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) and CHAP funding, to assist with mortgage, rent and utility costs.
"We went through a challenging and phased commercial reopening process while managing a city general fund budget that shrank 7.1% from fiscal year 2020 to fiscal year 2021. We have been forced to address multiple issues including paid leave policies, remote work policies, training, education and assessing public response to emergency procedures. Some of these exercises have produced lasting effects," adds Anthony.
Springbrook's Activate event is September 14-16, 2022 at the Virgin Resort in Las Vegas. It is open to all representatives from local government agencies: register here. The event features advanced training, keynote presentations, workshops, and incredible networking opportunities. A complete agenda can be found here. Stavros S. Anthony will be delivering the event's keynote address on the morning of September 15th.
Springbrook Software is the country's leading cloud-based finance and administration software provider designing solutions specifically for small to medium sized local government agencies. Nearly 2000 cities, towns and districts from coast to coast use our suite of modern, high-performance solutions to manage their finances, payroll, utility billing and collect citizen payments. Springbrook is headquartered in Portland, Oregon with regional presence in over 40 states, and seven countries internationally. https://springbrooksoftware.com
MEDIA CONTACT: steve.lundin@sprbrk.com
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SOURCE Springbrook Software | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/las-vegas-mayor-pro-tem-stavros-s-anthony-keynote-springbrooks-activate-2022-customer-conference/ | 2022-08-18T15:40:15Z |
The Blue Devil signee teams up with fast-rising hydrating lemon water brand to stay refreshed all season
ATLANTA, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lemon Perfect, the fastest-growing brand in the enhanced water category*, announced today a partnership with top-ranked basketball prospect and celebrated social media star Jared McCain.
One of the country's most sought-after high school basketball recruits, McCain–committed to Duke University–is widely considered an elite NBA prospect and reaches over two million fans daily across his social media platforms. McCain joins Lemon Perfect in the midst of the brand's rapid rise in the hyper-competitive enhanced water category. As a key Lemon Perfect ambassador, McCain will help build brand awareness among his super-engaged social media following and Gen Z peers.
"I'm thrilled to partner with Lemon Perfect," said McCain. "You rarely find a brand that shares your enthusiasm and positive energy. I pride myself on always showcasing my very best, and as a disruptive brand, Lemon Perfect shares my commitment to high quality, originality, and excitement. We are looking forward to creating many fun moments together."
"Our partnership with Jared is exciting for Lemon Perfect as we dive meaningfully into the NIL ecosystem," said Lemon Perfect CEO and Founder Yanni Hufnagel. "That Jared is both an NBA prospect and social media star is unique. He is a one-of-a-kind basketball prospect and content creator whose talent in front of the camera and on the court will help drive brand awareness as Lemon Perfect continues its quest to become the number one brand in the enhanced water category by dollar share."
In April, Lemon Perfect announced the closing of a $31 million Series A headlined by internationally celebrated award-winning artist and entrepreneur Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. The financing brought Lemon Perfect's total valuation to over $100 million in less than three years from the company's selling its first bottle.
About Lemon Perfect:
Lemon Perfect is a great-tasting and hydrating flavored lemon water with zero sugar and no artificial flavors or sweeteners. Powered by squeezed organic lemons, Lemon Perfect contains electrolytes from potassium and is packed with vitamin C, making healthy hydration more convenient, delicious, and refreshing than ever.
Lemon Perfect is widely considered by industry insiders to be one of the most scalable, exciting, and innovative emerging beverages in the marketplace. The company's mission is to promote healthy hydration and deliver the joy of flavor—anytime, anywhere, and for everyone.
Lemon Perfect is available at retailers nationwide, on Amazon, and on lemonperfect.com. The Lemon Perfect Company is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.
*Source: IRi Total MULO YTD Period Ending August 7, 2022
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SOURCE Lemon Perfect | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/lemon-perfect-scores-partnership-with-five-star-basketball-talent-jared-mccain/ | 2022-08-18T15:40:22Z |
ORTING, Wash., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lennar, one of the nation's leading homebuilders, will debut its brand new Daybreak master-planned community in Orting, Washington, just south of Sunrise, Puyallup with a grand opening event on Saturday, August 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Home shoppers are invited to experience the Daybreak lifestyle and tour three stunning model homes: the Merlot and Riesling from Lennar's Classic Collection, and the Richland model from Lennar's Heritage collection. Join in the festivities, which will include complimentary Sub Zero ice cream, a summer Hot Dog Station by Café Pacific, fun giveaways and music. Following the event, regular model home hours at Daybreak are open by appointment seven days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
"We're so excited to introduce Daybreak's wide range of floorplans and price points to home shoppers in the Orting/Puyallup/Graham area," said Lennar Northwest Division President Bill Salvesen. "With ample amenities and 12 new home designs to choose from, including three brand new floorplans and one Next Gen® multigenerational option, Daybreak is the ideal place to call home."
Homes at Daybreak range from 1,464 to 3,183 square feet, with two to five bedrooms and two to three baths. All homes feature generous living and kitchen spaces, and resort-style master suites. Many models offer a three-car garage. Pricing begins in the high $400,000s.
The Bainbridge model at Daybreak will offer a multigenerational "Home Within a Home." This Next Gen® Lennar option features a private suite with a separate entry, kitchenette, living space, bath, laundry and bedroom perfect for an aging parent or even a grown child coming back to the nest.
All homes at Daybreak incorporate the latest technology with conveniences like an Ring Pro video doorbell and Ring Alarm security kit, eero Pro 6 mesh WiFi system, myQ smart garage door, Honeywell Pro thermostat, and a keypad front door. All homes also come with Lennar's signature Everything's Included® program, where the homebuilder's most popular options and upgrades are built into the base price of the home. At Daybreak, this includes quartz kitchen countertops, stainless steel Energy Star® appliances and a host of other carefully curated interior touches and designer fixtures.
Residents at Daybreak will enjoy a quaint and calm lifestyle, with highly walkable streets ands a large park with a play structure, picnic tables and field. The community is close to neighborhood shopping and dining in Sunrise Village, historic downtown Orting and Puyallup, charming city parks, wineries and recreation sites such as Frontier Park and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, which features animals in their natural habitats.
The community is just short drive from the modern conveniences of Puyallup and only 20 miles southeast of Tacoma.
Daybreak's model homes and sales office are located at 19902 Orting-Kapowsin Highway East, Orting, Washington. For more information, call (877) 680-2885 or visit the Daybreak Community Website or www.lennar.com.
Lennar Corporation, founded in 1954, is one of the nation's leading builders of quality homes for all generations. Lennar builds affordable, move-up and active adult homes primarily under the Lennar brand name. Lennar's Financial Services segment provides mortgage financing, title and closing services primarily for buyers of Lennar's homes and, through LMF Commercial, originates mortgage loans secured primarily by commercial real estate properties throughout the United States. Lennar's Multifamily segment is a nationwide developer of high-quality multifamily rental properties. LENX drives Lennar's technology, innovation and strategic investments. For more information about Lennar, please visit lennar.com.
Contact: Danielle Tocco
Vice President Communications
Lennar Corporation
Danielle.Tocco@Lennar.com
Direct Line: 949.789.1633
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SOURCE Lennar | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/lennar-introduces-daybreak-master-planned-community-with-long-awaited-grand-opening-event/ | 2022-08-18T15:40:28Z |
Proudly Made in The USA with global materials, LENOX® launches new application-based reciprocating saw blades and line up of sub-brands for metal, wood, plastic and demolition applications
EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LENOX®, a Stanley Black & Decker brand and leader in power tool accessories, is redefining performance levels in the bi-metal reciprocating category with the introduction of its new WAVE EDGE™ reciprocating saw blade technology, a revolutionary new tooth form design delivering up to 50% longer blade life for select models*.
"LENOX is committed to developing innovative products and designs such as WAVE EDGE™ for customers who expect superior-performing tools and accessories," said Matt Savarino, Director of Product Management. "After connecting with our customers - the contractors, plumbers and other tradespeople who help make our world – we created a product design that helps deliver a longer blade life for peak on-the-job performance."
In addition to launching the new WAVE EDGE™ design, LENOX also introduced four new application-based reciprocating saw blade sub-brands, all of which blades are proudly made in the USA with global materials:
- METALWOLF™: Ideal for making quick cuts through a range of metal types and gauges
- MULTIWOLF™: Designed for making quick, clean cuts in metal, wood and plastic
- DEMOWOLF™: Engineered for rigorous demolition applications
- LUMBERWOLF™: Ideal for cutting through dense wood with nails
LENOX WAVE EDGE™ technology is featured across all models of MULTIWOLF™ and select METALWOLF™ and DEMOWOLF™ models. Additionally, LENOX RAPID PLUNGE™ technology is being extended to select LUMBERWOLF™ and DEMOWOLF™ reciprocating saw blades**. RAPID PLUNGE™ allows users to plunge cut with ease due to the blade tips' unique design for easy, quick and clean plunge cutting.
LENOX WAVE EDGE™ and RAPID PLUNGE™ products are now available in stores and online where LENOX products are sold. To learn more about these products and the entire line of LENOX tools and solutions, visit here.
* This claim applies to MULTIWOLF™ and select METALWOLF™ and DEMOWOLF™ models - vs. prior LENOX generation. Go to www.Lenox.com for qualifying models.
** Applies to DEMOWOLF™ and LUMBERWOLF™ blade models except for 950R, 960R, 1250R, 634R and 676RC.
About LENOX
Feed your appetite for excellence with superior-performing tools and accessories. LENOX® blades deliver high performance and are designed to cut through the most demanding materials. With over a century of cutting expertise and category breakthroughs, LENOX has become a gold standard in power tool accessories, hand tools and band saw blades, helping users deliver work that is sure to stand out and be recognized on the job. LENOX is Always Hungry™ for your most demanding work.
LENOX is part of Stanley Black & Decker, an S&P 500 company and a diversified global provider of hand tools, power tools and related accessories, electronic security solutions, healthcare solutions, engineered fastening systems. For more information, visit www.stanleyblackanddecker.com.
Media Contact:
Lindsay Fennell
Senior Public Relations Manager
LENOX
Lindsay.Fennell@sbdinc.com
(724) 205-0640
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SOURCE LENOX® | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/lenox-introduces-new-wave-edge-reciprocating-saw-blade-technology/ | 2022-08-18T15:40:34Z |
BENSALEM, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces that investors with substantial losses have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit against LifeStance Health Group, Inc. ("LifeStance" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: LFST).
Class Period: June 2021 IPO
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: October 11, 2022
Investors suffering losses on their LifeStance investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in this class action at 888-638-4847 or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com.
The complaint filed alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that the number of virtual visits clients were undertaking utilizing LifeStance was decreasing as the COVID-19 lockdowns were being lifted, thereby flatlining the Company's out-patient/virtual revenue growth; (2) that the percentage of in-person visits clients were undertaking utilizing LifeStance was increasing as the COVID-19 lockdowns were being lifted, thereby causing the Company's operating expenses to increase substantially; (3) that LifeStance had lost a large number of physicians due to burn-out and, as a result, its physician retention rate had fallen significantly below the 87% highlighted in the Registration Statement and the Company had been expending additional costs to onboard new physicians who were less productive than the outgoing physicians they were replacing; and (4) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020, by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com, or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
Contacts
Law Offices of Howard G. Smith
Howard G. Smith, Esquire
215-638-4847
888-638-4847
howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com
www.howardsmithlaw.com
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SOURCE Law Offices of Howard G. Smith | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/lfst-investors-have-opportunity-lead-lifestance-health-group-inc-securities-fraud-lawsuit/ | 2022-08-18T15:40:41Z |
SOUTHINGTON, Ohio, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospitality begins and thrives at the personal level, with an environment tailored to the needs of the guest, built on the concept of providing a unique experience to each individual. LMBM Inc.'s new Trilogy Retreat Property understands this concept and has put it into practice, offering "getaways with a purpose."
Trilogy specializes in the necessities of its guests beyond just individual renewal – also offering:
- Couples' Encounters
- Family Retreats
- Staff Development
- Group Gatherings
- Special Event Hosting
Combining a mini resort, 'bed and breakfast' feel, and the ability to customize each aspect of guests' stay, this sanctuary offers the quintessential venue to pause life and focus on self-care.
The idyllic 24-acre gated sanctuary, located between Cleveland and Youngstown, OH, provides booking options of 4 bedrooms in the main house as well as a separate guest cottage. Overnight packages include breakfast and lunch prepared in a commercial grade kitchen.
Amenities include:
- Heated Swimming Pool
- Meeting Spaces
- Fitness Room with Sauna
- Hot Tub
"People are starting to understand the need to unplug and get away from the noise of the world in order to take care of themselves and restore mental health, as well as spiritual desires," says Director of Trilogy, Greg Wasinski.
For those looking to host single day events, Trilogy is perfect for an array of special occasions including weddings, celebratory events, faith learning, and days of rest, reflection, and restoration.
The sprawling front lawn blends into a scenic two-acre lake is situated next to a tranquil rock garden, complete with a picnic area and fire pit, accessible via the peaceful forest walking path. Trilogy's lake is fully stocked to offer the opportunity for fishing either on the shore or in a boat- equipment is available if required.
Trilogy Retreat Property is available for booking and touring; to inquire or schedule a visit, contact Aimee Noelle at 833-538-6323 or info@trilogy.center or visit trilogy.center.com.
Let Me Be… Ministries (LMBM Inc.), founded in 2009, is a non-profit, 501(c)3 ministry based in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. LMBM extends the message of hope through faith beyond conventional houses of worship with online and in-person events, digital media, published resources, and spiritual direction. Their faith and real-life mission remains to enrich personal growth, encourage community, and help restore the value of family.
Facebook: @trilogyretreats, @letmebeministries
Instagram: @trilogy_retreat, @faithandreallife
Media contact: Aimee Noelle, 833-538-6323, info@trilogy.center
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SOURCE LMBM Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/lmbm-inc-opens-new-retreat-property-northeast-ohio/ | 2022-08-18T15:40:47Z |
SANTA MONICA, Calif. and BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LootMogul and Aftermath Islands Metaverse have announced a multi-chain metaverse partnership that will expedite the adoption of blockchain gaming for sports organizations and athletes and truly deliver an immersive sports fans experience.
LootMogul and Aftermath Islands Metaverse are creating a new virtual island dedicated to sports gaming and are creating unique customized Avatars for celebrities, collegiate and professional athletes allowing them to engage in web3 activities and the Metaverse.
"LootMogul is super excited about this partnership as it will help the global sports community to scale their identity across chains and will drive hyper fan adoption with avatars and personalized lands - create, secure, and customize your digital version with your real-world avatar benefits," said Raj Rajkotia, CEO, LootMogul.
"We are very excited to partner with LootMogul to accelerate their Metaverse activities and bring their programs, celebrities and athletes to Aftermath Islands," said David Lucatch, Managing Director, Aftermath Islands Metaverse Limited. "Today, more than ever, it is imperative that brands and personalities stake their value in blockchain and Metaverse activities as they become the next level of consumer engagement."
Aftermath Islands is led by an experienced group of entrepreneurs, designers, and developers who have worked with some of the world's most recognized and respected brands and institutions, such as Marvel, Paramount, DC Comics, Warner Bros, and more.
About LootMogul
LootMogul is an athlete-led sports metaverse (web3 platform) that is powered by virtual real estate, training academies, blockchain games, commerce (NFTs), and in-real-life (IRL) rewards. LootMogul is expanding the web3 community by bringing web 2 gamers and sports fanatics to the metaverse. For more details, visit: https://lootmogul.com. Create and own your sports metaverse with real-world professional athletes from NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, Soccer, etc.
About Aftermath Islands Metaverse
Aftermath Islands Metaverse Limited is a Barbados corporation that is 50% owned and is controlled by Oasis Digital Studios Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc (CSE: LQID) (OTC: LQAVF) (FRA: 4T51). Aftermath Island Token Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aftermath Islands Metaverse Limited, is a British Virgin Islands corporation
Learn about Aftermath Islands' virtual worlds here and read about how the project is reimagining Metaverse experiences in the future in the project light paper and sizzle reel.
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Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1880936/Aftermath.jpg
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SOURCE LootMogul | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/lootmogul-aftermath-islands-metaverse-form-strategic-metaverse-multi-chain-partnership-global-sports-fans/ | 2022-08-18T15:40:56Z |
BEIJING, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Maoyan Entertainment ("Maoyan" or the "Company", 1896.HK), a leading platform providing innovative Internet empowered entertainment services in China, today announced its audited consolidated results for the six months ended June 30, 2022.
First Half 2022 Financial Highlights
- Revenue was RMB1,191.4 million, compared with RMB1,799.8 million in the first half year of 2021.
- Gross profit was RMB622.4 million, compared with RMB1,045.5 million in the first half year of 2021.
- Profit for the period was RMB151.9 million, compared with RMB387.1 million in the first half of 2021.
- Adjusted EBITDA was RMB282.0 million, compared with RMB625.7 million in the first half of 2021.
- Adjusted net profit[1] was RMB233.7 million, compared with RMB484.2 million in the first half of 2021.
BUSINESS REVIEW
In the first half of 2022, the entertainment industry faced immense difficulties and challenges due to the resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic. We continued to refine our operations to deliver high-quality products and services and achieved industry-leading performance in both the number of and box office of the movies in which we participated in the first half of 2022. In addition to our abundant content reserves in our pipeline, many movies in which we participated are expected to be released within 2022. Besides, our online entertainment ticketing services remained stable, while our other business lines are maturing. We have enhanced our business resilience and further demonstrated our profitability capability.
Entertainment Content Services
In the first half of 2022, the total box office for the China's movie market decreased by 37.68% to RMB17.18 billion, compared with the same period last year, resulting from the severe impact brought by the pandemic. In particular, from March to May, with the average operating rate of movie cinemas nationwide once dropping to below 50%, the gross box office suffered a year-over-year drop of about 80%. At the same time, certain movies slated for screening had to be rescheduled or postponed.
Despite the headwinds, we made continuous efforts in cultivating movie content and improving our operational capabilities, and we achieved industry-leading performances in both the number of and box office sales for the movies that Maoyan produced/distributed. During the reporting period, Maoyan participated in the production/distribution of 15 movies, including 6 of which the Company acted as a lead distributor. The percentage of the total gross of our participated movies to China's movie box office in first half of this year has recovered to almost the same level in the same period of 2019. In addition, we continued to enhance our involvement in the top-tier movies released during major seasons. For example, we participated in Embrace Again (穿過寒冬擁抱你) and G Storm (反貪風暴 5:最終章), which ranked first and second, respectively, at the box office during the New Year's Day season. Moreover, we participated in 3 movies among the top 5 in terms of the box office in the Spring Festival season. Among which, "Too Cool To Kill (這個殺手不太冷靜)", for which we acted as both the producer and lead distributor, achieved total box office sales of RMB2.63 billion.
Since June 2022, the pandemic has stabilized, and the operating rate of movie theatres has gradually recovered to over 80%. Maoyan is well positioned to proceed with all our participated projects with abundant reserves of rich and diverse content. For example, movies where Maoyan has served as the producer/distributor, such as My Blue Summer (暗戀•橘生淮南), Lighting Up The Stars (人生大事), Moon Man (獨行月球) and Warriors of Future (明日戰記), have already been released in succession. Others include Belle (雀斑公主), Give Me Five (哥,你好), The Procurator (檢察風雲), Post Truth (保你平安), Too Beautiful To Lie (請別相信她), Journey to the West (宇宙探索編輯部), High Forces (危機航線), The Tipping Point (掃黑行動), Better Man (絕望主夫), Victimes (被害人), Who's the Suspect (拯救嫌疑人) and Full River Red (滿江紅) have either been scheduled for release or are in the process of being scheduled.
During the reporting period, we also produced a number of premier TV series and online movies. For example, Out of Court (庭外), our self-produced legal drama TV series, was released exclusively on Youku in July 2022 and achieved excellent reputation. We also participated in Hello, The Sharpshooter (你好,神槍手), Leverage (槓桿) and Babel (通天塔), which have been broadcast on different platforms, and all performed very well. In addition, The King of Hot GUO (火鍋之王), another online movie, for which we participated in the production, will be scheduled to be released soon.
Furthermore, leveraging our considerable and professional experience in promotion and distribution and our fine-tuned service matrix, many of our products and tools have been widely recognized by industry partners and increased in popularity. For example, during the reporting period, the projects served by our promotion and distribution products, such as "Cloud Block Booking" (雲包場) and "Lead Appreciation" (助力主創), maintained an encouraging growth momentum. In particular, "Cloud Block Booking" (雲包場) has been used by almost all domestic movies grossing over RMB100 million in box office. Furthermore, our promotion and distribution products further demonstrated their impressive commercial value. Deeply cooperating with hundreds of influential creators and thousands of incubated Key Opinion Consumers (KOC), our content marketing team provided quality marketing services to nearly 80% of the movies with over RMB100 million in box office during the reporting period. We also launched a variety of innovative promotion and distribution tools, such as "Box Office Estimates by Media" (第三方媒體超前票房預測) and "Same-period Performance Comparison" (同檔期對比), aiming to actively help improve the industry's level of refinement and efficiency of distribution.
Online Entertainment Ticketing Services
During the reporting period, we continued to enhance our platform's service capacity and further optimized the ticketing system; combined with our reasonable cost and expense control initiatives, we successfully maintained our industry-leading position. Meanwhile, we have proactively tracked the industry's needs, striving to provide all-round assistance and support for the development and recovery of the industry. We helped more than 70% of the movie cinemas nationwide improve their customer acquisition efficiency through our services, including membership promotions and package sales. Besides, acting as an exclusive ticketing provider for the 12th Beijing International Film Festival (第十二屆北京國際電影節), we offer the audiences with premier ticketing services. Since June, as the movie market has been gradually recovering, our movie ticketing business has been picking up accordingly. Moving forward, with constant effort on the operation and service capability cultivation, we are committed to continuously upgrading audiences' experience and consumption vitality while providing our industry partners with better services.
As an important market player, we made steady progress in our live entertainment business, expanding the offering categories and refining operation efficiency. Especially, we focused on cultivation in the emerging local entertainment categories, including talk shows, cross talks, immersive theaters, exhibitions, family shows, music festivals. During the reporting period, the GMV of our live entertainment business recovered to over 80% for the same period last year. In addition, we achieved breakthrough growth in some verticals, such as talk shows, family shows and immersive theaters. Among these, the GMV of our talk shows tripled compared with the same period last year. Furthermore, we have actively been exploring new forms of entertainment catering to the young generation and achieved steady progress in many projects we engaged as a producer. For example, we developed a series of shows, including "The Grand Theater" (玩味放映廳), "The Grand Museum" (玩味博物館) and "The Grand Music" (玩味音律)", following our success of "The Grand Expedition" (玩味探險家), an immersive food interactive drama, which achieved excellent performance in both box office and market reputation. Besides that, we have completed the initial preparation for a new Maoyan-produced immersive gaming drama "Dream Cruise" (明珠傳奇), and it will debut at an appropriate time.
Advertisement Services and Others
During the reporting period, we constantly improved our operational capability and efficiency, and continued to enhance our commercialization ability. Considering the distinct characters of different movies and the changing market conditions, we launched a variety of rich and innovative promotion campaigns. Meanwhile, we enhanced our distribution capability by further expanding our promotion and distribution channels. Currently, we have established deep cooperations with many high-quality platforms, such as Weibo, Douban and Xiaohongshu. The total users of Maoyan mini-program ecosystem, covering WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, Baidu and Kuaishou, etc., have exceeded 600 million. Moving forward, we will continue to leverage our capabilities of the full-channel marketing and industry's leading platform, and provide matrixed and customized services for the promotion and marketing of film and TV projects.
Our Maoyan Research Institute continued to improve the data service capabilities and conducted extensive research on various themes. We also extended our research services to IP studies, including adaption, development and testing of IP. In addition, through profound analysis on market conditions and successful movies during the pandemic, we released various in-depth research reports, including pandemic-related reports, which provided our industry partners with valuable market information and insights into industry development trends.
OUTLOOK
Benefiting from the effective control of the pandemic in China, business resumption across all fields is progressing steadily. The operating rate of movie theatres in China has recovered to more than 80% in early June. As of the date of this announcement, the summer-holiday box office has reached about RMB7.9 billion, which exceeded the same-period box office in last year. We maintain our full confidence in the market's recovery.
In a complex and changing market environment, we will continue to grow and develop within the pan-entertainment industry with the firm execution of our core strategy of "technology + pan-entertainment". Through mining and producing high quality content with a positive social value proposition, combined with enhanced infrastructure and service capability, we expect to further unlock Maoyan's value in the industry. Meanwhile, we will constantly explore new initiatives, develop diverse growth drivers and optimize our layout of pan-entertainment industrial chain. Furthermore, by further enhancing and utilizing the synergy among our business lines, we will be able to maintain risk resistance capabilities and capture the market growth opportunities following the industry's recovery, further enhancing our competitive advantages.
About Maoyan Entertainment
Maoyan Entertainment (1896.HK) is a leading technology-driven entertainment company providing diversified services and valuable industry insights in China's pan-entertainment industry. The Company's mission is to make it easy to create, deliver, and enjoy great entertainment. Based on its core development strategy of "Technology + Pan-Entertainment", the Company has grown from an online movie ticketing service provider into an innovative one-stop platform with comprehensive entertainment services.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement the consolidated results of the Company prepared in accordance with IFRS, certain additional non-GAAP financial measures (in terms of, operating profit, operating margin, profit for the period, net margin, profit attributable to equity holders of the Company, basic EPS and diluted EPS), have been presented in this press release. These unaudited non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, measures of the Company's financial performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures may be defined differently from similar terms used by other companies.
The Company's management believes that the non-GAAP financial measures provide investors with useful supplementary information to assess the performance of the Company's core operations by excluding certain noncash items and certain impact of M&A transactions. In addition, non-GAAP adjustments include relevant non-GAAP adjustments for the Company's material associates based on available published financials of the relevant material associates, or estimates made by the Company's management based on available information, certain expectations, assumptions and premises.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to the business outlook, forecast business plans and growth strategies of the Company. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and are stated herein on the basis of the outlook at the time of this press release. They are based on certain expectations, assumptions and premises, some of which are subjective or beyond our control. These forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect and may not be realized in future. Underlying the forward-looking statements is a large number of risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these risks and uncertainties is included in our other public disclosure documents on our corporate website.
Investor Relations Contact
Maoyan Entertainment
Email: ir@maoyan.com
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Helen Wu
Email: maoyan@tpg-ir.com
Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
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SOURCE Maoyan Entertainment | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/maoyan-entertainment-announces-interim-results-first-half-2022/ | 2022-08-18T15:41:02Z |
Jacksonville Business Journal credits homebuilder for outstanding workplace culture and extensive employee programs that has created an employer of choice
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Mattamy Homes is pleased to announce that the company has been named one of the First Coast's Best Places to Work by the Jacksonville Business Journal.
- The First Coast's Best Places to Work winners are chosen based on an employee-survey process conducted by Quantum Workplace.
- Once nominated, companies must meet a threshold in employee participation – a percentage that varies based upon the size of the company – to be eligible to be honored.
- Companies receive the award because their organization received high marks in areas such as team effectiveness, trust with co-workers, manager effectiveness and work engagements.
"This recognition is particularly rewarding and meaningful as it's driven by the high marks our employees gave Mattamy on various elements of their work experience. As such it reflects our people's passion, dedication to customers and each other, and the kind of culture that we've built and live every single day," says Cliff Nelson, President of Mattamy's Jacksonville Division. "We're all very proud of this award, as everyone across our Division has played a role in creating a welcoming work environment and making Mattamy a best-in-class employer."
This year, the Journal is recognizing 60 businesses with local offices and operations in the First Coast region, representing a variety of industries, including real estate, life sciences, legal, finance and technology.
"This award is based on how a workforce feels about their organization and is a sign that the culture the company has created is valued by its employees. I want to congratulate the winners on achieving this distinction," said Jacksonville Business Journal Editor in Chief Timothy Gibbons.
Later this year, honorees including Mattamy Homes will be profiled and celebrated in a special issue of the Jacksonville Business Journal, as well as online, and at a golf tournament and awards reception at Queen's Harbor Yacht & Country Club on November 7, 2022.
For more information, see the Mattamy Homes Careers page.
Mattamy Homes is the largest privately owned homebuilder in North America, with 40-plus years of history across the United States and Canada. Every year, Mattamy helps more than 8,000 families realize their dream of home ownership. In the United States, the company is represented in 11 markets – Dallas, Charlotte, Raleigh, Phoenix, Tucson, Jacksonville, Orlando (where its US head office is located), Tampa, Sarasota, Naples and Southeast Florida – and in Canada, its communities stretch across the Greater Toronto Area, as well as in Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton. Visit www.mattamyhomes.com for more information.
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SOURCE Mattamy Homes Limited | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/mattamy-homes-honored-best-place-work-floridas-first-coast/ | 2022-08-18T15:41:09Z |
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Meson, a cross-chain protocol for stablecoin, has raised a $4 million funding round led by GSRV, a global web3 institutional investor, BAI Capital, Plug and Play, Mirana Ventures, M77 Ventures, SNZ Capital, A&T Fund, Smarti Labs also participated in the round. Raised fund will be used towards ecological partnerships and growth for Meson.
Meson provides minute-fast swaps with almost-zero costs & slippage across all leading blockchains and layer-2 rollups. Meson is already connected to Ethereum, BNB Chain, Tron, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Avalanche, Fantom, Evmos, Aurora, Conflux, Harmony, Moonriver and Moonbeam. In the coming months, Meson intends to support other non-EVM chains including Solana and more.
About Meson
Meson is a stablecoin swap protocol facilitating stablecoin free flows among Ethereum, Layer 2s, and major high-performance public chains. With its all-new product design and technology stacks, Meson offers point-to-point swaps among major stablecoins on any supported networks with fast confirmation, minimal fees and zero slippage. It does not rely on any existing cross-chain solutions and has been robustly audited by renowned auditors, including Trail of Bits and SSLabs at Georgia Institute of Technology. To learn more about Meson, visit https://meson.fi or follow along on Twitter and Discord at https://twitter.com/mesonfi.
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SOURCE Meson | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/meson-raises-4m-develop-minute-fast-stablecoin-cross-chain-protocol/ | 2022-08-18T15:41:16Z |
Cloud-connected Food Lockers Streamlines Food Deliveries While Elevating the Delivery Experience for Residents
SEATTLE, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Minnow Technologies ("Minnow"), a Seattle-based IoT startup, and Westdale Real Estate Investment and Management ("Westdale"), a national real estate investment and management company headquartered in Dallas, announced today that Westdale has deployed Minnow's contactless food lockers (called "Pickup Pods") at five of its multifamily properties in Florida, Georgia, and Texas.
"We're excited to partner with Westdale to provide their residents with a world-class food delivery experience. Having a Top 50 NMHC Owner/Manager install Pickup Pods across an entire region of the country will help create awareness of Minnow and our mission to make food delivery as efficient, reliable, and convenient as package delivery," said Steven Sperry, Co-Founder, and CEO of Minnow.
Westdale partners with renowned designers and contractors to build and deliver exceptional assets that positively contribute to the lives of their residents. The company continuously strives to make its properties stand out from the competition. Adding a contactless food delivery amenity like the Pickup Pod will further differentiate Westdale's properties by making residents' food deliveries safer, more secure, and more convenient.
Minnow's intelligent food lockers make food delivery and pickup consistent and reliable, every time. Instead of waiting in the lobby or searching for residents' units, food delivery workers drop off orders at the Pickup Pod. This enables them to complete the delivery faster while reducing delivery traffic throughout the property. And residents can pick up at their convenience, knowing their food is kept in a secure, insulated cubby. To help ensure food safety, the Pickup Pod tracks and monitors every delivery, alerting building staff when food isn't picked up within a specified time.
"We're excited to utilize Minnow Pickup Pods in our mid-rise buildings. We expect this to be very popular with residents and to solve food delivery issues. It will also help minimize traffic in our resident corridors and common areas," said Elizabeth Heller, Vice President, Regional Director at Westdale Asset Management. Unlike drop-off tables or leaving deliveries with a concierge, the Pickup Pod tracks and monitors every food delivery while enhancing building security, reducing demands on building staff, and eliminating lobby clutter.
And unlike package lockers, the Pickup Pod is designed for short-term food storage. The Pickup Pod is UL-certified for food safety and comes with insulated cubbies, anti-microbial surfaces, and 24x7 monitoring to help ensure food freshness and safety. It takes up less than four square feet of floor space and can be installed in under 30 minutes. Pickup Pod can go almost anywhere and requires only a standard 120V electrical outlet and a WiFi or cellular connection. And it can accept deliveries from any food delivery service, ghost kitchen, restaurant, or catering company. Today, Pickup Pods streamlines food deliveries in multifamily properties, office buildings, hospitals, universities, corporate campuses, and other places where food is delivered.
Westdale owns a stellar reputation in all disciplines of the multifamily and commercial real estate sectors. Founded in 1991, the privately held company fosters an entrepreneurial spirit with flexible and responsive capital resources enabling adaptive, creative, and opportunistic acquisitions, value-add, core-plus, and suburban in any phase of the economic cycle.
Founded in 2017, Minnow's contactless food lockers (called "Pickup Pods") provide a better way to manage food deliveries. With a sleek, modern design and a small footprint, Pickup Pods are perfect for office buildings, multifamily properties, universities, hospitals, and other places where food is delivered.
To learn more about Minnow, go to https://www.minnowpod.com/ or on social media at linkedin.com/company/minnow, facebook.com/minnowpod, Instagram.com/minnowpod, and twitter.com/minnowpod.
Media Contact:
Christopher Stanvick
christopher@minnowpod.com
503-389-5690
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SOURCE Minnow Technologies, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/minnow-technologies-westdale-announce-deal-deploy-intelligent-food-lockers-multifamily-properties-across-south/ | 2022-08-18T15:41:22Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs recommended that T-Mobile US, Inc. discontinue claims that consumers can "save up to 50% vs. National FCC Broadband Rate Benchmark" with T-Mobile Home Internet (T-HINT) and the implied claims that a consumer will save up to 50% if they purchase T-Mobile internet versus the same or a comparable service level of internet from other providers (including the challenger, Charter Communications, Inc.).
T-HINT is a new broadband alternative to cable home internet.
In the challenged television commercial, a computer screen is shown on which the words "Save Up to 50% vs. National FCC Broadband Rate Benchmark" were written. "Save Up to 50%" was written in bold lettering and the comparison to the FCC Broadband Rate Benchmark appeared in smaller font underneath. In the same frame, a disclosure appeared on the bottom of the screen. It reads: "vs. National FCC Rate Benchmark."
Similar claims appear on T-Mobile's website. Those claims are accompanied by some variation of a disclosure stating that the savings are "[c]ompared to the 2022 FCC Urban Rate Survey – Fixed Broadband Service Reasonable Comparability Benchmark. $105/mo (FCC Benchmark) vs. $50/mo w/AutoPay (T-Mobile 5G Home Internet). Speeds & features vary."
NAD determined that the basis of comparison for T-Mobile's "save up to 50%" claim (i.e., the National FCC Broadband Rate Benchmark) is not clear in the challenged television commercial because the claim appears on screen for two seconds and the term "benchmark" is open to interpretation in this context. NAD found that even if the consumer read the entire claim, one reasonable interpretation of the term "benchmark" is that the benchmark rate is an average rate paid by Americans for home internet service. However, the Urban Rate Survey does not represent the actual price that any consumers pay, but rather a benchmark rate set by the FCC to ensure equitable pricing for rural areas. NAD noted that while the Urban Rate Survey may reliably collect internet service rate data for the purpose of informing public policy, the benchmark rate derived from this survey is not a good fit for the challenged savings claim.
NAD also determined that the "Up to 50%" savings claim is unsupported because few consumers are paying the $105 a month that T-Mobile uses as its basis for comparison from the FCC's benchmark rates.
In addition, NAD found that the FCC Rate Benchmark comparison is not a good fit for the savings claim because it was not established to NAD's satisfaction that the service tier T-Mobile selected as the basis for comparison was appropriate.
Further, NAD concluded that the advertising reasonably conveys the implied claims that consumers will save up to 50% if they purchase T-Mobile internet versus the same or a comparable service level of internet from other providers, including Charter. NAD noted that the advertising appears in a context where the advertised savings are presented as a comparison against actual prices offered in the marketplace, however, T-Mobile did not demonstrate that consumers switching to T-HINT will realize such savings.
For these reasons, NAD recommended that T-Mobile discontinue the claims:
- "Save Up to 50% vs. National FCC Broadband Rate Benchmark" *"$105/mo (FCC Urban Broadband Rate Survey Reasonable Comparability Benchmark) vs. $50/mo (T-Mobile 5G Home Internet)."
- "Save Up To 50% with T-Mobile Home Internet. Internet bills have you feeling mistreated? Get happy with T-Mobile Home Internet. Save up to 50% compared to the FCC benchmark."
- "Save Up To 50% compared to 2021 FCC Urban Rate Survey Reasonable Comparability Benchmark," and "Save Up To 50% Compared to 2022 FCC Urban Rate Survey – Fixed Broadband Service Reasonable Comparison Benchmark. $105/mo w/AutoPay (T-Mobile 5G Home Internet)."
- And the implied claims that consumers will save up to 50% if they purchase T-Mobile internet versus the same or a comparable service level of internet from other providers (including Charter).
In its advertiser statement, T-Mobile stated that it "agrees to comply with NAD's recommendations." Although the advertiser expressed disagreement with certain of NAD's findings regarding the FCC Broadband Rate Benchmark it stated that "we remain a supporter of the self-regulatory process and will take NAD's recommendations into account in future advertising."
All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive.
About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs is where businesses turn to enhance consumer trust and consumers are heard. The non-profit organization creates a fairer playing field for businesses and a better experience for consumers through the development and delivery of effective third-party accountability and dispute resolution programs. Embracing its role as an independent organization since the restructuring of the Council of Better Business Bureaus in June 2019, BBB National Programs today oversees more than a dozen leading national industry self-regulation programs, and continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-directed marketing, and privacy. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.
About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and leveling the playing field for business.
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SOURCE BBB National Programs | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/national-advertising-division-recommends-t-mobile-discontinue-claims-that-consumers-can-save-up-50-with-t-mobile-home-internet/ | 2022-08-18T15:41:29Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking originated a $76.825 million, floating-rate financing to entities associated with Denholtz Properties to finance the acquisition of Overall Creek, a 384-unit, Class A multifamily property located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville.
The property was constructed in 2020 and is a three-story, luxury, garden style apartment consisting of 384 market rate units with various floor plans ranging from one, two and three bedrooms, with an average unit size of 1,057 square feet.
The property features an amenity package that includes a well-equipped fitness center, a resort-style pool, a club house, a courtyard, outdoor gas grills, fire-pit, dog park, car wash, a hydro-massage room, tanning bed, business center and on-site maintenance staff.
The property is located in close proximity to the intersection of I-840 and I-24, providing access to downtown Nashville in less than 30 minutes.
The Nashville metro area population increased over 20% since 2010, according the 2020 U.S. Census.
Denholtz Properties is a privately held, vertically integrated commercial real estate investment and development company with a diversified portfolio of assets in strategic markets. Based in Red Bank, New Jersey with a regional headquarters in Orlando, Florida, the firm specialize in the acquisition and development of ground-up multifamily, industrial/flex and office properties.
The financing was arranged by Jon Mikula, Michael Klein, Ryan Carroll and Salvatore Buzzerio of JLL's New Jersey office.
Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking is a leading global financial institution that provides advisory, investment banking, financing, corporate banking and capital markets services to corporations, financial institutions, financial sponsors and sovereign and supranational organizations worldwide.
Our teams of experts in 30 countries advise clients on their strategic development, helping them to grow and transform their businesses, and maximize their positive impact. We are committed to supporting the environmental transition by aligning our financing balance sheet with a +1.5°C trajectory by 2050.
As part of the Global Financial Services division of Groupe BPCE, the second largest banking group in France through the Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne retail networks, Natixis CIB benefits from the Group's financial strength and solid financial ratings (Standard & Poor's: A, Moody's: A1, Fitch: A+, R&I: A+).
Press contacts:
Tara Flanagan
Prosek Partners
tflanagan@prosek.com
Tel: +1 646 818 9022
https://www.linkedin.com/company/natixis-corporate-investment-banking/
https://www.youtube.com/user/natixisvideos
https://podcast.ausha.co/green-momentum
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SOURCE Natixis | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/natixis-corporate-amp-investment-banking-provides-768-million-financing-acquisition-nashville-multifamily-property/ | 2022-08-18T15:41:34Z |
Beauty Industry Leader and Global Brand Builder to Drive Continued Growth of the Brand at the Forefront of Holistic Wellness
NEW YORK, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Naturopathica™, the leading holistic beauty and wellbeing company for natural and responsible skincare and body care, announces the appointment of Cathy O'Brien as Chief Executive Officer. As CEO, O'Brien will be responsible for accelerating Naturopathica™'s growth in the clean beauty and wellness space, driving product innovation, expanding into new channels and markets, and continuing to build on the brand's industry-leading spas and healing centers.
O'Brien has served in numerous leadership roles in the ultra-competitive and continually changing entertainment and beauty industries. She brings more than 25 years of experience building businesses, identifying and launching emerging talent to worldwide success. O'Brien is Co-Founder of Bona Fide Beauty Lab, the Beauty Brand Accelerator that works with brands at all stages of development to strategically plan, grow, and succeed.
Prior to Bona Fide, O'Brien founded AAM Brand Management Group, a full-service organization that built and executed branding and marketing strategies for female-focused clients, including LVMH Brands, Hermès, The Kellwood Company, Marimekko, Sam Edelman, Avon, Juice Press, Penhaligon's, and HINT, among others. Additionally, O'Brien has held senior positions at Estee Lauder (where she was Global Vice President of marketing and communications at Jo Malone), La Mer, Tommy Hilfiger, Prescriptives, and Kate Spade. She is also a veteran of BMG, where she was Head of the International Division of Arista Records under Clive Davis, representing Whitney Houston, Puffy Combs, Usher, Outkast, Notorious BIG, PINK, and others, and Sony Music and Capitol Records in global marketing and creative leadership roles.
During the global pandemic, O'Brien earned a Master of Social Work degree at Columbia University and has spent many years supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of women through her work with the National Domestic Violence Hotline, Mt. Sinai's SAVI program, Sanctuary for Families, and the One Love Foundation.
"I am dedicated to supporting the health and wellbeing of women through personal and supportive care. The opportunity to work with Barbara Close, the pioneer of the holistic healing space and clean skincare and body care products, to articulate and grow this vision in today's world, is a dream," said O'Brien.
"I am thrilled to have someone with Cathy's expertise and unique vision to guide our Company in our next phase of growth," said Naturopathica™ Founder, Barbara Close. "Cathy has a deep and genuine concern for the welfare of others and is uniquely suited to help us champion new frontiers in wellness."
Naturopathica™ is a skincare and body care brand famed for its use of naturopathic healing rituals and its holistic approach to beauty and well-being. Founded in 1995 by Barbara Close as the Naturopathica Healing Arts Center and Spa and the pioneer of the clean beauty space, the company is renowned for its high-performance products formulated with a hybrid of natural ingredients and clean cosmeceuticals. Naturopathica's restorative spa treatments, balms, creams, and tinctures are designed to work with nature, empowering people to take control of their well-being, and find pleasure and purpose in healing rituals that are good for the skin, the body, and the planet.
For more information, visit www.naturopathica.com
PURPLE PR, naturopathica@purplepr.com
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SOURCE Naturopathica | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/naturopathica-holistic-health-appoints-cathy-obrien-chief-executive-officer/ | 2022-08-18T15:41:40Z |
New integration provides easy access to underwriting data
NEW YORK, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NeuralMetrics, which provides fast, transparent, accurate, and actionable commercial underwriting answers and intelligence for carriers and agencies, today announced a new partnership with InsuranceGIG, an API AppMarket that connects buyers and sellers as a better way to buy insurance technology. The integration of NeuralMetrics into InsuranceGIG's platform enables agencies and carriers easy access to all of NeuralMetrics valuable underwriting data.
Using NeuralMetrics, agents can classify businesses with just a company name and address, know all of the services provided, understand associated risks, and more, including specific underwriting information requested by carriers. These answers are shared in real-time with carriers, giving them the information they need to underwrite the businesses and provide fast proposals back to the agencies. With the solution available on InsuranceGIG, it is accessible to more agencies and carriers.
InsuranceGIG is designed to make buying and selling API-based services for insurance faster, cheaper, and risk-free. Buyers are able to get introduced to more services they otherwise would not, while enjoying transactional pricing, sampling services before purchasing an entire tech stack, no long-term contracts, and the ability to bundle APIs to create custom workflows.
"We're making writing small commercial easier, faster, and more effective. Top carriers and agencies are using our solution today and seeing both market growth and increased profitability. We're thrilled to partner with InsuranceGIG to bring NeuralMetrics' capabilities to broader numbers of agencies and carriers," said Prakash Vasant, CEO of NeuralMetrics.
"We are excited to have NeurualMetrics' actionable business insights integrated into the InsuranceGIG platform. Having data, such as business classifications codes and prefilled underwriting questions available to agents at their fingertips is key to driving profitable growth, and delighting their customers," said Michael Lebor, CEO, InsuranceGIG. "Our commercial carrier partners are thrilled to have this data conveniently available via all three of InsuranceGIG's delivery mechanisms including APIs, our Chrome Extension, and our Ready-to-Go AppMarket platform."
NeuralMetrics uses artificial intelligence to extract underwriting answers from public data, transforming the commercial insurance experience for carriers, brokers, and agencies. The platform enhances insurers' underwriting capabilities, providing fast, transparent, accurate, and actionable answers from vast unstructured sources. Using natural language processing, NeuralMetrics delivers classification and intelligent underwriting. For more information, visit www.neuralmetrics.ai
InsuranceGIG is an insurance technology AppMarket designed to make buying & selling insurance data & technology – faster, cheaper and risk-free. InsuranceGIG is positioned to become one of the top 10-20 platforms in the Insurance ecosystem that will establish and socialize the framework for collaboration across operations, technology, and data across multiple companies, across multiple lines of business. Visit insurancegig.com to learn more.
CONTACT:
Candace Boyle
(610) 256-1068
candace.boyle@the10company.com
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SOURCE NeuralMetrics | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/neuralmetrics-partners-with-insurancegig/ | 2022-08-18T15:41:47Z |
The new design offers dairy, personal care and plant-based processors a higher level of hygiene and food safety
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SPX FLOW, Inc., a leading provider of process solutions for the nutrition, health and industrial markets, has announced a new APV Aseptic Rapid Recovery System that is unlike others on the market. The new technology, featuring steam barriers and pressurization, is the first with this design for high-value and sensitive products. The design offers dairy and plant-based processors a sustainable way to increase productivity, reduce waste and provide greater product yields while offering the highest level of food safety.
The market for ambient yogurt and dessert — which use aseptic systems — is on the rise. Ambient yogurts are heat-treated after fermentation, providing similar benefits as cold yogurt but with a longer shelf life. These products demand an aseptic setup for downstream process. SPX FLOW's new recovery system is a perfect fit for this application, saving more high-value product through a quicker cleaning process. It can also be used for other high-viscosity products, including creams, cosmetics and nutraceuticals.
"Customers no longer need to flush valuable products down the drain," said Pranav Shah, SPX FLOW Market Director of Dairy, Beverage and Plant-Based. "This exciting new offering for our customers can help across the board — from a more sustainable process to less plant downtime to higher yields for neutral pH, low acidic products."
The Aseptic Rapid Recovery System is designed to clear product from process pipes in a more sustainable way — using approximately 60 to 70 percent less water compared to other cleaning systems. The Rapid Recovery System can easily retrofit into existing plants, providing them the ability to expand their product lines into more ambient offerings.
"One of the best parts is that businesses do not need to overhaul their system to benefit from these upgrades," Shah says. "The parts are accessible, serviceable and ergonomic, so they fit into small spaces without having to make major changes."
Customers using the Rapid Recovery System will have peace of mind knowing that they have the highest quality products and customer service by choosing SPX FLOW. Parts are traceable and the system is optimized for aftermarket parts, including valves, actuators and gaskets that are already in inventory.
"We're always looking to be on the forefront when it comes to helping our customers with their sustainability, hygiene and safety goals," says Shah. "With this growing trend in ambient and long-life food and beverage products, we hope that more businesses will be able to use the benefits of this system to grow and innovate for their customers, as well."
Watch the APV Aseptic Rapid Recovery System in action: https://youtu.be/fU92lWCqLH8
Visit SPX FLOW's Aseptic Rapid Recovery System page to learn more.
Based in Charlotte, N.C., SPX FLOW, Inc. improves the world through innovative and sustainable solutions. The company's product offering is concentrated in process technologies that perform mixing, blending, fluid handling, separation, thermal heat transfer and other activities that are integral to processes performed across a wide variety of nutrition, health and industrial markets.
SPX FLOW had approximately $1.5 billion in 2021 annual revenues and has operations in more than 30 countries and sales in more than 140 countries. To learn more about SPX FLOW, please visit www.spxflow.com.
Media Contact:
Melissa Buscher, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
Melissa.Buscher@spxflow.com
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SOURCE SPX FLOW, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/new-aseptic-rapid-recovery-system-offers-safe-sustainable-process-more-product-recovery/ | 2022-08-18T15:41:53Z |
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The CPSC announces today the following recalls are posted in cooperation with the firms listed below. Recalls can be viewed at www.cpsc.gov.
ASUS Computer International Recalls ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero Motherboards Due to Fire and Burn Hazards
https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2022/ASUS-Computer-International-Recalls-ASUS-ROG-Maximus-Z690-Hero-Motherboards-Due-to-Fire-and-Burn-Hazards
Hard Rock Recalls Children's Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings Due to Strangulation Hazard
https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2022/Hard-Rock-Recalls-Childrens-Hooded-Sweatshirts-with-Drawstrings-Due-to-Strangulation-Hazard
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
For lifesaving information:
- Visit CPSC.gov.
- Sign up to receive our e-mail alerts.
- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC.
- Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
- Call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
- Contact a media specialist.
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SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/new-product-safety-recalls/ | 2022-08-18T15:41:59Z |
NORD's annual rare disease conference on October 17 and 18 in Washington, DC will showcase two days of insightful speakers, discussions, and in-person connection
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The NORD® Rare Diseases & Orphan Products Breakthrough Summit® – the most highly anticipated, global rare disease conference of the year, every year – will be hosted on October 17 and 18, 2022 in Washington, DC.
NORD Summit begins with a Patient/Caregiver Opening Address to underscore the event's focus on individuals and families, and how the larger rare community can work together to improve the lives of those affected by rare diseases. This year's address, "Finding Our Community," will feature three speakers whose passion is for rare disease advocacy and sharing their strength with those on their own rare journeys.
- Brittany Clayborne, MS, PsyD, is a mother, nonprofit founder, organ donor educator, and a stage 4 Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder survivor.
- Nakisha Isom is a support group leader, children's book author, advocate, and one of seven members of her family living with Holt-Oram Syndrome.
- Annie Papik is a researcher at CWRU School of Nursing by day and a fighter, caregiver, mom, and a rare undiagnosed disease advocate by night.
Returning to in-person sessions, Lunch & Learn discussion groups, networking opportunities, and poster presentations, the two-day Summit has just unveiled its full 2022 agenda, which features a diverse set of thought leaders, impactful resources, and key discussions on emerging issues, including accelerated approval, data sharing, patient voice at FDA and patient-focused drug development, and global and equitable access to health services.
The full conference agenda and pricing options are available at nordsummit.org! Other expert speakers this year include:
- James Baumberger, Senior Director, Federal Policy, American Academy of Pediatrics
- PJ Brooks, PhD, Acting Director, Division of Rare Diseases Research Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Science, National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS), NIH
- Patrizia Cavazzoni, MD, Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Michelle Davis, Executive Director, International Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Association
- Kathleen Donohue, MD, Director, Division of Rare Diseases and Medical Genetics, CDER, FDA
- Peter Marks, MD, PhD, Director, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), FDA
- Vinaya Murthy, MPH, MS, LCGC, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine
- Adora Ndu, PharmD, JD, Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer, BridgeBio Pharma
- Jack Rollins, MPH, Director of Federal Policy, National Association of Medicaid Directors
- Jeffrey Shuren, MD, JD, Director, Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), FDA
- David Whiteman, MD, Vice President Research & Development; Global Program Leader, Rare Diseases Therapeutic Area Unit, Takeda Pharmaceuticals
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is the leading independent advocacy organization representing all patients and families affected by rare diseases in the United States. NORD began as a small group of patient advocates that formed a coalition to unify and mobilize support to pass the Orphan Drug Act of 1983. Since then, the organization has led the way in voicing the needs of the rare disease community, driving supportive policies, furthering education, advancing medical research, and providing patient and family services for those who need them most. Together with over 330 disease-specific member organizations, more than 17,000 Rare Action Network advocates across all 50 states, and national and global partners, NORD delivers on its mission to improve the lives of those impacted by rare diseases. Visit rarediseases.org.
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SOURCE National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/nord-breakthrough-summit-2022-highly-anticipated-rare-disease-conference-announces-keynote-speakers-session-topics/ | 2022-08-18T15:42:06Z |
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM") announces that investors with substantial losses have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit against Outset Medical, Inc. ("Outset" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: OM).
Class Period: September 15, 2020 – June 13, 2022
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: September 6, 2022
If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the Outset lawsuit, you can submit your contact information at www.glancylaw.com/cases/outset-medical-inc/. You can also contact Charles H. Linehan, of GPM at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, or via email at shareholders@glancylaw.com to learn more about your rights.
The complaint filed alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Defendants had "continuously made improvements and updates to Tablo over time since its original clearance" that required an additional 510(k) application; (2) as a result, the Company could not conduct a human factors study on a cleared device in accordance with FDA protocols; (3) the Company's inability to conduct the human factors study subjected the Company to the likelihood of the FDA imposing a "shipment hold" and marketing suspension, leaving the Company unable to sell the Tablo for home use; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
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To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact Charles Linehan, Esquire, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, by email to shareholders@glancylaw.com, or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
Contacts
Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP, Los Angeles
Charles Linehan, 310-201-9150 or 888-773-9224
shareholders@glancylaw.com
www.glancylaw.com
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SOURCE Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/om-investors-have-opportunity-lead-outset-medical-inc-securities-fraud-lawsuit/ | 2022-08-18T15:42:13Z |
Network Device Authentication Solution to Automate Government IT Connectivity
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Optiv, the cyber advisory and solutions leader, today announced it has been awarded the first major enterprise contract under Shared Services Canada's (SSC) cybersecurity procurement vehicle (CSPV) for its network device authentication (NDA) solution, which aims to establish a collaborative environment to effectively manage device certificates across federal government IT infrastructure.
Today's workforces and their devices are more distributed than ever, leading to a rapidly expanding threat landscape. Enterprises and governments alike must be able to proactively and jointly respond to emerging cyber threats, while also providing timely and appropriate access to trusted devices.
The first of its kind, Optiv Canada's NDA solution is delivered in partnership with Venafi, the leader in securing machine identities, and Crypto4A, a next generation hybrid security platform, which manages the lifecycle of device keys for zero trust-based architectures. The combined offering allows Canada to move away from manual device management by leveraging automation to address the proliferation of interconnected devices.
"It's estimated there will be nearly 1.5 million devices connected to the Government of Canada's infrastructure at any one time within the next four years. A manual approach to network access is unsustainable and opens everyone up to operational and security risks," said Optiv's Cheryl McGrath, area vice president and country general manager, Canada. "Our NDA project provides a new set of infrastructure-wide solutions for device authentication, allowing for automated provisioning and the capacity to adapt without expensive hardware changes."
"The realities of digital transformation mean that every organization, including governmental agencies, are facing unprecedented growth in the number of machines on their networks," said Kevin Bocek, vice president, security strategy and threat intelligence at Venafi. "With this decision, the Canadian Federal Government is demonstrating their commitment to their vision of a strong machine identity management strategy which is essential to the security of the systems that underpin our digital world. This vision is not possible without a strong network device authentication program which is the cornerstone of identity and security."
"We thank both Optiv and Venafi for the opportunity to add value to the NDA solution. We believe new approaches to providing secure access, authentication and verification of machine identities are required for the opportunities and challenges of digital transformation in zero-trust environments", said John Scott, Chair and CEO of Crypto4A.
With NDA, Canada is laying a secure foundation for zero trust, network access control, enhanced compliance and an improved user experience. Optiv and its partners are looking to deliver for the Government of Canada the same objective-driven outcomes it does for clients in any other vertical of business and IT operations.
For the latest news and updates from Optiv, visit https://www.optiv.com/company/optiv-newsroom.
Follow Optiv
Twitter: www.twitter.com/optiv
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/optiv-inc
Facebook: www.facebook.com/optivinc
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/OptivInc
Blog: www.optiv.com/explore-optiv-insights/blog
Optiv Security: Secure greatnessTM
Optiv is the cyber advisory and solutions leader, delivering strategic and technical expertise to more than 7,000 companies across every major industry. We partner with organizations to advise, deploy and operate complete cybersecurity programs from strategy and managed security services to risk, integration and technology solutions. With clients at the center of our unmatched ecosystem of people, products, partners and programs, we accelerate business progress like no other company can. At Optiv, we manage cyber risk so you can secure your full potential. For more information, visit www.optiv.com.
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SOURCE Optiv Security Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/optiv-canada-awarded-first-enterprise-contract-under-federal-governments-cybersecurity-procurement-vehicle/ | 2022-08-18T15:42:20Z |
OAAA OOH Ad Revenue Report Also Shows Q2 2022 Up 28.9% YOY
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Out of home (OOH) advertising revenue increased 28.9 percent in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the previous year, accounting for $2.62 billion, based on figures released by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA). These Q2 revenues are roughly equivalent to pre-pandemic highs, when Q2 2019 OOH revenues totaled a record-breaking $2.69 billion. Year-to-date through June, OOH revenue is now at $4.43 billion, and up 33.4 percent compared to the same period in 2021 – in line with the first half of 2019, at $4.47 billion.
The digital OOH format led total OOH growth with a 37 percent increase over second quarter 2021. The Billboard and Street Furniture categories increased double digits, while the Transit and Place-Based categories rose triple digits reflecting a strong pandemic recovery.
"This is a watershed moment – with OOH revenues nearly matching historic, pre-pandemic highs," said Anna Bager, President and CEO, OAAA. "I am confident that these gains will continue. Recent Comscore research found that OOH delivers tremendous value in comparison to other channels, so we are in a good position to continue this momentum, despite any economic headwinds."
Eight of the top ten product industry categories increased double digits led by Public Transportation, Hotels and Resorts industry category at a 56.5 percent jump, which reflects recent reporting of increased consumer spending on services. The next four best performing industry categories all increased more than 30 percent, and included Financial, Media & Advertising, Government Politics and Organizations, and Schools Camps and Seminars.
Specific segments which were top revenue performers within the product industry categories, ranked by total OOH ad spend, included):
- Hospitals, Clinics & Medical Centers +13%
- Legal Services +18%
- Quick Serve Restaurants +20%
- Consumer Banking +36%
- Domestic Hotels & Resorts +35%
- Local Government +20%
- Colleges & Universities +29%
- Real Estate Agents, Agencies & Brokers +39%
- Computer Software (excluding games & education) +321%
- Food Stores & Supermarkets (chain) +13%
Ranked in order of OOH spending, the top 10 advertisers in the second quarter were McDonald's, Apple, Geico, Universal Pictures, Anheuser-Busch, American Express, Amazon, HBO, Dunkin, and T-Mobile.
Almost four in five (78%) of the top 100 OOH advertisers increased their OOH spend from Q2 2021, and over a quarter (27%) more than doubled their spend. Advertisers on this list who did not spend in Q2 2021 included: Capital One, Expedia, IHG, Canada, and Thirty Madison.
Over 20 percent (22) of the top 100 OOH spenders were technology or direct-to-consumer brands, eight were quick service restaurants brands, and seven were healthcare related (providers or insurers).
OAAA issues full industry pro forma revenue estimates that include, but are not limited to, Miller Kaplan and Kantar Media (which is not adjusted to reflect changes in data sources), and member company affidavits. Revenue estimates include digital and static billboard, street furniture, transit, place-based, and cinema advertising.
For detailed charts, go to https://bit.ly/3wbSlV7 and https://bit.ly/3ppb4ZB.
About the OAAA
The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) is the national trade association for the $8.6 billion U.S. out of home advertising (OOH) industry, which includes digital out of home (DOOH), and is comprised of billboards, street furniture, transit advertising, and place-based media (including cinema).
OAAA is comprised of 800+ member media companies, advertisers, agencies, ad-tech providers, and suppliers that represent over 90 percent of the industry. OAAA is a unified voice, an authoritative thought leader, and a passionate advocate that protects, unites, and advances OOH advertising in the United States.
OAAA-member media companies donate over $500 million in public service advertising annually. Every year, the industry celebrates and rewards OOH creativity via its renowned OBIE Awards (obieawards.org). For more information, please visit oaaa.org.
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SOURCE Out of Home Advertising Association of America | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/out-home-advertising-revenues-q2-2022-hit-262-billion-par-with-pre-pandemic-record-highs-2019/ | 2022-08-18T15:42:26Z |
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Oxford Capital Group, LLC announces today the successful recapitalization of its construction debt and equity at its newest California-based hotel property, The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood, including senior debt from Alliance Bernstein and preferred equity from Related Fund Management. On the heels of its first full year in Los Angeles, The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood—a 220-room luxury lifestyle hotel with the SoCal-centric restaurant and bar ALK; a courtyard event space with seven adjacent hospitality suites; and the 12,000 square foot I|O rooftop (Hollywood's largest rooftop space), featuring a 70-foot projection mapping video wall, two bars, swimming pool, fire pits and water feature—will continue to be sponsored and managed by Oxford Capital Group, LLC and Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC, respectively. After opening its doors in August 2021, The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood is Oxford's 10th California property, and 12th in the Western region.
"We are excited not only to see continued institutional interest in our growing portfolio of lifestyle brands and assets nationwide, but also to have recapitalized our construction capital stack with two world class firms shortly after successfully developing and opening the property," says Sarang Peruri, Chief Operating Officer of Oxford Capital Group, LLC and Partner of Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC.
John W. Rutledge, founder, chairman, and CEO of Oxford Capital Group, LLC and Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC, adds: "In this time of capital market volatility and inflation, closing a complex recapitalization of this nature was gratifying. This successful transaction is a testament to the resilience and growth prospects of Los Angeles and the dynamism of the Hollywood submarket."
Michael Straw from Hodges Ward Elliott, who advised on the transaction, noted, "Despite a challenging capital markets environment, the operational expertise of Oxford Capital Group combined with the asset quality of The Godfrey Hotel created a competitive landscape for the senior debt. Alliance Bernstein's strength in the hospitality lending space uniquely positioned their platform to provide a strategic loan."
Located in the vibrant heart of Southern California's most iconic neighborhood, The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood sits one block south of Sunset Blvd. and is a short walk from many of the region's most sought-after destinations. This includes the famed Hollywood Bowl amphitheater, Universal Studios, the Capitol Records building, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, and more. With art fabricated by Los Angeles native artist Nick Petronzio in partnership with curator Kevin Barry Fine Art, interior designer The Gettys Group and architect Steinberg Hart, this all-new 220-room hotel embodies the energy of—and in a way defines—new Hollywood. It arrived at an exciting time for the neighborhood as major entertainment, tech, and creative houses now call the area home including Netflix, Live Nation, Fender, and Buzzfeed. Locals and visitors alike enjoy the property's SoCal-centric restaurant and bar ALK and the 12,000 square foot I|O rooftop, featuring a 70-foot projection mapping video wall, two bars, swimming pool, fire pits and water feature. The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood is Oxford Hotels & Resorts 10th hotel in California and 12th in the western region. To learn more about The Godfrey Hollywood, visit www.godfreyhotelhollywood.com, or follow along @godfreyhotelhollywood on Instagram.
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SOURCE The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/oxford-capital-group-llc-announces-successful-recapitalization-godfrey-hotel-hollywood-brands-first-west-coast-location/ | 2022-08-18T15:42:33Z |
The integration of Amazon Translate within Pairaphrase's translation management software enables organizations to achieve human-quality language translation using neural networks & deep learning.
BIRMINGHAM, Mich., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Enterprise language translation software company Pairaphrase has integrated Amazon Web Services' machine translation engine into its premium translation software solution. Its users now have the option to translate with Amazon Translate to create custom translations, helping users get closer than ever to achieving human-quality translations.
Amazon Translate produces custom translations on demand by leveraging its own artificial neural networks and deep learning system, along with a user's glossaries and translation memories.
"At Pairaphrase, we're thrilled to make the power of Amazon Translate's engine accessible to our TMS users. Users should expect to invest a little more time upfront building their glossaries and translation memories when using the AWS engine. However, this will yield a larger return over time by reducing translation-related costs and almost eliminating post-editing" says Pairaphrase CTO, Rick Woyde.
The company has confirmed that when using AWS Translate in Pairaphrase, the Pairaphrase user interface does not change. Pairaphrase now also supports CSV glossary files, making it easier for users to import the glossaries necessary for getting the most out of the AWS translation engine.
Pairaphrase puts advanced translation technologies into the hands of everyday business users to reduce the time and costs associated with the production of secure, high-quality translations. For more information about Pairaphrase, please contact Rick Woyde at rickw@pairaphrase.com or visit https://www.pairaphrase.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Rick Woyde
CTO
Pairaphrase LLC
rickw@pairaphrase.com
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SOURCE Pairaphrase | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/pairaphrase-integrates-amazon-translates-engine-into-its-tms-software/ | 2022-08-18T15:42:39Z |
PHOENIX, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sparklight®, a member of the Cable One family of brands, was recently named to PC Magazine's list of the top 10 Fastest Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the nation for the second consecutive year.
The leader for rigorous, labs-based comparative reviews of internet products, PC Magazine tested ISPs across the country based on upload and download speeds via PCMag Speedtest from June 1, 2021, to June 7, 2022.
"We're incredibly honored to once again be ranked by PC Magazine as one of the top 10 Fastest ISPs in U.S.," said Julie Laulis, President and CEO. "We continue to invest in our infrastructure to ensure our customers have access to a state-of-the-art network designed to support the high-speed internet needs of our customers and communities – today and in the future. Whether they are working, learning, gaming or streaming from home, we are pleased to provide our customers with a seamless, best in class experience."
Sparklight currently offers speeds up to 1 Gigabit for residential customers and up to 5 Gigabits for business customers over its fiber-powered network. With investments of nearly $950 million over the past three years, the company is laying the groundwork to launch speeds as fast as 10 Gigabits (10G) and beyond. Delivering speed 10 times faster than today's networks, 10G will transform the customer experience, creating new possibilities for smart cities, connected homes, virtual and augmented reality and business.
Earlier this year, Sparklight was named among the top 10 on PC Magazine's Best Gaming ISPs list for 2022.
For more information about Sparklight, visit www.sparklight.com.
Sparklight® is a leading broadband communications provider and a member of the Cable One family of brands, which serves more than 1.1 million residential and business customers in 24 states. Sparklight provides consumers with a wide array of connectivity and entertainment services, including high-speed internet and advanced Wi-Fi solutions, cable television and phone service. Sparklight Business provides scalable and cost-effective products for businesses ranging in size from small to mid-market, in addition to enterprise, wholesale and carrier customers.
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SOURCE Cable One | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/pc-magazine-ranks-sparklight-among-2022s-top-10-fastest-internet-service-providers/ | 2022-08-18T15:42:46Z |
LEHI, Utah, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PCF Insurance Services (PCF), a top 20 U.S. insurance brokerage firm, announced today its acquisition of John E. Peakes Insurance Agency, Inc., a family-owned, full-service personal lines agency based in Ventura, California.
The partnership allows PCF Insurance to expand its portfolio into niche markets in the high-growth small business industries, including gym and fitness, restaurants, and apartment buildings.
Marshberry advised John E. Peakes Insurance Agency, Inc. on the transaction.
"We're delighted to welcome the John E. Peakes Insurance Agency, Inc. to PCF," says Peter C. Foy, Chairman, Founder, and CEO of PCF Insurance. "They have a proven track record serving clients for over 50 years in high-growth niche markets and will provide PCF with additional scale in Southern California. President Chad Peakes is an outstanding young leader keenly focused on agency growth."
PCF Insurance's agency-centric operating model and entrepreneurial environment support its tremendous growth profile, offering Agency Partners alignment through equity ownership, significant leadership incentives, and resources throughout the U.S.
"PCF Insurance has allowed us to focus on our family of customers while looking toward future growth," says Chad Peakes, President of John E. Peakes Insurance Agency, Inc. "PCF shares our core values, and the collaboration has been exhilarating."
The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
In 2022, PCF Insurance has completed or has under a letter of intent 104 acquisitions, continuing its industry-leading mergers and acquisitions (M&A) pace.
About John E. Peakes Insurance Agency, Inc.
Headquartered in Ventura, California, John E. Peakes Insurance Agency, Inc. has been family-owned and operated since 1969. Its mission is to "treat everyone like family." They match each client with the best coverage option from over 30 different insurance companies at first interaction and each renewal. They offer personal, business, gym, fitness studios, restaurants, and apartment building insurance options. Learn more at peakesinsurance.com.
About PCF Insurance Services
A top 20 U.S. broker headquartered in Lehi, Utah, PCF Insurance Services is a leading full-service consultant and insurance brokerage firm offering a broad array of commercial, life and health, employee benefits, and workers' compensation solutions. Propelled by its people, PCF Insurance's agency-centric operating model and entrepreneurial environment support its tremendous growth profile, offering partners alignment through equity ownership, significant leadership incentives, and resources to over 3,100 employees throughout the U.S. Recognized as a top acquirer by The Hales Report, ranked #20 on Business Insurance's 2022 Top 100 Brokers and #13 on Insurance Journal's 2022 Top Property/Casualty Agencies, PCF Insurance is a notable leader in the insurance space. Learn more at pcfins.com.
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SOURCE PCF Insurance Services | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/pcf-insurance-services-acquires-california-based-john-e-peakes-insurance-agency-inc/ | 2022-08-18T15:42:53Z |
SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading commercial service robot manufacturer Pudu Robotics has been expanding rapidly throughout the European market in recent months. So far, Pudu Robotics' advanced intelligent service robots such as KettyBot and BellaBot are being used by more than 50 brands and businesses in Europe to improve operations across a wide range of scenarios, proving superior usability and adaptability of PUDU services.
Thanks to the products' wide-ranging utility, PUDU Robots are being used in a great variety of different scenarios. In Poland, oil refining conglomerate, Shell, are leveraging the BellaBot and KettyBot to operate Europe's first automated service station, greeting customers, informing them of current promotional campaigns, and assisting with order delivery. PUDU Robots are also making appearances in other venues, including European electronics retailer Media Markt in the Netherlands, McDonald's in Slovenia, Pizza Hut and KFC in Poland, Nevins Newfield Inn in Ireland, as well as a photography and videography studio in Italy.
Regarding the growth in Europe, founder and CEO of Pudu Robotics, Felix Zhang said, "At PUDU, we see the European market as an important focus for growth and development. European businesses are amongst the most scrupulous with tech innovation, and we believe our industry-leading product range is capable of rising to the challenge. Moving forward, we plan to continue our expansion throughout Europe and provide the very best in commercial service robots to partners around the world."
Outside of Europe, Pudu Robotics has also been serving businesses in other growing regions, leading to the brand's truly global reach. In Jordan, the company recently started a strategic cooperation with Coca-Cola and M&Ms to use the high-end delivery robot, BellaBot, to assist promotional activities in major supermarkets. The BellaBot has also become part of the Filipino chain of fast-food restaurants Jollibee's cool new store innovations. The continuous growth across diverse and highly demanding industries marks the company as a clear leader in the development and deployment of commercial service robots, with a number of successful case studies clearly showing the devices' superior quality and design.
Alongside growing user numbers, Pudu Robotics has continued to focus on R&D and product design, as evidenced by the release of the PuduBot 2 in July this year. The more versatile PuduBot 2 is equipped with a high-performance lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, features self-developed PUDU SLAM technology for superior navigation, dual lidar sensors, and industry-first fusing laser and visual positioning navigation technology. In addition, the device is capable of marker-less deployment to reduce deployment time by 75% without having to redecorate ceilings and ensures stable operation even in high-ceilinged environments of up to 40m.
With its many years of expertise in the industry and continuous effort to enrich the service space and expand application scenarios of its products, Pudu Robotics is ready to serve international users and further expand the company's reach.
For more information on Pudu Robotics, please visit www.pudurobotics.com
Or follow us on social media:
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About Pudu Robotics
Shenzhen-based and founded in 2016, Pudu Robotics is a world-leading tech-focused enterprise dedicated to the design, R&D, production and sales of commercial service robots, which aims to use robots to improve the efficiency of human production and living, Pudu Robotics has been rapidly growing in recent years to become a "leader" in the global markets with coverage of over 60 countries and regions worldwide.
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SOURCE Pudu Robotics | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/pudu-robotics-continues-strong-european-growth-now-servicing-50-businesses/ | 2022-08-18T15:43:00Z |
Local 50 Members Take to the Picket Line Over Unfair Labor Practices at Illinois-Based Concrete Hauling Company
CENTREVILLE, Ill., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Teamsters Local 50 ready-mix drivers at SRM Construction Material & Supply went on an unfair labor practice (ULP) strike yesterday over the company's refusal to negotiate a fair contract.
Throughout negotiations, Local 50 put forward proposals in an effort to reach an agreement and keep members working. The company responded by fully rejecting the union's offers, and made counter proposals that would take away health and welfare and retirement benefits from workers. The previous agreement expired on June 30.
"These workers haul concrete every day, as this company and its owner profits. The company cut drivers' wages by over $6 per hour prior to even beginning negotiations," said Pat Nichols, President of Local 50. "There is no reason and no excuse for this anti-worker behavior. We will fight united for a strong agreement and better working conditions!"
SRM Construction Material & Supply retained $456,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding, Nichols noted. Moreover, the company failed to provide drivers with personal protective equipment (PPE) or a hazard pay bonus.
"My brothers and I are standing together in this fight. We have full faith in our union and know that the Teamsters—both locally and internationally—will support us through this battle," said Aaron Epps, a ready-mix driver for the company and shop steward at Local 50.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.
Contact:
Daniel Moskowitz, (770) 262-4971
dmoskowitz@teamster.org
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SOURCE Teamsters Local 50 | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/ready-mix-teamsters-strike-srm-construction-material-amp-supply/ | 2022-08-18T15:43:06Z |
New National Restaurant Association survey finds the economy is disrupting service across the industry
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Running a restaurant right now is a daily turn at Jenga®, with operators carefully pulling from the foundation of their operating plans to prop up new supports in a changing economy.
The costs of goods restaurateurs need most have continued to accelerate, and according to a new survey released today by the National Restaurant Association, 46% of operators say business conditions are worse now than they were three months ago.
This finding follows a prior survey in which 43% of operators said they think conditions will worsen in the next six months, which was the highest level of pessimism since 2008.
"Running a restaurant is a balancing act requiring adaptation and innovation, two areas where restaurateurs excel," said Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association. "And while operators are more pessimistic about the economy, they are working hard to continue to provide quality and value for customers. Serving great food, providing exceptional service, and creating a memorable experience remains the foundation of every restaurant."
Findings from the new survey highlight how current economic conditions are disrupting the industry.
Soaring costs are limiting restaurant operations
Approximately 95% of a restaurant's sales dollars go to food, labor, and operating costs — all of which are increasing each month. While wholesale food prices have increased 16.3% in the last 12 months, menu prices have only risen 7.6% in the same period and only 16% of operators report adding fees or surcharges to customer checks. The result: Profits are suffering. 85% of operators say their restaurant is less profitable than it was in 2019.
- In the new survey, 88% of operators said their total food and beverage costs are higher than 2019 and across the board, many other costs are up.
"Consumers are watching prices rise faster in grocery stores than they are in restaurants and see an increased value in spending their food dollars in restaurants. However, the moderate menu price increases aren't balancing the surging input costs and this is forcing operators to cut hours, change their menus, postpone expansions, and reduce third-party delivery," said Korsmo.
Pandemic debt has come due, and operators can't pay
During the first two years of the pandemic, 65% of restaurants took on new loan debt to adjust business models and continue operating. According to the new survey, the loans were a mix of forgivable government loans, government disaster loans, and private-sector loans.
- Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans were the most common — taken on by 59% of operators.
- 48% of operators took on an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration or lending partner.
- 31% took on a private-sector loan from a bank, credit card or other entity.
"For many operators who received EIDL loans, the deferment period for payment will soon end and it will be an overwhelming challenge for a majority of them to begin repayment right now," said Korsmo. "According to our latest survey, of the operators who have not begun loan repayment, only 23% say they will be able to make principal and interest payments. Another 46% expect to be able to pay the principal, but not 30 months of accrued interest."
Restaurants are slowly adding jobs to get back to pre-pandemic employment levels
A strong majority of restaurants are still actively seeking to fill positions — even as they face building headwinds of a slowing economy. Despite adding 74,000 jobs in July, in the new survey, 65% of operators report not having enough employees to support customer demand and 84% of operators say they will likely hire additional employees during the next six months.
- 19% of fullservice operators say their restaurant is currently more than 20% below necessary staffing levels.
- 21% of limited-service operators say their restaurant is more than 20% below required staffing levels.
- 81% of operators say their restaurant currently has job openings that are difficult to fill.
"Diners choose restaurants for the hospitality and experiences they get at our tables, and we hire talented people to create that atmosphere. While many industries are beginning to slow their hiring, ours continues to rebuild our workforce. The restaurant industry has good-paying jobs available at every experience level for people from every background. And these jobs provide the skills necessary to be successful in any career, and in life," said Korsmo.
The National Restaurant Association Research Group conducted the new operator survey of 4,200 restaurant operators July 14- Aug. 5, 2022. Find a report of key findings here.
About the National Restaurant Association
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises nearly 1 million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 14.5 million employees. Together with 52 State Associations, we are a network of professional organizations dedicated to serving every restaurant through advocacy, education, and food safety. We sponsor the industry's largest trade show (National Restaurant Association Show); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF's ProStart). For more information, visit Restaurant.org and find @WeRRestaurants on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
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SOURCE National Restaurant Association | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/restaurant-operators-endure-weaker-business-conditions-economic-pessimism-grows/ | 2022-08-18T15:43:12Z |
Groundbreaking ABM and offline marketing engagement collaboration helps B2B marketers create more relevant and better-timed account engagement
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Account-based marketing platform RollWorks, a division of NextRoll, today teamed up with Postal.io, the leading offline marketing engagement platform, to help B2B organizations create automated offline campaigns that engage the right accounts and contacts at the right time in the buying journey to achieve a fully integrated, truly omni-channel ABM strategy.
The new RollWorks and Postal partnership marks Postal's first workflow collaboration with an ABM company and is made possible by connecting data in Hubspot. "Postal's offline engagement platform optimizes omni-channel campaigns at scale," said Mike Stocker, VP of Partnerships at RollWorks. "Together, and through a HubSpot connection, RollWorks and Postal help marketers ensure that these sending and gifting campaigns are data driven and result in better conversions."
As businesses are increasingly adding offline engagement into all marketing, sales, and human resource playbooks, the $120B direct mail, personalized incentive, and branded swag industry is burgeoning. Postal's integrated offline marketing platform helps organizations of all sizes manage their offline channels to increase sales velocity and employee engagement, and drive brand loyalty. Now, RollWorks and Postal customers can:
- Initiate a Postal gift when an account is spiking
- Trigger direct mail when an account shows intent or progresses in the buying journey
- Automate gift sending to key stakeholders when target accounts reach certain engagement thresholds, such as number of impressions, ad clicks, or page views
"The increased demand of Offline Marketing Engagement is a testament to a change in the way companies are engaging with prospects, customers, and employees," said Erik Kostelnik, CEO of Postal.io. "Through the power of Postal and RollWorks, when you can orchestrate digital ABM programs with offline, your programs no longer have to be siloed and episodic. They are systematic, which ultimately drives efficiency and better outcomes."
In June, RollWorks announced Sales Insights for HubSpot, an ABM tool that provides a 360-degree view of accounts throughout the buying journey to help B2B marketers drive more timely and efficient sales outreach. One unique feature of Sales Insights for HubSpot is Account Spike, which uses a data science model to flag accounts spiking in engagement compared to that account's engagement baseline. By uncovering these account engagement signals with a company's website and ads, sales and marketing teams can activate gifting campaigns based on account engagement activity.
Head to RollWorks' website to learn more about the RollWorks and Postal.io integration and how you can create automated offline campaigns at scale.
RSVP for RollWorks and Postal.io's Rock N Bowl Event at HubSpot INBOUND 2022, Wednesday, September 7, from 6:30 - 9:30 pm ET. And check out the complete list of RollWorks events at HubSpot INBOUND activities here.
RollWorks, a division of NextRoll, offers ambitious B2B companies an account-based platform to align their marketing and sales teams and confidently grow revenue. Powered by proprietary data and machine learning, RollWorks' solutions address the needs of organizations large and small — from those with best-in-class ABM programs to those just beginning their exploration. By empowering teams to identify their target accounts and key buyers, reach those accounts across multiple channels, and measure program effectiveness in their system-of-record, RollWorks is an indispensable platform for marketers and sellers who believe that an account-based approach is just good business. To learn more visit www.rollworks.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Postal is the leading Offline Marketing Automation Platform that creates memorable moments for organizations to generate leads, increase sales velocity, and retain happy customers. With the largest marketplace of direct mail, e-gift cards, personalized gifts, custom swag, and virtual events, Postal customers see significant time and cost savings when leveraging the automated system. Postal, a venture-backed startup, is integrated with all major sales and marketing technology and led by a nationally recognized founding team with multiple successful $mm exits. Postal is made with love in San Luis Obispo, CA and is focused on taking care of employees, customers, and partners.
Melissa Rossiter
press@rollworks.com
480.749.4324
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SOURCE RollWorks | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/rollworks-expands-tech-partner-ecosystem-with-new-postalio-partnership/ | 2022-08-18T15:43:19Z |
New models are designed for modern office environments, offering streamlined workflow features, enhanced connectivity and leading security.
MONTVALE, N.J., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA), a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation (SEC), today announces the new BP-70M75 and BP-70M90 High Volume Monochrome Series of document systems. Designed to fit today's diverse workstyles, these new models enable workers to collaborate and share information seamlessly and securely throughout their office environment, even while working remotely.
From media handling to workflow and collaboration, the BP-70M75 and BP-70M90 models deliver the features businesses need to get the job done, at speeds up to 75 ppm and 90 ppm. Enhanced cloud services such as Microsoft Teams and Google Drive make it easy to streamline communication, and native Universal Print capability allows these models to integrate seamlessly with Microsoft 365 environments that leverage simplified print management.
"In an age of diverse workstyles, the need for seamless collaboration between colleagues has never been more critical," says Shane Coffey, Vice President, Product Management, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America. "We're excited to offer these new high volume monochrome document systems to help organizations streamline communication and work simply smarter."
The BP-70M75 and BP-70M90 utilize the latest technology to help users work more efficiently. Time-saving features such as multi-sheet feed detection and enhanced auto skew correction help users speed through their jobs. The 300-sheet duplexing, single-pass feature scans documents at up to 280 images per minute for enhanced productivity and efficiency. Leading security technology is also built into the BP-70M75 and BP-70M90 to help organizations protect their data. Features such as a system integrity check at startup, firmware attack prevention with self recovery, as well as optional antivirus protection powered by Bitdefender® help protect from malicious intruders.
The BP High Volume Monochrome models are ENERGY STAR® 3.0 qualified and RoHS compliant, and have one of the lowest typical energy consumption values in their category. The BP-70M90 is expected to ship immediately while the BP-70M75 will be available later this year.
About Sharp Electronics Corporation
Sharp Electronics Corporation is the U.S. subsidiary of Japan's Sharp Corporation. Sharp is a worldwide developer of one-of-a-kind home appliances, networked multifunctional office solutions, professional displays, and smart office technologies. Sharp has been named to Fortune magazine's 2020 and 2022 World's Most Admired Company List, ranking the world's most respected and reputable companies. Sharp's headquarters in Montvale, NJ has been named a "Best Places to Work in NJ" in 2021 and 2022 by NJBIZ, a leading New Jersey business publication.
About Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America
Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) is a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation. markets Sharp's Simply Smarter business products and solutions, such as Synappx applications, professional displays, laptops, desktop monitors and a full suite of copier and printer solutions, that can help companies manage workflow efficiently and increase productivity so they can work smarter. SIICA markets its products through a vast network of independent dealerships as well as through its direct sales division Sharp Business Systems (SBS). By accelerating collaboration, improving efficiencies, digitizing workflows, and increasing information security, Sharp strives to help businesses achieve Simply Smarter work through technology that is smart and easy to use.
For more information on Sharp's business products, visit our website at business.sharpusa.com.
Become a fan of Sharp business products on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram and watch us on YouTube.
Peppercomm for Sharp
Paul Merchan
212.931.6172
PMerchan@Peppercomm.com
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SOURCE Sharp Electronics Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/sharp-announces-new-high-volume-monochrome-document-systems/ | 2022-08-18T15:43:25Z |
This strategic leadership addition bolsters Stream's site acquisition and development practice, enhancing the depth of critical data center services available to customers.
DALLAS, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stream Data Centers, an industry leader in delivering exceptional data center experiences to global enterprise and hyperscale clients, today proudly announces the addition of Mike Lebow as its new Senior Vice President of Location Strategy and Development. In this role, Lebow will lead all aspects of the pre-construction project lifecycle, from market analysis, site identification and acquisitions, to zoning, permitting, utility upgrades and interconnections. Lebow's wealth of experience will directly support Stream's mission to find high-quality sites and deliver capacity to our customers when and where it's required. Concurrently serving as Co-Founder and Partner of Headwaters Site Development, an independent affiliate launched in 2022 in partnership with Stream, Mike's deep industry expertise will ensure that Stream customers will have access to well-vetted sites in the most advantageous and desirable markets in the Americas.
Prior to Stream, Lebow built his site development expertise in the renewable energy sector, leading the identification and development of ten commercial wind energy facilities totaling almost 2GW. From there, he joined Google's Energy and Location Strategy team, where he worked for nearly eight years helping scale the company's global data center infrastructure efficiently and sustainably. During his time there, Mike helped Google acquire 13 data center campuses across North and South America, totaling thousands of acres and enabling multiple gigawatts of data center capacity. Most recently, he oversaw Google's data center portfolio in Latin America, including strategic planning and capacity deployment to grow Google Cloud in the region.
"I couldn't be more excited to join the Stream Data Centers team," comments Mike Lebow. "Stream is a company that is both fantastic to work with, and to work for. They have a long track record of success, strong financial partners, and robust customer pipeline; but the thing I value the most is the team's entrepreneurial attitude. Leadership here is willing to take risks and support new initiatives that solve problems for our customers in this dynamic industry. I look forward to helping accelerate Stream's new ventures and expansions, identify ideal data center locations, and deliver shovel-ready sites to meet our customers' evolving needs. It is an honor to be part of one of the industry's most customer-centric companies and I'm excited to help scale the platform with the implementation of robust processes and industry best practices."
"At Stream we pride ourselves on meeting the exacting needs of the world's most sophisticated data center users. And the only way we can continue to drive value for customers is by onboarding the best minds with deep experience. Team members like Mike who combine strong project execution capabilities with Stream's commitment to honest and ethical client and community interaction help us remain a trusted partner and collaborator for those seeking a full suite of data center services," states Stream's COO and Partner Michael Lahoud. "We have no doubt that Mike is the strongest possible leader for this practice, and his proven track record of success with industry-leading companies makes us sure that he will bring game-changing insights to both our company and our customers."
Stream Data Centers delivers an array of premier data center services for hyperscale and enterprise users, including location strategy and development, build-to-suit data centers, adaptable turnkey colocation, energy procurement services and more. Currently, the company is expanding its footprint with a new 3 million square-foot multi-tenant campus in Goodyear, Arizona, scheduled to become the region's largest with 440MW of capacity at full build. Stream is also commissioning a second partially pre-leased data center in Chicagoland's Elk Grove Village, with the new 32MW data center campus now available.
To learn more about Stream Data Centers, visit www.streamdatacenters.com.
Stream Data Centers has provided premium data center services since 1999, with 90% of its inventory leased to Fortune 100 customers. To date, the company has acquired, developed and managed 24 data center campuses nationally, while leadership has remained consistent for over 23 years.
From site selection to data center construction and operations, Stream develops wholesale colocation capacity and build-to-suit solutions for hyperscale and enterprise users. Additionally, Stream sources and develops low-risk land sites for optimum data center development and provides energy procurement services with a focus on reducing market risk and providing low-cost renewable energy options. All of Stream's facilities feature carrier-neutral, low latency connectivity to network and public cloud providers.
Stream Data Centers is a subsidiary of Stream Realty Partners, a full service commercial real estate investment, development and services company. With $5.8 billion in annual transactions and 250 million square feet of leased or managed commercial space in some of the most active real estate markets coast to coast, Stream Realty Partners is one of the most successful commercial real estate firms in the country.
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SOURCE Stream Data Centers | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/stream-data-centers-welcomes-mike-lebow-svp-location-strategy-development/ | 2022-08-18T15:43:32Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for BBBY, PLUG, UBX, EAR, and FUBO.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- BBBY: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=BBBY&prnumber=081820226
- PLUG: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=PLUG&prnumber=081820226
- UBX: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=UBX&prnumber=081820226
- EAR: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=EAR&prnumber=081820226
- FUBO: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=FUBO&prnumber=081820226
(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)
InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alerts are based on our proprietary scoring methodology. Each stock is evaluated based on short-term technical, long-term technical and fundamental factors. Each of those scores is then combined into an overall score that determines a stock's overall suitability for investment.
InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
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SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/thinking-about-buying-stock-bed-bath-amp-beyond-plug-power-unity-biotechnology-eargo-or-fubotv/ | 2022-08-18T15:43:39Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for ENDP, FCEL, SAVA, CDAK, and TEVA.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- ENDP: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=ENDP&prnumber=081820225
- FCEL: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=FCEL&prnumber=081820225
- SAVA: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=SAVA&prnumber=081820225
- CDAK: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=CDAK&prnumber=081820225
- TEVA: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=TEVA&prnumber=081820225
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InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alerts are based on our proprietary scoring methodology. Each stock is evaluated based on short-term technical, long-term technical and fundamental factors. Each of those scores is then combined into an overall score that determines a stock's overall suitability for investment.
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NEW YORK, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for CSCO, KSS, YUMC, VZ, and MSFT.
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- CSCO: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=CSCO&prnumber=081820227
- KSS: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=KSS&prnumber=081820227
- YUMC: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=YUMC&prnumber=081820227
- VZ: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=VZ&prnumber=081820227
- MSFT: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=MSFT&prnumber=081820227
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InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
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SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/thinking-about-trading-options-or-stock-cisco-systems-kohls-yum-china-holdings-verizon-or-microsoft/ | 2022-08-18T15:43:52Z |
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Whether you've just inherited a property, going through a messy divorce, or can't meet with the challenges of maintaining a house any longer, the idea of having to sell can be overwhelming... plus this fast-changing market has would-be sellers on pause.
At Sell Your House Direct, they're in the business of putting home sellers first by bringing control, convenience, and certainty to the process.
"Selling a house the traditional way is a lengthy process with hidden costs like home inspection reports, repairs, and agent fees," explains CEO Blake Soreano. "We strive to be the protector for our clients, putting them first, so they can have a more positive experience."
Their unique service connects sellers with a roster of vetted buyers so they can sell exactly when and how they want, making it as stress-free as possible.
Sell Your House Direct Highlights:
- Sell when and how you want
- Negotiate terms to fit your timeline
- Bypass out of pocket expenses for repairs, inspections, or reports
- Discover viable options for building extra value
- Avoid prying eyes and disruptive showings
- Open and close escrow fast
- Only deal with pre-vetted and confirmed buyers
- Get as-is offers tailor-made to your needs
- Sellers pay ZERO fees
- Don't accept until you're completely satisfied
- Sell Your House Direct is partnered with escrow, title, and any other ancillary services needed to provide a white glove experience
Sell Your House Direct makes it fair, easy and fast to sell!
For more information, please visit sellyourhousedirect.com.
About
Sell Your House Direct is a nationwide service and online marketplace, specializing in selling homes throughout the west and southeast United States. They connect sellers and brokers to thousands of vetted iBuyers, resulting in a home sale at the best possible price and terms.
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SOURCE Sell Your House Direct | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/this-company-is-taking-stress-out-home-selling/ | 2022-08-18T15:43:58Z |
Strategic direction expands the company's vision to enable end-to-end data estate transformation inclusive of innovative multi-cloud data migration and modernization solutions.
SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tredence Inc., a leading data science solutions provider focused on solving the last mile problem in AI, has announced capability development investments and partnerships to expand and strengthen its 'data on cloud' migration and modernization solutions that will accelerate Data and AI outcomes for its enterprise customers.
Every enterprise data modernization initiative brings its own sets of characteristics and challenges that must be addressed contextually. Siloed data locked in legacy systems and dated modernization and analytics approaches are the chief roadblocks to becoming an insights-driven organization.
Tredence's relentless focus on delivering business transformation value for industries fast-tracks data migration with advanced, enterprise-class, multi-cloud, cross-platform data and analytics migration and modernization solutions that leverage the highest degree of AI-led automation. The company accelerates end-to-end integrated data management through the entire data lifecycle, including data discovery, reengineering, migration, modernization of data and applications, quality improvement, governance, privacy, and data democratization.
The three steps of this strategy are:
- Speed to action through AI-enabled data and analytics migration, modernization accelerators across data lifecycle management. This incorporates data platforms discovery, data discovery, data migration, data catalog, data enrichment and data quality.
- Speed to scale by leveraging its strategic partnerships with all major cloud hyperscalers, as well as data and AI platform ISVs. The company recently partnered with Bladebridge to transform its customers' data state, cloud infrastructure, and deliver a complete suite of data and AI offerings.
- Speed to value by accelerating data migration and modernization timeframes with its innovative solutions, Tredence expects to reduce overall data estate transformation costs and deliver transformational value faster, leveraging its vast industry solutions & accelerators. Tredence invests 5% of its revenue in R&D. The company's AI Innovation center of excellence currently employs more than 100 data scientists and engineers working in industry and functional accelerators.
The three-fold approach equips Tredence to tap into the $30 billion data migration and modernization market and accelerate data estate return on investment for all its enterprise customers in a seamless, end to end motion.
"Enterprises are having a challenging time predicting new customer behaviors and are constantly evaluating, refining, and updating their analytical models. Tredence is making considerable capability development investments in building 'data on cloud' solutions for enterprises. To that end, we are collaborating with an ecosystem of partners to build migration and modernization strategies and solutions that turn enterprises into insights-driven organizations," said Sumit Mehra, Chief Technology Officer, and Co-founder, Tredence.
"Every enterprise today relies on real-time data and insights to stay agile and be competitive in a very dynamic global business environment. However, for most enterprises, insights generation and last-mile adoption remain a pipe dream without a clear, effective data modernization strategy. Our data migration and modernization solutions take the complexity out of data transformation and reduce time to value significantly, operationalizing modern data platforms on the cloud," said Soumendra Mohanty, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Innovation Officer, Tredence.
Tredence was recently recognized by Databricks as 2022 Retail and CPG (Consumed Packaged Goods) partner of the year and Microsoft Analytics Partner of the Year 2022, highlighting the Data and AI transformation value it is delivering to all its enterprise customers.
About Tredence Inc.
Tredence is a global data science solutions provider focused on solving the last mile problem in AI. The 'last mile' is the gap between insight creation and value realization. Headquartered in San Jose, the company embraces a vertical-first approach and an outcome-driven mindset to help clients win and accelerate value realization from their analytics investments. Tredence is a Great Place to Work-Certified and as a 'Leader' in the Forrester Wave: Customer Analytics Services. Tredence is 1,700-plus employees strong with offices in San Jose, Foster City, Chicago, London, Toronto, and Bangalore, with the largest companies in retail, CPG, hi-tech, telecom, healthcare, travel, and industrials as clients.
For more information, please visit www.tredence.com and follow us at Tredence on LinkedIn.
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1773052/Tredence_Logo.jpg
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SOURCE Tredence Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/tredence-bets-big-30-billion-data-migration-modernization-market/ | 2022-08-18T15:44:05Z |
New Partnership to Grow Industries, Jobs, and Investment at Critical US Port
DENVER , Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OmniTRAX, Inc., a comprehensive supply chain, industrial development, and logistics solutions provider, and the transportation affiliate of The Broe Group, has been selected as the exclusive rail partner for the Tulsa Port of Catoosa. One of the largest, most inland ports in the United States, the Tulsa Port of Catoosa provides centralized access for thousands of barges to move millions of tons of freight to and from America's heartland. The long-term rail operator partnership with the City of Tulsa – Rogers County Port Authority, doing business as Tulsa Ports, became effective August 18, 2022.
"The Port of Catoosa provides exceptional access to America's heartland, and we are excited to contribute an unmatched service product and demonstrated record of growth across commodities to continue the port's growth," said OmniTRAX CEO Dean Piacente. "OmniTRAX has the top safety and service record in the industry, which means customers can count on us to keep their commodities, manufacturing, and materials shipments moving."
Through the combined power of rail and real estate, OmniTRAX has developed extensive relationships throughout industrial America. The agreement with Tulsa Ports provides new and existing OmniTRAX customers an efficient, central hub to reach local, Midwest, and Southwest markets. The new Port of Catoosa Industrial Railroad (PCIR) expands OmniTRAX's Oklahoma presence from its original Sand Springs commercial development and rail operations. As part of the new port partnership, OmniTRAX will collaborate with state and local officials to attract new park projects that increase economic development within the region.
"Tulsa Ports looks forward to our new partnership with OmniTRAX and the opportunites to jointly grow rail-based tonnage and to bring new commodities and customers to our Port Industrial complex," said David Yarbrough, Port Director. "The Tulsa Port of Catoosa is a critical component of the State of Oklahoma's economic engine, providing barge, rail, and truck transportation options to the region and providing thousands of manufacturing and agriculture-based jobs. We believe that OmniTRAX has the capabilities to enhance and grow our business."
The Tulsa Port of Catoosa is a multi-modal shipping complex and 2,000-acre industrial park managed and operated by the City of Tulsa – Rogers County Port Authority and provides development services through Tulsa's Port of Catoosa Facilities Authority. Since its opening in 1971, over 90 million tons of waterborne freight have passed through the port.
About OmniTRAX, Inc.
As one of North America's largest and fastest growing private railroad and transportation management companies, OmniTRAX's core capabilities range from providing transportation and supply chain management services to railroad and port companies, to providing intermodal and industrial switching operations to railroads, ports and a diverse group of industrial companies. Through its affiliation with The Broe Group and its portfolio of managed companies, OmniTRAX also has the unique capability of offering specialized industrial development and real estate solutions, both on and off the rail network managed by OmniTRAX. For more information visit omnitrax.com.
About The Broe Group
Founded in 1972, The Broe Group is a private, multi-billion-dollar investment group with diversified holdings in real estate, rail, infrastructure, energy, agriculture, water, healthcare and technology throughout 37 North American states and provinces. Its deep operational knowledge derived from owning and operating multi-billion-dollar businesses and the global economic insights gleaned from serving its vast Fortune 500 clientele are strategic differentiators. The Broe Group's entrepreneurial focus enables it to find true value wherever it resides. For more information, visit broe.com.
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SOURCE OmniTRAX | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/tulsa-port-catoosa-oklahomas-300m-economic-engine-names-omnitrax-exclusive-rail-partner/ | 2022-08-18T15:44:11Z |
BENSALEM, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces that investors with substantial losses have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit against Tuya Inc. ("Tuya" or the "Company") (NYSE: TUYA).
Class Period: March 2021 IPO
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: October 11, 2022
Investors suffering losses on their Tuya investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in this class action at 888-638-4847 or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com.
The complaint filed alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that a material portion of Tuya's China-based customers were engaged in the widespread and systematic manipulation of reviews and product offerings in violation of Amazon.com's terms of use; (2) that, prior to the IPO, a consumer investigation and data breach had exposed an illicit fake review scheme being perpetrated by many of Tuya's clients, among others, which included, inter alia, the exposure of 13 million records of organized fake review scams linked to over 200,000 Amazon account profiles; (3) that, as a result of above, there was a substantial risk that a material portion of Tuya's significant customers would be barred from using Amazon.com's platform, negatively impacting Tuya's business, revenue, earnings, and prospects; and (4) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020, by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com, or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
Contacts
Law Offices of Howard G. Smith
Howard G. Smith, Esquire
215-638-4847
888-638-4847
howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com
www.howardsmithlaw.com
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SOURCE Law Offices of Howard G. Smith | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/tuya-investors-have-opportunity-lead-tuya-inc-securities-fraud-lawsuit/ | 2022-08-18T15:44:18Z |
TOKYO, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ubitus K.K. (hereinafter Ubitus), a world-leading cloud gaming technology provider, supports Team17 Digital to release the cloud version of Thymesia on the Nintendo SwitchTM platform. This cloud version will be released simultaneously with the PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S versions on 18th August. Players in selected regions – North America, Asia, and most of the Europe – can find this exciting title on the Nintendo eShop.
Same gameplay with less hurdle
Thymesia provides distinctive combat mechanics, and is highly anticipated by action RPG fans worldwide. Nintendo Switch action RPG fans can enjoy the same gameplay alongside players on other platforms, launching on the same date. A simple download of the small launcher program from the Nintendo eShop is all it takes to begin this thrilling experience.
"I would like to personally congratulate OverBorder Studio for creating this stunning works. It is great to work with Team 17 to release Thymesia on Nintendo Switch cloud platform, and reach worldwide Thymesia fans," commented by, CEO of Ubitus, Wesley Kuo.
Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo.
About Team17 Digital
Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Part of Team17 Group plc, which floated on AIM in 2018, Team17 Digital has an extensive portfolio comprised of over 120 titles, and fully encapsulates the spirit of independent games. Team17 Digital's portfolio of multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands include Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise, alongside its games label partner titles, including the award-winning games Blasphemous, Greak: Memories of Azur, and Overcooked! franchise. Visit www.team17.com for more information.
About Ubitus
Ubitus operates the world's best cloud gamming platform with its patented GPU virtualization technology, and is dedicated to providing a superior user experience. Users can enjoy AAA gaming experience across various devices, such as smartphones, tablets, game consoles, smart TVs, and personal computers with either a mobile or a land based broadband network.
With innovative GameCloud technology, Ubitus is able to stream interactive media content with immersive experience on multi-devices for platform operators and digital content developers, to accelerate metaverse popularization with broad applications.
Contact Us
TEL: +81-3-6435-3295 (Tokyo)
+886-2-2717-6123 (Taipei)
Media contact: pr@ubitus.net
Business inquiry: contact@ubitus.net
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SOURCE Ubitus K.K. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/ubitus-support-team17-release-thymesia-nintendo-switchtm-launching-18th-august/ | 2022-08-18T15:44:24Z |
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. has recognized uLab Systems, the only orthodontic company ranked in the Health Products industry category, for the explosive growth of 832% from 2018 to 2021, thus assigning a rank within the top 20% of their annual Inc. 5000 list. The Inc. list is the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America and represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the independent business segment.
This is the first year that uLab Systems has earned placement on the Inc. 5000 list; number 12 out of all health product companies, 9 in the state of Tennessee, 2 in Memphis, and 764 of all companies listed.
"We are proud that our goal to provide innovative products for orthodontists has enabled our rapid growth and placement on this prestigious list of companies," says Amir Abolfathi, chief executive officer and co-founder. "Our recent product launches of uDesign® 7 and the uAssist™ service, along with our expansion to Australia and New Zealand are evidence that we truly want to make a difference in the global aligner market by providing a flexible and efficient product platform that empowers orthodontists to make the best clinical decisions for their patients."
uLab Systems was founded in 2015 and is the creator of the uSmile™ clear aligner system and the uDesign treatment planning software. The most recent addition of the uAssist treatment planning assistance service now allows orthodontists ultimate flexibility to treatment plan cases for their aligner patients; plan the case themselves or send it to a licensed team of orthodontists and dentists for assistance in less than 72 hours. With options for in-office printing or ordering uSmile aligners from the US manufacturing facility, combined with new treatment planning options, pay-per-aligner pricing structure, and best-in-class delivery times, uLab is the most versatile aligner platform on the market for orthodontists.
"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."
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.
uLab Systems is led by an experienced team of healthcare innovators helping to transform options for orthodontic practices to provide the best outcomes for their patients. uLab's mission is to advance the orthodontic industry with digital treatment planning software and aligner products that let orthodontists take back control of their treatment plans. uLab sustainably manufactures uSmile aligners in Memphis, TN, recycling over 85% of source materials. uSmile clear aligners and the uDesign software are available to all orthodontic practices in the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. To learn more visit www.ulabsystems.com.
Contact: David Thrower, Chief Commercial Officer, pr@ulabsystems.com
©2022 uLab Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. uLab, uLab Systems, uSmile, uAssist, and uView are trademarks and uDesign is a registered trademark of uLab Systems, Inc. MAR-0000990 Rev 1
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SOURCE uLab Systems, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/ulab-systems-ranked-top-20-inc-5000-annual-list-fastest-growing-companies-america/ | 2022-08-18T15:44:31Z |
Pent-up demand to account for revenue gains from both business and leisure travelers
CLEVELAND, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- US travel service industry revenues are forecast to increase 5.6% per year in nominal dollars through 2026, according to Travel Services: United States, a report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports. Travel service providers will benefit from the release of pent-up demand among leisure travelers following travel delays and cancellations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Further gains will be supported by rising disposable personal income (DPI) levels both in the US and abroad. Recovering demand from business travelers – supported by the expanding number of companies operating over geographically dispersed areas (a function of ongoing economy-wide consolidation) – will further support gains. However, the widespread adoption of teleconferencing will prevent further gains, as business travel is reduced or eliminated for many companies. Even so, the increasing ease with which travelers can book transport or accommodations directly with the providers of such services and through alternative services will restrain faster advances. Further, inflation may stymie gains over the forecast period, particularly in the short term, as rising fuel costs drive increases in travel costs. However, consumers are likely to be willing to bear the cost increases after years of social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, US travel service industry revenues are expected to see 11% growth from 2021 levels. Gains will stem from the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, such as the April 2022 lifting of the mask mandate on public transportation. Revenue growth will be tempered by increasing prices for consumers, amid inflation and rising fuel costs. Nevertheless, consumers are less likely to be deterred by such cost increases than in a typical year – an effect of "cabin fever" experienced by many following a lack of travel during the pandemic.
These and other key insights are featured in Travel Services: United States. This report forecasts to 2022 and 2026 US travel services revenue in nominal US dollars. Total revenues are segmented by service in terms of:
- commission
- tours
- trip planning
- other travel services such as insurance, travel documents, and currency exchange
- other sources such as advertising and sales of goods
Total commission revenues are further segmented by source as follows:
- lodging
- event tickets
- airline seats
- cruises
- other commission such as fees from the booking of guided tours, miscellaneous forms of transport, and reservation system rentals to third parties
Total revenues are also segmented by market as follows:
- leisure
- business
To illustrate historical trends, total revenue and the various segments are provided in annual series from 2011 to 2021.
For the purpose of this report, commissions refer to remittances made by other travel companies (e.g., airlines, hotels, tour operators), such as those made for the referral of customers. Fees paid directly to the travel service provider by the customer for arranging services (e.g., accommodations, entertainment, transport) are included in trip planning revenue. US travel service revenues include income from all domestic establishments primarily engaged in providing travel services. The revenues of both employer and nonemployer firms are included.
More information about the report is available at:
https://www.freedoniafocusreports.com/Travel-Services-United-States-FF95038/?progid=91541
About Freedonia Focus Reports
Each month, The Freedonia Group – a division of MarketResearch.com – publishes over 20 new or updated Freedonia Focus Reports, providing fresh, unbiased analysis on a wide variety of markets and industries. Published in 20-30 pages, Focus Report coverage ranges from raw materials to finished manufactured goods and related services such as freight and construction. Additional Services & Industries reports can be purchased at Freedonia Focus Reports or MarketResearch.com.
Analysis is intended to guide the busy reader through pertinent topics in rapid succession, including:
- total historical market size and industry output
- segmentation by products and markets
- identification of market drivers, constraints, and key indicators
- segment-by-segment outlook in five-year forecasts
- a survey of the supply base
- suggested resources for further study
Press Contact:
Corinne Gangloff
+1 440.842.2400
cgangloff@freedoniagroup.com
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SOURCE The Freedonia Group | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/us-travel-service-revenues-grow-11-2022-final-pandemic-restrictions-are-lifted/ | 2022-08-18T15:44:38Z |
RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Virginia Retirement System reported a 0.6% return, net of fees, on its investment portfolio for fiscal year 2022, ending the year with approximately $101.2 billion.
"We registered a positive return by following VRS' long-term strategy of diversification while taking advantage of strong private markets," Chief Investment Officer Ronald D. Schmitz said. "Although the return was muted compared to last year's banner 27.5%, the VRS total fund outperformed passively managed stock and bond indices by over 10%. In addition, we exceeded the assumed rate of return for the three-, five- and 10-year periods."
"VRS remains in a solid position to support our current and future retirees while maintaining stable contribution rates for our employers," said VRS Board Chair A. Scott Andrews. "Our investment professionals are bound by a risk-controlled approach, typically contributing about 0.5% of average added value annually over the long term. In a year scarred by inflation, war, supply chain issues and other disruptions, the VRS investment staff achieved a remarkable 6% of added value above the benchmark, which translates to hundreds of millions toward the bottom line of the VRS trust fund."
During fiscal year 2022, the major asset classes performed as follows:
- Public equity program returned -14.8%
- Fixed income program returned -10.6%
- Credit strategies program returned 1.5%
- Real assets program returned 21.7%
- Private equity program returned 27.4%
- Private investment partnerships 17.0%
- Multi-asset public strategies -4.7%
The portfolio included approximately $29.9 billion in public equity, $12.9 billion in fixed income, $14.5 billion in credit strategies, $15.1 billion in real assets, $19.0 billion in private equity, $2.6 billion in private investment partnerships and $3.6 billion in public strategies portfolio, as of June 30, 2022.
For more information about VRS' investment strategy, visit varetire.org/investments.
The Virginia Retirement System, an independent state agency based in Richmond, delivers retirement and other benefits to covered Virginia public sector employees through sound financial stewardship and superior customer service. VRS ranks as the 17th largest public or private pension fund in the U.S. and the 46th largest in the world, serving more than 750,000 active and inactive members, retirees and beneficiaries. Members include public school teachers, political subdivision employees (cities, towns, special authorities and commissions), state agency employees, public college and university personnel, state police, Virginia law officers and the judiciary. Approximately 835 employers participate in VRS.
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SOURCE Virginia Retirement System | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/vrs-reports-06-return-fiscal-year-2022/ | 2022-08-18T15:44:44Z |
BENSALEM, Pa., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces that investors with substantial losses have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit against Weber Inc. ("Weber" or the "Company") (NYSE: WEBR).
Class Period: August 2021 IPO
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: September 27, 2022
Investors suffering losses on their Weber investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in this class action at 888-638-4847 or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com.
The complaint filed alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Weber was reasonably likely to implement price increases; (2) that, as a result, consumer demand for Weber's products was reasonably likely to decrease; (3) that, due to the resulting inventory buildup, Weber was reasonably likely to run promotions to "enhance retail sell through"; (4) that the foregoing would adversely impact Weber's financial results; and (5) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects, were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.
To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020, by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com, or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
Contacts
Law Offices of Howard G. Smith
Howard G. Smith, Esquire
215-638-4847
888-638-4847
howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com
www.howardsmithlaw.com
View original content:
SOURCE Law Offices of Howard G. Smith | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/webr-investors-have-opportunity-lead-weber-inc-securities-fraud-lawsuit/ | 2022-08-18T15:44:51Z |
Introducing the fastest, easiest, and most cost-effective way to formalize, centralize, and simplify your risk management program. New users can try it free for 45 days.
BOSTON, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WolfPAC Integrated Risk Management announces the launch of WolfPAC Essentials, a new, streamlined risk management platform with a straightforward approach to assessing and mitigating the most significant risks to your organization.
Wolf & Company, P.C. CEO Mark O'Connell commented, "Over the past two decades, hundreds of financial institutions have used WolfPAC to take their risk management programs to the next level. We're proud to bring the same intellectual horsepower and product expertise that fuels the WolfPAC engine to a much larger audience that needs it now more than ever."
Today is the riskiest time in human history to operate a business. As a result, organizations of every kind face an unprecedented onslaught of threats and uncertainty. Cybercrime, employee turnover and burnout, natural disasters, and economic turbulence are only a few of the threats weighing heavily on the minds of executives.
There's also a lack of viable risk management solutions for lean organizations pushed to do more with less. What's been available to date is either far too expensive and complex or not robust enough to meet their needs. This dynamic leaves time and resourced-strapped companies exposed to unnecessary risks, many of which can have a severe and sometimes irreversible impact on their businesses.
WolfPAC's latest product roll-out ensures that companies of all sizes now have an easy, cost-effective, and automated way to build a modern, scalable enterprise risk management program that protects them from threats of today and tomorrow. Companies can stop worrying that the departure of a single individual will derail their entire program.
WolfPAC Essentials gives lean organizations everything they need to build a sophisticated risk management program in three critical areas: Information Technology, Third-Party Relationship Management, and Business Continuity Planning.
"We created this platform with one goal in mind: making modern risk management easier and more affordable for all companies, regardless of industry, size, location, or level of risk management maturity," said Ron Taché, WolfPAC General Manager. "WolfPAC Essentials does just that. It is affordable and easy to set up, learn, and use. In fact, customers can register and conduct their first risk assessment within 30 minutes. Also, there are no implementation, installation, or training fees. We believe this offering is a game-changer for lean organizations and strongly encourage all interested parties to take it for a free 45-day test drive."
To learn more and sign up for a 45-day free trial with no commitment, please visit:
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WolfPAC Integrated Risk Management® is a secure, web-based enterprise risk management solution used to automate the identification of risks, threats, and control gaps. Developed by financial professionals in 2004, WolfPAC® provides tools to review and assess information technology, privacy, vendor, compliance, and other enterprise-wide risk assessments. Learn more at: www.wolfpacsolutions.com.
Media Contact:
Keith Reinhardt, Marketing Manager – WolfPAC Integrated Risk Management
Wolf & Company, P.C.
Phone: 508-641-0762
Email: Kreinhardt@wolfandcco.com
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SOURCE Wolf & Company | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/wolfpac-launches-wolfpac-essentials-new-risk-management-platform-built-lean-organizations/ | 2022-08-18T15:44:57Z |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is a Platinum sponsor of the 2022 Department of Defense Warrior Games taking place Aug. 19-28 in Orlando. Nearly 200 athletes from U.S. military branches will participate, along with athletes from international ally nations. More than half of the U.S. athletes competing are registered warriors with WWP.
"The spirit of the Warrior Games aligns directly with our mission at Wounded Warrior Project to honor and empower wounded warriors, helping them lead healthier lives through mental and physical wellness," said WWP CEO Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Linnington. "Warrior Games gives wounded warriors a way to exercise the determination and resolve that guided them through military service. We are proud to sponsor Warrior Games and support warriors in their competitive adaptive sports pursuits."
Many of the WWP-registered warriors participating in the Warrior Games were first introduced to modified athletic opportunities through WWP's Adaptive Sports, Physical Health and Wellness, and Soldier Ride® programs. These programs empower warriors to become well-adjusted in mind and body while receiving the support they need to maximize rehabilitation and live active and healthy lives.
Army veteran and wounded warrior Josh Olson is no stranger to athletic activity. He is active with WWP Adaptive Sports and is using what he learned from the program to prepare for this level of competition.
"My participation in this program opened the door for me and gave me confidence to try other sports and meet other veterans," said Josh. "The camaraderie is great. I have a whole new group of friends."
WWP's Annual Warrior Survey confirms initiatives like Warrior Games are critical to warriors' overall wellness. The 2021 survey concluded that 3 in 5 WWP warriors reported physical activity helps them cope with stress or mental health concerns.
First held in 2010, Warrior Games celebrates the resiliency and dedication of wounded, ill, and injured active-duty and veteran U.S. military service members. It has since expanded to include athletes from international and allied nations. The event features adaptive sports like archery, cycling, precision shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track and field, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, indoor rowing, powerlifting, and golf as an exhibition. Learn more about the Warrior Games.
About Wounded Warrior Project
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more.
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SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/wounded-warrior-project-proud-sponsor-2022-department-defense-warrior-games/ | 2022-08-18T15:45:04Z |
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM") announces that investors with substantial losses have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit against 17 Education & Technology Group Inc. ("17EdTech" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: YQ).
Class Period: December 2020 IPO
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: September 19, 2022
If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the 17EdTech lawsuit, you can submit your contact information at www.glancylaw.com/cases/17-education-technology-group-inc/. You can also contact Charles H. Linehan, of GPM at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, or via email at shareholders@glancylaw.com to learn more about your rights.
The complaint filed alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Defendant 17EdTech's K-12 Academic AST Services would end less than a year after the IPO; (2) as part of its ongoing regulatory efforts, Chinese authorities would imminently curtail and/or end 17EdTech's core business; and (3) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.
To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact Charles Linehan, Esquire, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, by email to shareholders@glancylaw.com, or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased.
This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
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SOURCE Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/yq-investors-have-opportunity-lead-17-education-amp-technology-group-inc-securities-fraud-lawsuit/ | 2022-08-18T15:45:11Z |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Saba Khan is a high school sophomore whose life is turned upside down in a flash - a mysterious fire that destroys her family's apartment on the North Side of Chicago. The Khans are Americans of Pakistani descent. Were they victims of a hate crime? Saba's high school rallies behind her family.
They organize an auction to help the Khans, but when a donated painting turns out to be a lot more than just garage art, rivalry and suspicion flair. "The Art of Secrets" is James Klise's new novel for young adults. His previous book, "Love Drugged," won several YA awards. He is also a high school librarian in Chicago. And he joins us from the studios of Chicago Public Media. Thanks so much for being with us.
JAMES KLISE: Well, thank you. It's great to be here.
SIMON: Saba writes - I quote her words in your book - "the fire might have been the best thing that ever happened to me." How so?
KLISE: Well, the fire creates a lot of opportunities for Saba. Not only does she become much more visible on her school campus, she starts dating a very attractive, popular, senior boy. And her Facebook page sort of explodes. And she has the potential to become wealthy because of the discovery of the artwork. So it creates opportunities for her. And when she says that, it's the very beginning of the book. The reader doesn't know what she means yet, but we find out.
SIMON: By the way, you don't use a traditional, novelistic technique, but journal entries, articles, documents, text messages. What does that do?
KLISE: It's interesting. In this case, the format came first. I knew I wanted to tell the story from the point of view of a chorus. I was interested in playing around with voice and point of view. And I thought it would be fun to put the reader in the position of knowing much more than any of the individual characters could know.
Because I knew I was telling a mystery, I thought would be interesting to sort of place the burden on the reader to be aware of the big picture in a way that none of the individual characters could be.
SIMON: And you also - gosh forbid - in a young adult novel, you also occasionally include the viewpoints of adults.
KLISE: You're right. Within young adult, it is taboo to include grown-up points of view. But, you know, the young people...
SIMON: That the implication being a parent might - or an adult might occasionally know something.
KLISE: It didn't seem such a stretch to me to think that teenagers would be interested in hearing about grown-ups, especially when they're talking about the kids and what's going on at school. So I thought it was part of the fun.
SIMON: Speaking of stretch - awkward transition here - Steve Davinski...
(LAUGHTER)
SIMON: ...Six-foot-nine...
KLISE: Yeah.
SIMON: ...Most popular basketball player, most popular kid in the school. Those first text messages between Steve and Saba are awkward and sweet. What do they...
KLISE: Right.
SIMON: What do they see in each other?
KLISE: Well, for sure, Saba sees in Steve what everybody else sees - a good-looking, popular, class president, star athlete. He represents a kind of teenage life that hasn't - she hasn't had access to until this relationship. And for Steve, he sees in Saba, again, a student who suddenly is at the center of the school social map. And he wonders if there might be something there for him. He's curious about her. And he wants to help her, like everybody else in the school. So their relationship is awkward at first.
SIMON: A mysterious piece of artwork comes into the plot. However, it is said to be the product of a real artist. Henry Darger enters your story. Set him up for us, if you could.
KLISE: So I'm glad you ask about Henry Darger. He was a real character from Chicago art history. He was a very poor, very isolated, extremely obsessed, self-taught artist. Among other things, he wrote a 15,000-page, typed manuscript. And he's most famous for the illustrations that he made for the book.
SIMON: We should explain he was kind of one of the original people who were identified as outsider artists - not coming from any particular tradition, but self-educated reflecting their own vision.
KLISE: That is correct. And I knew when I was working on the book, that I was going to be playing around with themes of being an insider and being an outsider in different situations in which that's the case. And it struck me that maybe - while I knew that I needed something valuable to show up, and I needed it to be work that could plausibly be found in a Chicago alley.
I mean, it would be extraordinary for anyone to find a piece of artwork by Henry Darger in an alley, but it's plausible. And when you're telling a story, you know, plausibility is king.
SIMON: Do the youngsters at the library of the school where you're a librarian on the north side know of your secret life as an author? (Laughter) I guess it's not so secret now, is it?
KLISE: It's not a secret, but I think most of the students at my school still see me as the person who helps them find sources for research and can dependably clear a paper jam in the copier.
SIMON: Let me ask you a librarian question. Will pressure grow for high schools to get rid of libraries when the time's coming that, you know, students can walk around with a tablet that can store more books than most libraries can hold?
KLISE: You know, that seems to be the conventional wisdom. That's not been my experience at my school. My students are still devoted to books on paper. I don't see any of them with tablets. But I think that students still enjoy seeing a book, seeing the cover, flipping to the back and seeing what it's about and taking it out. I'm lucky to have a well-funded library. We don't have the money for a football team, but we do have money for a library. And that makes me kind of happy.
SIMON: James Klise. His new novel "The Art of Secrets." Thanks so much for being with us. Good luck.
KLISE: Oh, thanks so much. It's been a pleasure. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/a-fire-sparks-rivalry-and-suspicion-in-the-art-of-secrets | 2022-08-18T15:52:58Z |
The city street where Sachal Studios is located looks like any other in Lahore, Pakistan. There are tea stalls and rickshaws and grimy car repair shops.
But it doesn't quite sound the same — or more precisely, there's a sound that Pakistanis have begun to forget.
Inside Sachal Studios, an orchestra is in rehearsal. The musicians are all men. Most are old enough to be grandfathers.
Their skills were going out of fashion in Pakistan. Now, they're winning applause worldwide.
Welcome To Lollywood
A few decades back, Lahore had a booming film industry. Inevitably, it was known as Lollywood.
"This was like a magic age that fell apart," says Aqeel Anwar, a violinist in his 70s. He used to play in Lollywood soundtracks. "It was such an excellent time. I never thought it would end."
For many years, South Asian movies kept Lahore's session musicians pretty busy. And the Lollywood musicians were a class apart.
"In Punjab here in Pakistan, music is usually practiced by traditional musicians' families," says Mushtaq Soofi, a music producer. "They inherit it, they learn it from their parents and then transmit to the next generation."
Things started to change in the late '70s. General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq seized power in a coup, ushering in a period of religious conservatism in Pakistan that lingers to this day.
Movie theaters began to shut down. Lollywood went into decline.
Ghulam Abbas played cello in the movies. When the work dried up, he packed away his instrument and broke with tradition by deciding not to teach his children how to play. He started up a garment stall, but struggled to get by.
"When I left this work, I was very sad," Abbas says. "I thought about how I'd worked hard and invested 25 to 30 years in my music."
Now, Abbas is sawing away at the cello again — though some of the music isn't exactly what he's used to.
Bringing Back The Music
The reason Abbas is playing again is a music-mad millionaire. Izzat Majeed made his money overseas, in finance. But he was born in Lahore in 1950, remembers Lollywood's heyday and greatly admires its musicians.
"It was a brotherhood of great musicians," Majeed says. "I call them great because they are great and they lost it. They lost the avenue. They lost the money. They lost the creativity."
Majeed decided to rekindle that creativity by building a new studio complex in Lahore — and reuniting these men to form the Sachal Studios Orchestra.
He teamed up with the music producer Mushtaq Soofi, an old friend. Soofi says he remembers the first day the musicians played together.
"They were delighted and we were delighted, too," Soofi says. "Because we thought the music was dead, but when we met them, we realized it's not really dead."
Izzat Majeed says he's driven by a lifelong passion for music — especially traditional Pakistani music and jazz.
"Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Brubeck, Quincy [Jones]," he says. "I can go on and on."
When he was 8, Majeed was taken by his dad to see Dave Brubeck perform in Lahore. Brubeck's version of the classic "Take Five" seems to have made a big impression on the city.
"'Take Five' was a big hit in Lahore in the '60s," Majeed says. "Nobody knew what it was. It was just a melody and the whole thing. It was just a phenomenal, a fantastic piece of music."
Lahore was different back then.
"Even the tea boys and tea shacks put it on," he says. "First time I heard it [was] in the streets, coming out of a shop."
Majeed decided, a couple of years ago, that the orchestra should have a crack at "Take Five." Its version has a South Asian twist. Majeed posted it online, and it went viral. Brubeck, who was still alive at the time, even sent a note saying how much he loved it.
Home And Away
It's not easy running an orchestra in Pakistan. Some skills do seem to have vanished, Majeed says.
"I can't find a single piano player in Lahore, maybe in Pakistan, a real piano player," Majeed says. "People come and say, 'Oh, I can play,' but he can play atrociously — he doesn't know what the piano, the real piano, is. There's no brass left. Brass is dead."
When Sachal musicians go on tour abroad — to, say, London or New York — they hook up with outside musicians. That includes some big names, among them Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
The studio orchestra is now firmly on the map.
It recently released its second album, Jazz and All That. There's more Brubeck, among other Western classics by The Beatles, Jacques Brel, Antonio Carlos Jobim, R.E.M. — all with a South Asian flavor.
The weird thing is, Mushtaq Soofi says, while the old Lollywood session men are now winning plaudits abroad, no one back home knows or cares much about them.
"Music has to be recognized, and there is no patronage for music in Pakistan," Soofi says. "That is why people are upset, musicians are upset. If you sing, if you are a singer or a vocalist, you get kind of fame and name and money, but if you are a musician, a pure musician, people don't bother much about you."
The only people who do bother about you tend to be the religious extremists, like the Taliban.
"It is very difficult for musicians, because music is considered forbidden because it is un-Islamic," cellist Ghulam Abbas says. "Yet the same people think it is acceptable to kill people."
Be that as it may, Abbas says he isn't planning to hang up his cello again.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/a-millionaire-saves-the-silenced-symphonies-of-pakistan | 2022-08-18T15:53:04Z |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. President Obama is in Southeast Asia on the third leg of a four-nation tour of Asia. The visit is aimed at reassuring U.S. allies of its support and its intention to remain the primary power in the Asia Pacific. The president's itinerary does not include China but of course, China's rising influence looms over the entire trip. The president's also trying to move forward on a major trade pact in the region.
NPR's Anthony Kuhn is in Seoul, South Korea, and we asked him what the reactions been to North Korea's threat to launch a nuclear test.
ANTHONY KUHN, BYLINE: Well, luckily, they did not test a nuclear bomb, which they threatened to do. This did not happen while the president was in South Korea. He's now safely in Malaysia but this morning, this was a major theme as both President Obama and his South Korean counterpart, Park Geun-hye, visited the Combined Forces Command for the first time. They emphasized they're beefing up South Korea's defenses. If North Korea conducts a nuclear test, they will push for tougher sanctions.
Of course, President Obama did say on this trip that North Korea is already the world's most isolated state, and so there's not much more they can do to isolate it. But it did give him the chance, in speaking to U.S. soldiers there, to do some rhetorical flexing of the U.S.'s military muscle in the region. And he talked about the two nations' shared values, and then he talked about protecting them. Let's hear him speak.
(SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH)
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: We don't use our military might to impose these things on others, but we will not hesitate to use our military might to defend our allies and our way of life.
(APPLAUSE)
SIMON: But what about any success the president had in trying to mend fences between two long-standing antagonists who happen to be U.S. allies - Japan and South Korea?
KUHN: Well, you know, these two country's leaders would not even speak to each other until the president got them together in a trilateral meeting in The Hague last month. And this is a big problem for an Asia policy that is based on military alliances, when the two allies don't get together. So at the root of this, of course, is their interpretation of World War II histories.
President Obama was fairly evenhanded. He criticized Japan's World War II atrocities and called them egregious violations of human rights, but he called on both sides to move on. He might have gotten a different response if he had talked about these atrocities in Japan and not South Korea. But, you know, beneath this there's a strategic mistrust between the two countries, particularly South Korea's mistrust of Japan's intentions, and those are harder to get rid of.
SIMON: And how do the countries in the region react to the president's enunciated policy to try and pivot U.S. policy more to Asia?
KUHN: Well, you know, this is a strategic, signature policy of the Obama administration. And he got support on it from both South Korean and Japanese leaders. China, of course, was not happy about the fact that they're not on the itinerary and that he is voicing support. He is promising U.S. protection for Japan in its administration of disputed islands in the East China Sea, but the response from China was fairly mild so far.
Of course, he wanted to make progress on this Trans-Pacific Partnership, the trade pact that is crucial to his Asia policy. He could claim some progress, but no breakthroughs. And I think there have been concerns in the region about the U.S.'s ability to maintain a focus - also, whether it has the economic wherewithal to maintain its commitments.
SIMON: What's next on the president's agenda when he stops in Malaysia and the Philippines?
KUHN: Well, Scott, maritime security issues will very much be at the top of his concerns. Both Manila and Kuala Lumpur have territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. In Manila, he may sign an agreement to rotate more U.S. troops through Philippine bases, and there will be some debate in the Philippines on whether the U.S. is welcome back there. And the president will also be trying to get Malaysia and the Philippines on board with the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
SIMON: NPR's Anthony Kuhn in Seoul. Thanks so much.
KUHN: You're welcome, Scott. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/chinas-rising-influence-looms-over-obamas-asia-trip | 2022-08-18T15:53:10Z |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Two presidents of Egypt have been ousted after often violent street demonstrations since the Arab Spring, but a law passed in November now bans any protest that is not sanctioned by the Egyptian government as part of the broad crackdown on the dissent there, and thousands have been arrested. Many remain in jail.
Today activists are calling for a rally which does not have police permission to protest the law at the Presidential Palace. Merrit Kennedy reports they face an uphill battle against not only the crackdown, but also protest fatigue.
MERRIT KENNEDY, BYLINE: Tarek Tito is a fast talking law student with head phones slung around his neck. He was released earlier this month after more than two months in jail.
TAREK TITO: (Foreign language spoken).
KENNEDY: After police arrested him at a protest, he says he was beaten and subjected to electric shocks. At the police station, he was crammed in a tiny 10 by 10 foot cell with 50 other people. He was then accused of belonging to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood movement.
TITO: (Foreign language spoken).
KENNEDY: But this wasn't his first time behind bars. Last year, it was the former Islamist government that arrested him at a protest and accused him of attacking the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters. That case is still pending. So it might seem contradictory to be on the wrong side of both the new government and the old government that it forced out.
TITO: (Through translator) We all laughed at this. It just represented the oppression and tyranny of the past three years. This was a scandal for the regime.
KENNEDY: After sitting in detention for 67 days, Tito was acquitted earlier this month, but he hasn't stopped protesting. This week, he was at a small sit in outside the Presidential Palace. A few dozen people were demonstrating against the government's controversial protest law. That's the law that the current government has used to arrest Tito and thousands of other. They include the husband of Nourhan Hefzy, who organized this sit in as a build up to today's planned march. Her husband remains in jail on a three year sentence.
NOURHAN HEFZY: (Through translator) The act of peaceful protesting is not a gift from the state. It is our right, and the state does not have the authority to take it away. But this is what the law did.
KENNEDY: Amnesty International call the law a serious set-back to human rights. It says it allows the police and military to use excessive and lethal force to break up demonstrations. The government, though, says the law is necessary in its war against terrorism. Nathan Brown, a professor at George Washington University, says it's had a chilling effect on dissent.
NATHAN BROWN: I think right now the number of people who are interested in protesting, public demonstration, a normal political activity, has gotten to be very, very small and is now restricted really to the core opposition to the regime.
KENNEDY: Now, he says, people who criticize the government are routinely branded as traders by the public and the media. After three years on a political roller coaster, many Egyptians are just tired of the instability. On a busy street of car parts and auto repair shops in downtown Cairo, people are happy to be back to a normal routine. Saber Khalaf, a car mechanic here, enthusiastically supports the protest law. He says it's necessary to keep things under control.
SABER KHALAF: (Foreign language spoken).
KENNEDY: Khalaf says he had very little work during the last three years and blamed the protests which often became violent. Now he says business is finally improving.
KHALAF: (Foreign language spoken).
KENNEDY: Others nearby agree with him, saying the protest wrecked Cairo's vital tourist economy. A few blocks away is Tahrir Square. The images of Tahrir packed with protesters are iconic. Usually traffic flows through it normally now. Yesterday during a public holiday, the military sealed it off with a ring of soldiers and armored personnel carriers to prevent demonstrations. The Square was completely empty. For NPR news, I'm Merrit Kennedy in Cairo. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/egypts-activists-battle-anti-protest-law-and-protest-fatigue | 2022-08-18T15:53:16Z |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The remains of a western Kentucky man who disappeared during World War II have found their way home after almost 70 years. The body of William Carneal was discovered last year in Japan, along with his dog tags and his high school ring. He was buried yesterday in his hometown of Paducah.
Whitney Jones at member station WKMS has our story.
WHITNEY JONES, BYLINE: Family and friends gathered for the funeral yesterday around a flag-draped casket adorned with a photo of Private First Class William Carneal. A slideshow showed scenes from his short life. When the hearse drove to the burial site, people waving American flags lined the street. Carneal, whose family called him Teetum, enlisted in the Army in 1941. He went missing on July 7, 1944, after fighting with Japanese forces on Saipan Island.
He was reported dead the next year at the age of 24. His nephew Carlton Carneal says his uncle was part of a pact with three friends. If anything happened to any of them, the others would tell the family. So the Carneals knew what happened on Saipan Island.
CARLTON CARNEAL: He was in the foxhole, and a Japanese suicide soldier slipped up behind him while my uncle was firing his gun, jumped down on top of him and immediately detonated a hand grenade and killed them both.
JONES: Carlton Carneal is one of only a few living relatives who met and remembered his uncle.
CARLTON CARNEAL: I was almost 10 when he left. He taught me to be a baseball pitcher. And he came down to the ballgame, hugged my mother and father and I goodbye. And we never saw him again.
JONES: A Japanese nonprofit discovered Carneal's remains and those of four other American soldiers in March 2013 while looking for the bodies of missing Japanese soldiers. The group also found Carneal's 1939 class ring from Heath High School in Paducah.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TAPS")
JONES: At the funeral, a small group from that Japanese nonprofit watches the ceremony. Carneal's other nephew JT Carneal says while many funerals are a somber farewell, this one was a celebration, especially since the day would have marked his uncle's 94th birthday.
J. T. CARNEAL: As a little boy, when he went in, I have never been able to celebrate a birthday for him. Today, it's the happiest day of our lives that he's coming home.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GOD BLESS AMERICA")
UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her...
JONES: Carneal's family decided against burying him at Arlington National Cemetery and instead laid him to rest at Paducah's Palestine Cemetery next to his sister, Ruth Anderson, who raised him after their parents died.
For NPR News, I'm Whitney Jones.
SIMON: This is NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/family-celebrates-the-return-of-missing-wwii-soldiers-remains | 2022-08-18T15:53:23Z |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The debate on approving new drugs to treat pain can sometimes get as polarized as abortion or gun control, as the number of people who become addicted or who have died from overdoses of legal painkillers increases. Several states are now trying to ban Zohydro, the newest FDA-approved painkiller. If you're a patient from who suffers from chronic pain and live in a state with regulatory barriers, it can be nearly impossible to get a doctor to prescribe anything for long-term relief.
An epidemic of abuse, as well as fear, means that pain is going untreated, says medical journalist Judy Foreman. The author of "A Nation in Pain" believes that it's not only cruel, but unnecessary. Judy Foreman joins us from Boston. Thanks so much for being with us.
JUDY FOREMAN: You're very welcome.
SIMON: There were complaints for years that doctors were handing out painkillers like candy; and now, there are complaints that doctors don't like to prescribe anything stronger than an aspirin. What's changed?
FOREMAN: Well, you know, the whole pendulum has gone back and forth for decades. We haven't been able to really ever get it right, in my opinion. And it's really been very tough on pain patients who legitimately need the medications. And at the same time, the more prescription opioids there are floating around out there, the more people who are inclined to - or feel they need to - are abusing them. So it's colliding epidemics.
SIMON: I read a lot of material that suggests that there's got to be a way better than opioids in any case.
FOREMAN: Yeah, opiods are not fantastic drugs, when you get right down to it. They only really reduce pain about 30 to 40 percent. And that matters if your pain is a 10 on a 10-point scale, and you can knock it down to a 6 or 7. But that doesn't really totally get rid of the pain.
So we absolutely need better things. And there are some better things, or some nonpharmacological things, already on the market and available to people, including things like acupuncture and massage and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories - although they cause a certain number of deaths every year, and acetaminophen - and that causes something like 30,000 hospitalizations. So there are other things but clearly, we need something better.
SIMON: Let me ask you about Zohydro. Gov. Patrick, of Massachusetts there, calls it - and I quote - "a potentially lethal narcotic painkiller." Twenty-nine states have asked the FDA to reconsider its approval. Are they wrong, in your judgment?
FOREMAN: Yes, they are. And it's very complicated, but the FDA did do a big study of Zohydro and concluded that it was safe and effective. The big benefit of Zohydro is that unlike a lot of other drugs on the market, it's just a single-agent thing. It just has hydrocodone. It doesn't also have acetaminophen. And even though it's sort of hard for laypeople to understand, it's the acetaminophen, which is the active ingredient in Tylenol, that actually is the dose-limiting thing about a lot of combination medication. So I do think it's good to have Zohydro available to people.
SIMON: You've written that serious chronic pain is a bigger problem than cancer - and for that matter, cancer, heart disease and diabetes combined.
FOREMAN: And you can even throw in AIDS. There are more people suffering from chronic pain than all those four other things put together. That's 100 million American - American adults, by the way; not kids, not people - military returning from the wars, or even people in nursing homes. So that may actually be an underestimate. That figure comes from a report in 2011 from the Institute of Medicine. They're not all in excruciating, debilitating pain, but an estimated 10 to 30 percent are. So that's a lot of people.
SIMON: Well, help remind people what that means for someone's life.
FOREMAN: Oh, my God. Some people can't get out of bed, or they can't walk. Many people get very depressed, and it really is a life-wrecking thing. And in some cases, it's a life-ending thing because what a lot of people don't realize is that the suicide risk among people in chronic pain is twice that for people not in pain.
SIMON: And what is the line - and I suspect there's no clear answer on this - between dependence, somebody who needs something for chronic pain; and addiction?
FOREMAN: Yeah, that's a great question. There are some doctors who are in the very anti-opioid camp who think that that's a distinction without a meaningful difference. But more doctors believe that it is an important difference. Addiction is defined as a neurobiological condition where people use the drugs compulsively. They use them despite knowing they're doing harm.
Physical dependence is different. If you go on opiods for even two or three weeks, you will become physically dependent. That's 100 percent guaranteed, but that's not the same as addiction. That is a state of adaptation that your body makes to the opioids. It means your opioid receptors in your nervous system are full of the drugs. So that can be dealt with and often, it is - after surgery or after...
SIMON: Yeah.
FOREMAN: ...Lots of medical interventions...
SIMON: People routinely will take painkillers for a month or so after surgery.
FOREMAN: And get off them without making any headlines at all.
SIMON: When you survey the medical world, Ms. Foreman, does it seem to be divided between people who perceive addiction as the great danger, and those who perceive pain as the great danger?
FOREMAN: Yes. Unfortunately, it's become very, very polarized. You're either for the pain patients, or you're for the addicts. And that seems crazy because among other things, there a number of people who have both chronic pain and addiction. And of course, those are the patients who have the hardest time. Doctors want to run away from them because they just really don't know quite how to manage the pain without triggering an addiction. So yes, we need more people who really do understand both. And there's an argument to be made that both should be taught at the same time in medical schools.
SIMON: Judy Foreman, who is the author of "A Nation in Pain," speaking to us from studios on the campus of Harvard University. Thanks so much for being with us.
FOREMAN: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/fear-of-addiction-means-chronic-pain-goes-untreated | 2022-08-18T15:53:29Z |
Need a good laugh? Try Chicago.
The Humor Research Lab at the Leeds School of Business at University of Colorado Boulder (and doesn't that sound like it was created by The Onion?) concocted an algorithm to rate America's funniest cities.
Humor researchers calculated factors like the number of working comics and comedy clubs per capita, funny local tweeters and visits to funny websites. They asked people to assess what they called their "need for levity."
Adrian Ward, a co-author of the study, says it's not all algorithms. "A city's sense of humor is a living, breathing thing created by everything from coffee shop conversations," he says, "to the laughter that erupts at comedy clubs."
Chicago ranked first, not surprisingly. It's home to great comic institutions like Second City, The Onion, Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!, and the Chicago City Council.
Boston is No. 2. Boston is a lot like Chicago, but smaller and better educated.
Washington, D.C., is fourth, perhaps because Americans like to watch the antics of official Washington the way they laugh at monkeys in a zoo who fling feces and scratch themselves.
Portland, Ore., is fifth; a nice nod to an engaging place. An unnamed Portlandian told researchers, "We enjoy Darth Vader wearing a kilt riding a unicycle playing the bagpipes."
Make that a line-caught, free-range, shade-grown unicycle in Portland.
New York is sixth. I bet it would be higher if they'd considered just Brooklyn, which, like Chicago, is it's own punch line. But it's too expensive to be funny in Manhattan.
Nothing deflates laughs like algorithms and analysis. But you might notice that all the cities atop this humor survey possess personality. You wouldn't confuse Chicago with Portland; or Portland with Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco, which are also among the top 10. Each of those cities puts a stamp on the people who live there, and humor is an important part of character.
I spent a lot of time last summer with a loved one in the intensive care unit of a Chicago hospital. One middle of the night, I came downstairs to the 24-hour Starbucks. Everyone in line looked wet-eyed and anxious. Spending all night in a hospital didn't seem like a happy occasion for anyone.
A Motown hit came on. And when Martha and the Vandellas sang that summer's here and the time is right, all us strangers joined in to sing a line to make us smile: "They're dancin' in Chicaaago ..."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/home-of-second-city-comedy-ranks-first-in-humor | 2022-08-18T15:53:35Z |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Jim Gaffigan's got a lot going on right now. He's been on tour with his wife and five children. He shot the pilot of a TV show about living in his New York apartment with only two bedrooms, and he's "Obsessed," the title of his new special that premieres tomorrow on Comedy Central. Between stops on his tour, Jim Gaffigan joined us to explain why he takes aim at kale, and how he does it without using a single foul word.
JIM GAFFIGAN: When I was a little kid, cottage cheese was considered healthy. You know, I remember my mom and my sisters saying, we're going to be healthy by eating this tub of cheese curds. And, you know, they're essentially eating something that looks like cellulite. And so I'm just kind of a cynic, you know, I just think that Americans - we have this belief that every generation, or every decade, we finally got it figured out. And in Australia, I think they feed kale to cattle.
SIMON: I think the cattle are very healthy too, if I'm not mistaken.
GAFFIGAN: Right. You know, and things just get out of control; like, you know, the milk trend changes every two weeks. You know, I have young children so initially, you're not supposed to feed them cow's milk, so then you're supposed to drink soy milk, but then they discover that there's so much estrogen in it that it might not be perfect if you're trying to raise children that have all their genital parts. You know what I mean?
So it's - and then you drink almond milk but if you have a nut allergy, then you're supposed to drink hemp milk, which is essentially made out of rope. It's just this ongoing kind of circle of us seeking to find an easy solution and the reality is, we're all going to die.
SIMON: Well, thanks for cheering us up.
GAFFIGAN: (Laughter) Yes.
SIMON: I can't think of a standup working who is more successful than you are, at the moment, and yet you are still identified as the guy who keeps it clean.
GAFFIGAN: Some of it is the topics that I'm discussing. And some of it is probably that I come from a smaller town in Indiana, and I'm not going to be somebody who's going to feel comfortable talking about some sexual explicit kind of situation. But there is something about - standup comedy has such a rich heritage of dealing with censorship, and dealing with breaking down social taboos. And when I'm the clean guy, there is something like, am I working for the enemy by being clean? But I also think that no one's going to see a standup show just to hear someone not curse.
So, I mean, after shows, there's definitely people that are like, thank you for being clean. But there's also people that, you know, the person standing behind them that has a look on their face like, oh I didn't even realize he was clean.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
SIMON: Jim Gaffigan's new special, "Obsessed," premieres on Comedy Central tomorrow night. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/jim-gaffigan-funny-and-clean-in-obsessed | 2022-08-18T15:53:41Z |
Just a few words can hold a world of meaning. John Paul Stevens, the retired Supreme Court justice, has written a short new book in which he proposes a few words here and there that would create some sweeping changes.
The book, Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution, details the half-dozen ways Stevens thinks the Constitution could be improved, changes that he says are worth the trouble of the arduous amendment process.
To start, he proposes changing the First Amendment, the protection of free speech, so that it allows "reasonable limits" on the amount of money candidates for public office or their supporters can spend on election campaigns.
Stevens would add words to the Second Amendment to read, "the right of the people to keep and bear arms when serving in the militia shall not be infringed." He would also end the death penalty, adding it to the prohibitions on "excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment."
"I think in time that what I have to say about each of these six issues will be accepted as being consistent with what the framers really intended in the first place," Stevens tells NPR's Scott Simon. "I think in time, reason will prevail."
Interview Highlights
On whether the quality of free speech is different when it's directed in a political campaign than in the ordinary course of events
Not necessarily the quality, but the permissibility of regulations of speech is quite different because of a very strong state interest in trying to establish equality of opportunity for competing candidates to get elected.
On the Supreme Court's ruling this week saying that voters could elect to end affirmative action programs
It's a very interesting case, and I haven't completely finished reading it, but a quite different issue than I thought it was. The case is not about whether affirmative action itself is a good idea or a bad idea, should be permissible. It's rather about the question of the way in which the state changed its law, whether they followed a procedure that violated a series of cases that say legislatures may not enact laws that are designed to make it more difficult for minorities to achieve their own goals. And the question here is really whether this was such a law or not. There really isn't much argument about whether affirmative action is a good thing or a bad thing.
On whether marijuana use should be legal under federal law
Yes. Public opinion has changed and recognized that the distinction between marijuana and alcoholic beverages is really not much of a distinction. There's a general consensus that the prohibition against selling and dispensing alcoholic beverages was not worth the cost, and I think really, in time, that'll be the general consensus with respect to this particular drug. It's really a very similar problem to the whole problem on Prohibition. Of course, I lived through that, part of that period.
On whether term limits should be imposed on Supreme Court justices
No, I really don't think so. I think that the Supreme Court justices over the years have demonstrated an ability to recognize when it's time for them to retire.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/justice-stevens-six-little-ways-to-change-the-constitution | 2022-08-18T15:53:47Z |
To look at the members of Neon Trees — their technicolor clothes, skinny ties, hair bleached and lacquered into gravity-defying shapes — you might fairly place them in the same musical lineage that spawned bands like Duran Duran and The Killers. (They've toured with both.) But the culture from which the musicians emerged is a story unto itself. Singer Tyler Glenn, drummer Elaine Brady, guitarist Chris Allen and bassist Branden Campbell are all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — a fact that has dominated discussion about the band since Glenn came out as gay in March.
Neon Trees' latest release, Pop Psychology, continues its steady arc of catchy, danceable pop-rock — though the lyrics, Glenn says, often deal with the conflicts of identity and faith he dealt with while in the closet. He and Bradley spoke with NPR's Scott Simon; hear the radio version at the audio link, and read more of their conversation below.
SCOTT SIMON: I'm just guessing that more people who want to be musicians leave Provo for Southern California than vice-versa. How did you folks decide, "We want to go into music. Let's head for Provo'?
TYLER GLENN: Chris, our guitar player, ended up going to school there — massage school, of all trades. We're both Southern California natives and we'd ended up just clicking when we started playing music together, so I followed him there. I was the same way; I didn't think Provo would be the spot. But when I got there I was quickly surprised that there was an actual scene. There's a college there, really cool bands, and Elaine and Branden were in some of those bands.
ELAINE BRADLEY: I'm from Chicago originally. I went to Utah to go to BYU, and I thought that I was leaving the mecca of music and my career would be over, you know? But I wanted to be practical, so I wanted to go get a degree. And it's funny that arriving in Provo was really refreshing, that the music scene was so vibrant, and even competitive to a certain extent — which, I don't know, helps me strive for excellence. If I hadn't moved to Utah, I definitely wouldn't be in the position I'm in now.
SIMON: If I may: I don't understand how you get music clubs when they can't sell alcohol.
BRADLEY: Yeah, it's very interesting, because the clubs in Provo don't do it. I thought that was going to be a terrible thing, but, funny enough, I think it actually creates a culture of music appreciation — because there's nothing else to do, so you end a song and people are there watching you. There's no clanking bottles and loud, drunk shouting. It's all very much about the band, so it's a really great kind of a litmus test. These kids are totally paying attention to you, and if you can get them to move and dance and respond, you know you're doing something right. If they're just blankly staring at you, you know you have a problem. So, it's actually kind of good that way.
SIMON: Tyler, haven't you actually said that some of the LDS prohibitions against drinking and drugs might actually have helped your band?
GLENN: Ten thousand percent, in the beginning especially. To have a sober audience in front of you that is really engaged and responding, it really helped us gauge what songs were working and craft a good live show. It also gave us an opportunity to really build an avid fan base, instead of just casual bargoers liking the nightlife and also liking your music.
SIMON: I want to ask about a song from the new album, "Living in Another World." Is there a story with this one?
GLENN: I say in the song, "I guess I've always been this way / It's been hard for me to say," which relates to me sorting out some of my identity issues: my sexuality and my religion and sort of how the two meet. I felt like I was living in a new world entirely, because it was like my happy place. And I think a lot of people do that, and a lot of people can relate. I think I've learned it's OK to have those flaws, or things that don't quite make sense.
SIMON: What's the flaw? We all have them, but I hope that you're not referring to your sexuality.
GLENN: Not at all. I think it's OK to have things not make sense. Like, I think I've definitely received positivity, but are also those comments: "How can you say you're Mormon and also gay?" And maybe that's the thing that doesn't make sense to people. But to me it makes sense to say, "I'm figuring it out."
SIMON: Is it something you'd leave the church over, or is it something you'd hope to change the church with?
GLENN: More the latter. I mean, I'm not looking to disrespect anyone, but I think there's already a little bit of a change on the horizon anyway, that slowly, the church has been more accepting. I also feel like the media has over-spun some things said within the church. Honestly, growing up and being actively Mormon, I was never told anything about homosexuality being wrong. But obviously, the Prop 8 situation is kind of when it started to become more public, and that's kind of when I also started to question things, discover things about myself. I think it's just been a natural thing, but as part of accepting who I am sexually, I also wanted to not throw away my faith. And I'm figuring out how the two align.
SIMON: Both of you were Mormon missionaries, I gather.
GLENN: Yeah.
SIMON: Tyler, you were in Nebraska for two years?
GLENN: I lucked out.
SIMON: Well, I've interviewed a lot of people who have been on Mormon missions over the years, and forgive me, I love Nebraska, but it's usually some exotic place where you learn another language.
GLENN: All the band members when to more extravagant places, but I went to Omaha, and I only knew about Nebraska from the Bruce Springsteen record, honestly. I actually fell in love with it, so, it's all been great now. But yeah, you're opening the letter with your family filming you, and everyone's crying, and I'm crying mostly because I'm going to Nebraska. So there's that.
SIMON: Elaine, you were in Germany?
BRADLEY: Yeah, I served in Frankfurt. I learned how to speak German, which is a good thing, because later I went to college and met my future husband, and he's from Germany.
SIMON: So you were away on mission for a few years. What happened to the music in that time?
BRADLEY: I think we both found ways to be musical within our own missions. Secular music definitely isn't something that we're encouraged to listen to or anything, but the leader of my mission allowed me to have a guitar, and he actually gave me a recorder to record songs so that he could listen to them. So I was able to keep playing music, basically every night when I got home, and write songs that way.
GLENN: I made three albums on my mission. I had a four-track tape recorder. I would make songs, and give them to the people I was teaching and ward members, and I sang at the conferences we had. I definitely made it known that I loved music, because that's the language I knew how to speak.
SIMON: Do you think, in your mission work, you drew anybody across the line with your music?
GLENN: Yeah, I think music is a great meeting point for everyone, because everyone likes music and everyone feels music to a degree. I didn't ever use it to persuade people, but I think that people can feel a certain spirit in music, and I think that helps.
SIMON: What's going on in the song "Unavoidable?"
GLENN: A lot on this record, I try to really convey the anxiety of trying to find out who you are. An interesting topic that I'm going through is finding love in the modern age. There's lots of technology, and lots of ways to communicate more than ever — but I feel like no one is communicating or everyone's over-communicating. So I try to get that point across because it's scary for me as a single, 30-year-old, now-out gay man, using technology.
SIMON: Do you mean things like text messages?
GLENN: There's an app called Tinder, where you basically can use your geo services on your phone to see who's near you and then look at their photos and see if you like them — which is kind of inherently odd, that it's just window shopping at this point.
BRADLEY: It's a meat market.
SIMON: Well, how do you feel about that?
GLENN: It's a struggle, man. Being a closeted gay man in my 20s and using those apps, a lot of it is hookup based, and that's not something I'm always about. It really doesn't give you rewarding romance passionate relationships, and that's what I'm seeking, ultimately.
SIMON: It's none of my business, but I'm just moved to tell you, you sound like an awfully fine young man.
GLENN: Oh, I appreciate it. Thank you, that's very nice.
BRADLEY: I vouch for him. He is a fine young man!
SIMON: With the advantage of 10 years' hindsight, has music given you a way of working out your place in the world?
GLENN: At times, it's my best friend. I'm kind of a natural wallflower, and I've really worked on that over the years: accepting that it's good to be social, and good to have friends, and good to let people in. But music, 100 percent, has never failed me. And I don't mean monetarily, or success on a chart — I mean it's just always been there for me. It's helped me say things without being too explicit, but I can get them off my chest. And that's why I'm so excited that we do have success in the band. It's nice to be given a talent and be able to use it. Not everyone gets that opportunity all the time.
SIMON: Who gave you that talent?
GLENN: Well, I always attribute it to God, because my family has no musical talent whatsoever.
SIMON: So your family is not the Osmonds?
GLENN: I mean, my aunt was an opera singer, and she probably wanted me to do that. And I almost tried out for the opera, but I ended up joining a rock band.
SIMON: Some people may still find it hard to hold in their heads the idea of a high-energy rock band filled with Mormons, whose lead singer is openly gay. Is that just ignorance about what it is to be a Mormon?
BRADLEY: I think what people expect is the polarizing effect: Either you can be gay or you can be religious — you're not allowed to be both. I think that's definitely a gross misconception, and it's really refreshing and awesome that Tyler's able to be honest about how he feels and who he is, basically saying, "I'm working on it." I mean, everybody is trying to do that with their own lives. We can all understand that we're a work in progress. Sometimes the things that we think, the things that we feel and the things that we believe don't match up 100 percent, and we need to be able to navigate those waters honestly. That's, I think, the road to mental health, frankly.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/neon-trees-the-mormon-band-who-made-it-big-on-honesty | 2022-08-18T15:53:53Z |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
This is WEEKEND EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. The Obama administration's recent efforts to try to steer Israel and the Palestinians into a lasting peace accord have failed. President Obama isn't giving up but as he acknowledges, it may be time for a pause. He says Israelis and Palestinians have both taken unhelpful steps in recent weeks, and neither side looks ready to compromise. This is a major setback for Secretary of State John Kerry, as NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.
MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: When Secretary Kerry brought Israeli and Palestinian negotiators to the State Department last year, he gave them nine months to agree on a long-elusive peace agreement.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY: While I understand the skepticism, I don't share it. And I don't think we have time for it.
KELEMEN: Kerry's deadline, April 29, is fast approaching, and talks have broken off. President Obama said this week there's only one door, and that's for the two parties to get together and make difficult compromises.
(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: We will continue to encourage them to walk through that door. Do I expect that they will walk through that door next week, next month, or even in the course of the next six months? No.
KELEMEN: Kerry says he'll never give up his hopes for peace. A former U.S. ambassador to Israel, Daniel Kurtzer, says he hopes Kerry has a Plan B.
DANIEL KURTZER: Given the investment of time and energy of the secretary of state, he can't just walk away, at this point. And on the other hand, there's not much to play with. It suggests that the Plan B that they have been avoiding thinking about ought to be thought about pretty quickly.
KELEMEN: Israelis and Palestinians are blaming each other for the impasse, and both have threatened to take steps in retaliation, says Kurtzer, who teaches at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School.
KURTZER: It's going to be a little bit of preventive diplomacy now. So Kerry, having tried the creative, forward-looking diplomacy, has now got to shift gears a little bit just to make sure it doesn't really just fall over the edge.
KELEMEN: Kurtzer doesn't expect a new spike in violence, but says Palestinians and their supporters abroad could pursue their boycotts, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel. And Israel could withhold Palestinian tax revenue. Robert Danin, of the Council on Foreign Relations, hopes the gains in recent years won't be undermined.
ROBERT DANIN: No one has an interest now in seeing the Palestinian authority go through economic hardship and, indeed, a potential collapse. So we need to put a floor under where things stand now and try to build up from that.
KELEMEN: The peace process, Danin says, never really dies. But it does go into moribund periods when the U.S. has to do maintenance work.
DANIN: We may shift into a bit of a defensive crouch for some time, but we're going to be in the game.
KELEMEN: Not everyone wants the U.S. to be on the defense, though. Jeremy Ben-Ami, who runs the pro-peace advocacy group J Street, says it's time for the U.S. to rethink its role.
JEREMY BEN-AMI: The traditional role of simply inviting the parties into a room and offering our services to facilitate the talks seems to be a dead-end.
KELEMEN: So J Street is encouraging the U.S. to put a framework agreement on the table to spark a debate about how to draw borders and resolve the other final status issues between the Palestinians and Israelis.
BEN-AMI: If they are serious, then they can say yes to that framework. And if they say no, then it is clear they are not serious in the eyes of the world about pursuing diplomacy and pursuing an end of this conflict.
KELEMEN: There are no indications that Secretary Kerry will take that route. His spokesperson says peace talks are in a holding period now, and the parties need to decide what happens next.
Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/obama-may-be-time-for-a-pause-in-mideast-peace-talks | 2022-08-18T15:54:00Z |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. Look, I think this whole show is great but I really look forward to saying, time for sports. Auntie Em, there's no place like home, there's no place like home except in the NBA playoffs. And remember when Kentucky lost the college basketball championship game? Got ready to lose most of its one-and-done freshmen players to the pros? What were we thinking? NPR's Tom Goldman joins us. Morning, Tom.
TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE: Well, hi.
SIMON: Hi, there. Look, two surprise teams so far in the NBA playoffs, the first round, the Washington Wizards and the Portland Trailblazers. They had the chance last night to take control of their first round series, but they played at home. Couldn't put them away, could they? What's going on?
GOLDMAN: I am speaking to you from Portland. Yeah, Washington fell to Chicago 100-97. The Blazers lost to Houston 121-116...
SIMON: Mike Dunleavy like, drained, I think, a dozen three-pointers, if I'm not mistaken.
GOLDMAN: At least, yeah. And the Blazers lost to Houston 121 to 116 in overtime - not to move on to Portland too quickly here. What's going on? Strange and spreading malady in these playoffs, Scott. Road teams are winning at a stunning rate. In the first week of the postseason, road teams won 12 of the 22 games. Now remember, teams are clawing for much of the regular season - clawing to win games in order to give them the home-court advantage in the playoffs.
The psychology of playing in front of your own cheering fans, the comfort and routine of home - it's supposed to make winning in the postseason more likely. So far, not the case.
SIMON: And why not?
GOLDMAN: Well, we're finding out there's a lot more parity in the NBA than we realized. We're seeing lower-seeded teams beating higher-seeded teams regularly. It's very reminiscent of the recent March Madness tournament in college basketball - wide open. And the psychology of home-court advantage may change in the playoffs because, you know, each game in a series is so important. The pressure really is on for home teams to win in the postseason, to hold serve.
Last night, Portland, playing in front of its raucus, loyal crowd missed all four of its long-range jump shots in overtime after hitting a bunch earlier in the game. Pressure? Well, pressure can tighten muscles and can wreak havoc on long-range shooting.
SIMON: And I - look, I'll just say I, you know, I traveled with the Chicago Bulls a few years ago while writing a book. A lot of those guys prefer to play on the roads 'cause they said they didn't have to worry about arranging tickets for their third-grader's teacher - you know? - or driving their Land Rover through rush-hour traffic from the suburbs to get to the game. They can isolate and concentrate on the road.
GOLDMAN: Absolutely.
SIMON: Look, next season the NBA's going to have to wait around for the Harrison twins - aren't they? - from the University of Kentucky? They announced they're coming back. What's going on - they want to stay in school? What'll they learn there?
GOLDMAN: (Laughter) Some actually do. It's ironic, isn't it, for Kentucky head coach John Calipari to - the man who's mastered the one-and-done phenomenon. He's so used to recruiting top high school players, grooming them for a year and then saying goodbye. But along with the Harrisons, four other key players from the team that lost the title game just this month, players who could have left, decided not to.
And in the meantime, Calipari has recruited another bunch of amazing high schoolers. So not only is Kentucky already the absolute preseason favorite for next year, it'll be a real challenge for Coach Cal to find enough playing time for his surplus of amazing talent.
SIMON: And Tom, we lost Earl Morrall this week, maybe the greatest sub of all time, wasn't he?
GOLDMAN: A hero to benchwarmers everywhere. He played 21 years for six NFL teams, started many games during his career but remembered most as a backup for a couple of NFL greats. He filled in for an injured Johnny Unitas in the 1971 Super Bowl and led the Colts to victory. Next year, playing for Miami, he filled in for Bob Griese and helped lead the Dolphins to a perfect season - the only one in history.
SIMON: Tom Goldman, thanks so much.
GOLDMAN: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/road-teams-find-the-edge-in-nba-playoffs | 2022-08-18T15:54:06Z |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The Academy of American Poets held their 80th anniversary gala this week to mark National Poetry Month, with an all-star cast reading some of their favorite poems. Sir Patrick Stewart brought a voice that sounds almost from on high, to read Edna St. Vincent Millay's "God's World."
(SOUNDBITE OF POEM, "GOD'S WORLD")
PATRICK STEWART: (Reading) Oh, world I cannot hold thee close enough. Thy winds, thy wide grey skies. Thy mists, that roll and rise. Thy woods, this autumn day, that ache and sag and all but cry with colour. That gaunt crag to crush. To lift the lean of that black bluff. World, world, I cannot get thee close enough.
SIMON: Rosie Perez read a Maya Angelou poem that rings with pride, "Still I Rise."
(SOUNDBITE OF POEM, "STILL I RISE")
ROSIE PEREZ: (Reading) Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? 'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells pumping in my living room.
SIMON: And Esperanza Spalding, the jazz artist, did a riff on Langston Hughes' poem, "Life is Fine."
(SOUNDBITE OF POEM, "LIFE IS FINE")
ESPERANZA SPALDING: (Singing) I went down to the river, I set down on the bank. I tried to think but couldn't, so I jumped on in and sank. I came up...
SIMON: All of these poems were recorded at a live performance at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, at a gala for the Academy of American Poets.
(SOUNDBITE OF POEM, "LIFE IS FINE")
SPALDING: (Singing) ...But it was cold in that water, oh, Lord it was cold... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/stars-indulge-in-versification-at-poetry-gala | 2022-08-18T15:54:12Z |
Just about anyone who's gone online has encountered the message: "Error 404" or page "Not Found." It's what you see when a link is broken or dead — when the resource is no longer available.
It happens all across the Internet, on blogs, news websites, even links cited in decisions by the Supreme Court. It's called link rot, and it spreads over time as more pages die.
These are natural deaths; links die when the server where the page first lived has closed for business, or a filter is blocking access. It's annoying on sites like Buzzfeed and Gawker, but it's worse when links go rotten on judicial decisions or works of scholarship.
Jonathan Zittrain, professor of law and computer science at Harvard University, says that's a serious problem.
"It's extraordinarily bad for the long-term maintenance of the information we need, say, to understand the law," says Zittrain, who helped create Perma.cc, a service to help judges, authors and scholars preserve links indefinitely.
"When a Supreme Court justice offers a URL to explain what he or she is thinking, if you can't follow it and can't get there, or even worse, if something different is there, people can be misled," Zittrain tells NPR's Scott Simon.
Interview Highlights
On how widespread the problem is
We found that within the field of law, for judicial opinions of the Supreme Court, half of the links were dead already in Supreme Court opinions, and for the Harvard Law Review, just over 70 percent of the links there don't work anymore.
A way to fight link rot
We've put together a consortium of, initially, law libraries, for which we're offering something called Perma.cc, which is the opportunity for an author or editor of a piece of scholarship or a judicial opinion to take that link that he or she is about to put in there — and that's destined to rot, probably — take [the website] to one of the participating libraries, have a snapshot made of what's there, and then the network of libraries commit to keeping that indefinitely.
On the mission to document human knowledge
The idea is: This is part of the job of universities, of academia and libraries, to be able to serve the basic function of preserving humanity's knowledge. Of course, we don't want to lose money doing it, but we want to make sure that the basic functions of getting the information in and getting it out aren't something that is going to be subject to the whims of a business model or a transfer of ownership of a company. And I should say, this is one of several approaches to try to deal with this problem.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/stopping-link-rot-aiming-to-end-a-virtual-epidemic | 2022-08-18T15:54:18Z |
Sunday is the deadline for Syrian President Bashar Assad to hand over his government's chemical weapons stockpile, and he will have surrendered the vast majority of his declared arsenal.
Some call this a triumph. Others say Assad used the deal to buy time for brutal offensives in the civil war raging through the country. Western governments are investigating reports of more chemical attacks, although Russian officials said Friday that Assad's forces did not use chemical weapons.
The deal was hammered out last year after a chemical attack outside Damascus killed hundreds, including children. The war had already claimed tens of thousands of civilians, yet the world was horrified by footage of children struggling to breathe, then giving up.
Assad blamed the opposition for the attack, but presented no real evidence; American investigators said the president's forces did it. For a while, it even seemed the U.S. would strike, but instead they forged the chemical weapons amnesty.
Under the deal, Assad agreed to give up 1,300 tons of dangerous chemicals, or precursor materials.
"All of this is unprecedented on various levels — it's never been done to disarm a country of any category of weapons, much less strategic weapons, in the middle of a war, of a hot war," says Michael Luhan of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which is overseeing the handover.
He says that the regime is on track to hand over the stockpile it's declared, despite delays. So far, about 90 percent of the declared materials have been taken out of the country by boat.
But others point out that since the deal was struck, tens of thousands more civilians have died. A regime assault on the city of Aleppo with crude barrel bombs has leveled whole neighborhoods. And although Western governments say Assad must go, his forces are now winning the war.
"I do think it was smart of Assad, and he did in a sense rejuvenate himself to a certain degree," says Joshua Landis, of the University of Oklahoma, who is an expert on Syria. "He made a crucial deal with the United States, which made him a partner in this — and it benefited Assad tremendously."
Landis says that Assad's supporters were terrified the U.S. was going to attack. When the chemical weapons deal was struck, that fear disappeared.
"The United States did not bomb, Saudi Arabia was furious, the rebels felt completely downcast, and Assad could continue on, bombing with impunity in Syria," Landis says. "It was very clear, from the beginning of the civil war and talking to Syrian government people, that their one calculation at the beginning of this war was that if the U.S., if F-16s do not come over the horizon, Assad can prevail."
Recently, there have even been questions about whether chemical attacks have stopped. French and American officials say they are investigating allegations of small-scale chlorine gas attacks.
Chlorine is used in industrial processes, and was not covered in the agreement to ship chemical weapons out of the country.
Activists, doctors and political opposition members say there have been at least seven occasions in the past six weeks when gas has been used. Regime and rebels acknowledge some of the instances but blame each other.
The influential blog Brown Moses provides detailed analysis of the Syrian war and is often cited by human rights groups. It reported that in an attack earlier this month, activists say gas was dropped from a helicopter — which only the Syrian government has. The government has denied the reports.
And some think that the regime has not declared or given up all of Syria's supply of chemical weapons.
"There are potentially about 200 tons of precursor chemical weapons, or potentially chemical weapons themselves, that are potentially missing from the declared stockpile," says Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a chemical weapons expert who works on Syria. "So either the regime has kept some back, which is I think is very likely, and/or opposition groups have obtained some."
Thus far the opposition hasn't been able to prove that the regime is behind recent attacks. And Syria's staunch ally Russia, which was instrumental in negotiating the deal, said Friday that the accusations against government forces are "fabricated."
But even as vast quantities of chemicals are safely on ships heading away from Syria, the suffering in the country continues. Next week, the U.N. Security Council plans to review a report that the regime has flagrantly violated international law by not allowing aid to rebel-held areas.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/syria-gives-up-chemical-weapons-but-a-war-rages-on | 2022-08-18T15:54:24Z |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
As the conflict in Syria rages, a pianist named Malek Jandali has turned to composing to express his sorrow. He was one of the first Syrian artists living abroad to openly criticize the Assad regime, not long after an uprising swept across his homeland. Jessica Jones from North Carolina Public Radio shares how he found his voice through music.
JESSICA JONES, BYLINE: In 2011, Malek Jandali was visiting his family in Syria. There he witnessed the early stages of a rebellion that resulted in the detainment and torture of many young Syrians. When Jandali returned to the U.S., he sat down at the piano and poured his heart out in a song.
MALEK JANDALI: And I started in a very melancholic, sad minor key.
(SOUNDBITE OF MALEK JANDALI SONG, "WATANI ANA")
JANDALI: I was just actually pouring my thoughts and my melodies and my passion and just making music. I was just inspired by those kids and by what's going on back home.
JONES: As an orchestral composer, Jandali had never put words to music before. He decided to call the song "Watani Ana" or "I Am My Homeland." Recorded in 2011, it featured Palestinian and Iraqi singers as soloists.
(SOUNDBITE OF MALEK JANDALI SONG, "WATANI ANA")
SALMA HABIB: (Singing in foreign language).
JONES: That song marked the beginning of the soft-spoken composer's turn toward activism. In addition to writing more music about the conflict in his homeland, Jandali is also on a concert tour that asks audiences to contribute to humanitarian organizations helping children in Syria. He performed recently at Duke University.
(SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH)
JANDALI: You don't need anything else but stop the war, have a no-fly zone, protect the children so we can have peace, justice and accountability.
(SOUNDBITE OF ORCHESTRAL MUSIC)
JONES: Local musicians and singers participated in the concert. North Carolina State University music professor Jonathan Kramer accompanied Jandali on the cello.
(SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH)
JONATHAN KRAMER: The cello is of my own heart turned outward. And the opportunity that I have to play this music with this man under these circumstances is a way to express my own deep love for music and humanity and my deep sorrow that things are the way they are in the world.
JONES: Members of the audience said they were moved by the performance. Rebecca Jouben is a professor at Davidson College just outside Charlotte.
REBECCA JOUBEN: I think that he speaks to our conscience. This is a tragedy before our eyes. It's not something we're reading about in history books. It's right before our eyes.
JONES: According to the U.N., more than 100,000 people have died in the Syrian conflict. Jandali's parents were severely beaten when their home was invaded by what he says were government thugs just three days after the first live performance of "Watani Ana" in the United States. They are in the U.S. now.
JANDALI: So I thought, oh, my God, you know, this little, tiny song is actually shaking an entire regime back home. For them to send their soldiers to beat my parents, is this how powerful music is? And from that moment, I was just on fire to do more.
JONES: Jandali has posted politically charged works on his website and YouTube. They're set to compositions from his latest album called "Emessa," the ancient Greek name for his hometown of Homs, Syria.
(SOUNDBITE OF ORCHESTRAL MUSIC)
JONES: The next stops on Jandali's concert tour include performances in Sweden and the United Kingdom. For NPR News, I'm Jessica Jones in Durham, North Carolina. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/syrian-composer-turned-activist-asks-americans-for-support | 2022-08-18T15:54:30Z |
Pope Francis will canonize two 20th-century Catholic giants on Sunday — one a pope beloved by traditionalists the other a pontiff who was the icon of Catholic liberals.
The Polish-born John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope in nearly 500 years. He traveled to every corner of the earth and helped bring down communism.
John XXIII was a Vatican diplomat in World War II who saved many Jews from the Holocaust. By calling the Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II, he opened the Church's windows onto the modern world.
The night Vatican II opened in 1962, the "Good Pope John," as Italians called him, saw from his window a crowd of torch-bearing faithful in St Peter's Square.
He addressed them – not in the arcane style of past popes – but with simple words still fondly remembered today.
"The whole world is represented here tonight," the pontiff said. "Look up, even the moon hurried to join us – and when you go home, hug your children and tell them it's a hug from the pope."
Ushering In Change
"John XXIII produced an earthquake at the end of the 50's. All was so fixed, so dogmatic," says Marco Politi, Vatican correspondent for the daily Il Fatto. Vatican II established new guidelines for the Catholic Church in the modern world, he adds.
"It put an end to the centuries-long anti-Semitism of the Catholic Church, Jews are no more the killers of Jesus Christ, they are brethren," Polti says. "After Vatican Council Two, Islam is no more a sort of pagan, strange religion. Vatican Council Two recognized that Muslims, Jews and Christians are praying to the same God. Which was unthinkable in the past century."
Vatican II dropped Latin from the mass, allowing it to be celebrated in all languages. Young Catholics today have no idea what the church was like before the council, says veteran Vatican analyst Robert Mickens.
"Catholics couldn't go into other churches, it was often difficult even to go to a wedding in another church, let alone go into a synagogue or mosque," Mickens says. "That's all changed, the council put Catholic Church and Catholic people in dialogue with the world, no longer standing apart, but walking with humanity."
John XXIII did not see the end of Vatican II but his deathbed words show he understood what he had put in motion.
"It is not that the gospel has changed; it is that we have begun to understand it better," he said. "Those who have lived as long as I have ... were enabled to compare different cultures and traditions, and know that the moment has come to discern the signs of the times, to seize the opportunity and to look far ahead."
The First Polish Pope
Fifteen years later, the College of Cardinals elected the first Polish pope and the youngest one in 125 years. John Paul knew how to command the global stage and how to use the mass media to spread the gospel.
"Do not be afraid, rather, open wide the doors to Christ, break down the borders of states, of economic and political systems, of vast fields of culture, of civilization and development. Do not be afraid," he said.
John Paul was the first pope to visit a synagogue and a mosque and used the papacy as a bully pulpit for human rights, Marco Politi says.
"He was first pope to call all leaders of the world religions to pray together for peace in Assisi and there were a lot of people in the Roman Curia and world (Catholic) Church who didn't agree to this fact which seemed to put the Catholic faith on the same level of the faith of other people," Polti says.
John Paul had participated in Vatican II as a bishop. But by the early 1980s he felt it had opened the floodgates to too much change.
Robert Mickens says one of the key aspects of John Paul's papacy was a crackdown on discussion of certain issues – such as sexual ethics and married priests.
"This is because of John Paul II's experience in Communist Poland was that a divided hierarchy or a hierarchy that was seen as not to be in total lock-step agreement was weakened in its proclamation, and so he imposed very strict obedience — same message, single-minded message for all the bishops," he said.
It was perhaps John Paul's experience with a Communist regime — which often discredited priests with false accusations — that led him to turn a blind eye for so long to the clerical sex abuse scandals that festered under his papacy and which critics say still tarnish his legacy.
John Paul's supporters say he knew nothing of the scandals because Vatican officials may have kept him in the dark.
The art of saint making also involves the art of politics.
Pope Francis' decision to canonize the pope loved by Catholic traditionalists together with the one favored by Catholic liberals is seen as part of his effort to keep Catholics united, inside one big tent.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/two-very-different-popes-will-be-canonized | 2022-08-18T15:54:36Z |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
So if you're a fan of the beautiful game - that's soccer, for those of you who aren't - you've no doubt heard that this week Manchester United sacked - that's fired, not putting a man in a sack, though it's close - David Moyes, its manager. Man U had fallen badly behind its Premier League rivals, most notably Liverpool, which is in a position to win its first league championship in almost 25 years.
The two teams may be headed in different directions right now, but these two storied British clubs are owned by a couple of Americans. And more Americans are buying British footie clubs. Did they run out of Queen Elizabeth coffee mugs? We're joined in our studios now by John Ourand from the Sports Business Journal. Thanks so much for being with us.
JOHN OURAND: Hey, thanks for having me.
SIMON: Let's start with this news out of Manchester. This wasn't a pretty separation, was it?
OURAND: No, Manchester's used to vying for the title and when they fall to where they are now, which is, you know, still the top 10 but certainly not near the top, it's - you know, the fans get restless and the owners get restless, and they want to bring somebody in to try to make the team play better.
SIMON: Man U is owned by an American, Malcolm Glazer, who also owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. How popular is he right now?
OURAND: In Manchester?
SIMON: Yeah, yeah - to Tampa Bay, yes.
(LAUGHTER)
OURAND: Well, I would say that the Yanks that are over there right now are not the most popular, especially not the Yankee that owns Liverpool 'cause they're about to win the title and that's what Manchester wants.
SIMON: This is owned by John Henry, the same group that has had such success over the past decade with the Boston Red Sox.
OURAND: Exactly, and Liverpool is set to do it and their fans couldn't be happier. They're still a little bit wary, I think, about having an American own such a storied English club, but they're plenty happy with how the season's progressing so far.
SIMON: Well, John, look, we did a count. Six teams in England's 20-team league are owned by Americans. Do any of the Americans who bought British football clubs think that they have learned something here that can translate there?
OURAND: That's the primary reason that the American owners want to get over there. They feel that the United States' market is saturated, that team values are high, and so it's not a very good...
SIMON: Hot dogs cost $10, yeah.
OURAND: Hot dogs don't cost $10 in England right now, so they view the English sports scene as much less sophisticated, in a sports business sense. You take a look at Arsenal, and you take a look at Manchester United and Liverpool, and these are clubs that have huge international brands. So if you're thinking about growth potential, there's so much more growth potential over in England with those type of clubs than any of the football clubs, for example, that are here. American football, I mean, of course.
SIMON: Yes, of course. So have the American owners, by bringing in financial ideas, made themselves popular with British fans?
OURAND: Oh, absolutely not.
(LAUGHTER)
OURAND: I think as popular as paying for personal seat licenses, here in the states.
SIMON: Oh, yeah.
OURAND: However, you take a look at Arsenal, they used to play in a place called Highbury, which was this old-stadium tucked away in a neighborhood in North London; and it had so much character and charm, almost exactly like Wrigley Field. Well, they got rid of that, and they built this new stadium that has all of the amenities. And I'm not certain that the Arsenal fans love that, but they certainly sell it out.
SIMON: Yeah, when all is said and done, it's their lads on the field so they show up for it.
OURAND: Exactly, yeah.
SIMON: Can I sing something for you? It is my favorite sports song of all time. (Singing) Oh the football is the pleasant game played in the sun, played in the rain. And the team that makes me excited? Manchester United - you ever heard it before?
OURAND: I love it.
(LAUGHTER)
OURAND: If I can answer that, actually, seriously...
SIMON: Yes, OK.
OURAND: ...I think that one of the reasons that American owners love English football are songs like that.
SIMON: Oh, God. I mean, this sounds like almost the oldest tragic love song - is, the Americans go there 'cause they think they've got new ideas that'll make money, but they also want a reinvigoration of the love of sports.
OURAND: Absolutely, and I think when you see this - I was going to say antipathy, but it's anger toward some of these American owners - I think that's the passion. I mean, if you can tap into that passion and that passion still exists, it's great.
SIMON: John Ourand, always a pleasure; staff writer at the Sports Business Journal, joins us in our studios. Thanks so much.
OURAND: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/what-makes-americans-buy-british-soccer-clubs | 2022-08-18T15:54:43Z |
Ukraine's interim government is facing major obstacles: a separatist uprising in the east of the country, an economy in tatters and a presidential election next month.
But the leadership is also facing a longer-term challenge, one that will shape the future of the country: the creation of a new constitution.
The task will be complicated by pressure from Russia, which has already made clear what kind of constitution it thinks Ukraine should have. Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, laid out Russia's position in an interview last month.
"They should start agreeing on a federation, where each region has broad authority over its language, education, economic and cultural ties with neighboring countries," Lavrov said.
What Lavrov seemed to be outlining is a country whose regions have such broad authority that they can even control a certain amount of foreign policy. Other Russian statements have specified that Ukraine's constitution should keep the country neutral so it can't join NATO, and that the nation should declare Russian to be an official state language.
Vladimir Ryzhkov, a liberal politician and former member of Russia's lower house of parliament, says federation can work for countries that are diverse and complex, like Russia itself, or the United States, Canada or Germany.
"It's a very good concept for complicated countries, because federalism lets different regions, different minorities to be represented," Ryzhkov says.
Ryzhkov says a federal system could be useful in Ukraine as a way to balance the rights of the country's linguistic and religious minorities, including the Russian speakers in the east and south.
Keith Darden, associate professor at American University's School of International Service, agrees — in principle. Darden says the problem is with the system that Russia is proposing for Ukraine.
"What they're currently putting on the table is really a very weak confederation, with very little central governmental authority in Kiev," Darden says. "Almost all power in separate regions, which would give them authority to conduct their own foreign affairs, for example."
Ryzhkov says the key to successful federations is a strong central government, with power over the regions — again like Russia, the United States and Germany.
The "problem for Ukraine now is, that central government is so weak, almost bankrupt, that federalism could destroy Ukraine, if [the] regions will be almost independent," Ryzhkov says.
Another key ingredient for creating a successful federation, Darden says, is respect for the rule of law.
"In Germany, you had a firm commitment to the rule of law, so that a written constitution actually was realized in a way that was similar to the way it was designed," he says. "In Ukraine, because there's this sort of legal anarchy in some ways, that who controls power controls the law, you have to be a little bit more careful in designing a constitution."
Darden says Russia stands to gain two things if its version of federalism were to be implemented in Ukraine. First, it would guarantee that Ukraine would never become part of the NATO alliance, because Russian-speaking provinces would veto such a move.
"The second thing that they get is the prospect of de-legitimizing the government in Kiev," he says. "This is a way of pulling power out of Kiev, and it's an extreme form of pulling power out of Kiev, to the point where it will destabilize the Ukrainian government."
The debate over constitutional reform has already begun in Ukraine, where the prime minister has promised to start a process that will deliver the new document by September.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2014-04-26/what-russia-might-gain-from-a-decentralized-ukraine | 2022-08-18T15:54:49Z |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Good morning, I'm Steve Inskeep. To 911 operators, every call counts. So when they got a call from a central California zoo and the line dropped, dispatchers tried to call back. They investigated and found no prime suspects, but a primate suspect. A capuchin monkey had made that call, grabbing a phone from a golf cart. On social media, the sheriff's office concluded it was a classic case of monkey see, monkey do. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-17/a-monkey-at-a-zoo-in-california-makes-a-call-to-911 | 2022-08-18T16:06:01Z |
At least 29 people have fallen ill during a fast-moving E. coli outbreak in Michigan and Ohio, while the source of the outbreak is still unknown.
Of the confirmed cases, 15 are in Michigan and 14 are in Ohio. No deaths have been reported from the outbreak, but at least nine people have been hospitalized.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that those numbers are likely undercounted and that "the true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher."
The CDC is asking for help in finding the source of the outbreak. If you're experiencing E. coli symptoms, you should write down everything you ate in the week before becoming sick and report your illness to your local health department.
This outbreak is larger than the usual summer uptick
Symptoms of E. coli sickness vary from person to person but often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that is often bloody, vomiting and a fever. These symptoms usually start within three to four days after the bacteria is swallowed, the CDC said, and most people recover without treatment within a week.
While the source of the current outbreak is unknown, some of the cases have been linked to each other through laboratory testing and results, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said.
Michigan has seen a jump in E. coli infections compared to this same time last year. At least 98 cases have been recorded this August compared to 20 cases in the same time period last year.
"While reports of E. coli illness typically increase during the warmer summer months, this significant jump in cases is alarming," Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive, said in a statement. "This is a reminder to make sure to follow best practices when it comes to hand hygiene and food handling to prevent these kinds of foodborne illness."
The CDC offers tips on how to avoid E. coli infections
To help prevent E. coli infections, the CDC recommends keeping things clean. This includes washing your hands often, washing surfaces and utensils, and rinsing produce before eating or preparing it.
Separating things like raw meats from foods that won't be cooked also helps lessen the chance for contamination.
Temperature is also important. Ensuring your meats are cooked to a high enough temperature helps kill germs, the CDC said. Keeping perishable food refrigerated or making sure it gets back in the fridge within two hours is also a good prevention practice.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-18/a-rapidly-spreading-e-coli-outbreak-in-michigan-and-ohio-is-raising-health-alarms | 2022-08-18T16:06:08Z |
Updated August 18, 2022 at 11:25 AM ET
NEW YORK — Allen Weisselberg, who for decades was one of Donald Trump's most trusted and loyal employees as chief financial officer of the Trump family business, pleaded guilty on Thursday to 15 counts ranging from grand larceny to tax fraud to falsifying business records, becoming the latest person close to the 45th president to plead guilty or be convicted at trial of of a felony.
Weisselberg changed his 2021 plea of not guilty to guilty in state court in lower Manhattan. Under an agreement made with prosecutors and detailed in court, Weisselberg will serve five months in prison and receive five years probation, in exchange for testifying at the trial of his former co-defendant and longtime employer, the Trump Organization. He agreed to pay $1.9 million in back taxes, interest, and penalties, to New York State and New York City.
Weisselberg's demeanor was calm as the judge ran him through the details of his guilty plea, saying little else besides, "Yes, your honor," and, "No, your honor." He wore a dark suit and a surgical face mask, and was flanked by his lawyers.
Afterward, Weisselberg's attorney Nicholas Gravante emailed a statement saying his client had made a difficult decision. "Rather than risk the possibility of 15 years in prison, he has agreed to serve 100 days. We are glad to have this behind him." (He clarified that he expects Weisselberg to ultimately serve less time in jail than five months.)
The Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, says he expects Weisselberg to provide "invaluable" testimony against the Trump family business.
Weisselberg will be formally sentenced after the trial of the Trump Organization, scheduled for this fall. Judge Juan Merchan warned Weisselberg that if he does not truthfully testify at the trial, the plea agreement will be voided, and he could face years in prison.
Weisselberg, who turns 75 this month, was charged in 2021 with conspiring with his employer, the Trump Organization, to evade taxes by concealing his income through off-the-books benefits such as a luxury apartment, private school, tuition, and lease expenses for two Mercedes-Benzes. According to the Manhattan District Attorney, the scheme deprived the federal, state, and New York City governments of taxes due on millions of dollars in non-cash income.
The tax evasion scheme stretched over 16 years, from Donald Trump's early seasons as host of The Apprentice through his entire time in the White House, and into his first year as a former president.
While Donald Trump himself was not charged, the scheme benefited his family business by allowing the Trump Organization to avoid payroll taxes. In addition, prosecutors said the Trump Organization deducted Weisselberg's undeclared non-cash benefits from his paychecks, keeping a detailed leger of rent, utilities, and other living expenses covered by the company. The indictment says Donald Trump personally wrote checks for private school tuition for Weisselberg's relatives, drawing on his own private bank account.
Trump's company could face steep financial penalties if convicted at trial
The Trump Organization remains a defendant, charged with 14 felonies including conspiracy, grand larceny, and fraud. Last week, the judge in the case scheduled jury selection to begin Oct. 24. If convicted at trial, Trump's company could face steep financial penalties.
At one time, it appeared that the criminal case could extend to Donald Trump himself. Last fall, then-Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr., convened a grand jury which examined evidence of Trump's role in the scheme. But Vance retired, and in January, a newly-elected D.A., Alvin Bragg, was sworn in. Two senior prosecutors quickly quit the case, after Bragg "reached the decision not to go forward with the grand jury presentation and not to seek criminal charges at the present time," according to the resignation letter of one of the prosecutors, Mark Pomerantz. In April, Bragg allowed the grand jury to lapse, without bringing any new indictments. That month, Bragg insisted that his investigation of Trump and the Trump business was still active.
In pleading guilty, Weisselberg joins a long list of people in Trump's orbit to plead guilty to, or be convicted at trial, of a serious crime. Others have included Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort (who was pardoned by Trump in 2020), political operative Roger Stone (also pardoned in 2020), and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn (also pardoned in 2020.) In July, a District of Columbia jury convicted former Trump advisor Steve Bannon of contempt of Congress.
Weisselberg avoided the media spotlight until his publicity-loving boss entered politics
Weisselberg's connection to Trump is deeper, and in some ways more significant than any of the others. He has been privy to Trump family finances since 1973, when he joined the Trump Organization, which was then led by Fred Trump, Donald Trump's father. At the time, the business was centered around middle class housing in the outer boroughs of New York City. As Donald Trump transformed the enterprise to focus on casinos, hotels, and golf clubs, Weisselberg rose from accountant to comptroller to chief financial officer. He stepped aside as CFO in 2021, and took on the role of senior strategic advisor to the firm.
Weisselberg avoided the media spotlight until the spotlight found him, when his publicity-loving boss entered politics. In 2018, an audio recording was leaked, in which then-candidate Trump and Michael Cohen discussed how to buy the silence of Karen McDougal, a woman who claimed she had had an affair with Trump. Cohen suggested setting up a company to buy McDougal's story.
"I've spoken to Allen Weisselberg about how to set the whole thing up," Cohen told Trump on the recording.
The criminal investigation that eventually ensnared Weisselberg began around the time that Cohen pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance charges related to buying McDougal's story. Trump was never charged.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-18/allen-weisselberg-a-trump-org-employee-for-decades-pleads-guilty-to-felony-charges | 2022-08-18T16:06:15Z |
A new study published in Thursday's edition of Cell reports that a mosquito's sense of smell is more complicated than we once thought. And it may explain how this pesky insect is so good at seeking you out at a barbecue or in your bedroom, and digging its proboscis into your skin — as well as lead to new strategies to ward off the potentially deadly diseases transmitted by its bite.
Meg Younger, a neuroscientist at Boston University, is co-author of the study. When I visited her lab, she introduced me to her subjects, opening up a large incubator set to a balmy 80 degrees. Cubes, each a foot square and stretched with fine white mesh, are packed onto the shelves. Each cube is filled with 100-plus mosquitoes.
"I showed this to a friend the other day," Younger says with a smile. And her friend said it looked "like a mosquito hotel." It's safe to say that Younger is the de facto hotel manager. She places one of the mosquito-filled cubes on a lab bench, and exhales gently into it. A waft of carbon dioxide blows across the insects, and they go wild.
"They all get up and fly around and they'll do that for a few minutes," Younger explains. "And now, in this state, they're sensitized to look for other cues." Cues that would steer them to a target like the complex blend of human body odor — an aroma that's magnetic to a mosquito.
In many parts of the world, this attraction isn't merely a nuisance for humans. It's a major health problem. "The ones that prefer humans tend to be the ones that transmit diseases among humans," Younger says. These ailments include dengue, Zika, chikungunya and malaria. The latter disease alone causes over half a million deaths each year.
So scientists have attempted to break this attraction. But try as they might, the little mosquito has resisted. "They're really good at what they do," Younger says. Mutate a mosquito so it's insensitive to carbon dioxide — which primes them to scan for cues like odor — or fiddle with portions of its ability to smell and it can still zero in on people and bite them.
Younger admits it's been frustratingly hard to find chemical means of battling mosquitoes. "We've hit on certain things at random," she says, such as what led to DEET. "And if we were able to learn [more about] how mosquitoes are finding people, the more potential starting points we'll have to develop these new repellents or conversely, attractants for traps."
By peering into the mosquito's brain to decipher how it smells its surroundings, Younger and her colleagues — Leslie Vosshall of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Rockefeller University, Margo Herre of Rockefeller University, and Olivia Goldman of Rockefeller University — have taken steps to do just that.
Most of what we know about the neuroscience of smell comes from mice and fruit flies, where the wiring's fairly simple. Each neuron in the nose or antenna has one kind of receptor that detects a single kind of odor — say, a banana. And all the neurons with receptors for the banana smell connect to the same part of the brain.
Of course, there are hundreds of different receptors responding to countless odors. But this mechanism of one kind of receptor per neuron has been the party line for how smell generally works. Until Younger and the others started poking around inside mosquito brains, where she found that each neuron has multiple receptors that can detect multiple odors.
"I saw this and in my head, I was like, 'This is weird,'" she says. "And I just thought, 'Huh, weird is good.' Cause it's fun to study something that's new and different and it's fun to be surprised."
Younger thinks this finding that a mosquito's sense of smell is organized differently than expected (i.e., many neurons house multiple receptors instead of one) may explain why its ability to sniff people out is so tamper-proof. It gives the insect a kind of built-in redundancy in the system. For instance, Younger speculates that because humans all smell different than one another, mosquitoes may rely on this redundancy to broaden their target of what a person smells like.
This work could give researchers additional ways to thwart the bugs, like developing traps that contain new fragrance blends that are more alluring than people.
"It's an enormous study," says Josefina del Marmol, a molecular neurobiologist at the Harvard Medical School who wasn't involved with the research. She says there's more work to be done to verify, neuron by neuron, that each one actually responds to all the odors it has receptors for.
But she applauds the central finding. "It really does change a lot about what we know of how insects perceive the world," del Marmol says. "It's a lot more complex than we thought."
In her lab, Meg Younger stares at the mosquitoes darting about inside that hotel. And she can't help but marvel at the complexity tucked into a brain less than a millimeter across.
"You know, nervous systems are so powerful," she considers aloud, "that even one that's so small allows for so much."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-18/mosquitoes-surprise-researcher-with-their-weird-sense-of-smell | 2022-08-18T16:06:21Z |
NEW ORLEANS — The world's smallest and most endangered sea turtles have hatched in Louisiana's wilds for the first known time in more than 75 years, officials said Wednesday.
"Louisiana was largely written off as a nesting spot for sea turtles decades ago, but this determination demonstrates why barrier island restoration is so important," Chip Kline, chairman of the Louisiana Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority, said in a news release.
Crews monitoring the Chandeleur Islands — a chain 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of New Orleans — to help design a restoration project found tracks of females going to and from nests and of hatchlings leaving a nest.
The first tracks were found by a crew surveying birds "before the sea turtle nesting season really kicked off," said Matthew Weigel, coastal resources scientist manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
After that crew brought back a photo of a sea turtle "crawl," the two agencies began weekly flights over the island to look for more. Weigel said he and Todd Baker of the restoration agency were walking between two that they'd sighted from the plane on July 29 when they stumbled on hatchling tracks on the beach.
"There was some high-fiving going on," he said. They followed those tracks back to a nest they hadn't known about. There, they found two tiny, newly emerged turtles, which they followed back to the beach.
Weigel said aerial surveys found 52 sets of tracks that experts identified as Kemp's ridley, though some were "false crawls" where no nest was made.
"The endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle has returned to nest on the Chandeleur Islands, highlighting the need to protect this sensitive habitat so it can continue to be home to ocean and coastal wildlife in the future," said Beth Lowell, vice president for the United States of the environmental nonprofit Oceana.
The Louisiana agencies said threatened loggerhead sea turtles also are nesting on the Chandeleurs, which are part of the nation's second-oldest national wildlife refuge, called Breton National Wildlife Refuge.
Loggerhead nests found in 2015 on Grand Isle — roughly 70 miles (112 kilometers) southwest of the Chandeleurs — were the first confirmed sea turtle nests in Louisiana in more than 30 years, according to the statement.
All six sea turtle species found in U.S. waters are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Tens of thousands of Kemp's ridleys, which grow to about 2 feet (0.6 meter) long, once nested in Mexico, but in the 1980s a low of only about 250 did so, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Wednesday's announcement came less than two weeks after officials reported the first sea turtle nest since 2018 on Mississippi's mainland.
That location in Pass Christian Harbor is roughly 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of the Chandeleurs, the easternmost part of Louisiana. The chain has been eaten away by erosion, tropical storms including Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the BP oil spill in 2010.
The two agencies have been closely monitoring the islands since May as part of work to restore the islands using oil spill money.
The discovery of nesting sea turtles will help ensure sea turtle nesting habitat is preserved and improved, officials said.
Most Kemp's ridley nests are along the western Gulf of Mexico, 95% of them in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, according to NOAA. "Occasional nesting has been documented in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama," according to its website about the species.
Juvenile Kemp's ridleys feed in Louisiana's estuaries. Many species of sea turtles gather around the Chandeleur Islands, feeding in and around the state's only marine seagrass meadows, the news release said.
"It is well known that the Chandeleur Islands provide key habitats for a host of important species; however, with the recent discovery of a successful Kemp's ridley sea turtle hatching, the islands' value to the region has been elevated," Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet said.
Additional nests may be discovered on the Chandeleur Islands as monitoring continues and hatchlings emerge, the news release said. The nesting season peaks in June and July, and eggs take 50 to 60 days to hatch, it said.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-18/the-worlds-smallest-sea-turtle-nests-in-louisiana-for-the-first-time-in-75-years | 2022-08-18T16:06:27Z |
LVIV, Ukraine — What does it mean to "sit like a girl"? The question arose after Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska appeared sitting on the cover of Vogue last month. Some critics ridiculed her pose as not being feminine.
In the portrait, made by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz in Kyiv, Zelenska is dressed in pants and a shirt with rolled up sleeves, wearing flats and minimal makeup. She's seated on marble steps, leaning in with her elbows on her knees — her legs not zipped together.
“We have no doubt we will prevail.” As the war in Ukraine enters a critical new phase, the country’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, has become a key player—a frontline diplomat and the face of her nation’s emotional toll. https://t.co/DCXWYnzAsK pic.twitter.com/wcaY5IFGHf
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) July 26, 2022
"'Sit like a girl,' " Polina Karabach, a 30-year-old resident of Kyiv, recalls reading online while scrolling through a deluge of criticism. "[They say] it's inappropriate for the first lady, it's inappropriate for women to sit like this."
Karabach believes that Zelenska sent an important message by showing up in the magazine: that even though Ukrainians are tired, they are "still standing strong." So she was taken aback when so much criticism, including from fellow Ukrainians, focused on the first lady's appearance.
Her hair? Too glamorous for wartime.
Her eyes? Too tired-looking.
Her posture? Too manly.
The media may have noted President Volodymyr Zelenskyy looking worn-out since the war. But few people criticize him when he's in the press, Karabach says, so the backlash against his wife is "a sign that it's really about trying to humble down women and Olena, specifically."
Critics took issue with all sorts of aspects
Zelenska's photoshoot has garnered other sorts of criticism, including from fellow Ukrainians who have accused her of stealing the spotlight from women actually working on the front lines, and of promoting a cult of personality in the West around President Zelenskyy. He appears embracing or holding hands with his wife in some of the photos.
Meanwhile, outside of Ukraine, the photo shoot has also drawn criticism as war propaganda and making light of the conflict. "Is the magazine romanticizing war, or is the first lady weaponizing glossies?" asked a critic's notebook piece in The New York Times.
Peter Dickinson, the editor of the Atlantic Council's UkraineAlert service who runs a publishing business in Ukraine, says most of the criticism seems to be coming from Russia, Russian proxies and people critical of their government's support of Ukraine in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy.
"I think it was a good opportunity for people who are critical of the overwhelming support for Ukraine, to shout to Ukraine and say, 'Look, this country doesn't need our help, they're doing Vogue photo shoots, they don't need help, they don't need support,' " Dickinson says.
Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert shouted exactly that. While the U.S. is sending billions of aid to Ukraine, she tweeted, "Zelenskyy is doing photoshoots for Vogue Magazine. These people think we are nothing but a bunch of suckers."
Jalisa Danielle, a Houston-based podcaster, also voiced skepticism about the seriousness of the conflict. "How serious is the war in Ukraine?" she asked in a tweet, which has received large numbers of retweets and likes.
Danielle told NPR that Vogue just may not have been the right vehicle for the message Zelenska may have been trying to send.
How serious is the war in Ukraine?
— IG: @ Jalisa_Danielle (@JalisaDanielle_) July 26, 2022
Them: pic.twitter.com/2aaHz8gHYl
"To look at that and see, on one hand people are saying this is very serious, there's a lot of crazy conflicts going on, and then to see somebody has time to do a high-fashion photoshoot, although it wasn't high-fashion clothes or stuff, that's what it's associated with," Danielle says.
When Zelenska was asked by the BBC about criticism that her appearance in Vogue was "glamorizing the war," the first lady said, "I'm using every opportunity to speak about Ukraine — that was a massive opportunity, because millions of people read Vogue. ... And to be able to speak to them directly, that was my duty."
Dickinson agrees, writing in his blog:
"An attention-grabbing photo shoot with a global media brand is a smart move by Zelenska that plays to Ukraine's strengths and enhances the country's ability to punch well above its weight in the information war against Russia. At a time when scenes of death and destruction in Ukraine have lost the power to shock, she offers a compelling personal perspective that brings home the reality of the war to outside observers."
It's become an important moment for Ukrainian women
A growing number of people have been pushing back against the criticism of her pose in particular.
Women are using the hashtag #SitLikeAGirl on social media with images of themselves sitting like the first lady's cover photo, in a challenge against female stereotypes. Supporters have included people of different walks of life — soldiers, police officers, artists, singers — and just this week, the justice minister of Slovakia.
We have supported the cause together with Dana Kleinert as well. We hope for a better world for our daughters and all women and girsl arouns the world. #sitlikeagirl pic.twitter.com/wJ11S3Sic8
— Lucia Plaváková (@LuciaPlavakova) August 17, 2022
Valeriia Voshchevska, a Ukrainian activist who works for Amnesty International in London, says this response is "amazing" and goes to show the "power civil society has in Ukraine, which is so nice to see in juxtaposition to, you know, Russia."
This moment is important for Ukrainian women, she says, because not only is a woman leading the way for the country to be more seen and more heard, they're standing up for themselves in the face of criticism and stereotyping at a crucial time.
Back in Kyiv, Karabach recreated first lady Zalenska's photo in her apartment. Her portrait was taken by her husband, Yuriy Karabach.
"I think that we should stop paying attention to this and start focusing on what's important," she says — like doing what you can to support Ukraine in the war.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-18/ukraines-first-lady-posed-for-vogue-and-sparked-discussion-on-how-to-sitlikeagirl | 2022-08-18T16:06:34Z |
HONOLULU (KITV4) - Trade winds gradually build Thursday. Partly sunny skies with scattered to isolated showers. Highs 85 to 92. Trade winds 10 to 20 mph.
Tonight, partly cloudy. Scattered showers over windward and mauka showers. Lows 71 to 76. Trade winds 10 to 20 mph.
Trade winds will build during the next couple days. Showers will favor windward slopes and coasts this morning, before transitioning over to leeward and interior areas this afternoon. A more typical, but drier than normal trade wind pattern will return tonight and hold through the weekend, with moderate to locally breezy conditions prevailing.
Small Craft Advisory in effect from noon today to 6 pm Sunday
Small south and southeast swells are expected to produce below typical summertime surf heights along south facing shores into Friday. Forerunners from a new, long-period south swell are expected to arrive late Friday night. This swell will likely produce near to slightly above average surf along south facing shores from this weekend into early next week. Surf will remain small along east facing shores until trade winds strengthen further. As they do, modest, choppy surf will return along east facing shores, lasting from this weekend into early next week. Expect nearly flat conditions along north facing shores. However, small, short-period north- northwest swells beginning later today may provide a slight boost in surf heights along exposed north facing shores through this weekend. Models show a slightly larger and longer period northwest swell arriving early next week.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/thursday-weather-a-mix-of-sunshine-and-clouds-as-trade-winds-gradually-return/article_57756884-1f01-11ed-ba6b-33931da8424b.html | 2022-08-18T16:21:55Z |
The Hawaii most tourists see is one of azure waters and towering resorts, of "aloha" and "ohana" and hula.
But as it exists now, the powerful tourism industry dictates the lives of Native Hawaiians, often for the worse, said Kyle Kajihiro, a lecturer at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and activist for the rights of Native Hawaiians.
The tourism industry in Hawaii powers its state revenue, but that reliance on tourism has resulted in Native Hawaiians getting priced out of their homes, climate change wreaking havoc on the natural landscape, and a lack of respect for the 50th state that is also the ancestral land of more than half a million people.
"I think that it is too easy for people to visit places like Hawaii," Kajihiro said. "It conditions visitors to feel entitled."
The industry must change to improve the futures of Native Hawaiians, Kajihiro told CNN. He's one of several residents who have worked to educate visitors and return some elements of Hawaiian culture to the people from whom it originated. If visitors to Hawaii decenter themselves and instead take with them respect and a willingness to learn -- or choose not to visit at all -- then Hawaii may be preserved for the people who have called it home for centuries, activists say.
For many residents, living in Hawaii is no vacation
Tourism is Hawaii's largest single source of private capital, per the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Even amid the Covid-19 pandemic, it remains incredibly lucrative: In April alone, visitors to Hawaii spent over $1 billion in the islands, according to a state report marking the recovery of tourism since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
But what's profitable for Hawaii's economy can negatively impact the lives of Native Hawaiians and yearlong residents. To combat drought conditions, residents last year were asked to reduce their water consumption or face a fine while large resorts continued to use far more water. There are millions more annual visitors than there are permanent residents -- in 2021, there were more than 6.7 million visitors compared to 1.4 million residents -- which can cause carbon emissions to surge and overuse of its beaches, hiking trails and other natural wonders. Hawaii has even been called the "extinction capital of the world" for the number of species who've gone extinct or are at high risk of dying out.
It also has the highest cost of living in the nation, partly due to the state having to import around 90% of its goods. Its housing market is one of the most expensive in the country, ProPublica and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported in 2020, and with a large demand for land and a limited amount of it, Native Hawaiians can spend decades waiting to reclaim ancestral land, leading some to move from the islands.
"Tourism normalizes and conceals the current dystopian reality experienced by many Kānaka Maoli and the poor immigrant communities in Hawaii," Kajihiro told CNN. (Kānaka Maoli is the Hawaiian-language term for Native Hawaiians.)
To empower Native Hawaiians and return some of their rights, the tourism industry needs to change, beginning with its ethos, Kajihiro said.
'DeTours' show the real history of Hawaii beyond the beach
In an effort to reclaim the histories of Hawaii and educate residents and visitors about the impacts of colonization, militarization and tourism, Kajihiro created the Hawai'i DeTour Project. The program, which he runs with lifelong activist Terrilee Kekoʻolani, aims to "interject a more critical historical account of Hawaii" in hopes that it'll start conversations about social responsibility and create solidarity with social justice and environmental activist efforts in Hawaii.
Kajihiro leads DeTours to locations like downtown Honolulu to discuss Hawaii's former sovereignty; to 'Iolani Palace, where the US supported a White settler-led coup against Queen Lili'uokalani; to military landmarks like the Pearl Harbor memorial to discuss American efforts to transform parts of Hawaii into military strongholds.
Though Kajihiro doesn't advertise his services, visitors are increasingly seeking them out. While he prioritizes educational and political groups that can help create change locally, he has seen both residents and visitors on his tours, some of whom go on to become involved in the causes he highlights.
"I guess it could be seen as a good sign that people want to learn and be more responsible as travelers," he said. "But there are also many people who simply want the novelty of a 'reality' tour or seek to assuage their guilt by doing a more 'socially responsible' tourism. I'm not interested in giving people permission to visit Hawaii guilt-free."
One way to support Native Hawaiians is to not visit at all, some say
Two educators in Hawaii borrowed the name of Kajihiro's operation for their book, which also shares his principles. "Detours: A Decolonial Guide to Hawai'i," co-edited by Vernadette Gonzalez and Hōkūlani Aikau, is no ordinary guide book -- it's a call to action.
The book is designed to educate readers about Hawaii's past and present and the negative impacts of colonization, militarization and tourism. Even if readers never make it to Hawaii, the stories transport them to some of the sites Kajihiro leads his groups to. In the introduction to the book, Gonzalez and Aikau write that not all readers will be "invited or allowed to go to all of the places that are described," and some locales were left out entirely because they're "not meant for outsiders."
Many tourists' relationship to Hawaii is an extractive one, Gonzalez and Aikau write, and that relationship must shift to one of support if the Hawaii tourists know and the Hawaii its residents live in are to continue to exist. Even better, they write, would be choosing not to vacation in Hawaii at all.
"Sometimes the best way to support decolonization and Kanaka 'Ōiwi (Native Hawaiian) resurgence is to not come as a tourist to our home," the editors write.
Improving tourism begins with respect for the islands and Native Hawaiians
Of course, there will always be tourists in Hawaii as long as it remains the islands' top industry -- and as long as its beaches beckon to guests with deep pockets. The nonprofit Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawaii connect tourists with local attractions that emphasize cultural and environmental responsibility. The Coconut Traveler, a travel company created by Debbie Misajon, the granddaughter of Filipino immigrants who moved to Hawaii to work on sugarcane plantations, is aimed at wealthy guests and charges a responsible tourism fee, 100% of which goes to local organizations that work to sustain Hawaii's natural beauty. Recentering the focus of a trip to Hawaii from the guest to the island and its residents might lighten the footprint a tourist leaves there, Misajon told CNN.
"I'm all for coming and enjoying the islands, but (I) encourage people to find ways to be part of the solution," Misajon said. "It might be trite, but spend your money locally."
Making fundamental changes to the tourism industry should begin with returning rights to Native Hawaiians and letting them decide how they want their culture to be shared and consumed, if at all, Kajihiro said. There's already a model of this in New Zealand, where the Māori people have control over how their culture is represented and experienced by tourists, he said, with an emphasis on mutual respect.
"Let's abolish the word 'tourism,'" Kajihiro said. "The very term privileges the consumer, the act of consuming places, and the transactional relationship."
Instead, he said, visitors should "rethink travel as entering someone else's home." Someone who's a guest at someone else's home may bring a gift with them or express their gratitude to their host in other ways, he said.
"As a visitor, you have the burden to learn, act responsibly, not be a burden and respect your hosts," Kajihiro said.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/top-stories/how-a-vacation-to-hawaii-can-be-relaxing-for-tourists----and-harmful/article_1fef11ec-6b3a-5e86-8b82-126428fbe0fb.html | 2022-08-18T16:22:01Z |
5 wild horses found shot, killed in Nevada
JAKES VALLEY, Nev. (KVVU/Gray News) – Five wild horses were found shot and killed in Nevada.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
Officials with the BLM said the fatal shootings happened sometime in mid-November in Jakes Valley, which is about 275 miles north of Las Vegas. Officials were alerted to the deaths on Nov. 16 after someone discovered the horses.
One horse was still alive but so severely injured that it had to be euthanized.
The five horses ranged in age from 18 months to 6 years old, BLM said. An aborted horse fetus was attached to one of the dead animals.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the BLM crime hotline at 1-775-861-6550.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a similar crime. Four horses were killed in separate shootings at a stable in Red Rock Canyon in January, March, June, and July of this year.
BLM Special Agent Michael Mortensen said there currently is no indication that the Red Rock Canyon killings are related to the Jakes Valley investigation.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/18/5-wild-horses-found-shot-killed-nevada/ | 2022-08-18T16:29:10Z |
AP source: Browns QB Watson settles for 11-game suspension
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Deshaun Watson has reached a settlement with the NFL and will serve an 11-game suspension and pay a $5 million fine rather than risk missing his first season as quarterback of the Cleveland Browns, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
Watson was accused of sexual misconduct by two dozen women while he played for the Houston Texans. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Thursday in disclosing the settlement between Watson and the league, which had sought to ban him for at least one year for violating its personal conduct policy, because the agreement had not been announced.
The settlement ends months of posturing between Watson’s legal team, the NFL and NFL Players Association.
As part of the settlement, Watson may return for the Browns’ game on Dec. 4 in Houston.
On Aug. 1, the three-time Pro Bowler was suspended for six games by Sue L. Robinson, a former federal judge jointly appointed by the league and union to act as an independent disciplinary officer.
Robinson found the 26-year-old Watson violated the league’s personal conduct policy after reviewing an investigation into his actions and called his behavior “egregious” and “predatory.”
Believing the suspension was too light, the league appealed and pushed Watson’s case back to Goodell, who had handled all player discipline in the past. The league previously pushed for an indefinite suspension and hefty fine.
Goodell appointed former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey to hear the appeal. Harvey is an attorney who was previously involved in the NFL’s decision to suspend Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott for six games during the 2017 season for domestic violence allegations.
Per the 2020 collective bargaining agreement, Harvey’s decision would have constituted a “full, final and complete disposition of the dispute.”
At the owners’ meetings this month, Goodell said the league’s pursuit of a yearlong ban was warranted following its investigation and Robinson’s findings.
“She reinforced the evidence,” Goodell said. “There were multiple violations that were egregious, and it was predatory behavior.”
In her conclusion, Robinson cited Watson’s lack of remorse as a factor in her decision. Watson apologized for the first time “to all the women that I have impacted” before making his Browns’ debut in an exhibition in Jacksonville.
Watson was accused of being sexually inappropriate with the women during massage therapy sessions from March 2020 to March 2021 in Texas. In civil lawsuits filed in Texas, the women accused Watson of exposing himself, touching them with his penis or kissing them against their will. One woman alleged Watson forced her to perform oral sex.
Two separate grand juries in Texas declined to indict Watson, who has denied any wrongdoing. He recently settled 23 of 24 lawsuits.
For now, the suspension ends months of speculation about whether Watson would play in 2022 for the Browns, who outbid several other teams, traded three first-round draft picks to the Texans in March and signed the QB to a five-year, $230 million contract.
Watson’s case sparked strong opinions while raising questions about the league’s handling of player discipline and its spotty record of supporting women.
The Browns believe Watson could make them a Super Bowl contender. Without him, they could struggle to simply contend in the AFC North against defending conference champion Cincinnati along with Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
The suspension also means Watson will be idle longer. One of pro football’s elite QBs, he sat out last season in Houston after demanding a trade and before the sexual allegations surfaced.
In her 16-page ruling, Robinson found that the league proved its case that Watson violated three provisions of the conduct policy: sexual assault as defined by the league, posing a genuine danger to the safety and well-being of another and undermining or putting the league’s integrity at risk.
Robinson also pointed out flaws in the league’s conduct policy, saying it was unfair to “identify conduct as prohibited only after the conduct has been committed, just as it is inherently unjust to change the penalties for such conduct after the fact.”
Her punishment was criticized by several organizations, including The National Organization for Women, which called it “unacceptable, insulting and dangerous — but not surprising. The NFL and the multibillion-dollar sports industry have a vested interest in enabling sexual misconduct, assault and violence.”
Attorney Tony Buzbee, who represents all 24 women who sued Watson, and Ashley Solis, the first woman to go public with allegations against Watson, decried the original six-game suspension at a news conference in Houston in early August.
Watson has continued to practice while his case made its way through the league’s process.
All along, the Browns’ plan was to turn their offense over to veteran Jacoby Brissett, who has made 37 career starts, during Watson’s suspension. But it’s now possible Cleveland will explore other options at quarterback.
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/18/ap-source-browns-qb-deshaun-watson-reaches-agreement-with-nfl/ | 2022-08-18T16:29:17Z |
Gas-powered muscle cars drive into the sunset, turn electric
PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — Thundering gas-powered muscle cars, for decades a fixture of American culture, will be closing in on their final Saturday-night cruises in the coming years as automakers begin replacing them with super-fast cars that run on batteries.
Stellantis’ Dodge brand, long the performance flag-bearer of the company formerly known as Fiat Chrysler, is officially moving toward electricity. On Wednesday night, Dodge unveiled a battery-powered Charger Daytona SRT concept car, which is close to one that will be produced in 2024 as the sun sets on some petroleum models.
Stellantis says it will stop making gasoline versions of the Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars and the Chrysler 300 large car by the end of next year. The Canadian factory that makes them will be converted to electric vehicles. Other automakers are moving — or have moved — in the same direction.
General Motors has said it will build an all-electric Chevrolet Corvette. Tesla says its Model S Plaid version is the fastest production vehicle made, able to go from zero to 60 mph (97 kilometers per hour) in under 2 seconds. Audi, Mercedes, Porsche and other European automakers already have high-performance electric models on sale. And Polestar, an electric-performance spinoff from Volvo, just announced a new Polestar 6 roadster for 2026.
One reason for the industry shift is that electric vehicles are simply faster off the starting line. Their handling is typically better, too, because their heavy batteries create a low center of gravity.
Stricter government pollution requirements are another factor, too. As automakers in the U.S. face more stringent fuel-economy requirements adopted by the Biden administration and produce a broader range of EV vehicles, they will have to jettison some of their gas-fueled muscle-car models.
Tim Kuniskis, CEO of the Dodge brand, said the possibly of government fines for not meeting gas-mileage requirements hastened the shift to the electric Charger. “Compliance fines and things like that associated with a big cast-iron supercharged V8, yes, it’s tough,” he said.
Still, it will take a few years for the gas-powered classics to go away.
“Over the next several years, I think we’ll continue to have some internal combustion stuff, probably through most of the decade,” said Sam Abuelsamid, a research analyst at Guidehouse Insights. “But increasingly, the focus is going to be on the electric ones.”
Under new gas-mileage standards that were unveiled in April, the fleet of new vehicles will have to average around 40 miles per gallon in 2026, up from 25.4 mpg now, the EPA says. The standards are likely to become even stronger in the future, a trend that will compel U.S.-based automakers to shed some gasoline muscle cars if they are to avoid fines.
Of all major automakers, the EPA says, Stellantis had the lowest average fuel economy — 21.3 miles per gallon — and the highest average carbon dioxide emissions. So the company likely will have to eliminate some models to avoid fines. Its limited-edition Charger SRT Widebody, with a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi Hellcat V-8, for instance, gets only 12 mpg in city driving and 21 mpg on the highway.
To many gearheads, the thought of a muscle car without noise and smells is heresy. But Kuniskis says Dodge is working hard to make the electric experience match internal combustion. The Charger, he said, will generate its own air flow to make an exhaust noise that rivals gas performance cars. And the transmission will shift gears.
When the electric Charger was driven through a garage door and entered a building Wednesday night at a racetrack in Pontiac, Michigan, it roared just like a gas muscle car.
Electric vehicles, Kuniskis said, have the potential to perform better than gas muscle cars with fast acceleration. But he said they are kind of sterile. “It doesn’t have the emotion. It doesn’t have the drama. It doesn’t have the kind of dangerous feeling that ICE (an internal combustion engine) has when it’s loud and rumbling and shifting and moving the car around.”
Kuniskis wouldn’t say how fast the electric Charger will go from zero to 60 mph, but said it would be faster than the company’s current petroleum performance cars. He also wouldn’t say the range-per-charge for the new Challenger, but added that range isn’t as important as making it a true muscle car.
Rick Nelson, the owner of Musclecar Restoration & Design in Pleasant Plains, Illinois, near Springfield, cautioned that switching from loud fuel-burning engines to quiet electricity may be a hard sell to old-timers who grew up with the sounds and smells of racing.
Nelson, 61, said he restored his first car while a teenager and spent hours at drag strips. He acknowledged that the switch to electricity is inevitable and is needed to attract a new generation that has become used to quiet speed. Still, he said, electric muscle cars won’t have manual shifters, and he’ll miss the smell of racing fuel at the track.
Already, Nelson said, businesses are cropping up to put electric powertrains in classic muscle cars. He has been in touch with an engineer at Tesla about retrofitting batteries and electric motors into some classics.
“Guys like me are just going to frown on it and laugh at it,” Nelson said of electric muscle cars. “But this isn’t about my generation.”
Kuniskis says the shift to electricity doesn’t mean the end of the muscle car. It’s just a new era.
“It’ s OK,” he said. “Let us show you what the future looks like.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/18/gas-powered-muscle-cars-drive-into-sunset-turn-electric/ | 2022-08-18T16:29:23Z |
Lightning hits SUV full of on-duty detectives
Published: Aug. 18, 2022 at 11:09 AM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5/Gray News) – Three on-duty detectives with the Arizona Department of Public Safety had a scare over the weekend.
According to the department, lighting struck their SUV as they were driving on the interstate toward Phoenix.
The on-duty detectives said they felt a shock and experienced tingling sensations, but none of them were seriously hurt, DPS said.
Their Dodge Durango, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky.
The lightning bolt left behind two holes in the driver’s side roof and fried the electrical system.
Copyright 2022 KTVK/KPHO via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/18/lightning-hits-suv-full-on-duty-detectives/ | 2022-08-18T16:29:30Z |
Netflix debuts trailer for new ‘Addams Family’ series ‘Wednesday’
Published: Aug. 18, 2022 at 11:02 AM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
(CNN) - The Addams family is back, thanks to a new Netflix series by director Tim Burton.
The trailer for “Wednesday,” starring the goth-like teenage daughter of Morticia and Gomez Addams, was just released.
It shows Wednesday Addams attending a school called Nevermore Academy, where she uses her psychic abilities to stir up some trouble.
The role of Wednesday is played by “You” star Jenna Ortega. The show also stars Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia and Luis Guzmán as Gomez.
Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday in the 1990′s “Addams Family” films, is also set to appear in the series.
The series features eight episodes and will be released in the fall.
Copyright 2022 CNN. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/18/netflix-debuts-trailer-new-addams-family-series-wednesday/ | 2022-08-18T16:29:36Z |
One year after American’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, bill promises to help refugees seeking citizenship
Thousands of Afghan refugees are stuck in legal limbo.
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - In a Washington D.C. park, protestors gather with paint brushes to draw a somber mural to mark the one year anniversary of the fall of Afghanistan’s capital and the rise of Taliban control.
The United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 30, 2021. A year on, demonstrators tell the Washington News Bureau the mission is far from complete as thousands of refugees seek a path to citizenship in the United States. A bipartisan group of lawmakers have issued statements saying they’re working on a bill to fix the backlog.
“We are here to protest, to mourn and to paint and heal the wounds that our country and our countrymen have suffered,” said Afghan refugee Jawaid Kotwal of Virginia. He sits on the board of the Afghan American Foundation and who founded Afghans Living in DC.
Nearly 80,000 Afghans have fled to the United States. But Kotwal says more are seeking an escape as many are being threatened with death or torture for their work in intelligence gathering, the media, or those who once helped the United States in some capacity.
Kotwal’s cousin is among the refugees who did make it to America. But ever since, he’s been stuck in bureaucratic limbo trying to obtain permanent citizenship.
“Those who made it like my cousin have some sense of relief. But, it’s not done for them. My cousin, I just spoke to him 5 minutes ago actually when I was on the phone, had an asylum interview. So, he needs to adjust his status and then bring his his newborn son that was born actually days after the fall of the government and he hasn’t seen his child,” he said.
Lawmakers understand there’s a backlog in processing. A bipartisan group of Senators have introduced the “Afghan Adjustment Act” that seeks to help Afghans with temporary status that undergo additional vetting, to apply for permanent legal residency. The act would also expand the Special Immigrant Visa process for Afghan refugees.
Lawmakers say the bill would implement these key changes:
- Allow Afghans on humanitarian status who submit to additional vetting to apply for permanent legal status. For these Afghans, the primary options under current law to gain permanent status are through our asylum system or the burdensome SIV process
- Expand the SIV program to include four previously omitted groups, including the Female Tactical Teams of Afghanistan, the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command, the Afghan Air Force, and the Special Mission Wing of Afghanistan
- Establish a task force to develop and implement a strategy for supporting Afghans outside of the United States who are eligible for SIV status and require the Department of State to respond to Congressional inquiries about SIV applications.
“The Afghan Adjustment Act will enable our Afghan allies who served as translators, interpreters, guards to come to this country and be citizens in a country that they love. And they served, they sacrificed. They put their lives on the line. And, the Afghan Adjustment Act will enable them to find a safe haven because they have targets on their backs. They are persecuted and tortured and threatened with death in Afghanistan now simply because they came to our aid,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) who is among the lawmakers backing the bill.
Kotwal, who immigrated to the United states in 2001, calls the bill great. He said the help is necessary not only for refugees who made it to America, but those that are still waiting to come. His own parents, who left Afghanistan for Pakistan, are among the people fighting for a path to the United States.
“My message for the American people is that refugees are the safest immigrants that’s out there. They go through numerous background checks and security checks. And AAA (Afghanistan Adjustment Act) actually ensures that people who came here go through vigorous security regime before they’re granted any form of citizenship or permanent resident status,” said Kotwal. “The AAA or Afghan Adjustment Act has a very good chance. But that doesn’t mean it’s a done deal. There’s still some obstacles.... so I’m calling on the U.S. public to call in their senators, their members of Congress and urge them to pass this into law to help those that are in limbo, those who have come here and they don’t have a path to give them some hope. Those people who want to help us and those that have helped us are still stuck in Afghanistan. So, this would be a great deal for our community because they will become law abiding, taxpaying, job creating Americans like I am.”
Copyright 2022 Gray DC. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/18/one-year-after-americans-withdrawal-afghanistan-bill-promises-help-refugees-seeking-citizenship/ | 2022-08-18T16:29:43Z |
Rushdie’s attacker indicted, expected to appear in court
MAYVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — A grand jury has indicted the man who stabbed Salman Rushdie as the acclaimed author prepared to give a talk in western New York, county prosecutors said Thursday.
Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, New Jersey, is scheduled to appear on the charges at an afternoon court hearing in Chautauqua County. Matar was arrested Aug. 12 after he rushed the stage at the Chautauqua Institution, stabbing Rushdie multiple times in front of a horrified crowd.
Initial charges were filed the next day, when Matar’s court-appointed lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. The prosecutor’s office did not immediately release the new charges.
Rushdie, 75, is getting treatment in a Pennsylvania hospital for severe wounds. His literary agent, Andrew Wylie, has said Rushdie had a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm, and could lose an eye.
Rushdie’s life has been in jeopardy since 1989 when Iran’s supreme leader at the time, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued an edict demanding his death over his novel “The Satanic Verses,” which was viewed as blasphemous by many Muslims.
A semiofficial Iranian foundation had posted a bounty of over $3 million.
Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt called the attack “preplanned.”
The author had just taken the stage at the normally tranquil lakeside retreat for a discussion of protections for writers in exile and freedom of expression when Matar jumped onstage.
Henry Reese, 73, the cofounder of Pittsburgh’s City of Asylum, was onstage with Rushdie and suffered a gash to his forehead, bruising and other minor injuries.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/18/rushdies-attacker-indicted-expected-appear-court/ | 2022-08-18T16:29:50Z |
5 wild horses found shot, killed in Nevada
JAKES VALLEY, Nev. (KVVU/Gray News) – Five wild horses were found shot and killed in Nevada.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
Officials with the BLM said the fatal shootings happened sometime in mid-November in Jakes Valley, which is about 275 miles north of Las Vegas. Officials were alerted to the deaths on Nov. 16 after someone discovered the horses.
One horse was still alive but so severely injured that it had to be euthanized.
The five horses ranged in age from 18 months to 6 years old, BLM said. An aborted horse fetus was attached to one of the dead animals.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the BLM crime hotline at 1-775-861-6550.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a similar crime. Four horses were killed in separate shootings at a stable in Red Rock Canyon in January, March, June, and July of this year.
BLM Special Agent Michael Mortensen said there currently is no indication that the Red Rock Canyon killings are related to the Jakes Valley investigation.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/18/5-wild-horses-found-shot-killed-nevada/ | 2022-08-18T16:43:10Z |
Agent: There was talk of blasting 2 bridges in Whitmer kidnapping plot
(AP) - An FBI agent who was working undercover told jurors Thursday about a stop at a bridge near Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s vacation home during a night ride by anti-government extremists to continue planning a kidnapping.
Tim Bates, simply known as “Red” to the group, said he encouraged Adam Fox to take a picture of the bridge after they got out of a pickup truck. The government alleges that destroying it was part of a scheme to get Whitmer.
“They wanted to slow down law enforcement response,” Bates testified.
No kidnapping took place in Elk Rapids. In October 2020, about a month later, Fox, Barry Croft Jr. and four others were arrested and accused of being domestic terrorists.
Fox and Croft are on trial for a second time on conspiracy charges. A jury in April couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict but acquitted two other men.
Bates said he pitched himself to the group as someone who could get explosives. By fall 2020, he said there was talk about buying bomb components, and the FBI wanted to stay on top of it. Another agent as well as informants already had infiltrated the group.
Bates said Fox also talked about destroying a second bridge in the Elk Rapids area, though the government didn’t offer any evidence of it on secretly recorded conversations. The agent also admitted during cross-examination that he hadn’t disclosed it during the first trial last spring.
“You were wearing a recorder the entire trip, correct? And the recorder functioned, true?” Fox attorney Christopher Gibbons said.
“I can’t speak to how all of them functioned,” Bates replied, “but I believe a recorder was on the entire time.”
The defense argues that Fox and Croft were entrapped by government operatives who fed their wild views. Prosecutors say the group wanted to trigger a national revolt and was especially furious over COVID-19 restrictions imposed by Whitmer during the early stages of the pandemic.
Defense lawyers have tried to make their case by sharply cross-examining the government’s witnesses. Like Gibbons, Croft attorney Joshua Blanchard picked at the lack of a recording about Fox talking about destroying a second bridge.
“We should be able to hear that, right?” Blanchard said.
Croft, 46, is from Bear, Delaware. Fox, 39, was living in the basement of a vacuum shop in the Grand Rapids area.
Whitmer, a Democrat, 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.whsv.com/2022/08/18/agent-there-was-talk-blasting-2-bridges-whitmer-plot/ | 2022-08-18T16:43:16Z |
Browns QB Deshaun Watson settles for 11-game suspension
(AP) - Deshaun Watson has reached a settlement with the NFL and will serve an 11-game suspension and pay a $5 million fine rather than risk missing his first season as quarterback of the Cleveland Browns following accusations of sexual misconduct.
Watson was accused of sexual assault and harassment by two dozen women while he played for the Houston Texans. The league had sought to ban him for at least one year for violating its personal conduct policy.
“I’m grateful that the disciplinary process has ended and extremely appreciative of the tremendous support I have received throughout my short time with the Browns organization. I apologize once again for any pain this situation has caused. I take accountability for the decisions I made,” Watson said in a statement released through the team. “My focus going forward is on working to become the best version of myself on and off the field and supporting my teammates however possible while I’m away from the team.”
The settlement ends months of posturing between Watson’s legal team, the NFL and NFL Players Association.
As part of the settlement, Watson may return for the Browns’ game on Dec. 4 in Houston.
On Aug. 1, the three-time Pro Bowler was suspended six games by Sue L. Robinson, a former federal judge jointly appointed by the league and union to act as an independent disciplinary officer.
Robinson found the 26-year-old Watson violated the league’s personal conduct policy after reviewing an investigation into his actions and called his behavior “egregious” and “predatory.”
Believing the suspension was too light, the league appealed and pushed Watson’s case back to Goodell, who had handled all player discipline in the past. The league previously pushed for an indefinite suspension and hefty fine.
Goodell appointed former New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey to hear the appeal. Harvey is an attorney who was previously involved in the NFL’s decision to suspend Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott for six games during the 2017 season for domestic violence allegations.
Per the 2020 collective bargaining agreement, Harvey’s decision would have constituted “full, final and complete disposition of the dispute.”
At the owners’ meetings this month, Goodell said the league’s pursuit of a yearlong ban was warranted following its investigation and Robinson’s findings.
“She reinforced the evidence,” Goodell said. “There were multiple violations that were egregious, and it was predatory behavior.”
In her conclusion, Robinson cited Watson’s lack of remorse as a factor in her decision. Watson apologized for the first time “to all the women that I have impacted” before making his Browns’ debut in an exhibition in Jacksonville.
Watson was accused of being sexually inappropriate with the women during massage therapy sessions from March 2020 to March 2021 in Texas. In civil lawsuits filed in Texas, the women accused Watson of exposing himself, touching them with his penis or kissing them against their will. One woman alleged Watson forced her to perform oral sex.
Two separate grand juries in Texas declined to indict Watson, who has denied any wrongdoing. He recently settled 23 of 24 lawsuits.
For now, the suspension ends months of speculation about whether Watson would play in 2022 for the Browns, who outbid several other teams, traded three first-round draft picks to the Texans in March and signed the QB to a five-year, $230 million contract.
Watson’s case sparked strong opinions while raising questions about the league’s handling of player discipline and its spotty record of supporting women.
The Browns believe Watson could make them a Super Bowl contender. Without him, they could struggle to simply contend in the AFC North against defending conference champion Cincinnati along with Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
The suspension also means Watson will be idle longer. One of pro football’s elite QBs, he sat out last season in Houston after demanding a trade and before the sexual allegations surfaced.
In her 16-page ruling, Robinson found that the league proved its case that Watson violated three provisions of the conduct policy: sexual assault as defined by the league, posing a genuine danger to the safety and well-being of another and undermining or putting the league’s integrity at risk.
Robinson also pointed out flaws in the league’s conduct policy, saying it was unfair to “identify conduct as prohibited only after the conduct has been committed, just as it is inherently unjust to change the penalties for such conduct after the fact.”
Her punishment was criticized by several organizations, including The National Organization for Women, which called it “unacceptable, insulting and dangerous — but not surprising. The NFL and the multibillion-dollar sports industry have a vested interest in enabling sexual misconduct, assault and violence.”
Attorney Tony Buzbee, who represents all 24 women who sued Watson, and Ashley Solis, the first woman to go public with allegations against Watson, decried the original six-game suspension at a news conference in Houston in early August.
Watson has continued to practice while his case made its way through the league’s process.
All along, the Browns’ plan was to turn their offense over to veteran Jacoby Brissett, who has made 37 career starts, during Watson’s suspension. But it’s now possible Cleveland will explore other options at quarterback.
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/18/ap-source-browns-qb-deshaun-watson-reaches-agreement-with-nfl/ | 2022-08-18T16:43:22Z |
One year after American’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, bill promises to help refugees seeking citizenship
Thousands of Afghan refugees are stuck in legal limbo.
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - In a Washington D.C. park, protestors gather with paint brushes to draw a somber mural to mark the one year anniversary of the fall of Afghanistan’s capital and the rise of Taliban control.
The United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 30, 2021. A year on, demonstrators tell the Washington News Bureau the mission is far from complete as thousands of refugees seek a path to citizenship in the United States. A bipartisan group of lawmakers have issued statements saying they’re working on a bill to fix the backlog.
“We are here to protest, to mourn and to paint and heal the wounds that our country and our countrymen have suffered,” said Afghan refugee Jawaid Kotwal of Virginia. He sits on the board of the Afghan-American Foundation and founded Afghans Living in DC.
Nearly 80,000 Afghans have fled to the United States. But Kotwal says more are seeking an escape as many are being threatened with death or torture for their work in intelligence gathering, the media, and more.
Kotwal’s cousin is among the refugees who did make it to America. But ever since, he’s been stuck in bureaucratic limbo trying to obtain permanent citizenship.
“Those who made it like my cousin have some sense of relief. But, it’s not done for them. My cousin, I just spoke to him 5 minutes ago actually when I was on the phone, had an asylum interview. So, he needs to adjust his status and then bring his his newborn son that was born actually days after the fall of the government and he hasn’t seen his child,” he said.
Lawmakers understand there’s a backlog in processing. A bipartisan group of Senators have introduced the “Afghan Adjustment Act” that seeks to help Afghans with temporary status that undergo additional vetting, to apply for permanent legal residency. The act would also expand the Special Immigrant Visa process for Afghan refugees.
Lawmakers say the bill would implement these key changes:
- Allow Afghans on humanitarian status who submit to additional vetting to apply for permanent legal status. For these Afghans, the primary options under current law to gain permanent status are through our asylum system or the burdensome SIV process
- Expand the SIV program to include four previously omitted groups, including the Female Tactical Teams of Afghanistan, the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command, the Afghan Air Force, and the Special Mission Wing of Afghanistan
- Establish a task force to develop and implement a strategy for supporting Afghans outside of the United States who are eligible for SIV status and require the Department of State to respond to Congressional inquiries about SIV applications.
“The Afghan Adjustment Act will enable our Afghan allies who served as translators, interpreters, guards to come to this country and be citizens in a country that they love. And they served, they sacrificed. They put their lives on the line. And, the Afghan Adjustment Act will enable them to find a safe haven because they have targets on their backs. They are persecuted and tortured and threatened with death in Afghanistan now simply because they came to our aid,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) who is among the lawmakers backing the bill.
Kotwal, who immigrated to the United states in 2001, calls the bill great. He said the help is necessary not only for refugees who made it to America, but those that are still waiting to come. His own parents, who left Afghanistan for Pakistan, are among the people fighting for a path to the United States.
“My message for the American people is that refugees are the safest immigrants that’s out there. They go through numerous background checks and security checks. And AAA (Afghanistan Adjustment Act) actually ensures that people who came here go through vigorous security regime before they’re granted any form of citizenship or permanent resident status,” said Kotwal. “The AAA or Afghan Adjustment Act has a very good chance. But that doesn’t mean it’s a done deal. There’s still some obstacles.... so I’m calling on the U.S. public to call in their senators, their members of Congress and urge them to pass this into law to help those that are in limbo, those who have come here and they don’t have a path to give them some hope. Those people who want to help us and those that have helped us are still stuck in Afghanistan. So, this would be a great deal for our community because they will become law abiding, taxpaying, job creating Americans like I am.”
Copyright 2022 Gray DC. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/18/one-year-after-americans-withdrawal-afghanistan-bill-promises-help-refugees-seeking-citizenship/ | 2022-08-18T16:43:28Z |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Good morning, I'm Steve Inskeep. To 911 operators, every call counts. So when they got a call from a central California zoo and the line dropped, dispatchers tried to call back. They investigated and found no prime suspects, but a primate suspect. A capuchin monkey had made that call, grabbing a phone from a golf cart. On social media, the sheriff's office concluded it was a classic case of monkey see, monkey do. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-17/a-monkey-at-a-zoo-in-california-makes-a-call-to-911 | 2022-08-18T16:53:11Z |
Dean was scheduled to go on trial in January. Then May. Then June. The multiple delays came for multiple reasons, ranging from scheduling conflicts to, most recently, a successful battle to kick the original judge off the case.
Jury selection is now set to begin on Nov. 28, with the trial to begin on Dec. 5, according to court documents filed Thursday morning.
Dean has been charged with murder for shooting and killing Jefferson through the window of her Southside home, never identifying himself as an officer, body camera footage shows. Jefferson’s neighbor had called a non-emergency line to request a welfare check, because the door of Jefferson’s home was open.
Jefferson has become a prominent local example on the long list of Black Americans killed by police in recent years. Her name often came up during the 2020 George Floyd protests in Fort Worth, and her family and supporters have worked to keep her memory alive with protests and parades.
Got a tip? Email Miranda Suarez at msuarez@kera.org. You can follow Miranda on Twitter @MirandaRSuarez.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you. | https://www.keranews.org/news/2022-08-18/trial-for-former-fort-worth-police-officer-aaron-dean-scheduled-for-december-after-multiple-delays | 2022-08-18T16:53:15Z |
Graham appeals order to testify in Georgia election probe
ATLANTA (AP) — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has formally appealed a judge’s order requiring him to testify before a special grand jury investigating whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally sought to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia.
The South Carolina Republican’s appeal had been expected following a judge’s Monday ruling that he comply with prosecutors’ efforts to compel him to testify Aug. 23 about his phone calls to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff in the weeks following the election.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will consider Graham’s request, filed late Wednesday. Graham’s legal team also asked a federal judge to put his special grand jury appearance on hold during the appeal process.
Graham’s appeal was made the same day that another Trump associate, former campaign attorney Rudy Giuliani, spent roughly six hours before the special grand jury. The former New York mayor spread false claims of election fraud in Fulton County as he led efforts to challenge the election results in Georgia.
Met by an Associated Press reporter at the airport as he returned to New York on Wednesday, Giuliani said that he had “satisfied his obligation under the subpoena” from prosecutors but gave no further details of his testimony.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has indicated she is interested in the details of a phone call between Graham and Raffensperger shortly after the 2020 election. At the time, Raffensperger said that Graham asked if he had the power to reject certain absentee ballots and that he interpreted the question as a suggestion to toss out legally cast votes.
Graham also “made reference to allegations of widespread voter fraud in the November 2020 election in Georgia, consistent with public statements made by known affiliates of the Trump Campaign,” Willis wrote in a court filing.
Graham has argued that calls were part of his duties as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, with his legal team — which includes former Trump White House counsel Don McGahn — arguing that Graham’s position in Congress protects him from having to appear before the grand jury.
Willis opened her probe into post-election actions by Trump and his allies after the disclosure of a remarkable Jan. 2, 2021, phone call between Raffensperger and Trump in which the then-president suggested the state official could “find” the exact number of votes that would be needed to flip the election results in Georgia.
Denying any wrongdoing, Trump has described the call as “perfect.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, meanwhile, had received a subpoena to appear before the special grand jury on Thursday. But his lawyers on Wednesday filed a motion to quash it, and Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney said the governor doesn’t have to appear while that motion is pending, Kemp spokesperson Katie Byrd said.
___
Kinnard reported from Columbia, South Carolina, and can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.
More on Donald Trump-related investigations: https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/18/graham-appeals-order-testify-georgia-election-probe/ | 2022-08-18T17:09:17Z |
Lowe’s CEO announces $55M inflation bonuses for hourly associates
(Gray News) – Lowe’s Home Improvement announced Wednesday it will provide an incremental $55 million in inflation bonuses to its hourly frontline workers.
The bonuses are in effort to help hourly front-line associates during this period of high inflation, CEO Marvin R. Ellison said in a news release.
“I’d like to thank our associates for their continued hard work and dedication,” he said.
The company employs more than 300,000 workers in the United States and Canada, according to its website, but it is unclear how much associates will receive as part of this bonus.
Higher gas prices and rising rents are among some of the concerns for many consumers.
Additionally, the higher back-to-school costs are a concern for some families. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, education books and supplies are up 3.1%.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/18/lowes-ceo-announces-55m-inflation-bonuses-hourly-associates/ | 2022-08-18T17:09:26Z |
With the cost of everything from gas to groceries souring, LendingTree found that many Americans are crying over the state of their finances
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LendingTree®, the nation's leading online financial services marketplace, released its survey finding that 40% of Americans cried about money in the last year, and of those who cried, 39% cried due to inflation and 94% cried more than once. Additionally, the survey found that being unable to afford things their family wants or needs (46%) and debt (34%) round out the top three reasons Americans cried about money during the past year.
Key findings
- 40% of Americans say they've cried about money in the past year. Consumers most likely to shed tears over their finances include those unemployed and looking for work (59%), parents with children younger than 18 (53%), millennials (53%), and women (52%).
- Of those who cried about money, 39% of Americans cried due to inflation. Not being able to afford things their family wants or needs (46%) and debt (34%) round out the top three reasons consumers cried about money in the past year.
- 94% of those who cried about money did so more than once. Women cried more than men (39% cried five or more times, compared with 20% of men), while 45% of those making less than $35,000 cried five or more times.
- As hard as the past year has been for many Americans, some expect the tears to keep coming. A third of consumers (33%) say they will probably cry about money in the next six months.
LendingTree's Chief Credit Analyst, Matt Schulz, had this to add:
"I'm not surprised so many people have cried over money recently. For many Americans, the extra financial cushion they built in the early days of the pandemic has been whittled away to nothing by rampant inflation and other financial headwinds that are largely out of their control. That leaves people feeling helpless and scared, especially when they think there's no end in sight. When that happens, the tears tend to flow, and that's what many Americans are experiencing today."
To view the full report, visit
https://www.lendingtree.com/personal/crying-about-money-survey/
Methodology
LendingTree commissioned Qualtrics to conduct an online survey of 1,598 U.S. consumers ages 18 to 76 from July 8 to 15, 2022. The survey was administered using a nonprobability-based sample, and quotas were used to ensure the sample base represented the overall population. All responses were reviewed by researchers for quality control.
We defined generations as the following ages in 2022:
- Generation Z: 18 to 25
- Millennial: 26 to 41
- Generation X: 42 to 56
- Baby boomer: 57 to 76
LendingTree is the nation's leading online marketplace that connects consumers with the choices they need to be confident in their financial decisions. LendingTree empowers consumers to make smarter financial decisions through choice, education and support. Consumers can compare multiple offers from a nationwide network of over 500 partners in one simple search, and can choose the option that best fits their financial needs. Services include mortgage loans, mortgage refinances, auto loans, personal loans, business loans, student loans, insurance, credit cards and more. Through the logged-in experience, consumers receive free credit scores, credit monitoring, recommendations to improve credit health, and notifications when the proprietary algorithm identifies a savings opportunity. LendingTree, LLC is a subsidiary of LendingTree, Inc. For more information, go to www.lendingtree.com, dial 800-555-TREE, like our Facebook page and/or follow us on Twitter @LendingTree.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Nelson Garcia
nelson@lendingtreenews.com
704-943-8208
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SOURCE LendingTree.com | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/40-americans-cried-about-money-within-last-year-inflation-among-top-reasons/ | 2022-08-18T17:09:31Z |
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Adam & Eve and adameve.com, America's most trusted source for adult products, are back with the latest statistics from an all-new survey that asks adults about their favorite places to have sex in public. And their responses might shock you!
While only 46% of those polled admitted they enjoyed sex in public places, of those who indulged in less discreet lovemaking venues, their choice of location is as follows:
Parked car 46%
In the woods 26%
In a park 20%
At the beach 18%
Workplace/office 12%
Public bathroom 12%
Movie theater 7%
Airplane 4%
Taxi/cab 3%
Church 2%
Dr. Jenni Skyler, resident sexologist at Adam & Eve, says, "Many people enjoy the idea of public sex because it can feel like an erotic roller coaster, tapping into a taboo fantasy. However, there are real legal implications of getting caught. If couples want some racy, but safer, alternatives, consider secluded backyards or parked cars with concealed driveways."
Chad Davis, Marketing Director for Adam & Eve, adds, "Adam & Eve offers a wide variety of products to enhance any encounter, mood or location."
The web-based survey, conducted by an independent third party survey company, of over 1,000 American adults age 18 and up, was sponsored by Adam & Eve to study sexual preferences and practices.
For more information about Adam & Eve, visit their website, https://www.adameve.com. For additional information on Adam & Eve, please contact Adam & Eve Director of Public Relations Katy Zvolerin at 919.644.8100 x 3121 or katy@adameve.com.
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SOURCE adameve.com | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/adamevecom-asks-where-are-your-favorite-places-have-sex-public/ | 2022-08-18T17:09:38Z |
The in-person and streaming event features customer experience and AI experts ready to inspire customer support leaders to transform their strategies.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Forethought, the human-centered AI platform, today announced the agenda for its upcoming virtual Forward conference taking place on Sept. 8, 2022. The event, curated for customer support leaders, will be available virtually in addition to an in-person component in San Francisco.
Forward is the premier customer experience event for businesses eager to redefine customer experience with scalable yet human-centered support solutions. With more than 20 experts leading and speaking, three inspiring tracks, and a celebrity fireside chat, audiences don't want to miss this exciting event.
The conference begins with a welcome and opening keynote from Forethought CEO Deon Nicholas and guest Brandon Savage, VP of Customer Experience at Upwork. The opening keynote, celebrity fireside, and closing keynote will be live and in person. The remaining session content will be streamed to virtual attendees. Participants can choose from three tracks: Lead (for executives), Connect (for customer experience professionals) and Create (Forethought product-focused track).
Forethought developed Forward for customer support industry stakeholders and will deliver best practices, learnings, AI advancements, and more.
The event features notable industry thought leaders, including Dan Gingiss, "The Experience Maker®"; Myra Golden, a customer experience designer and training partner to Fortune 500 companies; Chris Manning, renowned NLP luminary and Professor of Computer Science and Linguistics at Stanford University; and Sabina Pons, a top-100 customer success strategist. The event will also include a fireside chat with a surprise celebrity guest, the details of which will be announced next week.
"These experts bring rich experience, innovation, and excitement to the customer support and success conversation. Attendees will appreciate their commentary and will certainly walk away with new ideas about how to be more customer-centric and what tools businesses need to do this well consistently," Ryan Van Wagoner, Forethought's Head of Marketing, said of the lineup.
The event is poised to be anything but a typical virtual conference, with a DJ and interactive components. Whether participants are onsite or online, they'll be able to learn, network, and have fun.
"Forward brings together the top minds in customer experience who will share their perspectives on transforming the entire customer support journey," Nicholas said. "It's a full day of inspiring ideas. We're excited to see how attendees can implement these now to help overcome the challenges that organizations face in connecting with and engaging customers."
The complete agenda and registration for Forward are available at forward.forethought.ai.
ABOUT FORETHOUGHT
Launched in 2018, Forethought is a leading AI company providing customer service solutions that transform the customer experience. Forethought's products enable seamless customer experiences by infusing human-centered AI at each stage of the customer support journey: resolving common cases instantly, predicting and prioritizing tickets, and assisting agents with relevant knowledge — all from one platform.
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SOURCE Forethought | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/ai-powered-customer-experience-trailblazer-forethought-announces-agenda-virtual-forward-conference/ | 2022-08-18T17:09:44Z |
Randy Johnston receives prestigious 'Lawyer of the Year' honor from nationally respected guide for 2023
DALLAS, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- All four attorneys with trial and appellate law firm Johnston Tobey Baruch are recognized in the 2023 edition of Best Lawyers in America, including founding shareholder Randy Johnston, who was named as "Lawyer of the Year" in two practice areas.
A board-certified attorney in civil appellate law, managing shareholder Chad Baruch is honored for his appellate work. This is the eighth year Mr. Baruch has been recognized by the distinguished legal guide.
Shareholder and firm co-founder Robert Tobey is honored for his work in commercial litigation and legal malpractice on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants. Mr. Tobey has been recognized each year since 2013. He is board certified in consumer and commercial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Like Mr. Tobey, shareholder and trial lawyer Randy Johnston is honored for commercial litigation and legal malpractice law for plaintiffs and defendants, but is also recognized for his esteemed work in professional malpractice law for defendants. Additionally, Mr. Johnston has been given the distinguished honor of "Lawyer of the Year" for his litigation practice relating to mergers and acquisitions and legal malpractice law on behalf of plaintiffs for 2023. He has been named to the prestigious legal guide each year since 2013.
Shareholder Coyt Johnston has also earned a spot on the list for his commercial litigation and mergers and acquisitions practices for the eighth year in succession. He is a member of the Dallas and American Bar Associations, the Dallas Trial Lawyers' Association, the Texas Trial Lawyers' Association and others.
The Best Lawyers in America list is widely considered one of the most respected and reliable guides in the legal industry. Honorees are chosen based on confidential client and peer evaluations, as well as extensive editorial research.
About Johnston Tobey Baruch:
Johnston Tobey Baruch is a dynamic law practice based in Dallas. Its trial and appellate attorneys have a broad range of litigation, arbitration and appellate experience. They are pioneers in the handling of legal and accounting malpractice, investment fraud and business disputes. They also have an enviable track record with insurance bad faith matters, commercial litigation and fiduciary litigation, as well as civil, family and criminal appeals for many prominent Texas companies and individuals.
Media Contact:
Mark Annick
800-559-4534
Mark@androvett.com
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SOURCE Johnston Tobey Baruch | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/all-four-attorneys-with-johnston-tobey-baruch-named-among-best-lawyers-america/ | 2022-08-18T17:09:51Z |
BOSTON, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allionce Group, the leading marketing agency for connecting brands to parents with young kids, today announced the promotion of Rachelle Cullum to Vice President, Director of Client Services. This appointment comes after an impressive year of growth and new client wins, including Ferrero brand Kinder Joy renewing their partnership for 2023. (Watch case study recap)
In addition to leading the client services team, Rachelle will also help manage the Solutions team to provide a seamless bridge when onboarding new clients.
"Rachelle has done an amazing job representing Allionce in her work with our clients," says Mark Giovino, CEO at Allionce. "Now is the right time for Rachelle to be recognized for her work and take this step to help lead Allionce and our clients into our next phase of growth."
Prior to joining Allionce Group last year, Rachelle spent 7 years with the San Diego Chargers of the NFL where she managed and serviced more than 80 corporate and sponsor accounts. She then led partnership activations at San Diego Zoo Global for 5 years working closely with brands including Alaska Airlines, Nintendo and Xbox.
"Working with Allionce has been a perfect match combining my time at the NFL and the zoo," says Rachelle on her new promotion. "I couldn't be more excited to continue working with Mark and the team. As a Mom with two little ones, I'm inspired everyday by the work that helps our clients play a proactive role in bringing parents & kids closer together."
This promotion is part of the continued growth of Allionce. Earlier this year, Allionce announced the launch of Moments-based Media that offers brand marketers one media "buy" to reach parents and kids when together to support the unmatched access Allionce has to these coveted family experiences.
The Allionce Group is the leading marketing agency for connecting brands to parents with young children. Allionce helps brand marketers engage parents & kids during one of their most connected & authentic moments. With 195 million annual visits to more than 200 accredited zoos and aquariums throughout the U.S., Allionce has centralized this emerging market offering a new ecosystem and uncluttered environment to connect with families at venues boasting more total visits than all four major sports leagues combined.
To learn more, visit https://www.allioncegroup.com/
MEDIA CONTACT:
contact@allioncegroup.com
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SOURCE Allionce Group | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/allionce-group-announces-promotion-industry-veteran-sustain-growth/ | 2022-08-18T17:09:57Z |
San Diego Civil Trial Lawyers Craig R. McClellan and Conor J. Hulburt have been named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2023.
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The McClellan Law Firm has earned national recognition and a regional reputation as one of Southern California's most respected civil trial law firms.
Having recovered hundreds of millions in compensation for victims in complex cases involving serious personal injury, products liability, insurance bad faith, and other civil claims, the firm's two attorneys have also garnered widespread respect from their peers.
Their latest recognition: selection to the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Recognition by Best Lawyers is regarded as one of the legal industry's top honors. And because it's a distinction based entirely on peer review, it's a meaningful indicator that honorees have earned the highest degree of professional recognition from fellow lawyers who know what it takes to be the best.
Attorneys included in The Best Lawyers in America are deemed to demonstrate exceptional knowledge and success in their areas of practice. For Craig McClellan and Conor Hulburt, it's an honor they've earned more than once:
- Craig R. McClellan has been named to Best Lawyers every year since 1993. As Founder of The McClellan Law Firm, he's won millions for plaintiffs in claims involving business and IP litigation, serious injury, and defective products, earning widespread recognition for his work litigating complex auto defect claims against powerful automakers and securing more than 145 verdicts and settlements in excess of $1 million each. He is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invite-only group of the top 100 plaintiffs' attorneys in the nation, and a recent inductee in the Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame and Consumer Attorneys of San Diego Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame.
- Conor J. Hulburt has been selected to The Best Lawyers in America in the Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs categories since 2021. At The McClellan Law Firm, he has obtained numerous seven- and eight-figure recoveries in claims involving serious personal injury, wrongful death, product defects, and insurance bad faith. Hulburt is a three-time recipient of San Diego Business Journal's "Best of the Bar" award and has been selected to The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 and Super Lawyers on multiple occasions.
The McClellan Law Firm has been serving clients in matters of serious personal injury, wrongful death, and complex business litigation for more than 30 years. Based in San Diego, the firm handles cases across California and beyond. Visit www.mcclellanlaw.com for more information.
Media Contact:
Carlie Ramos
Carlie@mcclellanlaw.com
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SOURCE The McClellan Law Firm | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/attorneys-craig-mcclellan-conor-hulburt-named-2023-best-lawyers/ | 2022-08-18T17:10:04Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AXA XL Insurance is welcoming three new colleagues to its Cyber and Technology Errors & Omission (E&O) insurance business in North America -- Deuayne Crawford as Head of Cyber for the Northeast in New York; Marisa Vero as Senior Underwriter in Los Angeles; and Hannah Baker as Underwriter in St. Paul, Minnesota.
According to AXA XL's Head of Cyber and Tech E&O Jeremy Gittler, "The demand for cyber insurance is showing no signs of cooling down. Businesses of all kinds, of all sizes are concerned about their cyber risks. As one of the top cyber insurance markets, we continue to attract top industry talent like Deuayne, Marisa and Hannah, giving us more bandwidth to address current market demands, and providing us with more cyber expertise that our brokers and clients can rely on to structure appropriate cyber insurance solutions for them."
Mr. Crawford assumes the overall underwriting management responsibilities in the Northeast, the largest region for AXA XL's Cyber business. He joins from Ironshore, where he was responsible for managing underwriting for cyber, media, technology and miscellaneous professional liability insurance for mid-cap and large-cap clients. Mr. Crawford earned his undergraduate degree from Binghamton University and his Master of Science in Insurance Management from Boston University. He holds CPCU (Charter Property Casualty Underwriter) and RPLU+ (Registered Professional Liability Underwriter+) designations.
Ms. Vero joins AXA XL's West Zone from Zurich North America, where she worked as a senior management liability underwriter, providing D&O, Employment Practices, Fiduciary, Crime, and Kidnap and Ransom solutions. She has also held underwriting positions at Chubb and Hiscox. Ms. Vero is a graduate of the University at Buffalo.
Ms. Baker joins AXA XL to support the Cyber and Tech E&O insurance needs of brokers and clients throughout AXA XL's Central Zone. Ms. Baker began her insurance career at Marsh, and most recently served as a Senior Account Underwriter at Travelers. She is a graduate of St. Cloud State University.
Follow AXA XL on Twitter and on LinkedIn.
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SOURCE AXA XL | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/axa-xl-adds-more-underwriting-talent-cyber-insurance-business-north-america/ | 2022-08-18T17:10:11Z |
DAVIE, Fla., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BHG Financial, the leader in unsecured business and personal loans, and the creator of one of the largest community bank loan and product networks in the country, today announced that it has earned a Great Place to Work® Certification™ for the 2022-2023 year. Great Place to Work® is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, retention, and increased innovation.
This is the seventh consecutive year BHG Financial has received this award, scoring over 30% higher than the average U.S.-based company as a great place to work. Reflecting a continued focus on employee wellness and connecting across a distributed team, the most frequently used words by employees to describe what makes BHG Financial a great workplace included "wellness," "people," and "team."
Key findings summarized on BHG Financials' Great Place to Work® profile:
- 97% of employees said that when you join the company, you are made to feel welcome
- 95% reported that management is honest and ethical in its business practices
- 95% of employees feel they are given the resources and equipment to do their job
- 95% reported that the facilities contribute to a good working environment
"We are thrilled to be certified as a Great Place to Work for the seventh year in a row. This accomplishment wouldn't be possible without our amazing and hard-working employees," said Al Crawford, CEO and co-founder of BHG Financial. "This certification further emphasizes BHG's award-winning culture and our dedication to the people-first mentality."
According to Great Place to Work research, job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find a great boss at a Certified great workplace. Additionally, employees at Certified workplaces are 93% more likely to look forward to coming to work, and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, earn a fair share of the company's profits, and have a fair chance at promotion.
About BHG Financial
BHG Financial is transforming the financial industry, leveraging the power of data, analytics, and cutting-edge technology to become not only one of the best sources for high-performing loans, but the creator of one of the largest community bank loan and product networks in the country.
Since 2001, BHG has originated more than $11 billion in loan solutions to top-quality borrowers, which community and midsize banks can access via a state-of-the-art loan delivery platform.
BHG Financials' dedication to providing services that meet the needs of its clients has led to the creation of a full family of brands that range from business, consumer, and SBA 7(a) loans to credit cards, collection services, risk management services, and point-of-sale financing.
With record growth year after year, BHG continues to be recognized regionally and nationally: earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 for 14 years running and receiving accolades from Great Place to Work® and Fortune magazine, among others.
BHG Financial is partially owned by Pinnacle Bank (PNFP) and has headquarters in Davie, FL and Syracuse, NY. To represent the company's growth and dedication to continuously expanding their services, Bankers Healthcare Group became BHG Financial in 2021.
Find out more about the company's financial solutions on https://bhgfinancial.com. For more information about the BHG Bank Network, click here. Follow BHG on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Media Contact:
Jasmine Heard
Jheard@bhg-inc.com
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SOURCE BHG Financial | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/bhg-financial-certified-great-place-work-seventh-consecutive-year/ | 2022-08-18T17:10:18Z |
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, August 20th at 3:55 PM ET, Blue Star Families (BSF)'s Director of Racial Equity & Inclusion, Carlandra "CT" Moss will be featured in the Disney's Veterans Institute Summit closing panel.
The Veterans Institute Summit is a two-day event of conversations with speakers aiming to increase resources for supporting and enabling Veterans and military spouses as they explore quality and meaningful employment outside of military service and to introduce business professionals and organizations to the proven useful insights from The Walt Disney Company's Heroes Work Here initiative.
Moss will deliver remarks on the panel entitled "Inspiring Action" which will be the culmination of the summit. The discussion will focus on the implementation of the knowledge gained during the event, how attendees can make a difference in their organization, and provide support for Veterans, service members, military spouses, and families.
About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families is the nation's largest grass-roots military family support organization, with a mission to support military families to improve military readiness. Its distinctive approach builds stronger communities around military families through knowledge and programs that address the unique needs of those who serve. Blue Star Families' nationally recognized surveys and analysis give military families an important voice that informs policymakers and its military family programs. It uses the power of its collective resources and cross-sector collaborations to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of members of military families to strengthen the troops, their families, and our nation as a whole. For more information, visit bluestarfam.org.
To learn more about the upcoming Blue Star Families Welcome Week events and opportunities to get involved, please visit https://bluestarwelcomeweek.org
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SOURCE Blue Star Families | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/18/blue-star-families-racial-equity-amp-inclusion-director-be-featured-speaker-during-disneys-veterans-institute-summit/ | 2022-08-18T17:10:24Z |
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